Welcome to the Tendai Buddhist Institute
The Tendai Buddhist Institute / Jiunzan Tendaiji, founded by Ven. Abbot Monshin Paul Naamon and Rev. Shumon Tamami Naamon in 1995. Tendai Buddhist Institute is a branch temple of Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei, the administrative center of the Tendai School and the birthplace of Japanese Buddhism. As an officially recognized branch temple, Tendai Buddhist Institute is also the first fully authorized Tendai Buddhist training center for the education of priests and the establishment new Tendai Buddhist temples, dharma centers, and sanghas in North America and beyond.
Tendai Buddhist Institute is also known as “Jiunzan Tendaiji,” – Mountain Cloud Tendai Temple, which is our village temple’s official Japanese name, and meant to reflect the natural surroundings of the Berkshires. This name was given to our temple by Rev. Shōshin Ichishima, who trained Ven. Abbot Paul Monshin Naamon and Rev. Tamami Shumon Naamon in Japan. For more information, please check out our About Us page.
All events are open to the public.
We also offer services online via Zoom. For security purposes, we do not publish the links for the events online. However, to receive those links and our monthly newsletter to stay up to date with upcoming events, you can add yourself to our mailing list here.
Recent Meanderings
The abbot (jushoku) of the Tendai Buddhist Institute is Monshin Paul Naamon. This section is devoted to his writings. You can find an entire list here.
Jushoku’s Journal 3-18-20 – March 2020
Staying Connected While in Isolation. It’s Wednesday. Typically, I would be thinking, researching, writing, and otherwise preparing for our Wednesday evening discussion and meditation service. There is no service this evening as a result of isolation due to COVID-19 . As notified last weekend we will not be meeting for the remainder of March. While we were thinking of having a modified service for the next month or so, we must rethink that in light of more recent information. We, other sangha members and I, are working on a virtual substitute for gathering together. This would use teleconferencing media. More about that later.
COVID-19 Changes to Schedules – March 2020
It has been a few weeks since we began reading and hearing about COVID-19 with every headline and every news report. All other news has been relegated to an afterthought as news, information, misinformation and speculation about the COVID-19 pandemic appropriately grabs our attention. When we are told not to panic our first reaction is to feel a sense of panic.
December 2005
After spending a year living in Kuji, Japan, Stian and I spent two weeks traveling in Korea before returning to the United States. We spent fourteen days in the most oppressive humidity imaginable: walking all over Seoul, hiking in national parks, risking our lives on...
Weekly Meditation Service
Meditation services are held on Wednesday evenings from 6pm. A Dharma talk and discussion are held in the main house. Meditation service is held in the Main Hall, followed by a potluck dinner.
Starting Your Practice
As a comprehensive and holistic Mahayana Buddhist tradition, there are many forms that an individual’s personal practice may take. Different temples and teachers may emphasize particular teachings or practice, but ultimately Tendai Buddhist practice is customizable depending on your needs and inclinations. Therefore, it is important for practice to be guided by an authentically trained teacher.
- For the daily practice manual click here.
- For more information about basic Buddhist practices.
- If you have any questions about starting your practice, please feel free to contact us.
Contact us with any questions or inquiries.
Tendai Buddhist Institute
1525 Rte. 295
East Chatham, NY
12060
