Windward Buddhist Temple
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Chloe Williams
RELG 214: Buddhism
1 December 2023
Buddhism, while it began in India, certainly didn’t stay there. A worldwide religion, there are communities of Buddhists that trace their roots through countries like Japan, China, or Vietnam before India. One such community is the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, or HHMH, which is administratively distinct from the Buddhist Churches of America. This mission of Buddhism was brought to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants in the 1800s (Honpa). Its headquarters are in Kyoto, Japan, at the Hongwanji temple, or the Temple of the Primal Vow (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Hongwanji). The HHMH is one of four Honpa Hongwanji missions around the world. There are over thirty affiliated temples in Hawaii, all non-profit organizations funded through donations. The Windward Buddhist Temple, one of these temples, has a small, majority-Japanese-American congregation (Windward). This essay will explore the foundations of the type of Buddhism this temple supports, looking at the founder and his beliefs, the beliefs of the broader Honpa Hongwanji Mission, then the history, beliefs, and practices of the HHMH, of which Windward Buddhist Temple takes part, finishing with the specific practices of the Windward Buddhist Temple itself.
The HHMH is affiliated with Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, or Shin Buddhism, founded by Shinran Shonin in the Kamakura period in Japan. It is one of the largest and most influential schools of Buddhism in Japan. Shinran Shonin lived from 1173 to 1263 in Japan at a time when Japanese Buddhism was declining into formalism. Born into an aristocratic family, Shinran lived as a monk for twenty years at the Tendai temple on Mt. Hiei, but could not find enlightenment. He left the monastery because of its corruption and his lack of progress. He chose to undertake nightly retreats at the Rokkakudo temple in Kyoto, until on the ninety-fifth day of his practice Prince Shotoku appeared to him in a dream. He then sought out the monk Honen, who had begun a movement within Buddhism. Honen taught that “all self-generated efforts toward enlightenment were tainted by attachments and therefore meaningless”, so one should entrust oneself to Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Immeasurable Light, and say the nembutsu, “Namo Amida Butsu”, Amida’s Name (Jodo, Honpa). Amida Buddha will then cause rebirth in a land where one can properly practice Buddhism and attain enlightenment (Jodo). Shinran joined Honen’s movement. Nembutsu teaching was banned in 1207, and Shinran was banned from the capital and stripped of his priesthood. He renamed himself Toku, declaring himself “neither monk nor layman”, married, and had children. By 1214, he had been pardoned and was living in the Kanto region. For twenty years, he built a movement among peasants and lower samurai, spreading the teaching of nembutsu. In his sixties, he returned to Kyoto, living with relatives and writing (Jodo). His teachings are memorialized in The Tannisho, which was compiled decades after his death by a disciple named Yui-en, and contains Shinran’s sayings (Shonin 1).
The Tannisho, compiled to eliminate confusion among people as to what to do and believe, describes the practices and beliefs of Shinran’s form of Buddhism, to which the Honpa Hongwanji Mission in Japan is part (Shonin 16). Shinran claims that the saying of nembutsu with full faith and trust in Amida Buddha allows one to attain rebirth in the Pure Land, from which they can then practice Buddhism properly and attain enlightenment (Shonin 13). Shinran stresses that the Vow does not discriminate, that the illiterate, those who cannot perform religious practice, and the evil can attain enlightenment in this manner (Shonin 4, 9). Shinran cautions that this does not give one license to do evil: “Do not take poison just because there is an antidote” (Shonin 11). The Honpa Hongwanji Mission in Japan explains their version of the main teachings as such: “walk the path of life reciting Amida’s Name (Nembutsu). At the end of life, we will be born in the Pure Land and attain Buddhahood, returning at once to this delusional world to guide people to awakening” (Jodo). The scriptures of this denomination include the Three Pure Land Sutras delivered by Shakyamuni Buddha, Shinran Shonen’s writings, and Rennyo Shonin’s Bounshō letters.
Hongwanji provides Buddhist services, a confirmation ceremony, an Infant Rite, and a Wedding Ceremony. The confirmation ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime expression of commitment in front of Amida and Shinran in which one receives their Dharma name from the Monshu, or Head Priest. It costs money to perform. The Honpa Hongwanji Mission Headquarters in Japan’s Temple of the Primal Vow developed from a temple built at Shinran’s mausoleum. This tradition was brought to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants.
