BUKKYO DENDO KYOKAI Society for the Promotion of Buddhism

Michi- The Path -

06
2017

No.

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Newsletter

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Michi06- The Path -CONTENTS02BDK Japan News 2016
〜BDK Publications〜● Special Feature: Newly Published “Buddha-ga-Sensei (Buddha Is Our Teacher)”＊ Why is it popular at educational institutes?

Find out at Shukutoku Junior College / Shukutoku Kindergarten.

● The 1st BDK Buddhist Picture Book Prize “Kokoro-no-Ehon-Taisho (Picture Book for Your Heart and Mind)”● “The Teaching of Buddha” – Update for 2016
● “The Teaching of Buddha” in a Christian University＊ Interview with Prof. BaiGali Toba and Rev. Toshiyoshi Dobashi, Oberlin University● Other BDK Publications and Related Events● “BDK English Tripitaka” Translation Project– Prof. Dr. Kenneth Tanaka welcomed as the new chairman of the editorial committe〜Financial Assistance and Honorees〜● BDK Fellowship Programs＊ 2016 BDK Fellowships for Foreign Scholars＊ 2016 BDK Fellowships for Japanese Scholars● The 50th BDK Cultural Awards● Revisions of the BDK Financial Assitance Programs〜Buddhist Lectures and Seminars〜● The 46th Jissen Fukyo Kenkyukai, BDK Buddhist Missionary Seminar,at Hossoshu Daihonzan Yakushiji Temple in Nara
● Buddhist Lecture: “How to Learn Kodo, Incense Ceremony”● The 50th Anniversary Project Continues – Opening of the “BDK Memorial Museum”● “Real Buddhist Practice Experience” at Tendaishu Sohonzan Hieizan Enryakuji Temple– Staying at Temples and Walking with Priests● Special Zazen Retreat at Sotoshu Daihonzan Sojiji Temple● Elementary Course of Buddhist Lectures“Japanese Buddhism – Learning from Scratch”● Other BDK Related Lectures, Classes, and Events● Buddhism Through English: “Buddhist English Guide Program”● 2016 BDK Symposium: “Journey of Mind”● Memorial Service on the 23rd Anniversary of the late Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata, the founder of BDK● Take a Break: Buddhist Vegetarian Recipe30＊ Let's Try “SHOJIN Life” Once A Month! – Improving the Harmony of Soul with Nature

BDK Aﬃliate Organization Activities
World Map & Contact Info.
● BDK America

38

Japanese Buddhist Sects in America Meeting2016 Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism
Numata Program in Buddhist Studies
The Words of the Buddha in the Landscape of India● BDK Hawaii
Humanities BDK Hawaii Buddhism Program at Honolulu City Hall
Workshop on Suicide Prevention at Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii“Teaching of Buddha” to Military Bases
Repair of BDK Hawaii Building● BDK Mexico
Mexico Ekoji Head Priest Rev. Todaka Receives the Honorary Doctorate from Alva Edison University● BDK Asia
“The Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” Distribution in Thailand● BDK Taiwan
2016 BDK Taiwan Board Meeting● BDK Europe
August Workshop of the Jōdo Shinshū Center
Weekend Zazen Retreat● BDK U.K.
The 100th Anniversary of the Establishment of SOAS
● BDK Poland
New Establishment of BDK Poland"Sasaeatte - Heiwa (Peace)"

BDK Newsletter No.6 2017- 6/1/2017-5,000
Copyrightⓒ2017 by BUKKYO DENDO KYOKAI(BDK)
Published by BDK
3-14, Shiba-4chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 108-0014

Edited by Kaoru Eguchi, BDK
Printed in Japan by ARC Co., Ltd.

BDK Newsletter

2017

BDK Chairman Rev. Toshihide Numata
Passes Away
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) Chairman / Mitutoyo Corporation (Mitutoyo)
Senior Adviser, Rev. Toshihide Numata, passed away on February 16, 2017 after
being ill for some time. A private funeral was held by his family and relatives, andBDK and Mitutoyo jointly sponsored the formal funeral on March 30, 2017 at
Tsukiji Hongwanji temple in Tokyo, Japan.
Chairman Numata started working on many BDK projects in 1985, following in thefootsteps of his father, the founder of BDK and Mitutoyo, the late Rev. Dr. Yehan
Numata. Toshihide Numata contributed in many different ways to promote
Buddhism such as distributing more copies of “The Teaching of Buddha” to theworld, establishing more Numata Programs in Buddhist Studies at major universities in the world, developing the English Tripitaka translation projects, holding
more lectures and seminars for those who wanted to learn about Buddhism and its
culture for the first time, and so on. He devoted his life to walking along the “path”
to spread the teachings of Buddha.
All of us at BDK would like to express our deepest gratitude for your continuous
support of our activities and for your expressions of sincere condolences about thepassing of Chairman Numata.
BDK will keep moving forward to the future to make contributions toward a morepeaceful world. Once again, we truly appreciate your generous understanding andcontinued support of BDK activities.

With Gassho,

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)Society for the Promotion of Buddhism
1BDK Japan News 2016 ～BDK Publications～

Special Feature: Newly Published“Buddha-ga-Sensei (Buddha Is Our Teacher)”Why is it popular at educational institutions?

Editing & Photography: Kaoru Eguchi
Location: Shukutoku Junior College and Shukutoku Kindergarten in Tokyo, JapanThe Religion class at Shukutoku Junior College“Buddha-ga-Sensei (Buddha Is Our Teacher)”

Find out at Shukutoku Junior College / Shukutoku Kindergarten.
Special Thanks to Shukutoku Junior College and Shukutoku Kindergarten for their cooperation
with the interview

There has been a lot of discussion about our
problems with the declining birth rate and theaging population in Japan for a long time.
However, children in the modern world havebeen living their lives with energies and hopes
just like the children in the old days did. They
have a variety of choices and unlimited possibilities ahead in their future, and it is one ofour most important responsibilities as adults toorient them in the right direction in the future.
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) published“Buddha-ga-Sensei (Buddha Is Our Teacher)"in July 2017 to help children develop “kind,right and strong” minds for living in this world

2

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─of possibilities.

“Buddha Is Our Teacher” has been quite popular since its release, and lots of educational
institutions use the book for their students.
One of those schools, Shukutoku Junior College(Chancellor, Mr. Hideharu Maehara) uses thebook in their Religion class, and Shukutoku
Kindergarten (Principal, Rev. Etsuko Kikuchi)
utilizes it to educate children in every day life.
But why are the books popular at various
kinds of educational institutions? We wanted
to find out the reasons at Shukutoku University
and Shukutoku Kindergarten.

Shukutoku Junior College offers
courses in children’s education,
health and wellness, social wellness, medical office administration work and secretarial work.
Most of the students take a
Religion class, and Rev. Kiyotaka
Nawa lectures to them. He uses
“Buddha Is Our Teacher” in hisclass, and we asked him about
the effectiveness of the book.
Moreover, we had a chance tomeet his students in the children’s education course and welistened to their dreams andhopes of becoming teachers.
First of all, could you describe
how your students like thebook, “Buddha Is Our Teacher”?
Do you think that it was agood decision to use the bookin your class?

I would say that my students definitely liked the book. The book hascute pictures like those you find in
manga comics and the students are
instantly interested in reading it.
We read the book aloud together in
my class. I believe that it is important for everyone to understand theteachings of Buddha by the heart
not just by the head. Reading aloudhelps to understand deep in theheart.
I have heard that the book was published especially for children, but I
think it is good enough even for college students. The words and phrases
are easy to follow. The quotations
from sutras are written side by side,
so it is a great help for instructors
as well.
I see lots of people who dislike“religion” in today’s Japanese society. It is not only with the younger
generation, I mean. People wel-Shukutoku Junior College students

come the ceremonies at temples
like having their family’s funeraland such, but they are just not interested in anything other than that, ormaybe they want to avoid the teachings of Buddha.
As an instructor and a Buddhist
priest, I have always been trying to
explain how useful the teachings of
Buddha can be in our daily life.
Unfortunately, students have notbeen interested in hearing that so
far. However, “Buddha Is Our
Teacher” gives them an opportunity
to open a book and read a page or
two. I notice that the book draws
their attention easily.
It is great to hear that yourstudents are interested in our
book that much. So what do
you think of how “Buddha Is
Our Teacher” can be used at
educational institutions in the
future?
As I said earlier, they love thosepictures. The words and phrases
are easy to read and it is even nicefor elementary school students. My
temple is located near an elementary school and lots of children
walk by every day, so I would liketo put a big poster of one of thepages in front of my temple foreveryone in the neighborhood tohave a chance to read.

