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| The altar of Amidaji temple located in the little Hondo (Dharma Hall) |
As clearly stated here, the single goal of Amidaji is to
teach, preserve, protect and transmit the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching in
order to help people receive simple faith in Amida Buddha. Nothing else is more
important than this.
To fulfill its mission Amidaji will organize, free of charge,
religious activities and events that can help members or non-members to receive
faith in Amida Buddha.
No discrimination shall be made between members or
non-members of Amidaji when it comes to teaching activities, access to
religious services or when using the facilities of Amidaji. The only
requirement is that everybody make efforts to listen deeply to Amida Dharma,
have a respectful attitude towards it, and do not support wrong views.
Mixing of Jodo Shinshu with other Buddhist teachings and
practices is not allowed at Amidaji. No meditation or practice which belongs to
other Buddhist or non-Buddhist denominations will ever be taught or followed at
Amidaji. No priest or teacher who belongs to other Buddhist schools will ever
be invited to teach to Amidaji sangha. However, lays or teachers of other Buddhist traditions who are passing through Romania and don't have a place to stay can also receive accommodation for some time at Amidaji. This temple has a friendly attitude towards all authentic lineages of transmission. Everybody is welcomed at Amidaji but the teachings given to the temple sangha must be only Jodo Shinshu (Amida Dharma). If other authentic Buddhist groups are in need of a place of practice and have difficulty in finding one, they can be helped by Amidaji in the spirit of Buddhist brotherhood, on the conditions that they do not try to proselytize among the members of Amidaji and if they are respectful of Amidaji teaching.
Non-Buddhist activities are forbidden at the temple.
No priests, teachers or lay followers who belong to other religions or
spiritual paths, will ever be invited at the temple to teach or present their
practices and beliefs. Amidaji will never be used as a place of practice or teaching for non-Buddhist paths and groups.
The religious services of Amidaji will contain the saying of
Nembutsu, chanting and recitation of various hymns or passages related with
Amida Buddha or fragments from the Three Pure Land Sutras. Hymns in praise of
Shinran Shonin, Rennyo Shonin, the Seven Patriarchs can also be recited. As a
general rule, the role of chanting various hymns is only to express faith and
gratitude. [1]
The Dharma talks and discussions will be strictly related
with Amida Buddha's salvation and will aim at helping members and visitors to
receive faith in Him. All Dharma talks and discussions will be based on the
sacred texts contained in the Jodo Shinshu canon.
Amidaji will not seek the favor of government or local
public institutions, and will engage with them only as it is required by law.
Amidaji will not involve itself in any social or political
activity with the exception of special cases when the physical integrity of the
temple and its sangha is endangered, or when Amidaji is hindered by exterior forces from acting in
accord to its goal, rules and regulations.
Amidaji temple and sangha will never support nor promote the particular views of any social, political, or sexually oriented group and will
not join, nor ally itself with any social, political or sexual oriented
movement. No social, political or sexually oriented activities are allowed at
Amidaji. However, in their private lives, priests and lay members of Amidaji
are free to express any personal opinion they want and participate in any
social, political or any kind of group or organisation, under the condition
that those activities do not go against the teachings of Amidaji or they do not do this in the name of Jodo Shinshu, Amidaji temple, or
while wearing the Jodo Shinshu robes and
other specific marks of our school or of Amidaji temple and sangha.
No bazaars, no
parties and no worldly amusements of any kind will take place at Amidaji.
Children presentations at the temple can be done on any
occasion during normal services and Dharma talks, or at other times that are
decided together with the family. These represent the family wish for their
children to follow the Jodo Shinshu path and also constitute a warm welcome of
the children into the temple.
Dharma schools for children and any children related
activities that are focused on the Dharma can be organized at the temple, while
great care will be given so that the children can learn the basic Jodo Shinshu
Buddhist notions.
Members and visitors will do their best to maintain a religious
atmosphere and will observe the Rules of the Temple/Dojo.
Notes:
Notes:
[1] No priest or teacher of Amidaji will ever be called by
the title of "Master" as such a title belongs only to Shinran Shonin,
Rennyo Shonin or the Seven Patriarchs.
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