Big statue of Amida Buddha on the land of Amidaji temple

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Dear friends in the Dharma,
 
During my recent Nembutsu pilgrimage an older aspiration resurfaced with great power in my mind – to have a big outdoor statue of Amida Buddha (Amitabha/Amituofo) of at least 4 meters high on the land of Amidaji temple in Romania (see photos bellow), for the benefit of human and nonhuman beings.
 
As you might know, there is great merit and great karmic connection for those who see and show respect to Budha statues. Recently, I came across this sutra passage, quoted by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who also approved and supported the building of the Kadampa Stupa in my country, that I visited a few weeks ago,
 
“Manjushri asked Buddha, ‘One Gone Beyond, now you are the only object to whom sentient beings can make offering. After you pass into the sorrowless state, what will sentient beings do? How will they accumulate merit when they can’t see Buddha anymore? Please advise us.’
Buddha answered, ‘My four followers, there is not one single difference between making offerings to me now and in the future, with devotion, making offerings to my reflections. The merit is equal and the result is equal.’”

The treasure of faith in Amida Buddha (fragment from a Dharma discussion on the occasion of refuge ceremony for a Russian member)

 

This is a fragment from a Dharma discussion (English and Russia) on the occasion of the online kieshiki (refuge ceremony) for a new member in Russia. We have an active group in Russia, represented online at this link, https://vk.com/amidaji led by Shingyo Yuri Sensei, lay teacher of Amidaji.
 
Useful links mentioned in the video,
 
Faith in Amida Buddha is not the creation of our mind 

Again on the idea that faith in Amida comes from Amida - very simple explanations 
 
Five conditions for birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha 

 

Click here if you wish to become a patron or make a donation to support my Dharma work. Any little help is appreciated and very much needed 

Rev Kosho Arana opens the doors of Amidaji Temple in Colombia

click here for the Spanish version

We are pleased to inform all students of the Amidaji branch that Amidaji International Temple has opened its doors in Colombia (Valle del Cauca, La Leonera-Cali). The temple is headed by Reverend Kosho Arana who received ordination in Dolj, Romania in September 2023 under the guidance of Reverend Josho Adrian Cirlea, Daisojo (head monk) and founder of the Amidaji International Temple. Reverend Kosho Arana was authorized to open a Temple in his country for the benefit of all beings and he is also the leader (Sojo) of Colombia kyodan (district). You can read the article about Rev. Kosho Arana's ordination experience here (click here).

Rev. Kosho Arana is the official translator of Rev. Josho Adrian Cirlea's books in Spanish and has worked on promoting the official Amidaji Temple website in Spanish as well as the Amidaji YouTube Channel in Spanish. With great desire to also be able to share the Amida Dharma physically in his country, Rev. Kosho Arana has opened the doors of the Amidaji International Temple in Colombia. The Temple is located in Leonera, Valle del Cauca, on the outskirts of the city of Cali in a mountainous area full of forests, natural reserves and rivers (contact details at the end of the article).

Any sincere student of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism is now welcomed to the Amidaji Temple in Colombia to study the Amida Dharma with Kosho Sensei. He is fluent in both Spanish and English so students from around the world who speak English can also go and study with him if they wish. 

Amidaji's Objective and his teaching style

Amidaji delegate at the 19th United Nations Day of Wesak Celebration, Thailand

Recently, Shushin Ioana, one of our oldest Romanian members, represented Amidaji in Thailand at the United Nation Day of Wesak which was an event attended by delegates from many countries, including Asia, Europe, USA, etc. On this occasion, she gifted seven of my books in English to the library of Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, represented in the left photo by Rev Dr Kovida. The books were offered in the memory of our dear friend Shoshin from the Phillipines who recently departed to the Pure Land. 

In 2004 I was a guest of honor at Sitagu academy/monastery and since then I have constantly sent cordial greetings to Ven Ashin Nyanissara, its leader, who treated me very well during my stay in Myanmar (Burma). Below I present to you other photos from this year Wesak Conference where Shushin sent greetings from us and made or rekindled friendships with various members of other Buddhist communities. I mention that Shushin is on his fourth participation to this kind of Wesak Conferences and will also represent us next year. 

Thank you very much, dear Shushin for your dedication!

Namo Amida Bu 🙏

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

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of spiritual biographies of Amidaji members

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)

Members of Amidaji: Hokai Sylvie Kirsch from the Cook Islands

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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.

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

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the Romanian version of this article

NEW! Click here to read about Rev Kosho's experience at Amidaji during his ordination!

On the evening of September 21^st 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.

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

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.

Members of Amidaji: Myokaku Fernando Andaluz (Mexico)

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biographies of Amidaji members

 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.

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

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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.

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

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biographies of Amidaji members

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.

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

On sangha, politics and the hypocrisy of modern Buddhists in the Last Dharma Age

 

Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 130 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you. 

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.

On the importance to be examples of faith in Amida Buddha (video Dharma talk)

 

Useful links mentioned in the video:

Five conditions for birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha

Again on the idea that faith in Amida comes from Amida 

YouTube channel of Shaku Joshin 

Online refuge ceremony for a member of Amidaji (Shoshin from the Philippines) and the meaning of the Three Refuges in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism

 

You can find the refuge ceremony in my book Worshipping Amida Buddha - Liturgies and ceremonies of Amidaji temple.

Links related with the video:

The Three Refuges in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism 

Conditions to be accepted as a member of Amidaji

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)

 

Members of Amidaji: Hozan Elmir Bratić (USA)

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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.

Members of Amidaji - Shaku Hojun (Russia)

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 Greetings. My Dharma name is Hōjun 法 遵 (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.