Ekoji Buddhist Temple
Ekoji Buddhist Temple is located in Northern Virginia and was founded in 1981 by Reverend Kenryu Tsuji and Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata. Reverend Kenryu Tsuji was the former Bishop of Buddhist Churches of America. Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata was a Japanese businessman and a devoted Shin Buddhist practitioner. He also established Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK), The Society for the Promotion of Buddhism, to help Buddhism spread throughout the world. The Temple’s name, “Temple of the Gift of Light,” reflects the atmosphere and values that the Temple holds (Ekoji Buddhist Temple). The current lead minister, Reverend Nari Hayashi, was raised in Japan and attended the Buddhist seminary of Hongwanji for two years. He has received his Tokudo and Kyoshi ordination and completed the orientation program for Japanese Ministers at Jodo Shinshu Center in California. After studying and becoming an ordained monk, he was assigned to the Ekoji Buddhist temple. Below are the plaques that dedicate different parts of the temple to the founders and a picture of Reverend Nari Hayashi.
Ekoji Buddhist Temple was created to be a place where everyone can learn the Dharma teachings under the Reverends that work there. The Temple was built in 1998 and has since become a place where many Buddhist families bring their children to learn and practice Buddhism under proper teachers. The Temple practices Shin Buddhism, a Japanese subset of Mahayana Buddhism (also referred to as Jodo Shinshu), known for having “a path for all” (Ekoji Buddhist Temple). The Temple states that practitioners need to be part of a universal family that supports one another in their Buddhism practice. Ekoji is comprised of many different ethnicities but appears to consist of more of those from East Asian, especially Japanese, descent. The Temple has a Dharma school for all age groups and is a place where everyone can learn the Dharma teachings of the Buddha (Ekoji Buddhist Temple).
Ekoji Practice and Services
Ekoji has two different services that they hold each week. Due to COVID-19, the Temple has adapted to social distancing and is now offering these services online. The Thursday service focuses on practicing meditation. The practice starts with a short sutra chant and is followed by a 10-minute walking meditation session. During this walking meditation session, the Reverend and attendees perform the Oshoko ritual. This ritual consists of burning incense and is there to remind the practitioners of a core Buddhist concept, impermanence. After the walking meditation session, there is a 30 minute meditation period. This meditation can consist of silent, guided or a combination of both. The Temple allows practitioners to choose their meditation position. They can be on the floor, in a chair, or even standing during this portion of the service. After the meditation, the end of the service with another sutra chant. The Temple recommends that newcomers come early to receive more instruction and guidance before embarking on their meditation journey (Ekoji Buddhist Temple).
The other main service, held every Sunday at 11 AM, is similar to other Buddhist services and is given in English. The service consists of sutra chanting, teachings of the Dharma, and the singing of Gatha, Buddhist hymns. The service is open for everyone, and the Dharma teachings are picked by the Reverend or person leading the service (Ekoji Buddhist Temple). The Temple also hosts other services year-round focused on different purposes. On the first Sunday of every month at 10 AM, the intermediate students attending the Dharma school at the Temple lead the services. Family and friends are welcome to participate, as this is an opportunity for the students to show what they have learned from their time studying at the Dharma school. In addition, on the same first Sunday of every month at 11 AM, the Temple honors the people who have died in the previous month. At this service, the Temple offers Oshoko (incense) to those attending while they chant “Juseige.” Lastly, on the 16th of every month, the Temple hosts a day to honor their founder, Shinran Shonin. They lead the attendees in a chant called “Shoshinge,” offer incense, and sit in quiet reflection for the remainder of the service (Ekoji Buddhist Temple).
Background on Shin Buddhism
Shin Buddhism was founded by Shinran Shonin, a disciple of the famous monk Honen, one of the patriarchs of Jodo Buddhism. Honen was the first to establish Nembutsu as an independent practice. It had been used before but was never at the center of one’s contemplation. He focused on creating a path for all, and this attracted many monastic and laypeople. Shiran took these teachings and established Shin Buddhism, a different version of what Honen was teaching (“About Honen Shonin.”).
Shin Buddhism is centered around three sutras that reflect the values and practices of the religion. The Large Sutra, the Contemplation Sutra, and the Amida Sutra all explain a component of Shin Buddhism. The Large Sutra talks about how Mahayana Buddhism is the “Great Vehicle” to enlightenment. The Contemplation Sutra discusses the importance of contemplation and Nembutsu (“Sutra on the Contemplation”). Lastly, the Amida Sutra states that one can attain rebirth into the Pure Land if they rely solely on Amida (“Amida Sutra.”).
The Founder of Shin Buddhism
Shinran, the founder of Shin Buddhism (Jodo Shinshu), started his path to enlightenment when he was nine years old. He renounced his everyday life and was initiated into the monk-hood. He joined the Tendai Temple on Mt. Hiei, where he spent 20 years in monastic life. He studied Buddhist texts intensely but left the Temple at age 29 because he began to fear that he would never achieve enlightenment (“Shinran Shonin.”).