That must catch their eyes!
By the way, do you and Shukutoku
Junior College have any special
ideas about encouraging students to become teachers in
the future?
Our school founder, Rev. Ryoshin
Hasegawa, stated that there are three
types of ideal personality traits: 1)
understanding others, 2) having an
expansive mind at all times, and 3)
having confidence under the guidance of Buddha’s teachings.
In our children’s education course,
we guide our students to consider
Rev. Hasegawa’s words and learn
the essence and principles of children’s education. We try to develop
future teachers who can support all
types of children such as those inpoverty, the ones with disabilities
and disorders, and so forth. In
other words, we would like to educate our students so that they cangrow up with and pass Hasegawa’s
teachings onto the next generation.
I see. Thank you. Then, is there
anything you would like to suggest for future BDK programs?
As I told you earlier, I believe thatthe teachings of Buddha should not
be understood only by the head, butalso by the heart. So, it is very
important to create a variety ofopportunities to experience some-3

BDK Japan News 2016 ～BDK Publications～thing related to Buddhism. I truly
hope that BDK would continue todevelop more publications that canbe used for children, households,
temples and even at kindergarten
and schools.
Thank you very much for yoursuggestions, Rev. Nawa.
Now, we would like to ask
your students some questions. Since you are majoringin children’s education, could
you tell us what your idealteacher is?

A: I would like to teach children
while they are playing.
B: I would like to watch each childwith special attention. I have had
the experience of losing my friend
when I was a child. I still remember it and feel that I could havedone something to help my friend.
C: I learned something from ateacher during my practical training
at a kindergarten. She was teaching
the kids a word so that they could
understand why they needed to bequiet without anyone yelling out
loud, “ Shut up!” I was really
impressed by how she managed theclass and respected her students’
self-governing skill.
D: I would like to be a teacher who
thinks of students first and not be
controlled too much by the instruction manual.
E: I would like my students to telltheir parents “I want to go to kindergarten” every morning and I would
like to understand each one of them.
I should not forget the children’s perspective when I think about something.
F: I would like to establish a good
relationship with kids and their parents as well. I want my students to4

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

experience lots of seasonal and traditional recreation in our country. I
also want to be involved with kidsfrom all over the world.
What do you like about studying at Shukutoku JuniorCollege?

A: Meeting Rev. Nawa is the best!
(With a big smile) In comparison
with other college campuses I visit,
I think Shukutoku has a great curriculum that allows students tolearn more practical lessons in
becoming a professional kindergarten teacher. And the Religion
class is good, too, and I realizedthat it gives me a broader perspective and I even try to change mydaily habits.
B: I think Shukutoku has lots ofchoices for students in the field ofchildren’s education. We can learn
about social welfare at the same time,
so we can learn about education froma variety of different angles.
C: I have a friend who goes to adifferent college at the moment and
we often meet up after school. I
have heard lots of stories about hercollege and I feel that Shukutoku
has a long history and a better curriculum. It does not waste our timeat all and what I am learning here iseffective.
D: I truly enjoy Rev. Nawa’ s
Religion class! I was not interested
in this field at all when I enteredcollege, but in this class I enjoy
learning about the history of
Buddhism. At one time, Rev. Nawa
talked about his family and I realized that we cannot always do what
we should do even though we totally understand what we should do in
our heads. I totally agree that mostof us cannot do that easily.

(Everyone nods and agrees)
E: I like Mr. Y, who is in charge of thepractical training sessions. He provides students an open environment
for thinking by themselves, so thatthey can make their own decisions.
F: Mr. Y has a big and warm heart
for all the students. He always suggests to us new ways of thinking sothat we can try something new at
every time. He is like the person
we learned about in “Buddha Is Our
Teacher.” He is just like that! I do
not hate the Religion class. To tell
you the truth, I had a feeling that
religion is a scary thing before I
took this class. But I no longer
think that it is scary. Now it issomething familiar. When I go
abroad, some people ask what myreligion is and I can confidently
give an answer now.
How did you like “Buddha Is
Our Teacher”? Do you have
any ideas for new books forchildren if you have a chance
to teach them with that?

A: I really liked the pictures in thisbook. They are so cute!
B: I would like to photocopy thepages and use them in my classroom!
C: Yes, I think that we should
enlarge the right page and show it
to the kids. And we can read theleft page and explain it to them. It
is so easy to use!
D: Yeah, I want to use this book forchildren right now!! (Everyone
agrees)
E: I would recommend this book topeople who do not know muchabout Buddhism because it can beeasily read and understood.
F: Yes, it is not only great for children but also for adults.

A: I like “Buddha is Our Teacher,”but I would like to have something
like a picture book that children
themselves can read.
B: Children love colorful things, so
I would like to see some books withlots of colors and pictures!
I felt energized by those powerful college students with dreams and hopes.
Then I visited Shukutoku Kindergarten
and saw how they use “Buddha is Our
Teacher” at their school.
The morning gathering started withoffering flowers and lights to the
Buddhist altar by students, andpiano playing by a teacher. Afterthe ceremony, they chanted theHeart Sutra without looking at anything, and the principal, Rev.
Etsuko Kikuchi, started talking to
all the students using “Buddha Is
Our Teacher.” She read the bookaloud. “Do not do a bad thing.
Let’s do the right thing and clean
the mind (pg. 16 and 17). Then she
asked them, “What is a bad action?”Children raised their hands andanswered with sparkling eyes.

a classroom. They read about “howto clean the mind” on page 9
together and confirmed what theyread. The teacher indicated thatcleaning the mind is not doing bad
things and the students answered,“YES!!!” Then Principal Kikuchi
asked them, “What are bad things?”
The students quickly gave her lotsof examples with their own words.
I was surprised in a good way thateveryone both at Shukutoku JuniorCollege and Shukutoku Kindergarten
greeted me with great smiles andsaying, “Hi” “Good morning” “Hello.”
In recent years, people teach kids
not to greet people who do notknow anything about them for security reasons in order to protect children from strangers and criminals.
There is a phrase on page 9. Sufferingfrom defiled minds and dirty words
is not good at all. Good/clean minds
and words can help us be fulfilledwith rich feelings, and everyone caneasily start today.
Principal Kikuchi explained thatbeginning with the new semester
this year, Shukutoku Kindergarten

The morning gathering at Shukutoku Kindergarten

They think that talking bad about
someone behind his/her back, orusing a bad word and getting angry
are bad things to do.
After the morning gathering, students go back to their grade rooms
and read the book with a teacher inis planning a new monthly projectusing a story from “Buddha Is Our
Teacher” along with a picture story
board handmade by teachers.
Surely this will be a fantastic
opportunity for students to broaden
their perspectives.

Rev. Kiyotaka Nawa
Born in 1972. Graduated fromWaseda University. Completed his
doctorate degree at Taisho University.
Lecturer at Shukutoku University,
Taisho University, Asia University inTokyo, Japan. Researcher at Jodoshu
Research Center. Jodoshu Priest at
Jonenji Temple.

Rev. Etsuko Kikuchi
Principal of Shukutoku Kindergarten.
President of Mahayana Gakuen,
Social Welfare Service Corporation.
Jodoshu Priest at Daiganji Temple.

At Shukutoku Junior College, Rev.
Nawa related a conversation he hadwith his elementary school daughter. He told us about how important
it is that we learn from the heart,
not just inside the head. Therefore,
we should keep learning aboutteachings of Buddha from theyounger generation as well, andunderstand that there are lots ofthings we just cannot do right eventhough we already understand that.
“Buddha-ga-Sensei (Buddha Is
Our Teacher)” is on sale now!
Find out more at the BDK official
website. http://www.bdk.or.jp

5BDK JAPANNEWS 2016

BDK Publications

01
Activity

The 1st BDK Buddhist Picture Book Prize“Kokoro-no-Ehon-Taisho (Picture Book for Your Heart and Mind)”

With the aim of promoting the development of thehearts and minds of children through reading, Bukkyo
Dendo Kyokai (BDK) established “Kokoro-no-EhonTaisho,” the BDK Buddhist Picture Book Prize, co-

We received 159 submissions for the
1st competition and selected one forFirst Prize, three for Outstanding
Performance Awards and five for FineWork under the guidance of Mr.
Tomohiko Fujimoto, a popular picture

02
Activitysponsored by Suzuki Publishing and supported by theMainichi Newspaper, the Japan Buddhist Nursing
Association and the Japan Young Generation
Education Council.

book artist, who created a legendary
children’s TV program, “Okaasan-toIssho, Together with Mommy” on
NHK E-tere.
The First Prize went to Ms. Yumiko
Murata’s “Boku-no-Omairi-ga-NagaiWake, The Reason Why I Pray for So
Long.” The story depicts two opposite
feelings of a little boy who is waiting
for the birth of his younger sibling. He
is very much excited about the baby
and wants to treat this new life asimportant, but he also wants to be treas-

ured as well. As a mother working at alibrary and writing this book, the author
illustrates the boy’s swinging feelings
between the two with humor.
The First Prize winner received
JPY500,000 and the book was published in March 2017.
For more information about “Kokorono-Ehon-Taisho, BDK Buddhist
Picture Book Prize,” please visit our
official website at http://www.bdk.or.jp/“The Teaching of Buddha” Update for 2016

