Welcome! to the Tendai Buddhist Institute.

Ari Sensei

 Upcoming Events

Non-self: Personal Continuity and Dependent Origination -- Wednesdays in April.

Meditation Meetings every Wednesday 6 p.m., discussion, Meditation Service and pot luck dinner.

For the month of April we will be exploring Non-self: Personal Continuity and Dependent Origination. This very basic teaching is among the most misunderstood perspectives of Buddhist philosophy in the West. It is however of more importance than mere philosophical discourse. How we practice the Dharma in daily life, indeed how we commit ourselves to a regular practice, is conditioned by an understanding of these views on a visceral level. While there will be an effort to look at the Buddhist critique of an unchanging self and an elaboration of the teaching of dependent arising, we will be orienting these philosophies into a focus on how they can be essential to our worldview and daily life. Come to these discussions with an open mind and heart. All discussions will be led by Rev. Monshin Naamon, Abbot of Jiunzan Tendai-ji and Tendai Buddhist Institute.

Retreat

Class: Lankavatara Sutra -- April 5th. We will continue reading and discussing the Lankavatara Sutra starting with Chapter 3. There are several versions on the internet. and we have several copies available for people to pick up. We will start at 8:30 a.m. with the morning service and begin the class at 9:00 a.m.
Classes for our Dharma Heirs: Buddhist Classes for Children.

A number of parents have asked if we would offer Buddhism classes for children. We are putting together a program for primary school children starting with those ages 5 – 7, and a little later adding ages 8 – 12. These programs will be offered twice a month on week-ends so parents can easily bring the kids. In addition to story telling there will be arts and crafts projects and other fun activities designed for the appropriate age group. If you would like to have your children participate, or know other children who would like to do so, please let us know. There will be a small charge for the materials used in the classes. More information will be coming soon as we pull together the details.
Miroku (Maitreya)

Karuna

Prajna, Karuna, and Upaya are basic aspirations of Buddhist teaching.

Karuna is translated as compassion in English and Jihi in Japanese.  Compassion is explained as pity or sympathy inclining one to help or be merciful in Oxford Dictionary.  Jihi in daily Japanese usage is often translated as mercy, charity, benevolence, clemency, compassion, pity and/or love in English. However, Jihi in Buddhist terminology is translated as the mind or mental condition of being compassionate, or sympathetic toward sentient beings.   Ji (maitri) means giving pleasure and happiness, and Hi (Karuna) means removing pain and suffering, or liberating sentient beings from sufferings.

We trust that your visit with us will be informative and enjoyable, that your spirit will be enriched, and that you will leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Tendai Buddhist path.

The Tendai Buddhist Institute is home to the Tendai-Shu New York Betsuin, the Karuna Tendai Dharma Center and Juinzan Tendai-ji. The Karuna Tendai Dharma Center has branch sanghas located in:

      In Buddhism, there are three kinds of Jihi, called San En no Jihi.  Those are followings:

1)    Shujo En no Jihi: Jihi arising from the perception of sentient beings. This is awakened in the minds of ordinary people, and called Shohi, Small Compassion,

2)    Ho En no Jihi: Jihi arising from the observation of the component elements of sentient beings. This is awakened in the minds of arhats or bodhisattva below the First Stage and called Chuhi, Medium Compassion, and

3)    Mu En no Jihi: Jihi arising from realization of the shunyata. This is awakened in the minds of bodhisattavas of the First Stage or above, and called Daihi, Great Compassion.

      Through our lives, we have chances to learn Karuna. We hope to provide opportunities for people (including us) to study and practice it at Tendai Buddhist Institute, Karuna Tendai Dharma Center.

 Shumon Tamami Naamon
Turkeys join us for breakfast

The Tendai Buddhist Institute is home to the Tendai-Shu New York Betsu-in - the designated Head Tendai temple for North America and a branch of Enryakuji Temple, the seat of Tendai Buddhism in Japan. Jiunzan Tendai-ji, the temple of Tendai Buddhist Institute and Karuna Tendai Dharma Center, also funtions as a small, village temple serving the Berkshire Mountains community since 1994.

Yakushi Nyorai

Jushoku's Thoughts

Vast is the robe of liberation

A formless field of benefaction

I wear the Tathagata’s teachings,

Saving all sentient beings.

This short phrase is recited three times after morning meditation. Its simplicity and its meaning resound within me each time I recite it. It becomes a recurrent mantra that circulates within me and instructs the way in which I conduct my day. Take a few moments and breathe in this gatha. Allow it to wash over you. Become the bodhisattva of this simple verse. Saving all sentient beings begins with you.
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©2006 Tendai-shu New York Betsu-in

Established & supported by the Tendai-shu NY Betsu-in, the formally authorized representative of Tendai-shu in North America and the Tendai Overseas Charitable Foundation.