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Welcome from Dr. Alfred Bloom
The
purpose and mission of this website is to share information concerning Shin
Buddhist tradition and Pure Land Buddhism as it is presently practiced and
interpreted by Shin communities in the West and Japan. I hope you will find
value in the information, resources, and research material here and I look
forward to
hearing from you with questions or
comments.
"In Buddhist
tradition, light stands for wisdom. It is frequently presented in sutras as
a stream of light coming from the Buddha and illuminating every aspect of
the cosmos. In modern terms, it means to see things as they really are.
Because Buddha sees things as they really are, he is able to assist all
beings to enlightenment, despite their delusions and ignorance."
-- Strategies for Modern Living, by
Alfred Bloom.
TAKE A
LOOK AT... >>
The "Writings" section!
The material is varied from a wide range
of authors, providing the opportunity to read articles and excerpts not
always easy to find.
>> Also,
don't miss "Studies
in Buddhism."
Rev. Dr. Bloom has
placed a selection of his writings in one spot, to help guide readers in a
progressive view of Buddhism from its earliest beginnings to Shinran ... and
beyond.
**
Be sure to read "Personal Stories"
of people who have come to Shin Buddhism.
(Sharing experiences is an
excellent way to understand the evolving tradition.)
ANNOUNCING
...
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Books for the 750th
Anniversary of Shinran and
the 120th Anniversary of Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
Available from the
Honpa Hongwanji Bookstore 1727 Pali
Hwy. Honolulu, HI 96813.
For more information on purchasing books, contact Yuka at
hqbooks@honpahi.com
“January 16,
2012 will mark the seven hundred fiftieth anniversary of the passing
of our Founder, Shinran Shonin. To commemorate this occasion, the
Hongwanji in Kyoto will be conducting the Seven hundred fiftieth
Memorial for Shinran Shonin from April 2011 at the Goeido (Founder’s
Hall), the restoration work of which will be completed by then. During
this opportunity, through reflecting on Shinran Shonin’s hardships and
achievements, praising his virtue while renewing our resolve, and
sincerely receiving the Jodo Shinshu teaching, it is my hope that we
will endeavour to widely transmit it as a beacon that guides us all in
the contemporary world of confusion and turmoil.”
-- “On the Seven Hundred Fiftieth Memorial for Shinran Shonin,” Jan.
9, 2005, OHTANI Koshin, Monshu of the Hongwanji
The Buddha's Wish for the
World by Monshu Koshin Ohtani
Monshu
Koshin Ohtani, the spiritual head of Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha with
headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, is a scholar and a thinker. His articles
have appeared in major magazines for several years, including his
interview with the Dalai Lama in 2008 in which he exchanged his views
of religions in today's world.
Other than in the New Year's issues of temple newsletters, Jodo Shin
members in America have had limited opportunities to read Monshu's
messages in English. Now, in advance of his arrival in Hawaii for
Shinran Shonin's 750th Memorial, an English translation of his 2003
book, "Ashita niwa Kogan arite" is available as "The Buddha's Wish for
the World." It gives English-speaking Shin Buddhist members a
wonderful opportunity to get to know Monshu Ohtani's views on life,
family, religion and society.
Published by The American Buddhist Study Center in New York, the
English translation, initiated last year in Kyoto by Wayne Yokoyama,
was edited by members of the Buddhist Study Center Press Committee in
Hawaii and the Church Publishing Committee of the Orange County
(Calif.) Buddhist Church.
Price: $15.00
NOTE: Be sure to visit the
Buddhist Study
Center YouTube site for a fascinating 6-part interview with Monshu
Koshin Ohtani, author of "The Buddha's Wish for the World." In it, he
talks about Jodo Shinshu, Amida Buddha and the teachings of Shinran.
On the Air -- Messages on
Shinran's Teachings on Peace and Tranquility
Every Saturday
morning, beginning in 1975 on station KOHO and now over KZOO-AM,
Moiliili Hongwanji (Honolulu) airs a Buddhist message via its "White
Way Radio Broadcast." In commemoration of Shinran Shonin's 750th
Memorial and Hawaii Kyodan 120th Anniversary, all messages broadcast
in 2008 were about Shin Buddhism and Peace.
"On the Air," a
small book of just 145 pages, is a collection of these inspiring
messages addressed by ministers and lay persons. Surely of interest to
all, it's especially recommended to members of the Hongwanji and their
families.