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) has distributed 36,523
copies of “The Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” to hotels
in Japan. Tourists visiting Japan have increased andnumbered 24,040,000 people in 2016, and we are

We started distributing TTOB to
Buddhist schools and kindergartens in
2011, and in 2016 we donated 43,541
copies to 246 educational institutions.
The cumulative total for donations toschools is 289,000 copies, and approximately 67 percent of all the Buddhist
high schools, colleges, and universities,
and 25 percent of all the kindergartens
6“Boku-no-Omairi-ga-Nagai-Wake,
The Reason Why I Pray for So Long”

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

expecting more tourists to come to Japan in 2017.
We hope TTOB can be a little help by adding a great
touch of “Omotenashi,” the Japanese traditional wayof showing hospitality at hotels.

in Japan use TTOB at the moment.
In addition to the above, we started distributing the TTOB commentary,“Satori-no-Chie-wo-Yomu (Reading
the Wisdom of Enlightenment)” as
well. The commentary has been compiled in a compact and easy-to-readpackage, and it has been used atschools. We donated 23,527 copies of

those to 76 schools in Japan.
Moreover, we published new editionsof TTOB in Polish, Tibetan, andBurmese. The editorial committee of
TTOB welcomed a new chairman, Dr.
Makio Takemura, the chancellor of
Toyo University, who replaced the former chairman, Dr. Sengaku Mayeda in
February 2017.

Interview

Keikando Chapel on Machida campus of Oberlin University“The Teaching of Buddha”
in a Christian University

Interview with Prof. BaiGali Toba and Rev. Toshiyoshi Dobashi, Oberlin University

Location: Oberlin University, Tokyo, Japan
Interview and Photography: Kaoru Eguchi, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)Special Thanks to the public relations office of Oberlin University

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) has been distributing “The Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” for the past decades as
one of its major activities, and the books have been utilized in a variety of ways in today’s modern world. TTOBs
have been distributed to hotels, temples, medical facilities as well as educational institutions at the moment.
Today, we visited the campus of Oberlin University in Machida, Tokyo and had an opportunity to talk to Prof.
BaiGali Toba, Associate Professor, who uses TTOBs in his class, and Rev. Toshiyoshi Dobashi, the school chaplain of Oberlin University.
Oberlin University was established in 1966 with colleges of Arts and Science, Performing and Visual Arts,
Business Management, Health and Welfare, and Global
Communication. Their graduate division has the
Graduate School of International Studies, Business
Administration, Language Education, Psychology,
Higher Education Administration, and Gerontology as

well. Oberlin University has nearly 9,000 students fromall over the world as of 2016, and it is well-known as a
“Christian University” in Japan. Why is TTOB used atsuch a university? And is it possible for it to be compatible with Christianity? We posed those questions toProf. Toba and Rev. Dobashi.

7

First of all, I would like to ask
Prof. Toba a question. Since
you use TTOB in your class,how did you meet TTOB for
the first time?
I came to Suwa-city, Nagano-prefecture in Japan for the first time in1991 as an international student andwent to a Japanese language school.
At the time, I had a part-time job ata hotel and encountered the book ina guest room. I was very muchinterested in the book because I
thought there was no religion in
Japan. I was from China and there
was no such thing in my country.
People were taught that religion is
like a drug that paralyzes yourbody. I automatically thought thatJapan was an advanced nation sothat there was no such thing as religion in Japan. However, what I
saw in Japan was totally different
from what I was taught, and there
were lots of religious sites like temples, shrines, and churches all overthe country. I was shocked.
Some years later in 1996, I had achance to meet Mr. Mambaryn
Enkhbajar who was the Minister of
Education in the Mongolian government at the time (he became
President of the country later and atranslator of TTOB into Mongolian
at the same time) and we exchangedsome ideas about translating TTOB
into the Mongolian language.
I also remember the time I was
studying at Toyo University. I met
the late Dr. Shuyu Kanaoka (19272009), a doctor of philosophy in
Buddhist studies. He suggested tome that I should add more information about Mongolia in TTOB.

8

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─I see. So why do you like to
use TTOBs in your classthen?
I currently teach a class on“Mongolian History and Culture” atOberlin University. It is a 90
minute class and I am trying not totalk too much. What I mean is that
I hope for my students to experience something new and participate
in the class. For instance, I let themlisten to some sutras from all over
the world, watch DVDs and have
TTOBs in their hands. I think justtouching the book is a nice experience. Students will remember for along time what they actually experienced for themselves.
There are so many sutras in theworld and it is impossible toexplain all of them. It is too difficult for ordinary people like my students to understand everything.
However, I would like to tell everyone that there is such a Buddhist
book that is like a “Bible,” something through which you can understand the basics of Buddhism in one
book.
People generally think that Oberlin
University is a “Christian university,” and we train our students to be
Christians, but what we are trying
to achieve at our university is educating students to be international
citizens under the guidance of thespirit of Christianity. Therefore,
students have to be people who canunderstand other cultures andaccept them. You won’t be able tobe a true international citizen if you
hate everything you do not like.
That is why students need to learn
more about a variety of religions
and ideas out there. I take my stu-

dents to a church, a mosque, a temple, a shrine, etc. as field trips andlet them have an opportunity toexperience these places.
As I walked around the campus today, I saw lots of international students. Can TTOB
be a good textbook for those
who have different backgrounds as well?
Some Muslim people think that
Buddhism is not a religion, butother people are surprised at such a
way of thinking. But first we must
learn about things behind this wayof thinking and to know why they
think that way. It does not fit our
school policy if you immediately
remove things just because you dislike them. I truly hope my students
will first understand lots of thingsin the world and then draw theirconclusions later.
The world is a society of coexistence. As instructors, it is our
responsibility to impart information
with an objective perspective about
understanding each other. So
TTOB is perfect. It can be a great
introductory book, especially for
those who come from socialist
nations. It can be very confusing
when people tell them about God or
Buddha for the first time. It happens a lot with those students. In
my opinion, Christianity is tobelieve in God and Buddhism is totrain/practice. It might be difficult
for them to understand that instantly, so TTOB is a good first step as
an introduction.
There are societies in which people
do not know about the true meaningof religion or they use it politically

Rev. Dobashi on the left and Prof. Toba on the right talking about “The Teaching of Buddha”

and kill each other. I think eachreligion should act with perspective. It is a big problem that somepeople forcibly use religion with
political intentions.
You might have already heard in thenews of the world, “Jihad or HolyWar” among Muslims. The word
originally means a war inside oneself, not a war with someone/something else. Under the control of“religion,” how can we manage ourdesires? That is important, I guess.
A society in which people do not
accept each other cannot exist. In
that sense, I hope people will get ahint of “co-existence and co-prosperity” from Mongolian history.
Thank you very much.
Understanding each other isimportant in the world. Now, I

would like to ask Rev. Dobashi
some questions. There is news
about the Japanese version ofchaplain, “Rinsho-Shukyo-shi(RSS).” Why did you take acourse for RSS at Musashino
University, one of the Buddhist
Universities in Japan?
The Great East Japan Earthquake in2011 gave me a chance to rethink
my role as a chaplain. I saw somepriests from various religions cometogether, transcending their differences of religion. As lots of media
showed scenes of priests helping
each other among the survivors, I
felt a new beginning of my religious perspective. I realized that
only Japanese people have suchdivine natures to cooperate witheach other in such disasters.
As Prof. Toba mentioned, 9-11

shook the US in 2001 and createdconflict among religions. However
3-11 washed everything away inEast Japan in 2011, and created achance to have an interfaith dialogue among religions.
I would like to learn more and try totalk to people who believe in different religions beyond Christianityfrom now on. It was a great honorthat Musashino University had welcomed a student like myself to be
involved in their circle of learning.
It was such a good opportunity.
What I learned there gave me energy to positively take action in society. Prof. Kenneth Tanaka, whotaught this course, was very enthusiastic in trying to renovate ourminds. I felt a positive energy from
him that transcended religions andnationalities and I realized that weare all going in the same direction.

9

In Christianity, justice is not to
exploit or oppress the weak in thesociety. The painting “ Desglaneuses” by Jean-François Millet
expresses a way of thinking thatpeople should keep a little left
behind for the poor people whocome later. That is the spirit of coexistence and co-prosperity, you
know. We have a history of repeating wars and invasions in the nameof God since the crusades. It
always happened whenever religion
was attached to politics.
I see. In whatever way “Jihad,
Holy War” in Islam or “Justice”
in Christianity was used, we
totally misunderstand the true
meanings. It is amazing thatthree religions including
Buddhism have the same teaching of co-existence and coprosperity.
Now, I would like to ask bothof you more questions. Do
you try anything special as a
Christian university to understand different religions andbackgrounds while more students are coming to your university in recent years?
Prof. Toba:
First, all the instructors at Oberlin
University are not Christian. (Witha big smile) I repeatedly say this,but we educate students to be international citizens under the guidanceof the spirit of Christianity, not totrain our students to be Christians.
In the modern world, we tend to see
the “western” point of view. We are
Asian and Japanese before being
international citizens of the world.
I would say that we should have

10

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

stronger points of Japanese views.
We cannot become an international
citizen in a day. For the first step,
we must learn the origin of where
we were born or raised.

for everyone to share ideas and discuss our future. I would like tothink again about what religion cando, and I hope that BDK will
actively keep providing thoseopportunities.

