Introduction
Midwest Buddhist Temple is located at 435 West Menomonee Street, Chicago, IL 60614. This is located in Chicago’s “Old Town” neighborhood, a historic area on the North Side of Chicago known for its notable architecture and artistic features where the temple is a highlight of the neighborhood. A highlight of the temple includes its Legacy Garden, dedicated for the 70th anniversary of the temple in 2014. This garden is based on traditional Japanese temple gardens and can be viewed as part of a tour of the temple.
Affiliations
MBT is part of the Eastern District of the Buddhist Churches of America based out of San Francisco, California. The Eastern District is part of a larger organization of the Overseas Districts of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji based out of Kyoto, Japan. The Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji fits under the umbrella of Shin Buddhism and is one of the 10 subsects of this type of Buddhism, which is commonly practiced in the West.
History of the Temple
The Midwest Buddhist Temple (MBT) was founded by Japanese Americans following World War II. They left internment camps after the war and came to Chicago seeking work. At the time, the area that they settled in was considered more progressive or liberal and was an ideal place for these Japanese Americans to settle. Many of the original members of the Church had lived in California prior to the war, were put in internment camps in Arkansas, and eventually came to Chicago afterwards.
The Shin temple in Chicago that eventually became the MBT as it is today was founded by Reverand Gyodo Kono in 1944. Reverend Kono was a first generation Japanese immigrant who played an essential role in establishing Buddhism in the United States. Following the end of World War II, he held the first meeting of the Midwest Buddhist Church, which later changed to Temple, on the South Side of Chicago for a community of other relocated and uprooted Japanese Americans in the area. After a significant increase in attendance, they moved to Old Town. From 1950-1970, the Temple saw a growing need for a bigger space as membership grew and they began to offer more services like a Sunday school and programming to promote Buddhist culture and religion. A new Temple location was built, and in 1971 the building was dedicated as the Midwest Buddhist Temple where it still stands today.
Jodo Shinshu Buddhism (Shin Buddhism)
MBT practices a form of Buddhism called Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, or just Shin Buddhism, is rooted in Japan and was founded by Shinran Shonin (1173-1263). It fits under the category of Mahayana Buddhism, and within that is a practice of Pure Land Buddhism. Jodo Shinshu has its origins in the United States as early as 1898. For nearly 50 years, this type of Buddhism was practiced primarily on the West Coast, where temples had been established. It was not not until after World War II and the migration of Japanese immigrants that this tradition spread to places like the Midwest with MBT.
Jodo Shinshu has three main scriptures, the Three Pure Land Sutras, conveyed by Shakyamuni Buddha: Bussetsu Muryoju Kyo, Bussetsu Kammuryoju Kyo, and Bussetsu Amida Kyo. These translate to The Sutra of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, The Sutra of Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, and the Sutra on Amida Buddha respectively. The Sutra of Contemplation of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life is more commonly known as Meditation Sutra when translated into English, although there is some debate on the accuracy of this translation.
Shin Buddhism operates on the belief that spirituality is for everyone. This sect in particular focuses on making Buddhism accessible to the common person. This means that there is less of an emphasis on the scholarship of Buddhist texts, petitionary prayers, and formal rituals. Rather than placing importance on words said in ritual, Shin Buddhists believe that faith in Amitabha Buddha is the most important element for achieving enlightenment and liberation.
To better understand this aspect of Shin Buddhism, it is important to understand the importance of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha associated with the Pure Land practice. According to Pure Land texts, Amitabha was a king who gave up his throne in order to pursue Buddhist teachings and eventually the path to becoming a Buddha. Rebirth in the “Pure Land,” after death is achieved by letting go and entrusting Amitabha Buddha to guide you through life. Rather than pursuing enlightenment, you surrender yourself in faith to the teachings of the Buddha and allow it to become part of your heart and mind. To do this, you must be open to receiving the dharma by having faith in the Buddha. This is something MBT believes in and incorporates into their practice of Buddhism. This concept applies to anyone, lay or monastic, and Shin Buddhists believe that teaching of the dharma can come from anyone, even someone a person encounters in their day to day life.
