Month: December 2025

Posted on

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”

Posted on

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”