Jodo Shinshu Buddhism for everyone
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.
Among his many activities, he started a company, Interbeing, aimed at bringing Buddhist teachings to business people. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree and developed lessons to help priests better run their temples. He organizes spontaneous meet-ups with young people in various cities to discuss life issues. He started a temple café and created a Buddhist website called higan.net. He’s written several books, including the popular “A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind,” which was translated into 18 languages. Continue reading “Reaching Beyond Temples to Teach Buddhism”
By Rev. Ken Yamada
Jodo Shinshu uses words such as “salvation” and “save” which make me uneasy. They give Pure Land Buddhism the appearance of a Christian-like religion with Amida Buddha as savior.
Yet, Jodo Shinshu’s founder Shinran Shonin used these terms. In the Tannisho, he says:
As for me, I simply accept and entrust myself to what my revered teacher told me, “Just say the nembutsu and be saved by Amida”; nothing else is involved.
By Rev. Miki Nakura
When Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, he’s depicted as sitting in contemplation beneath the Bodhi tree. In that sense, we can say the Buddhist teachings sprung from meditation. The Buddha understood that body and mind are not separate but one, expressing non-dualism. Continue reading “Meditation and Jodo Shinshu”
By Gary Link
I was nervous. Passing the chanting test would be a big step towards becoming an ordained Higashi Honganji priest. This journey began more than 25 years ago. Continue reading “Making a Commitment”
By Gregory Thomas
Receiving ordination from Higashi Honganji was an important step, both for my personnel growth and to help me share the Dharma with people in France.
On a personal level, becoming ordained is an expression of my commitment to Jodo Shinshu and the teachings of Shinran Shonin. It pushes me to study and practice more than ever. It’s a natural outcome of my studies over the past ten years. Continue reading “Becoming ordained”