Showing posts with label AMIDAJI SANGHA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AMIDAJI SANGHA. Show all posts

Friday, March 15, 2024

Members of Amidaji: from Voodoo to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism - the story of Koshin


This is the spiritual story of Koshin Jose Pomales, our new member from California, USA, as it was recorded in two meetings on zoom,

You can read about Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism here (click here)



Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Members of Amidaji: Hokai Sylvie Kirsch from the Cook Islands


My grandmother brought me up Catholic. My first husband was Protestant, we’d agreed to allow our children to grow up and make their own spiritual choices. It was when my 13-month-old daughter passed away and a catholic priest refused to bless her grave because she wasn’t baptised.  The implication that my daughter was abandoned in hell because she wasn’t baptised devastated me. How could this so-called “god of love”, one to whom I’d put my faith and devotion all my life, not gladly receive the soul of an innocent child in his arms? I went through a spiritual struggle over the next few years, shifting towards the Protestant Reformed Church and trying to make sense of the growing inconsistencies. Eventually, I lost my faith in Christianity. I then went on a spiritual journey to find the true manifestation of all-embracing compassion.
 
 Like many of my Amidaji kin, I began by grappling my way through various spiritualities and philosophies.  Studying in earnest, I would eventually peel off the veneer of salvation, to discover that each was riddled with inconsistencies, and all lacked any true, universal compassion. What seemed like a purposeful journey ended up being stuck going around in circles in a meaningless labyrinth, from which there was no escape.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

The first monk ordination in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism (Rev Kosho Arana from Columbia)



On the evening of September 21st 2023, I ordained our brother Kosho Arana from Colombia as a Buddhist monk (priest).  This is a historical day for Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.

As you may know, Amidaji follows the wise and compassionate instructions of the late 23rd Monshu of Nishi Hongwanji temple, Shōnyo Shōnin (Kosho Ohtani)[1], who encouraged non-Japanese Nembutsu followers to organize themselves independently from Japan, and who agreed with the first non-Japanese ordinations done in Europe by Rev Harry Pieper (Shaku Shōgon Hōshi)[2] and Rev Jean Earacle (Shaku Jôan)[3]. In the same spirit initiated by Shōnyo Shōnin of sincere aspiration to spread the authentic Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teachings in a non-Japanese environment, Amidaji affirms the right to have its own ordination platform. Thus, a candidate for monkhood (priesthood) can receive his or her ordination from any of the monks or nuns affiliated with Amidaji after a serious examination and going through the ceremony of ordination that we can held at any of our temples or dojos.

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Video presentation of the 71 topics of examination for those who want to become lay teachers or monks and nuns in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism

As you may already know, we at Amidaji, take monk (priest) ordination or becoming a lay teacher very seriously. At this link you can watch a series of lectures and presentations on all the 71 topics of doctrinal examination for those who want to become monks (priests), nuns or lay teachers. The main speaker in this playlist is Kosho Arana from Colombia, a candidate for monkhood, the translator of all my books in Spanish and author of A Seed in Amida's Hands -Samsara and Nirvana in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. The playlist is updated regularly, so please subscribe to my youtube channel and click on the bell near the subscribe button to be announced anytime a new video is added. 

By listening to all the videos in the playlist related with the examinations you will acquire very good knowledge of the general Buddhist teaching and the specific Jodo Shinshu doctrines. As you can see in these videos, Amidaji has well prepared members and it’s a team work, with people capable to continue our Dharma mission to spread the true orthodox Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching. 

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE PLAYLIST ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

Namo Amida Bu

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

The Way of Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism

 

This is a very interesting video discussion between some members of Amidaji. It shows how we do things, how we teach Amida Dharma, how we distinguish between true and false, how we accept or refuse membership, etc.

Sunday, February 19, 2023

Members of Amidaji: Myokaku Fernando Andaluz (Mexico)

 My Spritual Journey so far

By Shaku Myokaku Fernando Andaluz

Namo Amida Butsu 

First things first, I recognize that I am no extraordinary person nor am I capable of attaining Buddhahood by myself, much less within this lifetime.

After trial and error, despite my best efforts and the best of spiritual guidance within the Triple Jewel, I failed miserably on achieving the slightest amount of peace of mind, enhanced mindfulness, awareness and settlement of any spiritual achievement whatsoever.