The Mongolian History and Culture class at Oberlin University

Rev. Dobashi:
That is so true. As our school policy says, we would like to educate
students to be international citizensof the world with a high knowledge
and spirit of Christianity. To globalize the university, we welcome all
students from all over the world
with various nationalities and religions, of course. We have room for
Muslim students to pray each time
every day.
Lastly, what do you think
about the future possibilitiesof BDK activities, Buddhism
or maybe Buddhist priests?

Prof. Toba:
Christianity, Islam and Buddhism
are the so-called biggest religions intoday’s world. Buddhism is polytheistic, so I hope Buddhism will
provide more opportunities for allof us to interact with each other.
Not only through the teachings of
Buddha, but it would be great if we
could communicate with other universities and nationalities. It is timeRev. Dobashi:
Yes, I was also thinking about whatreligions can do, and all priests canfeel that we have something incommon. I as a priest would like totell that to everyone who is living
now.
My grandparents believed in
Buddhism, so we had Buddhist
funerals when they passed away. I
was surprised at the difference
between the Christian way and theBuddhist way. In my experience,
the Buddhist priest who took careof the funeral left so quickly after
he chanted for the ceremony. I feltthat it might be better for those who
attended the funeral if there had
been a sermon or some commentson life after death or how it feels toexperience someone’s death. I
believe that eases people’s anxieties
and warms up the atmosphere. In a
Christian funeral, we ministers givea ceremonial address for all theattendees of the funeral. We talkabout his/her background and lifetime with details, so it takes a lot of

time to prepare and give an address.
(With smiling face) It would begreat if a Buddhist funeral could
provide an opportunity for attendees and the priests to connect witheach other.
Talking about “interfaith,” there area variety of publications about theconversation between Buddhists
and Christians. I am reading a few
of them at the moment. The“ Bible” and “ The Teaching of
Buddha” are in the same drawers inhotel rooms, but it does not meanthat they are interacting with eachother. I would suggest that weshould create something connectedto each other. It should be very
interesting if there is such a thing.
Maybe, the Gideons International,
the Japan Bible Society andBukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)should have a partnership and publish something like that together toopen a door to a new world. In
either way, I must say that what
BDK has been doing for so long isimportant and I hope to see more
future activities for everyone.
I was a bit nervous when I first vis-

ited Oberlin University which isone of the most famous Christian
universities of all time in Japan.
However, Prof. BaiGali and Rev.
Dobashi welcomed me and theirgentle kindness helped me to enjoy
my time on campus.
I attended a chapel hour led by Rev.
Dobashi and experienced Bible
study for the first time. The“ Parable of the Prodigal Son”
showed us the importance of forgiving others. Making comparisonswith other people and contending
with criticism all the time are notgood. It is more important to interact with and forgive others. I felt
the importance of living in the present moment and learned somethingthat is commonly shared by
Christianity and Buddhism.
After the chapel hour experience, I
heard a lecture given by Prof. Toba
and witnessed that his students arevery much interested in “ The
Teaching of Buddha (TTOB).”
They read the book and took it withthem when they left the class. At
the end of the class, some international students from East Asian

countries talked about the religious
situation in their countries and they
seemed to be happy to take thebook in their own languages.
TTOB gave us a fantastic opportunity to visit Oberlin University.
The founder of the university, Mr.
Anzo Shimizu, said that “learning is
not just for oneself but for the betterment of others.” Indeed, our philosophy is based in a spirit of service that transcends all cultures andnationalities. I was impressed with
their commitment to educate students to be true international citizens of the world.
BDK will continue to distribute freecopies of TTOB to schools in theworld and we aim to publish a bookthat will allow readers to become
familiar with different religions andnationalities.
For more information about “The
Teaching of Buddha” and other
BDK publications, please visit theofficial BDK website at
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

Prof. Dr. BaiGali Toba
Born in Inner Mongolia in 1963. MA at Inner Mongolian Normal University.
Ph.D. at Toyo University. Associate Professor at Oberlin University. Teaches
Mongolian History and Culture, Nomadic Culture, Japanese Religions, etc.
Researcher at Institute of Oriental Studies, Toyo University. Member of theJapanese Association for Mongolian Studies.

Rev. Toshiyoshi Dobashi
Born in 1961. BA at Meiji Gakuin University. MA at Rikkyo University andOberlin University. Minister of United Church of Christ in Japan. Chaplain at
Oberlin University. Director at Japan University Chaplain Association.

11

BDK JAPANNEWS 2016

BDK Publications

03
Activity

Other BDK Publications and Related Events

We started a photography competition as a part of the 50th anniversary projects in 2014 and this is our third timeto have this event.

We received 1,172 submissions forthe competition and our selection
committee chose 32 of them in
September, 2016. All of the selected photos were also published in“Japan Camera,” one of the leading
Japanese magazines for photography. We were thus able to provide
a great opportunity for people tofeel the spirit of Buddhism throughthese art works.

We organized an exhibition of all of
the selected photos at Jodo Shinshu
Hongwanji-ha Tsukiji Hongwanji
Temple in July, 2016 for two
weeks. About 10,000 people visited the exhibition, and we also handed out booklets and flyers about

Selecting photos for the 2016 competition by the committee

BDK and its activities. One visitor
said, “Only one photograph with asimple phrase can make a daybrighter.” Another said, “The messages of Buddhism and photography gave me a clear image of theteachings.”

The 2018 version of the BDK
Calendar, “A Wise Teaching A Day”
with the selected pieces from thethird competition will be publishedin June 2017. For more information
about the BDK Calender, please visit
the BDK official website at
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

The 2016 winning photos
12

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

04
Activity“BDK English Tripiṭaka” Translation ProjectProf. Dr. Kenneth Tanaka welcomed as the new chairman ofthe editorial committee“BDK English Tripiṭaka”

The BDK English Tripiṭaka editorial committee(Prof.Dr.Tanaka, third from the left and Dr. Mayeda, third from the right)

The BDK English Tripiṭaka editorial committee welcomed Prof. Dr. Kenneth Tanaka as the new chairman replacing Dr. Sengaku Mayeda in June 2016.
Dr. Mayeda oversaw the translation of 42 works, andChairman Tanaka has been promoting projects with a broad networkof a variety of Buddhist scholars
overseas. The editorial committee
aims to move forward to the completion of the first term project.
We published one of the oldest sutras
taught by Shakyamuni, “The CanonicalBook of the Buddha’ s Lengthy
Discourses,” volumes 1 and 2 out of
three. In addition to it, we pub-he made a great contribution to the translation project.
We truly appreciate Dr. Mayeda’s contribution to all of
the previous translations undertaken since 1996.

lished “The Sutra that Expounds theDescent of Maitreya Buddha and
His Enlightenment.” and “The Sutra
of Mañjuśrī's Questions.”
For more information about the“BDK English Tripiṭaka” project,“The Teaching of Buddha” andother BDK publication, please
visit the BDK official website at
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

Donating the “BDK English Tripiṭaka” to Rev.
Lhakdor at the Tibetan Text Library in India

13

BDK JAPANNEWS 201601

Financial Assistance and Honorees

Activity

BDK Fellowship Programs

The BDK Fellowship was established to promoteinternational cooperation and mutual understanding in
Buddhist Studies, and it is intended to enable

researchers to engage in research on Buddhism while
in Japan. The BDK Fellowship committee was established in 1991.

For the 27th year in 2017, we have selected three promising scholars below.

Ms. Dörte Kamarid
Affiliation in Japan : International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies (ICPBS)
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Akira Saito
Theme of Research in Japan : Cultural Transfer between India and Tibet and its implication for the development of
Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka in Tibet: The Commentary on Mūlamadhyamakakārikā by Pa tshab Nyi ma grags

Juti Rakkit Shraman
Affiliation in Japan : The Department of Indian Philosophy and Buddhist Studies, The Division of Asian Studies,
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo.
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Kenryo Minowa
Theme of Research in Japan : Textual Analysis of 'Tathāgata' in the Context of Itivuttaka.

Katarzyna Marciniak
Affiliation in Japan : The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Seishi Karashima
Theme of Research in Japan : A new edition of the Mahāvastu on the basis of the oldest extant Manuscripts Sa and Na

14

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─We hope our newest three family members of the BDK Fellowships will have successful stays in Japan for the year 2017, and
it is with great pleasure that we present reports about previous scholarship holders of the year 2016.

