Jodo Shinshu Buddhism for everyone
By Rev. Victor Ogundipe
To become a fully-ordained minister (called kyōshi), I participated in a grueling week-long retreat called shūren at Higashi Honganji mother temple in Kyoto. Last September, entering the temple I nearly fainted from the summer heat and high humidity. Continue reading “The Meaning of Chanting”
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”
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”