In the Foreword, Bishop Thomas Okano says: "This book not only gives
our Sangha an idea of what these broadcasts were like had they been
unable to listen to them, but life messages to live by, together with
the importance of perpetuating Shinran's teachings in the area of
world peace, community work, and personal salvation."
Price: $10.00
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OTHER BOOKS ON SHIN BUDDHISM ...
 Shinran's
Gospel Of Pure Grace by Rev. Dr. Alfred
Bloom
Available from
the Association for Asian Studies (AAS).
Now in its
ninth printing, this book is the best-selling volume in the AAS
Monograph Series.
". . . a
significant contribution toward a deeper understanding of one of the
most important figures in the history of Japanese Buddhism . . . .
Obviously the author is at home with his subject." -- The Japanese
Christian Quarterly
Monograph 20;
ISBN 0-8165-0405-9; ninth printing 1999; 97 + xiv pages; Paper: $12.00
(AAS Members: $10.00)
Order directly
from the publisher:
Ordering
Information ...
Order form
(pdf)
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The Essential Shinran: A
Buddhist Path of True Entrusting, Rev. Dr. Alfred Bloom
comp. and ed., Bloomington, IN:
World Wisdom Press, 2006, xix + pp. 252. With glossary, bibliography,
and index of selections.
(New: $22.95 at
World Wisdom or $17.21 at
Amazon).
"In The
Essential Shinran, Dr. Alfred Bloom makes a masterful presentation
of the life and thought of Shinran. The book is a virtual feast of
prime statements carefully selected from traditional Shinshu textual
sources and thematically arranged to illustrate key points. The main
text begins with a modern overview of Shinran's life and legacy. This
is followed by over 300 selected passages from the biographical
literature and from Shinshu doctrinal works, with insightful notes by
the author. Each of the items quoted is consecutively numbered for
ease of reference, and the original source text for each is clearly
indicated.
"As a compendium
of Shinran's teaching, The Essential Shinran takes many of its
quotations from the Collected Works of Shinran (CWS).
CWS was a landmark publication that presented the complete
writings of Shinran Shonin in one volume. In a sense, The Essential
Shinran is an introduction to the CWS. It presents
Shinran's thought in a way that makes it more easily accessible. It
maps out the important points on the terrain of Shinran's thought, and
brings together related statements by theme. explaining briefly the
significance of these statements. All of these features are important
for the first-time reader who needs a guide to show them the important
points of Shinran's thought. Once this is done, there is nothing
simpler to understand. But until then, what Shinran teaches can pose a
formidable obstacle to the newcomer. Students will no doubt find
The Essential Shinran a welcome addition, and it may well become a
favorite work for university religion courses."
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Alfred Bloom’s
The Promise of
Boundless Compassion: Shin Buddhism for Today,
based on the
Internet course, "Shin Buddhism in Modern Culture" ...
$25.00
Available from:
Honpa Hongwanji Bookstore,
1727 Pali Hwy., Honolulu, HI 96813; (information
only: 808-522-9210;
Fax: 808-522-9209; e-mail:
hqbooks@lava.net).
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Living in
Amida's Universal Vow: Essays in Shin Buddhism,
edited by Dr.
Bloom, World Wisdom Books ($19.95 new at
World Wisdom or
Amazon).
This text brings
together a variety of authors on Shin Buddhism from the Meiji period
at the end of the 19th century to the present. They view Shin and its
meaning from a variety of angles and offer many insights that will be
helpful in understanding Shinran's teaching.
"Shin, the Buddhism
of the heart, is the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan but it is
still the least known in the west. This valuable collection of
previously published articles, of interest to specialists and
nonspecialists alike, will help to establish Shin in the English
speaking world." -- Roger Corless, author: "The Vision
of Buddhism: The Space Under the Tree."
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Dewdrops of Dharma: Forty-
Eight Buddhist Viewpoints,
by Rev. Koju Fujieda, Compiler; Dr.
Alfred Bloom, Editor. (2006,117 pp.) $7.00
Rev. Koju Fujieda
has put together out of his Temple experience a variety of short
meditations for personal contemplation. The volume will be
helpful is focusing your reflections on Shin Buddhism and the various
conditions of life.
Rev. Fujieda is the
resident minister of the Ryokeiji Temple in Echizen city in Japan. He
also has long experience in teaching English in the Fukui Medical
University and presently at Jinai University.
Available from:
Honpa Hongwanji Bookstore,
1727 Pali Hwy., Honolulu, HI 96813;
(information only: 808-522-9210;
Fax: 808-522-9209; e-mail:
hqbooks@lava.net).
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