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Steeped in Suffering

By Rev. Patti Nakai

These days I feel “my life sucks.” Shinran Shonin would say—bonnō gusoku – filled with irritation/misery. He often slung that description of himself and the human condition. We’re full of it; why should we expect otherwise?

I’m steeped in bonnō; clearly there’s nothing “blind” about it. Physically I’m in pain and discomfort from stage-four cancer in my spine and liver and the many side effects of radiation treatments and oral medications. My personal life has daily annoyances and stressful episodes. Add dukkha from seeing news about violence in our cities, country and world. Continue reading “Steeped in Suffering”

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Minister Training in Kyoto

By Gregory Thomas

Arriving at Higashi Honganji mother temple in Kyoto for shūren (ministers retreat), I had only a rough idea of what awaited. After receiving initial tokudō ordination, I needed training for full kyōshi ordination, which would enable me to work as a temple minister. But nothing—absolutely nothing—prepared me for the intensity, discipline, and emotional weight of this monastic-like experience.

It wasn’t quiet meditation, peaceful strolls in nature, and reflective periods of reading sutras, rather relentless activity that was physically and mentally demanding, highly structured, and ultimately deeply transformative for me. By week’s end, I learned more about myself than years of academic study could ever teach. Continue reading “Minister Training in Kyoto”

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Kaneko: Can we “study” Shin Buddhism?

Kaneko Daiei

By Rev. Ken Yamada

Serious seekers “study”  Buddhism, but can we really “learn” Jōdo Shinshū? What, how, and why do we study?

Buddhist thinker and Ōtani University professor Kaneko Daiei (1881-1976) pondered such questions in a 1966 essay, “Prolegomena to Shin Buddhist Studies,” reckoning on academia’s purpose ( Robert F. Rhodes translation in Cultivating Spirituality, A Modern Shin Buddhist Anthology). He begins by stating:

Shin Buddhism teaches us to go to the Pure Land by saying the nenbutsu. That’s all. Since that’s all there is to the teaching of Shin Buddhism, is there any need to study it academically? Continue reading “Kaneko: Can we “study” Shin Buddhism?”

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Tokudo ordination: Not going up, but down

By Victor Ogundipe

Aspiring for the Other Shore of awakening, I made a commitment to learn, share,  and live the Buddhadharma with our sangha. That’s why I received tokudo ordination from Higashi Honganji, which took me to Japan for the first time last year.

I’ve come to realize being ordained isn’t about the ceremony or achieving something. It’s about reflecting on my so-called “self.” It’s not about “going up,” but rather “going down”—seeing my delusions, becoming humble, and understanding myself more clearly. Continue reading “Tokudo ordination: Not going up, but down”

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Higashi Honganji in France

By Rev. Ken Yamada

In a French village near the Swiss border, a small group met to discuss Buddhism and Shinran Shonin. This month, Rev. Ryoko Osa from Berkeley Higashi Honganji in California, and I travelled there to help and support them.

The gathering represented a budding French-speaking sangha, led by Greg Thomas, who has “tokudo” ordination from Higashi Honganji. He actively writes and talks about Jōdo Shinshū and Buddhism on the Internet, Youtube, and on a live Twitch.tv forum.

Consequently, people all around France are becoming interested in Jōdo Shinshū. A few have travelled great distances to participate in retreats with Greg and Higashi Honganji ministers from Shinshu Center of America, which helps since English serves as a common language for everyone. Continue reading “Higashi Honganji in France”