Jodo Shinshu Buddhism for everyone
By Julien Le Coz
After 12 years of Zen practice, I hit a dead end. Zen made me demanding of others and myself, and I doubted my ability to do zazen (sitting meditation).
I couldn’t give up Buddhism. I read about Amida Buddha and considered Jodo Shinshu—a tradition I initially disregarded—and found a truly accessible path within reach of anyone. Continue reading “Taking Refuge in Shinshu”
By George O’Sullivan
After years of unrest and spiritual seeking, I felt a rebirth. On the verge of taking refuge in Amida Buddha, I’d soon receive my Buddhist name at a kikyoshiki ceremony in France. Finally, I had “come home.” Continue reading “Receiving my Buddhist Name: A Beginning”
By Rev. Ken Yamada
Jodo Shinshu Buddhism teaches birth in the Pure Land. But what exactly is the Pure Land?
Disagreements abound—a heaven-like place where you go after death; a higher realm of consciousness; spiritual understanding in this life.
That debate reached a fevered pitch in 1920s Japan with priests, intellectuals, journalists, and laypeople weighing in. The most infamous perhaps was Shin scholar Kaneko Daiei (1881-1976), who asserted the Pure Land wasn’t a place, but rather an “idea.”
A firestorm of criticism ensued as scholars, priests, and laypeople holding more orthodox views lashed out. Buddhist sect authorities quickly hurled accusations of heresy. Blowback followed as students protested, academic staff resigned and others were fired. Threatened with excommunication, Kaneko was forced to resign his teaching post at Higashi Honganji’s Ōtani University. Continue reading “Kaneko’s Pure Land: A Case of Heresy”
By Rev. Marcos Sawada
Are you a positive or negative thinker? We humans love to be negative thinkers. We think about our hardships, problems and worries, imaging the worst scenarios. Our minds are filled with such thoughts, emotions and passions.
I recently moved from Oahu to serve again as minister on the big island of Hawai’i, where I began visiting temple members. There’s been a huge decrease in the Hilo Higashi Hongwanji sangha. Before I moved away, usually 30-to-50 members attended the monthly service, but now only about half those numbers attend. I think this trend isn’t exclusive to the Hilo temple; attendance at many temples and churches is declining in the United States. Continue reading “Lost in This World”
By Rev. Miki Nakura
Last month, I conducted a kikyoshiki Buddhist name ceremony in Colombia, South America. This was my third visit since 2019, when I first met Adriana Díaz Páez and her brother Juan Pablo, who were interested in Shinran Shonin’s teachings.
By Rev. Ken Yamada
In our Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition, Rennyo Shonin standardized the practice of saying “Namu Amida Butsu,” but it wasn’t his first choice.
As the eighth Honganji abbot, Rennyo (1415-1499) lived in a turbulent time of war, social upheaval, famine and religious persecution. Yet, he vastly grew the Honganji denomination and attracted legions of followers by making accessible and relevant Shinran’s teachings. During the time he spent in Yoshizaki on the Japan Sea coast, he established uniform rituals, ceremonies and activities that provided the bedrock for growing the sangha and enabled Honganji to become an independent denomination. Continue reading “Rennyo in Yoshizaki”