The first Shin Buddhist service in Hawaii was conducted by Soryu Kagahi, who was a Buddhist from Kyushu sent to spiritually support the immigrants in Hawaii, in 1889 in the Kojima Hotel. Kagahi established two Buddhist communities in Hawaii and returned to Japan. The first Bishop, also coming over from Japan for this purpose, was Reverend Yemyo Imamura, who built a temple which was dedicated in 1900. As the community grew, a Young Men’s Buddhist Association was created to teach English to the immigrants. In 1907, the territory of Hawaii recognized the Incorporation of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. Over time, some white people were brought into the community. In the 1940s, World War II disrupted the activity in the Buddhist temples, as Buddhist clergy and ministers were detained in detention camps and ceremonies like memorial services could not be held. After World War II, temples were restored. Shortly after, in 1949, the Hongwanji Mission school was opened, the first Buddhist, English grade school established. The HHMH turned to providing resources to learn about Buddhism, and in 1972, the Buddhist Study Center was established. The HHMH continued its community-building and in 2003 they opened the first Buddhist college preparatory high school (Honpa).
This community has their own take on Shin Buddhism. They consider Amida Buddha as the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, or Compassion, and Infinite Light, or Wisdom. To them, Amida Buddha is light and life, represents ultimate reality and helps them to understand the unknowable. They recite the nembutsu not to gain merit but “in Awareness, Joy, and Appreciation of Amida Buddha’s immense Compassion” (Honpa). The nembutsu itself means entrusting in Amida Buddha, and the Shin Buddhist path is that of “gratitude and humility”, where one does not seek enlightenment but receives it (Honpa). They do not believe a particular lifestyle is required to practice this form of Buddhism. Though they believe dharma teaching can come from sermons and lectures, they also say that “you can listen to the Dharma in your everyday life…You never know who might be your teacher of the Dharma” (Honpa).
Despite this flexibility, the community of HHMH does have some practices and events they regularly adhere to. On Sunday mornings, temple services are offered, and annually Bon Odori is celebrated, a summer festival for dancing for departed ancestors in gratitude for their continued guidance (Honpa). There is an altar within the temples which has an Amida Buddha as a wood statue, picture scroll, or a scroll of Kanji characters with the nembutsu on it. There are also candles, flowers, incense, rice, greenery, and water on the altar, each of which symbolize various aspects of the Buddha and/or are offered to Amida in thanks. One bows before the altar with palms together, possibly with a Nenju, a bracelet-like object placed around the hands, when thanking Amida. The service goes as follows. There is an offering of incense, followed by a bow in thanks. A bell is rung, the Nembutsu recited, which in this context is taken to mean “I take refuge in Amida Buddha”, there is the singing of the Triple Gem chant (taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) in Pali and then the singing of other songs. Next comes sutra chanting, in which everyone chants together. They consider chanting a large part of their Shin Buddhism, for it is the “Sound of Oneness” (Honpa). Then comes the dharma talk, or sermon, and the service finishes with the singing of the nembutsu (Honpa). Windward Buddhist Temple takes on all of the above, beliefs and practices, but the temple also offers events for their specific congregation within the larger community. For example, Windward Buddhist Temple offers exercise groups, a Tai Chi Class, and a monthly Remembrance Day to remember those who have passed (Windward).
To take a bird’s eye view, Windward Buddhist Temple is part of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, which is part of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission headquartered in Japan, which itself is a sect of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, which is a form of Buddhism. Windward Buddhist Temple is a non-profit organization that caters to largely Japanese Americans and keeps the tradition brought over by Japanese immigrants alive in a center for religious worship and community building. The larger HHMH has built resources to help the wider community learn about this form of Buddhism. Windward Buddhist Temple is part of a much larger community which will continue to change and grow with the times as in the past.
Bibliography
Haseio, Daien T. “Letters of Rennyo: The Essence of Shin Buddhism”. International Buddhist Association. 31 January 2009. Lecture. https://bschawaii.org/shindharmanet/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/04/Haseo-Letters.pdf, accessed 29 November 2023.
Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, https://hongwanjihawaii.com/ accessed 4 November 2023.
Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, https://www.hongwanji.or.jp/english/teaching/shinran.html, accessed 5 November 2023.
Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Hongwanji International Center, Hongwanji International Center, https://international.hongwanji.or.jp/html/c2p7.html, accessed 5 November 2023.
Shonin, Shinran. The Tannisho. Compiled by Yui-en. Edited by Dr. Taitetsu Unno. 3rd Ed., 1996. Blackboard, Accessed 22 November 2023.
Windward Buddhist Temple, Kailua Hongwanji Mission, https://www.windwardbuddhisttemple.org/, Accessed 4 November 2023.
World Atlas, https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/us-states-by-population-of-buddhists.html, accessed 5 November 2023.