Dharma talks are part of MBT’s Sunday services and reflect the speaker’s insights on the words of the Buddha. Dharma talks are given by MBT Ministers, visiting Ministers, or lay leaders from the Temple. They make their dharma talks easily accessible online in the form of podcasts which can be found here.
Leadership
Reverand Kono was the first of MBTs resident ministers, and since then there have been thirteen others. The current minister is Reverend Ron Miyamura, and he has been serving in this position since 2010. It is noteworthy that this temple has ministers rather than monks, and most of the ministers have wives and families. The Buddhist Churches of America, an organization of which MBT is a part, have adopted a number of Western, Christian practices including holding Sunday services, having alters, and being led by chaplains and ministers. The organization is also led by Bishops. Many ministers have gotten graduate level educational training in either Buddhist studies, Shin Buddhism, or both. The Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California offers three programs, Master of Arts with a concentration in Buddhist Studies, Master of Buddhist Studies, and Master of Divinity, which are all popular programs for Shin Buddhist ministers in the United States. There are also a number of programs in Japan that offer graduate degrees for individuals training to become a Shin Buddhist minister.
Membership
The ethnic composition of the temple appears to be fairly mixed with the majority of members being a mix of Caucasian-Americans and Asian-Americans, with the larger portion being Asian-American members. Because the temple itself has Japanese origins, it has historically been predominantly Japanese. However, especially in the last two decades, the temple’s membership has grown to include a diversified group of people from a larger range of ethnic backgrounds, although it has remained majority Japanese. Inclusion is something that MBT takes great pride in as they move towards the future, and this is demonstrated in the video “We Are MBT” (see “Helpful Links” below).
MBT offers a number of programs for members, including a few social groups to participate in, Japanese cultural groups, and twice weekly Zen Shin meditation sessions. Some of the groups include a social group for members over the age of 55, a women’s association that helps provide community services like meal preparation and cleanup to the temple, and a Minyo group that practices traditional Japanese folk music and dance. One interesting thing to note about the meditation practice is that meditation is not a practice original to Shin Buddhism. It was added as a program by a former MBT minister first at the Cleveland Buddhist Temple and then at MBT due to popular demand from community members. It is called Zen Shin because it combines Zen meditation practices with Shin beliefs.
MBT also offers classes for members and community members. These include a cooking class, mind-body classes (yoga with Zen Shin meditation), and Dharma School, a Sunday School for children.
Overall, the goal of MBT’s programming seems to serve a dual purpose; it provides for their members while also celebrating and spreading Buddhist and Japanese culture.
by Eileen Malecki
Helpful links:
- Informational interview of Jesse Zavala (above), Minister’s Assistant at Midwest Buddhist Temple, about the history of Midwest Buddhist Temple by Ellen Soonboon
- Midwest Buddhist Final [Interview by E. Soonboon]. (2012, June 7). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P5aWOAjHfU
- http://mbtchicago.org/about-the-temple/we-are-mbt-video/
- Video published by the temple displaying the diversity of membership at the temple
- Midwest Buddhist Temple. “We Are MBT” (video). Retrieved from http://mbtchicago.org/about-the-temple/we-are-mbt-video/
- MBT’s Website:
- http://mbtchicago.org/
- Has copious information on the temple, the history of the Shin Buddhist tradition, and the services offered at MBT
References:
Buddhist Temples of America. Shinran Shonin. Retrieved from http://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/shinran-shonin/
Essentials of Jodo Shinshu. Retrieved from http://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/essentials-of-jodo-shinshu/
Institute of Buddhist Studies. (2016, July 27). Degree Programs. Retrieved from http://www.shin-ibs.edu/academics/degree-programs/
Larger Sutra on Amida Buddha. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/larger.html
Midwest Buddhist Final [Interview by E. Soonboon]. (2012, June 7). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P5aWOAjHfU
Midwest Buddhist Temple. History of Our Temple. Retrieved from http://mbtchicago.org/about-the-temple/history-of-our-temple/
Midwest Buddhist Temple. Religious Associations. Retrieved from http://mbtchicago.org/about-the-temple/religious-associations/
Midwest Buddhist Temple. “We Are MBT” (video). Retrieved from http://mbtchicago.org/about-the-temple/we-are-mbt-video/
Religions – Buddhism: Pure Land Buddhism. (2002, October 02). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/pureland_1.shtml