In short, my story is that of failure upon the path of self-empowerment and finally end up surrendering to the Other Power, that is, the power of Amida Butsu.

I was born and raised in a mixed family, a devoted but faithful and moderate Roman Catholic mother and a liberal Jewish father. My first experience with the “powers to be” was during my early childhood when at my elementary school, run by nuns, a missionary who had been to Africa came over to talk about his journey and the love of Jesus Christ for all mankind. Right away, I felt a lot of respect for this monk and started asking him questions openly about the inequities and the hardships he encountered upon those starving children whom he was committed to help. Quickly the questions and dialogue escalated to the point where I subconsciously, and truly meaning no ill will, began to question the contradiction between God and Jesus Christ loving everyone and being merciful towards all mankind. Soon after the confrontation came towards the narrative of a loving all-powerful all-knowing and all-merciful God and his son, letting innocent children to starve and endure the horrors and nightmares of war, poverty and colonialism.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Why Amidaji – the testimony of a member who re-enters our Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Sangha


When somebody enters or re-enters our Sangha he or she must be able to explain in his own words the essentials of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism as we teach it at Amidaji. This is exactly what Kosho Sebastian Arana does in this video while also sharing his experience in other schools and the reasons he chose to return to Amidaji. This discussion was followed by an online kieshiki (refuge ceremony) for Kosho.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Members of Amidaji: Samuel Jacob Weaver (Shaku Koshin) - USA


Here is the story of Koshin Samuel Jacob Weaver who found my books and entrusted himself to Amida Buddha while serving 25 years in jail. I offer teachings and spiritual guidance to anybody, no matter who they are and what they did. Amida is the Buddha of Unhindered Light who reaches the darkest places and darkest minds, embracing and saving everybody without discrimination. Namo Amida Bu

*

"My name is Samuel Jacob Weaver and I am 24 years of age. Having been asked by Josho Sensei to write an account of my spiritual journey, I will now give a brief overview of the major religious occurrences in my life thus far. I initially intended to give greater detail to specific events, but soon figured that such would be of no benefit. Hence, the brevity of this story.
 
Like most people in the state of Utah, I was raised within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church).
 
When I was a young man my mother and I moved to a small home on the outskirts of Bangalore, India. Having lived in that house for some time, I was exposed to Vaisnava Hinduism and soon began to grow curious regarding the nature of religion, most especially Vedic culture.

Monday, November 28, 2022

The teachers of Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism


Amidaji Sangha has two new lay teachers – Sensei Shingyo Yuri Demianov from Russia, appointed on August 23, 2022 and Sensei Daigan Alejandro Macia Machado  from Uruguay, appointed today, November 28, 2022. 

As lay teachers they can teach and open dojos affiliated with Amidaji in their own countries and any Russian speaking or Spanish speaking areas. At the present, Amidaji has four official teachers - one monk (priest), that is me (Josho), and three lay teachers, Shingyo Yuri Sensei (Russia), Daigan Alejandro Sensei (Uruguay) and Gansen JohnWelch Sensei from Australia. 

All of them passed the necessary examination within Amidaji and have proved to be dedicated followers, doing various activities to help many people entrust to Amida Buddha and hear the orthodox Jodo Shinshu Dharma we teach in our school. Daigan and Camilla Jishin do a wonderful work with the Youtube channel in Spanish,  and meet with people interested in Jodo Shinshu in Montevideo, Shingyo Yuri with his collegues Hojun Nikita and Chisho Valentin work tirelessly at Russian translations and at administering the Amidaji group on VK where there are around 400 readers , while Gansen John Welch has narrated my books and wrote many Dharma essays and poems that are useful to many people, thus helping a lot those who have difficulties in reading. 

Among the three lay teachers it is sure that Daigan will receive monk (priest)ordination within our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism next year. 

May all beings create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land!

