Jodo Shinshu Buddhism for everyone
By Rev. Ken Yamada
With its mythical Buddha and otherworldly Pure Land, many people wonder how Jodo Shinshu could possibly represent the historical Buddha’s teaching.
By contrast, Shinshu followers feel Shinran’s teachings—the basis of Jodo Shinshu—reflect Buddhism’s true essence. The key to this conundrum lays precisely in how “myth” and symbolism may convey truth more effectively than “fact” and history. Continue reading “Jodo Shinshu: Myth vs History”
By Rev. Ken Yamada
A century ago, Jodo Shinshu began transforming its image from beliefs in superstition and the supernatural towards teachings addressing modern day problems, bolstered by efforts of a new academic journal called The Eastern Buddhist. Today, the journal remains an active voice in English, clarifying Shinshu teachings, along with various other Buddhist traditions. Continue reading “The Eastern Buddhist: A Century of Shinshu Studies”
(Added) Newly translated introduction that originally appeared in the Japanese magazine “Honi,” February 1919
Living Myokonin Saichi Asahara
By Edatsu Teramoto
Mention the name “Saichi Asahara” and people will say, “Who?” Of course, most people never heard of him. Continue reading “Myokonin: Saichi’s First Poems”