He left Tendai to follow a new religious practice spreading through Japan, Jodo-Shu, established by Honen. Shinran understood that to gain enlightenment, one had to be without attachment and root themselves in wholly entrusting oneself to Amida’s Vow by reciting Nembutsu (“Shinran Shonin.”). Amida, short for Amitabha, is the Buddha that Pure Land Buddhism is centered around. His name means “Immeasurable Light,” which illuminates his portrayal as a buddha whose light shines everywhere without bounds. Amida is said to be gentle and all-accepting of everyone who practices Pure Land Buddhism. His land, the Pure Land, is a place where all wishes are fulfilled, but not as a reward to the practitioner. Instead, it is a place where one can be reborn, practice Buddhism, and have an easier time reaching enlightenment (“What Is the Nembutsu?”). Nembutsu means the name that calls. It is referred to as the call of Amida Buddha and is used as a way to deeply listen to the call of Amida (“What Is the Nembutsu?”). It is used in conjunction with meditation, and this practice is what Honen established as an independent practice, teaching Shinran the importance of Nembutsu. After having a visionary experience, Shinran sought out Honen and joined Honen’s movement and followed his version of Pure Land Buddhism, Jodo-Shu (“Shinran Shonin.”).
Jodo Shinshu and Ekoji Buddhist Temple
Jodo Shinshu (also called Shin Buddhism) shares many of the same views as Mahayana Buddhism and has its own take on popular Buddhist practices. As explained before, Jodo Shinshu is based on Amida Buddha and being reborn in the Pure Land, where one can practice Buddhism more intensely with the hope of gaining enlightenment. Ekoji Buddhist Temple has many recorded lectures on Shin Buddhism on all the aspects of its history, how to practice, and more. Reverend Nari Hayashi is in charge of giving the lessons and was kind enough to share them with me so that I could better understand Shin Buddhism and the teachings associated (Ekoji Buddhist Temple).
As explained by Reverend Hayashi, Jodo Shinshu states that the purpose of Buddhism is to be liberated and free from all suffering (Hayashi). It says that all life is suffering and that suffering can be defined by two ideas: self-centeredness and blind desires. Self-centeredness is the idea that people can’t see beyond themselves to understand that “the self” is only a construct of the mind and that there is no self. Blind desire is defined as attachments from our self-oriented tendency that keeps us from seeing the truth. Jodo Shinshu explains that to remove our unawareness (self-centeredness and blind desires) one must have pure wisdom (Hayashi). Pure wisdom is described as being contained within the experience of compassion that originates from Amida Buddha. To connect to this pure wisdom, one must practice Nembutsu. Lastly, Reverend Hayashi explains that the benefits from practicing Buddhism are the ability to attain Buddhahood in the Pure Land once reborn and living with joy, peace of mind, and a grateful heart in the present moment (Hayashi). Below is the Buddha statute the Ekoji Temple has outside the Temple, trying to replicate the Buddha under his Bodhi Tree. The statue has a mask on to reflect safety during COVID times, and their slogan “Spreading only Compassion” reflects the experience of compassion that comes from Amida Buddha.
Towards the end of the last lecture, Reverend Hayashi says, “When you truly see and acknowledge how incapable you are to effectively escape from self-centeredness, extinguish your blind desires, correct your foolishness, we understand how compassionate is the Vow of Amida Buddha and our need of it” (Hayashi). This statement reflects the core idea of connecting with Amida Buddha and illustrates that the practitioner of Jodo Shinshu can be reborn in the Pure Land, where they can intensely experience Amida Buddha and work towards enlightenment. Once a practitioner understands and connects with Amida Buddha, this insight leads to Shinjin, a state of non-retrogression (Hayashi). The Reverend emphasizes at the end that to seek Buddhahood in everyday life, one must practice deep listening and Dana or selfless giving.
Here is the link to Ekoji’s teachings: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7088335. Below is the first lesson given by Reverend Hayashi.
Ekoji Buddhist Temple Affiliations & Sponsorships
Outside of the Northern Virginia sangha, Ekoji Buddhist Temple has a national affiliation with Buddhist Churches of America (BCA), an organization that supports 60 Buddhist Temples. The BCA is the center of Shin Buddhism in America and meets once a year to exchange news on the temples, discuss their issues, and brainstorm ways that best serve and support the temples (Ekoji Buddhist Temple). Also, the Temple is sponsored by BDK, the foundation that Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata created. BDK grants money to Ekoji to help with the operations and upkeep of the Temple and its grounds (Ekoji Buddhist Temple). Below are other photos that I took of the temple.
Works Cited
“About Honen Shonin.” Jodo Shu English, 2002, www.jodo.org/about_hs/ho_life.html.
“Amida Sutra.” Soka Gakkai Nichiren Buddhism Library, www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/A/48.
Ekoji Buddhist Temple, www.ekoji.org/.
Hayashi, Nari. “Ekoji Buddist Temple’s Lectures on Shin Buddhism.” Vimeo.
“Shinran Shonin.” Buddhist Churches of America, www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/shinran-shonin/.
“Sutra on the Contemplation of Buddha Amitayus.” True Shin Buddhism, 2011, web.mit.edu/stclair/www/meditationsutra.html.
“What Is the Nembutsu?” Tricycle Buddhism for Beginners, 24 Apr. 2020, tricycle.org/beginners/buddhism/what-is-the-nembutsu/.
Written by Simran Mahan
Temple Photos by Simran Mahan