Namo Amida Bu 🙏


Rev Josho , leader of Amidaji Sangha




Friday, July 8, 2022

Monjes y monjas en la Última Era del Dharma

        traducido del inglés por Juan Sebastian Hincapie Arana 

(La base doctrinal para las ordenaciones de Amidaji)
Tanto Honen Shonin como Shinran Shonin fueron monjes ordenados de la Escuela Tendai. Aunque dejaron esa escuela, continuaron usando sus túnicas de monje, y mientras Honen permaneció célibe, Shinran se casó y tuvo seis hijos. Antes y después de Shinran, muchos monjes tuvieron esposas e hijos en secreto, sin embargo Shinran hizo público su matrimonio y siguió usando la túnica de monje. Además, después de que él y su Maestro Honen fueron desterrados por el Emperador, despojados de su estado de ordenación[1] y de sus nombres seculares, también mantuvieron sus túnicas. En ese momento, Shinran dijo sobre sí mismo que no era ni monje ni laico, pero siguió vistiendo la túnica de un monje. Más tarde, ambos fueron indultados (perdonados por el emperador), por lo que se restableció su estado anterior (como monjes).
 
¿Por qué Shinran se casó? Porque quería mostrar que la salvación ofrecida por  el Buda Amida no hace ninguna discriminación entre aquellos que guardan el precepto del celibato y aquellos que están apegados a sus esposas e hijos o tienen otras pasiones ciegas.

Monday, January 31, 2022

Don’t expect the sangha to solve your worldly problems

I have seen many people joining various sanghas with an ego centered attitude. They expect the sangha to do things for them, to treat them in a certain way, and they are never satisfied with receiving the teaching and just the teaching. They don’t understand that to receive the teaching and being corrected in matters related with the teaching is the greatest compassion they receive in this life, even more than the compassion their parents showed to them. The gift of Dharma is the highest gift, said the Buddha, because it gives you freedom from all births and deaths. It is a pity that some do not appreciate the compassion that is showed to them by being offered the gift of Dharma.

The role of the sangha is not to be a substitute for your family, for your husband, wife, parents, children or friends. It is your fault if you are not able to manage your own personal life, so you should never blame the sangha. The sangha is giving you the Dharma and then you can use that Dharma to solve your problems and more importantly, to solve the most important problem of birth and death.

The role of the sangha is not to approve you or to solve your emotional chaos. You are the one who should solve your own problems by using the Dharma offered so generously by the sangha and/or by simply going to a doctor and by taking good care of yourself. If we use the sangha for worldly goals and our ego centered need for attention and approval and we are not satisfied with the Dharma and the correction of our teachers and Dharma colleagues, then we create the karma of not deserving the sangha and the Three Treasures.

Be grateful when you meet a true sangha where the true teaching is taught because such a sangha is hard to meet in many lifetimes. Don’t miss the opportunity to listen to the Dharma. Don’t think you have other needs than hearing the Dharma. 

(fragment from a letter to a friend)

 

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Members of Amidaji: Hozan Elmir Bratić (USA)

 Click here to return to the spiritual biographies of Amidaji members

Hello Everyone! My name is Elmir Bratić and my Dharma name Shaku Hozan.

Allow me to introduce myself. I grew up in a non-religious Sunni Muslim household. Both my parents are not from the US, but from Europe. My father is German and my mother is Bosnian. They are no longer together.

I myself was always a spiritual person and always interested in religion since the time I was little. I remember having vivid dreams of Shākyāmuni Buddha. Once, when I was 5 or 6 years old I dreamed that Shakyamuni was in a forest together with other monks surrounding Him, and I was somewhere in the distance. Shakayamuni was teaching something and I don’t remember exactly what He said. I just remember seeing Him and explaining something.

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Members of Amidaji - Shaku Hojun (Russia)

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 Greetings. My Dharma name is Hōjun (One who follows the Way of the Dharma).

I was born on the 9th of February in 1997 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. I had gone a long way to the Dharma Path before I became a member of Amidaji International Temple. This is the short story of my life towards the Dharma Path.

My story started when I was 4 years old. I realized myself as a human being who was born once and going to die at last. I asked myself about the life and its meaning, but didn’t know where to find from. Many Russians traditionally are baptized in Russian Orthodox Church so was I.