Questions for the 2016 BDK Fellowship holders
1 ) What made you apply for the 2016 BDK Fellowship?
2 ) What is/are the best thing(s) about being a BDK Fellowship holder?
3 ) What do you think about your future career?

Mr. Emanuele Davide Giglio
Affiliation in Japan : Doctoral Student at the Department of Indian Philosophy and Buddhist Studies, The Division of
Asian Studies, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Kenryo Minowa
Theme of Research in Japan : The genesis of the 諸法実相鈔 ("On 'The True Aspect is All Dharmas' "), an epistle
attributed to Nichiren but not yet recognized in the collection of his autographical works from a methodological, bibliographical and a philosophical viewpoint.
1) My research is about documents
traditionally attributed to Nichiren(1222-1280) but which are of
uncertain identity, and are often suspected of being forgeries made bylatter disciples in the Muromachi
Era. Such documents are not yet
systematically researched from boththe bibliographical and philosophical viewpoints in Japan or overseas.
In this context, my work has, fromits very beginning, the aim of establishing a more systematic method of
research and providing new materials concerning an issue nobody
knows even how to start thinking
about. Before submitting my master’s paper, I made a bibliographicaldiscovery that made me able to continue my work in the doctoral
course. But after that, I was left
with only fragmentary hints. Then I
strongly felt the necessity of discovering something new that was likely
hidden in the darkness of a long andnot yet clear history of collecting
and recording this particular type of

Mr. Giglio on the right and Prof. Minowa on the left

documents. This occurred to me in
November of 2015, when I actually
discovered something I was convinced from the very first moment
will lead me to an answer.
However, this happened late, when
I was near the end of my previous
scholarship, and it was also very
close to the end of my 4th year in
the doctoral course. I did not haveenough time to decode and analyze

what I had just found. It was inthese circumstances that I happened
to encounter the BDK Fellowship.
2) Thanks to the BDK Fellowship, I
was provided enough time andresources to become more experienced in reading pre-Edo Japanese
Buddhist manuscripts (when everybody's way to transcribe documents
still was personal and lacking a recognizable style). I was able to read15

BDK JAPANNEWS 2016
the code I found, and obtain enoughinformation to submit to my professor the first draft of my doctoral
paper in the second half of March.
We are convinced that our work
will have a historical impact on
future research in the same field,
and now we are also taking into
account the opportunity to offer ourcontribution to the development of

new technologies for making
decoding faster.
3) I'm presently planning to enter assoon as possible into the examination period of my paper by competent authorities of my University.
Then, I will continue to contributeto the development of research
about controversial documents froma problematic period of Japanese

Buddhist history. I hope my ten
years in Japan will be helpful when
the time comes to establish a graduate school of East Asian Buddhist
Literature in my country so that wecan provide more people overseas
with opportunities to appreciate its
profoundness and philosophicalutility.

Ms. Katarzyna Marciniak
Affiliation in Japan : The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Seishi Karashima
Theme of Research in Japan : Buddhist Sanskrit as attested in the Mahāvastu of the MahāsāṃghikasLokottaravādins. A comparative study of the language on the basis of the oldest extant manuscripts of the text (MS Sa,
MS Na).
1) I have been working on a Buddhist
Hybrid Sanskrit text, namely the
Mahāvastu, since 2010. In Japan,
there have been outstanding scholars of this particular text, to name afew, Shindō Shiraishi, Hōryū Kuno
and Akira Yuyama, and, also, there
are quite a few researchers in Japan
who are currently working on thisVinaya text of the MahāsāṃghikaLokottaravādins. Therefore, I
decided to apply for the BDK
Fellowship, hoping to be given achance to come here and meet
Japanese scholars whose interests
are the same as mine. And my
expectations are being fulfilled.
2) The best thing about being a BDK
Fellowship holder is being able to
do research at great academic institutions in Japan and cooperate withprominent Japanese scholars, aswell as getting to know the culture
and the people of this country. The

16

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

Ms. Marciniak on the right and Prof. Karashima on the left

Fellowship enables me to carry out
my academic projects and at thesame time enjoy many various
aspects of everyday life in Japan.

3) I wish to continue my research on
Buddhist Sanskrit literature and, atthe same time, to encourage andsupport students who are interested
in Buddhist philology in Poland. I
am hoping to be able to employ theskills I am learning now in myfuture research projects and academic career.

2016 BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars
The BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars program
was established in 2012, and aims to promote international cooperation and mutual understanding in

Buddhist Studies. They are intended to enable
Japanese researchers to engage in research on
Buddhism while in foreign countries.

We are pleased to introduce two of the 2016 BDK Fellowship holders.

Questions for the 2016 BDK Fellowship Holders

1) What made you apply for the 2016 BDK Fellowship?
2) What is/are the best thing(s) about being a BDK Fellowship holder and what do you think about your future career?
3) What did you like the most about life in a foreign country?
Mr. Toshio Horiuchi
Affiliation : Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Asia-Africa Institute, University of Hamburg
Academic Advisor : Prof. Dorji Wangchuk
Theme of Research : Critical edition and philosophical study of the former part of the Lankāvatārasūtra
Chapter 21) I just wanted to take the opportunity to spread what I have learned
about the teachings of Buddha inJapan, and I left my country to
focus on research and study abroad.

2) The BDK Fellowship provided aperfect opportunity for me to focus
on my research at the University of
Hamburg. It allowed me to rent a
room to stay so that I can go to thecampus on foot and do what I haveto do. I audit lots of classes, too. I
was so surprised that the classes for
Tibetan and Sanskrit texts werefilled with more than twenty people! And my academic advisor,
Prof. Dr. Dorji Wangchuk, is thebest, and other faculties and staff
members are all friendly. I truly
appreciate this great opportunity
given to me by BDK.

Mr. Horiuchi on the right and Prof. Wangchuk on the left

3) One thing I was a bit surprised at
was that people start so early in themorning! Two classes that I took
started at 8:15 in the morning.
Even before that time, people arevery active. It might be because
Germany is located in the northernpart and the time of sunset is early

especially in the winter, I guess.
Anyway, I am thankful that I
received such a great opportunityfrom BDK that is allowing me tohave some the best experiences of
my lifetime! This is encouraging
me to keep up my research andstudy here in Germany.

17

BDK JAPANNEWS 2016
Ms. Hiroko Matsuoka
Affiliation : Institute for Indology and Central Asian Studies, University of Leipzig
Academic Advisor : Prof. Eli Flanco
Theme of Research : A Study of the Beginnings of the Buddhist Treatises

1) I have been doing my research on
Kamalasila’s “Dharmakīrti's Proofof Self-Awareness” in 8th century
in India. I found out that Prof. Eli
Flanco of the University of Leipzig
has worked on the manuscripts of
the revised edition. My academic
advisor at Hiroshima University,
Prof. Dr. Shoryu Katsura, introduced me to the BDK Fellowship
for Japanese Scholars while I was
thinking of studying at the
University of Leipzig, and so. I
decided to apply for the 2016 BDKFellowship.

2) It has been ten months since I firstarrived in Germany. I appreciate
my life here every minute. I attend
the project meeting and theBuddhist text practice at my institute and a seminar at the Universityof Vienna with a videophone. In
addition, I cooperate with my academic advisor, Prof. Eli Flanco, andProf. Flanco

am working on a translation of“Nibandha” and “Dharmakīrti's
Proof of Self-Awareness.” I am so
grateful that I will be able to continue my studies and researches here
for another year with the support of
BDK. After the tenure of the scholarship is over, I will be at theInstitute for the Cultural andIntellectual History of Asia of theAustrian Academy of Sciences, andwill participate in the “Kamalasila”
Project. I cannot imagine that I
could have done all of this without
the BDK Fellowship.

Ms. Matsuoka

3) I love the library of our institutethat has a variety of Sanskrit, SinoTibetan, Japanese and Chinese
texts. In addition to the academic
aspects of my life, I truly enjoy the
Christmas markets that sell the
famous Stollen, a traditional
German confectionary/bread. The
city of Leipzig is also famous formusic and we can walk down to theThomas Church as well as
Gewandhaus where we can enjoyclassical music such as that ofJohann Sebastian Bach.

The BDK Fellowship committee selected two scholars for the 2017 grants listed below.
Mr. Ryo Nishiyama
Current Affiliation in Japan : Ryukoku University
Affiliation to be : Boston University, USA.

