On Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu and its relation with Nishi Hongwanji

Amidaji is now an independent branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. However, we did not appear from nowhere and we did not invent Jodo Shinshu. We received this teaching due to the efforts of many generations of followers and teachers who worked for its preservation and transmission. This is why I say in the Constitution (chapter I) that we do have a traditional connection to Nishi Hongwanji which means that “we inherit the essentials of Jodo Shinshu teaching as transmitted through the Nishi Hongwanji branch”. 

The Hongwanji branch was developed after Shinran’s birth in the Pure Land by some of his descendants. It is not the only branch in existence since Shinran, but we received the Jodo Shinshu teaching as transmitted through the efforts of teachers like Kakunyo Shonin and Rennyo Shonin who belonged to Hongwanji. Later, when Hongwanji was split in two due to political reasons at the beginning of the 17^th century, there was another long list of teachers who transmitted Jodo Shinshu in the form of Nishi Hongwanji and Higashi Hongwanji. We, the first members of Amidaji, received the Jodo Shinshu teaching through the Nishi Hongwanji branch. This is also why I say in the Constitution that “we are grateful to the dedication and efforts made by the many generations of Hongwanji followers”. 

However, I and my Dharma friends at Amidaji think we need to organize ourselves separately due to the unquestioning attitude of present-day leadership of Nishi Hongwanji and Hongwanji International Center towards various wrong views and worldly ideologies promoted by many priests and scholars within the Nishi Hongwanji affiliated temples and districts. When seeing the doctrinal chaos that is prevalent in the Nishi Hongwanji branch and the great scale of infiltration of wrong views and worldly ideologies in both Japan and the non-Japanese districts and that my repeated appeals to clear the waters were met with silence, contempt and actions of sabotage, I decided that the time is ripe for a new beginning. This is why I said in the Constitution: “we promise that we will continue their work (the work of Hongwanji) within Amidaji”. 

So, Amidaji branch is born out of the Nishi Hongwanji branch like a new vigorous tree from an old root, respectfully acknowledging the efforts of all Monshus, priests/monks, teachers and lay members who transmitted the true teaching to us through many generations. We especially value the memory of the 23^rd Monshu Kosho Ohtani who brought Jodo Shinshu Buddhism to Europe and who himself encouraged the first European Shinshu followers to organize themselves independently from Hongwanji and who agreed with the first non-Japanese priest ordinations. He and all the previous Monshus of Nishi Hongwanji as well as all past good teachers, priests and faithful lay members are our ancestors and we gratefully bow down to their memory. We inherit the entire history of Nishi Hongwanji because we appear from it, but we want to decide our own future within Amidaji because we think that this is the only way to transmit the true Jodo Shinshu teaching to future generations.

Yours in Namo Amida Bu,

Josho Adrian Cirlea, Head of Amidaji International Temple