Group photo with all the participants |
First of all, it is good to know
that the European Shinshu Conferences are organized by European sanghas and
financially supported by IABC. They are usually held together with the IASBS
(International Association of Buddhist Studies) annually conference which is
the academical part, so to speak, of the meeting.
The European Shinshu Conferences are also honored by the
presence of Shinmon-sama (the next Patriarch of Hongwanji) and Rev Kiribayashi,
the director of Hongwanji
International Center.
The activities are paper presentations on the decided topic
of the Conference, religious services and a kikyoshiki (confirmation) rite for the
newcomers which is usually held in the last day. Although I personally find
many papers and discussions to be useless and even promoting divergences, I
still think this Conference is a good place for disseminating the seeds of the
true Shinshu Dharma. Enough people, old participants or new, are opened or
gradually become opened to the right way the teaching should be presented.