Ms. Hiroko Matsuoka
Current Affiliation in Japan : Kyoto University
Affiliation to be : University of Leipzig, Germany

For more information about BDK Fellowship programs, please visit the official BDK website at
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

18

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─02
Activity

The 50th BDK Cultural Awards

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) offers the Bunka-Sho,the Cultrual Award for the Promotion of Buddhism,
which was started in 1967, and the Numata ShoreiSho, the Numata Innovation & Visionary Award, which

The BDK Cultural Award Committee selected the following awardees at its selection meeting on July
2016. The committee presented them with a gift andwas started in 2012 and is given to individuals who
are already exhibiting dedicated service to Buddhism,
and in time will become up-and-coming contributors to
the promotion of Buddhism.

honorarium of JPY 3,000,000 for the Cultural Awardfor the Promotion of Buddhism and JPY 2,000,000 for
the Numata Innovation & Visionary Award.

The 50th Bukkyo Dendo
Bunka-Sho, BDK Cultural
Award for the Promotionof Buddhism
Rev. Dr. Zenno Ishigami●Born in Hokkaido in 1929. A leading
scholar of the research on Indian narratives and Jodo sutras. Recognized for
his achievement in broadcasting, lecturing and writing to promote Buddhism
and its culture for many years.

The 50th Cultural Award Ceremony

The ceremony and banquet were heldat the BDK Center Building in Tokyoin October 5, 2016.

Rev. Dr. Ishigami reflected on the olddays, and said, “I just wanted to study.
I wanted to learn about the fundamentals of Buddhism. The university was
not functioning well after the chaos of
WWII, but all the professors were
enthusiastic about teaching and guiding students. And my colleagues
taught me how I can do my researchand studies. I am truly grateful tohave those people around me.” He
expressed his deepest gratitude to allof them.

Mr. Matsushita remembered his daysin Berlin, Germany. “I always felt aconnection with Buddhism because I
found myself composing a piece ofmusic from a passage of the “Heart
Sutra” once when I was in trouble andwas worried about composing a pieceof music in Berlin, where I was studying as an international student.” “I
believe that praying, believing andloving are common things among all
religions. And I would like to keep
appreciating everything I experienceand encourage myself for my future
work.”In a congratulatory address, Rev. Dr.

The Numata Shorei-Sho,the Numata Innovation &Visionary Award
Mr. Isao Matsushita●Born in Tokyo in 1951. A pioneer of
harmonizing modern music with traditional Japanese music, art, andShomyo, Buddhist liturgical chants,that gives an Oriental atmosphere.

Masayoshi Hasegawa, president of
Daijo Shukutoku Gakuen, stated that
Rev. Dr. Ishigami’s great achievement
was in his ability to tell people about
the Buddhist world in various effective ways. “For a long time, he
opened a door to the new world of
Buddhism in addition to his academic
achievements.” Rev. Taiin Murakami,
head priest of Yakushiji Temple inNara, expressed a great expectation
about Mr. Matsushita’s future work,and said, “He expresses religions andminds through music with a broad
perspective. The spirit of Buddhist
promotion will enable him to improve
even more in his artwork.”

19

BDK JAPAN

03
Activity

NEWS 2016
Revisions of the BDK Financial Assistance
Programs

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) has been supporting recommended groups and organizations that actively promote the spirit of Buddhism and Buddhist culture foryears. From the year 2016, we started an open sys-

tem that allows all groups and organizations to submit
applications for high quality public programs to promote Buddhism and its culture. We established threedifferent classifications of financial support listed below.

<Classification>
A. Support for Groups
A group must have the same purpose as BDK’s purpose. All the activities of the group have to contribute to society in general, and those activities have to be in need of constant support.
B. Support for Projects
A project must have the same purpose as BDK’s purpose. BDK supports costs of particular projects. We will provide support for a year or more as appropriate.
B-1 Promoting the spirit and culture of Buddhism and supporting humane activities B-2 Promoting Buddhist studies
B-3 Protecting Buddhist cultural properties
C. Support for Numata Chairs in Buddhist Studies
BDK currently supports the “Numata Chair in Buddhist Studies” at major universities in the world, and will consider establishing new programs.
<Qualification for all Classifications>
1. Must understand and affirm BDK’s requirement for social utility. Programs can be in Japan or overseas. Applicant must
be a group or an individual that actively promotes the Buddhist spirit, culture, studies and related activities and projects.
2. The purpose of the activities and projects has to be non-profit or non-commercial.
3. The purpose of the activities and projects cannot promote any specific or ideology.
<Criteria for All Classifications>(1) Social utility (2) Contribution to the community (3) High possibility for completion of project (4) Demonstrated
results of activities in the past (5) Continuation and development of activities (6) Adequate costs (7) Non-sectarian<Application Period>
October 1 to December 31 every year
<Procedures>
1. Download the designated application form online. Fill out the form with the statement of budget and balance. Submit
along with the reference.
2. Fill out the form on a year-basis. If it is a multi-year project, applicants may fill out one form for each year with details.
Submit along with the business plan and the statement of budget and balance.
3. Must submit a recommendation with the application.
The new system was instituted in October 2016 for the 2017 application. We received twice as many applications as we did for last year.
For more information about BDK financial assistance programs, please visit our official website at
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

20

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─01

Buddhist Lectures and Seminars

Activity

The 46th Jissen Fukyo Kenkyukai, BDK
Buddhist Missionary Seminar, at Hossoshu
Daihonzan Yakushiji Temple in NaraOn the following days, participants
listened to Rev. Hoin Yamada, headpriest of Yakushiji Temple, and also
visited Risshu Sohonzan Toshodaiji
Temple and listened to Rev. Myogen
Nishiyama, head priest of Toshodaiji.

Participants presents what they discussed

The Buddhist Missionary Seminar(BMS) study groups encourage participants to experience and practice
the path of the founders of various
Japanese Buddhist schools. BDK
hopes participants will deepen theirunderstanding of Buddha’s teachings
by listening, thinking and sharing witheveryone.
BDK hosted the 46th BMS with thetheme of “Learning from Master
Xuanzang and Master Jiàn zhēn” for02
Activity

two nights and three days at Hossoshu
Daihonzan Yakushiji Temple in Nara.
We welcomed 44 priests and theirfamily members from different sects.
On the first day, the BMS group visited Nenposhinkyo Sohonzan Kongoji
Temple in Osaka and listened to thedharma talks delivered by Rev. Ryoyu
Okeya, the executive director of thehead office, and by Rev. Shunei
Tagawa, the head priest of Hossoshu
Daihonzan Kofukuji Temple.

Participants enjoyed the three days
and were impressed with the temple
buildings at Yakushiji temple and felt
the wishes of people who were copying-sutras to pray for world peace.
For more information about BMS
and its history, please visit our official website at http://www.bdk.or.jp/

Morning service at Yakushiji Temple

Buddhist Lecture: “How to Learn the Kodo
Incense Ceremony”

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) hosted
a Buddhist lecture for people to experience Buddhism and its culture byfocusing on the relationship between

the Kodo Incense Ceremony andBuddhism.

The Incense Ceremony has been

essential for prayer services since the
Asuka era, about 1,500 years ago
when Buddhism and the lncense
Ceremony arrived in Japan for the21

BDK JAPANNEWS 2016
first time. Incense purifies places andpeople at the same time, and this original purpose and function have notchanged a lot since then.
BDK held the lecture, “How to Learn
the Kodo Incense Ceremony” on July12, 2016. The participants learned thebasics of the ingredients of a variety
of incense as well as the basics of use.
Moreover, Mr. Yoshihiro Inasaka, aprofessional Kodo instructor, taught
them about how incense developed inJapanese history.
Mr. Inasaka, who is also a scriptwriterand commercial producer, has anactive career of introducing Japanese
incense culture to the world. He wasin charge of a lecture presentation at
the United Nations. He is called the03
Activity

The lecture about the Kodo, Incense Ceremony“evangelist of the Incense Ceremony”
by various media.
“What is the difference between
incense and the incense stick?” “Howcan we enjoy incense more in ourdaily life?” Mr. Inasaka had someconversations with the participants.

They even had a chance to touch a
precious branch of incense andenjoyed the time of experiencing theworld of incense. It was absolutely agreat opportunity for people to be
exposed to a new aspect of Buddhist
culture.

The 50th Anniversary Project Continues Opening of the “BDK Memorial Museum”

Although Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai(BDK) celebrated its 50th anniversary
in 2015, the “ BDK Memorial
Museum” was finally opened thisyear to commemorate the achievements of the last 50 years and introduce BDK activities.
The BDK headquarters office inTokyo has welcomed people from allover the world. We opened the museum on October 5, 2016 in the Bukkyo
Dendo Center building.

The wall display inside the museum

22

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─As soon as you walk into the museum, you will see center piece display.

There is a banner of the BDK founder,
the late Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata, hanging from the ceiling to welcome
guests. The exhibitions below display
the items Rev. Yehan Numata usedthroughout his life, such as his briefcase, stationery, watch, and otheritems. Moreover, his sutra book andBuddhist prayer beads, which healways carried, are also displayed
along with the very first edition of

04
Activity“The Pacific World,” which was his
initial inspiration for promoting
Buddhism. There are lots of important and valuable items through which
we can feel his enthusiasm and energy
at that time.
The panel displays review the historyof BDK for 50 years, present information on each sect of traditional
Japanese Buddhism, and present

The items Rev. Yehan Numata used throughout his life

many publications of BDK. We planon installing more displays and sponsoring lectures to promote the essenceof Buddhism to more people in theworld.