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Members of Amidaji - Shaku Kishin (Germany)

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My Dharma name is Kishin („The one who returns to the source“) and I was born 1970 in Germany, close to the City of Düsseldorf. My spiritual path is not unusual for people, starting with this journey in young years. With a lot of enthusiasm I tried to discover the philosophical and religious systems of the world, tried this, tried that, and in the end, I  came to a dead point

where I could only admit to feel „very close to the Buddhism“. This was my status for many years because in Germany, „Buddhism“is nearly 100% associated with either Zen, Theravada or Tibetan schools – branches, demanding  from the lay followers not to live directly as a monk, but to come very close to such a way of life. And I can say, that I was sunken deeply in the samsara world, being a sinner on purpose and with joy. I was a common human being, a Bombu.

In 2012 I became member of the German Jodo Shinshu Sangha, in the lineage of Nishi Hongan-ji. I followed this path for several years, however, left the Sangha in the end, for private reasons and with a kind of disappointment about the „woke“ degeneration of Buddhism in Germany, mainly forced by the umbrella organization DBU (German Buddhistic Union). However, I left the Sangha without trouble and will keep some nice and friendly  memories -  it important for me, to state this at this point!

Then, after a being a while on my own, I discovered the Amidaji lineage and there, everything made „sense“. Everything was in accordance  with the old masters of our school, the Dharma was pure, the path was clear, there was no contradiction anymore. So I asked Josho Sensei to kindly let me be a part of the Amidaji Sangha, and he accepted my wish. I’m happy to be here now and to walk the path together with other orthodox Jodo Shinshu followers all over the world.

Namo Amida Butsu.

Monday, August 2, 2021

Topics of examination for those who want to become lay teachers or monks and nuns in Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism

Here are some topics for study and examination in our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, especially useful for those who want to become lay teachers or monks and nuns. The candidate is required to use passages from the sacred texts in support of his or her explanations. You can start with any topic as the order is not important.

1) What is samsara? The illusory nature of samsara.

2) There is no creator god, ruler and judge of the world. The incompatibility of belief in a monotheistic god and Buddhism. Why those who believe in a creator god cannot have true faith in Amida Buddha? Difference between the so-called gods of monotheistic religions and Amida Buddha.

3) Buddhist explanations on the origin and existence of the universe.

4) The Buddhist teaching on rebirth.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Members of Amidaji - Shaku Hōryū Stephen (USA)

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Hello, my Dharma name is Hōryū (Dharma Dragon) and I received Kieshiki from Rev. Jōshō on 26 June 2021. 

 

Due to my upbringing, I have always been interested in understanding the metaphysics of this world. Starting off as most westerners do, I began with the Abrahamic religions. However, I started to ask questions which are not answerable unless one takes the perspectives of the early Gnostics.

 

That line of questioning eventually took me down the Left Hand Path, which I spent almost two decades seriously pursuing. Eventually through the course of my experiences, I began to question what the purpose of my workings actually were.

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Members of Amidaji: Keshin Maria Zita D'Abreu (Australia)

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My Dharma name is Shaku Keshin 華信 ("Flower of Faith"). I was born 5th September 1944 in Monte, Madeira Island in Portugal.

I was for a long time disappointed with the Catholic Church and I lost my belief. Then I started thinking where will I go if I die, for a few nights. Then I remembered that my son Kengo Jim E. said that people who believe in Amida Buddha go to the Pure Land. I was already sympathetic to this type of Buddhism. I saw my son's way of life since he met Rev. Josho online and the words my son shared with me about Amida was a great influence over the years. Then in November 2020 I made a decision to embrace the teachings of Amida Buddha and the Pure Land and on 24th November I told my son I believe in Amida. Since then I recite Nembutsu and believe the teaching on Amida Buddha.

In early May 2021, maybe just after midday, I was seated alone on a lounge in my home without any lights on and no direct sunlight was coming through any windows. I was leaning forward reciting Nembutsu silently, relaxed and my hands were not in gassho when I turned my head slightly to the right and saw close next to me to my surprise a half a metre square wide area of light with curved top corners. I looked at this light and because I was reciting when it appeared I felt this is Amida Buddha. I then turned my eyes to the left a bit and when I looked back the vision was gone. I remembered then that my son Kengo told me that he read in Rev. Josho's Spiritual Autobiography that he had a vision of Amida Buddha at his altar while he was saying Nembutsu.

I like my life now with Amida and it has purpose. I talk with Amida.

Keshin Maria Zita D'Abreu

 Western Australia

Dharma talks on my youtube channel