Story of Tendai Buddhist Institute: Part IV – June 2025
This month (June 2025) we will see approximately thirty Tendai Buddhist soryo (clergy) traveling from Japan to our corner of upstate New York, 200 km (120 mi) north of New York City, near the Massachusetts border. The group leading this visit is the Tendai-shu Overseas Charitable Foundation (Jigyodan).
The reason for the visit is to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the consecration of our hondo (sanctuary). Which coincidentally is also the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Karuna Tendai Dharma Center, which became the Tendai-shu New York Betsuin, which is Tendai Buddhist Institute.
The hondo (Jiunzan Tendai-ji) is the outward manifestation of the Tendai Buddhist Lineage, that started in China, over 1,400 years ago, was carried and renewed in Japan over 1,200 years ago and was planted in North America just 30 years ago. I am humbled by this succession.
The sequence from China to Japan and now in North America is not linear; it has experienced numerous transformations over time and is the result of karma and interpenetration, the dependent arising of the whole realm of phenomena from countless Kalpa (eons) of time.
Behind the scenes in the completion of Jiunzan Tendai-ji, is the Jigyodan. Three members of Jigyodan, Ven. Yamada Shunwa, former Chair of the Jigyodan, who died recently, Ven. Sono Jitsujo, former Vice-Chair of the Jigyodan and Ven. Nishioka Ryoko, former Chancelor of Tendai-shu. Ven. Saito Enshin, Jushoku of Ryuson-ji and Professor Emeritus of Taisho University, accompanied them for the trip. They visited our ‘village temple’ that at the time held services in a cleaned and adapted stalls area of the horse barn in the spring of 2001.
They valued what we were doing and asked, shortly after their visit, if we would become a Betsuin (branch of the main temple in Japan). This meant we became a registered Tendai temple and the head temple for North America. The registration is with the Shumochu (administrative offices in Japan).
Once we accepted, they gathered the support of Tendai temples throughout Japan to financially contribute to the rebuilding of our hondo. Many temples made donations, some small, some large, to an emerging Tendai temple. Without these donations of money and ritual objects, the hondo would not have been renovated from a horse barn.
There are a number of people behind the scenes who were either in the Jigyodan, or worked with the Jigyodan to assist Tendai-shu New York Betsuin. These include, Ven, Ichishima Shoshin, my and Shumon’s Shisho (Master), Jushoku of Senzo-ji Temple and Professor Emeritus of Taisho University. Ven. Morisada Jiho, former Executive Director of Enryakuji, Ven. Sugitano Gijun, Gonmonshu (Head priest) of Myōho-in (Imperial Temple), former chair of the Jigyodan, Ven. Okayama, Gensho, Abbot of Chuson-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, he is the current Chair of the Jigyodan and is attending the commemoration of the hondo. There are many other notable soryo, too long a list to include here, who have contributed in substantial ways. I am humbled by the hard work, generosity, and perseverance of so many soryo from Enryakuji, the Shumochu, Taisho University and the many temples in Japan, without whose support we would not be as successful as we have become.
There were sangha members who were sceptical of Tendai-shu’s involvement with Tendai Buddhist Institute during the time of our acceptance of the assistance from the Jigyodan and Tendai-shu as a whole. They were concerned that we would be controlled by Hiei-zan, where Enryakuji is located, and lose our autonomy in North America. This might be especially true because we are a Betsuin and we therefore are the representatives of Tendai in North America.
The reality is that we did fulfill certain criteria as to how Tendai Buddhist Institute is organized without interference in how we conduct ourselves. The Jigyodan has provided us with constructive direction, advice, and support. They recognize that Tendai Buddhism needs to adapt to a different social and cultural milieu than is found in Japan. As Śākyamuni Buddha adapted in his lifetime. The Jigyodan are curious to see how well, or not, our adaptations work in North America.
With hands pressed together in gassho I express my gratitude and humility for all that has been done by the Jigyodan to propagate the dharma outside Japan. The Jigyodan and Tendai Buddhist Institute will continue to work together to bring a greater sense of harmony, compassion and humanity to the world.
Gassho with love . . . Monshin