“Real Buddhist Practice Experience” atTendaishu Sohonzan Hieizan Enryakuji Temple –Staying at Temples and Walking with Priests

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) has
hosted the Buddhist Missionary
Seminar (BMS) for Buddhist priests
and their family members every year
for the last 46 years. In 2016, weorganized the seminar as a tour for the
public, and was billed as “A Real
Buddhist Practice Experience” inwhich people could experience
authentic Buddhist training and practice.

The tour was held on October 8 and 9,
2016 for a night and two days. It was
too short to experience everything in
two days, but participants could enter
areas not normally open to the public,
and they tried Zazen meditation andlistened to dharma talks. In addition,
they learned the strict manner of eating at dinner and walked for all night
and prayed at each of the temples inthe Enryakuji area. The tour enabled
everyone to experience the essence ofthe strict principles and hard practice

From the top of Mt. Hiei

Rev. Mitsunaga with participantsof Buddhism.

During the stay, participants could notuse cell phones, tablets, and otherdevices. The dharma talk by Rev.
Soho Miyamoto, the director of
Kojirin, and the walking practice led
by Rev. Endo Mitsunaga, Great Ajari,provided the participants a chance toreexamine their lives through thosepractices.
The weather was terrible during the

The lecture by Rev. Miyamoto

all-night-long walk with Rev.
Mitsunaga, and most of the participants completed it between 1 am and
8 am. They were all exhausted after
the walk, but told us that they had an
unbelievable and fulfilling time fortwo days.
For more information about “RealBuddhist Practice Experience”
Tour, please visit our official website at http://www.bdk.or.jp/23

BDK JAPAN

05
Activity

NEWS 2016
Special Zazen Retreat at Sotoshu Daihonzan
Sojiji Temple
Sojiji Temple to provide more opportunities for people toexperience Buddhist
culture and its spirit.

Yoga workshop by Mr. Nakajima

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) held
a new event, “ Special Zazen
Retreat,” combining Zazen, Yoga
and Shojin Ryori (Buddhist vegetarian food) at Sotoshu Daihonzan

06
Activity

24

The event combined
Zazen practice andadded a Yoga workshop. Moreover, those
who were interested
in experiencing theBuddhist way of vegetarian foodenjoyed the authentic Sojiji style of
Shojin Ryori after the special zazen
hours. More than 100 people attended
the event, and Mr. Masaaki Nakajima,

professional Yoga instructor directed
the workshop. Rev. Komyo Hanawaof Sojiji Temple gave a Dharma talk toeveryone and explained the details of
the origin of Zen, Zazen and ShojinRyori. Everything was presented at anelementary level so that it was easy tofollow. The participants took notes
and listened to what the instructors
explained. They also updated scenesof the event through SNS and seemed
to enjoy the time at Sojiji Temple verymuch.
BDK would like to plan more interesting and beginner-friendly events collaborating with temples from now on.

Elementary Course of Buddhist Lectures"Japanese Buddhism - Learning from Scratch"

For many years, Bukkyo Dendo
Kyokai (BDK) has sponsored a variety of Buddhist lectures and seminars
to the public so that people canunderstand Buddhism through various perspectives. In 2016, we started
a new series of lectures called“Japanese Buddhism –Learning from

Scratch” to provide opportunities foreveryone to learn about the basics ofeach sect of Japanese traditional
Buddhism and its founders.
Starting from the April lecture about“Tendai-Shu and its Founder, Master
Saicho,” more than 70 people haveconsistently attended the series until

the last lecture in November.
The first half of the lecture was about
the basics of each sect such as theprinciples, the history and the life ofeach founder, and the second half
was a dharma talk about each lecturer’s own experience and beliefs. The
participants said, “The dharma talks

Rev. Minowa

Rev. Chiba

Rev. OkaBDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─were touching.” “It was a fantastic
opportunity to learn not only about
my own sect but also about othersects.” “The resumes were easy tofollow and great for reviewing at
home.”For more information about the
BDK lectures and seminars,
please visit our official website at07

http://www.bdk.or.jp/

Activity

Lectures in 2016
Month

Theme

Tendai Shu,
Master Saicho
Singon Shu,May
Master Kukai
Jodo Shu,
June
Master Honen
Jodo Shin Shu,
July
Master Shinran
September Rinzai Shu,
Master Eisai
Nichiren Shu,
October
Master Nichiren
November Soto Shu,
Master Dogen
April

LecturerRev. Junsho Oka(Enyuji Temple)

Rev. Kohan Watanabe(Koboji Temple)

Rev. Ryosho Shoji(Jodo Shu Research Institute)Rev. Toshio Maeda(Jodo Shin Shu Hongwanji Ha Research Institute)Rev. Daiko Matsuyama(Myoshinji Taizoin Temple)

Rev. Kenryo Minowa(the University of Tokyo)

Rev. Koji Chiba(Horinji Temple / Komazawa Womenʼs University)

Other BDK Related Lectures, Classes, andEvents.

In accord with its purpose to promote the spirit of
Buddhism and its culture, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai
Studying “The Teaching of Buddha”
for Business

The study group “The Teaching of Buddha for Business”

This study group explored tips forbusiness people in regard to treating
people nicely and helping to provide
signposts for living. We welcomed
Rev. Dr. Kiyotaka Kimura from Soto
Shu Ryuhoji Temple and Rev.
Michio Henmi from Jodo Shin Shu
Jodoji Temple for the 2016 lectures,and hosted the study group monthly
on the third Wednesdays at 6 pm at
the Bukkyo Dendo Center in Tokyo.

(BDK) sponsors various lectures, classes, and events
that are open to the public.

Studying “The Teaching of Buddha”
for Daily Life
This study group examined the spiritof Buddhism with humor and used
“The Teaching of Buddha” as a textbook to learn lessons for making a
difference in daily life. We welcomed
Rev. Shoshin Ichishima from Tendai
Shu Sensoji Temple and Prof. Rev.
Kenneth Tanaka from Musashino
University for the 2016 lectures, andhosted the study group monthly on the
fourth Thursdays at 1:30 pm at the
Bukkyo Dendo Center in Tokyo.

The study group “The Teaching of Buddha for Daily Life”

Buddhism Through English
Feel the gap between the Buddhist
spirit and culture?
Learning
Buddhism through English provides adifferent experience from the otherlectures. We welcomed Prof. Rev.
Kenneth Tanaka from Musashino
University for the 2016 lectures. This
series of lectures were held monthly
on the fourth Thursdays at 7 pm at the
Bukkyo Dendo Center in Tokyo.

BDK Zazen-Kai, Meditation Retreat
for Business People
BDK offers an opportunity to experience calm and peace amidst today’s
stressful society. We welcomed Rev.
Junsho Oka from Tendai Shu Enyuji
Temple for the 2016 sessions held
monthly on the third Tuesdays at 8 pm
at the Bukkyo Dendo Center in Tokyo.

25

BDK JAPANNEWS 2016
pm at the Bukkyo Dendo Center inTokyo.

Mita Rakugo-kai

BDK Zazen-Kai

BDK Buddhist Yoga
The two aspects of Buddhism andYoga can help in developing a calmand healthy life. Rev. Yuuka Gazzo
from Jodo Shu Seiganji Temple isalso known as a professional Yoga
instructor, and she led the class held
monthly on the first Wednesdays at 7

08
Activity

BDK Buddhist Yoga

Mita Rakugo-Kai
Some of the traditional Japanese arts
are said to be related to the Buddhist
Fushidan Sekkyo, which is the originof Rakugo. Mita Rakugo-Kai introduced the traditional stories and provided opportunities to experience thespirit of Buddhism. The 2016 eventswere held in February, April, June,
August, October and December.
For more information about “Buddhist
English Guide Program,” please visit
our official website at
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

Buddhism Through English:"Buddhist English Guide Program"

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) has
welcomed many participants wholearn about Buddhism throughEnglish since 2011.

Tourists visiting Japan haveincreased, and most of them visit
temples. However, explanations andsigns at those places are not goodenough for tourists to understandwhat they are seeing.
The purpose of this course is to train
guides who can explain Buddhism
and its related facilities to theEnglish-speaking people who visit
temples in Japan. We hope this new
program, “Buddhist English Guide
Program,” has been of some help for
those who participated in the past

26

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

The lecture by Prof. Tanaka

few years, and that it has added astronger motivation to learn
Buddhism through English.

For more information about “Buddhist
English Guide Program,” please
visit our official website at
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

09
Activity

2016 BDK Symposium: “Journey of Mind”
The lecturers talked about “Mind”
from the different perspectives of
Buddhism, education and medical
studies. The venue was packed withpeople each time, and many of theparticipants gave us positive feedback and seemed to feel a closer relationship to Buddhism.

