Tag: manshi kiyozawa

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Kiyozawa: From Philosophy to Awakening

By Rev. Ken Yamada

Spiritual awakening takes various routes, depending on the person. Swift and direct, or twisting and turning. Two of Jodo Shinshu’s most important teachers in modern times took such opposite routes.

Daisetz Teitarō Suzuki (1870-1966), absorbed in Zen practice, experienced a profound realization early in life. By contrast, Kiyozawa Manshi (1863-1903) struggled for years, delving deep into philosophy before awakening to spiritual truth. Continue reading “Kiyozawa: From Philosophy to Awakening”

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D.T. Suzuki: From Awakening to Philosophy

Daisetz Suzuki

By Rev. Ken Yamada

Two of the most influential Buddhist thinkers in modern times led vastly different lives. Daisetz Teitarō Suzuki gained world-renown as a Zen expert, traveled widely, and lived to a ripe old age. Manshi Kiyozawa failed to reform institutional Jōdo Shinshū, died relatively young and unknown outside Japan. Yet, they have much in-common. Both clarified and explained Jōdo Shinshū in modern terms, albeit from different perspectives. Continue reading “D.T. Suzuki: From Awakening to Philosophy”

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Kaneko’s Pure Land: A Case of Heresy

Kaneko Daiei

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”

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Faces Brightly Shining: Rev. Akegarasu and the Eternal Life Sutra

(credit: Cleveland Museum of Art)

By Rev. Patti Nakai

(This article was originally published in Buddhist Temple of Chicago’s Bulletin, August 1997)

It may sound paradoxical, but throughout Buddhism’s history, teachers who spoke most powerfully to people of their generation and to generations afterward looked backward in time to India and heard Shakamuni Buddha’s words directly as possible. They broke through layers of stale traditions and customs separating the Buddha’s time and their own. Continue reading “Faces Brightly Shining: Rev. Akegarasu and the Eternal Life Sutra”

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Kiyozawa: Stand on Solid Ground!

Lives built on false pretenses and erroneous views are destined to fall, like sand castles standing before ocean tides.

Manshi Kiyozawa knew such truth, his life ravaged by disease, job loss, the death of loved ones, and gnawing poverty. Yet, spiritually he stood strong. He wrote: “The most important thing is that we should find firm ground for our spirit to strike root in. We can build houses only on firm ground. Our spirit cannot stand firm if it has no foundation.” Continue reading “Kiyozawa: Stand on Solid Ground!”