The lecture by Prof. Yokoyama

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) sponsored three lecturers for the 2016
BDK Symposium on the theme of“Journey of Mind.”

10
Activity

The 10th BDK Symposium on
May 26, 2016
“Health from the Unconscious Mind
– Learning from Yogacara Ideas” byEmeritus Prof. Koitsu Yokoyama,
Rikkyo University.

The 11th BDK Symposium on
September 13, 2016.
“Children Suffering from a Mental
Illnesses – What Religions Can Do”
by Mr. Osamu Mizutani, former highschool teacher and education critic.
The 12th BDK Symposium on
March 10, 2017
“ Solving Zazen with Serotonin
Neurons” by Emeritus Prof. Hideho
Arita, the Medical School of Toho
University.

Memorial Service on the 23rd Anniversary of thelate Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata, the Founder of BDK

It has been 22 years since the lateRev. Dr. Yehan Numata, the founderof Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)and Mitutoyo Corporation, passed
away in 1994. BDK and Mitutoyo
held the 23rd anniversary memorialservice on April 5, 2016.
Rev. Seishu Yamamoto from Tsukiji
Hongwanji Temple led the ceremony,
which included music. Rev. Daishun
Ueyama gave a Dharma talk to morethan 100 participants and recalled his
contributions to the promotion of
Buddhism.
Everyone took this special opportunity to reaffirm their commitment topass his legacy onto the next generation.

The 23rd anniversary memorial service

27

Take a Break: Buddhist Vegetarian Recipe
Let's Try "SHOJIN Life"
Once A Month with the recipes of Rev. Koyu Iinuma- Improving the Harmony of Soul with Nature
Report & Photography: Kaoru Eguchi, BDK
People have been paying attention to
healthy diets in recent decades, but weshould also take note of how people
eat too much.
When you think about your eating
habits, it would be perfect if you
could think of balanced nutrition andeat what you cook for yourself.
However in the modern world, mostpeople do not have time to think about
this for every meal, and it is very diffi-

cult to carry this out in practice.
Therefore, we suggest that you consider the “SHOJIN Life” once amonth with a healthy and easy-tocook recipe that uses ingredients without wasting them. Shojin Buddhist
vegetarian dishes can purify yourbody and mind, and Rev. Koyu
Iinuma from Tendai Shu Fukushoji
Temple, who is known as a “chefmonk,” introduces recipes exclusively
for our newsletter.

For this special occasion, we would
like to introduce the newest soy bean
product: “Shojin Yuba (Tofu Skin)”released from Mitutoyo Foods Co. inthe spring of 2016. “Shojin Yuba” isrolled soft tofu skin cooked in a vegetarian soup stock, and Rev. Iinuma
invented two recipes using “Shojin
Yuba” with rice so that everyone will
be able to experience the “Shojin
Life” once a month.

◆Rice Dish Cooked with Yuba (Tofu Skin) and Broccoli Stems

Try not to waste the ingredients by using the vegetable stems you usually throw away!
Ingredients for 2 servings● 3 pieces of “Shojin Yuba” = 1/2 package of “Shojin Yuba”(cut into 5mm squares)● 50g of broccoli stems (peel the hard skin off and cut into
short pieces)● 150g of white rice (wash and leave in water for 15 minutes
then drain water and leave again for another 15minutes)● 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil● 1 teaspoon of Miso (any kind of Miso, salted bean paste,of your choice)● Ground toasted white sesame seeds to taste(1) Steam the rice and Yuba with <A> in a ricecooker*** Washing and leaving the rice in the water
gives the rice more moisture and it will cook
to perfect softness(2) Sauté the broccoli stems with sesame oiland Miso*** Do not try to sauté Miso neatly. The chunksof Miso add bitterness and a flavorful touch
to the broccoli.
(3) Mix (2) with cooked rice and sprinkle theground toasted white sesame seeds on it!

28

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

<A> 50cc of “Shojin Yuba” soup = 1/2 of “Shojin Yuba” soupin package (Konbu kelp or Shiitake mushroom Dashi
soup stock can be good, too)
120cc of water
10cc of soy sauce***1 package of “Shojin Yuba” contains 6 Yuba pieces and100cc of soup◆Rice Porridge with Yuba (Tofu Skin) and Black Beans
New Texture!

Ingredients for 2 servings● 3 pieces of “Shojin Yuba” = 1/2 package of “Shojin Yuba”(cut into 5mm squares)● 30g of black beans (You may use roasted soy beans usedin the Setsubun bean throwing ceremony or other kindsof beans as well)● 110g of white rice (wash and leave in water for 15 minutes
then drain water and leave again for another 15minutes)● Salt to taste● Wasabi (Japanese horseradish) to taste<A> 50cc of “Shojin Yuba” soup = 1/2 of “Shojin Yuba” soupin package (Konbu kelp or Shiitake mushroom Dashi
soup stock can be good, too)
120cc of water
10cc of soy sauce***1 package of “Shojin Yuba” contains 6 Yuba pieces and100cc of soup

(1) Roast black beans for a few minutes. Stop
roasting them when you see cracks on thesurface.
(2) Put (1) into <A> and boil them together in a
pot on high heat. Add rice to the pot andsimmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
*** Do not cover the pot and keep on low heatso that the rice will be perfectly soft.
(3) Turn off the heat, add Yuba to it and cover
the pot for 3 minutes. Prepare salt andwasabi on the side as you wish!

Soy food products are popular examples of food with high nutritional
value from ancient times in Japan, andthere are a variety of soy foods out
there in today’s world. There are tofu,
natto, deep-fried tofu, etc. We focusedon “Yuba (tofu skin)” that is high insoy bean content.
You might think that “Yuba” is mostly
served at traditional Japanese restaurants, but in 1986, the late Rev. Dr.
Yehan Numata, founder of Bukkyo
Dendo Kyokai (BDK) as well as
Mitutoyo Foods Co., successfully

started the mass-production of soy
products for everyone to enjoy athome. He aspired to a world of nonkilling and wished to spread theBuddhist spirit by introducing goodand healthy food.
Yuba itself is completely vegetarian,but is often produced by cooking andseasoning in with animal ingredientsby boiling in a chicken or beef soup
stock. Therefore, Mitutoyo Foods Co.
developed a new Yuba product without using any kind of animal foodingredients for seasoning and thus

provides opportunities for everyone toenjoy Shojin Yuba.
“Shojin Yuba” for Your Meal at Home!

Find out more about “Shojin Yuba”
and other Yuba products at the official
website of Mitutoyo Foods Co..
http://www.mitutoyofoods.co.jp/

Rev. Koyu Iinuma, Tendai Shu Fukushoji Temple.
Born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan in 1982. Ordained as a Tendai-Buddhist
priest at Hieizan Enryakuji Temple at the age of 19. Developed an interest in missionary workthrough foods while at Taisho University. Received a professional chef’s license in Japan after
training at some restaurants. Hosts “Suwaribito – Shungayu” and “Toki-wo-miru-kai,” gatheringsat temples all over Japan for Buddhist food education.

29

BDK Affiliate Organization Activities
World Map & Contact Info.
1

BDK EUROPE(EKO-Haus der Japanischen Kultur e.V.)
Brüggener Weg 6, 40547 Düsseldorf, F.R. GERMANY
Tel: +49(211)577918-0 Fax: +49(211)577918-219
E-mail: pool@eko-hause.de
http://www.eko-haus.de/c/o Mitutoyo Canada Inc. 2121 Meadowvale Blvd.
Mississauga, ON, CANADA L5N 5N1
Tel: +1(905)821-1261 Fax: +1(905)821-4968
E-mail: honjo@bdkcanada.com

2

BDK U.K.

4

BDK CANADA

c/o Mitutoyo(UK)Ltd. Joule Road, West Point
Business Park, Andover, Hants SP10 3UX U.K.
Tel: +44 1264-353123 Fax: +44 1264-354883
E-mail: bdk@mitutoyo.co.uk

BDK AMERICA

5

1675 School Street,
Moraga, CA 94556 U.S.A.
Tel: +1(925)388-0067 Fax: +1(925)388-0331
E-mail: orders@bdkamerica.org
http://www.bdkamerica.org

3

BDK POLAND
c/o Mitutoyo Polska Sp.z o.o.
UL. Graniczna 8A 54-610 Wroclaw, POLAND
Tel: +48(71)354 83 50 Fax: +48(71)354 83 55

6

BDK HAWAII
1757 Algaroba Street, Honolulu, HI 96826, U.S.A.
Tel: +1(808)942-1511 Fax +1(808)942-2622
E-mail: bdkshi@hotmail.com
http://www.bdkhawaii.com/

4
2

1

3
5

7
6

8

10

11

9

BDK JAPAN

7

3-14, Shiba 4-chome, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, JAPAN 108-0014
Tel: +81(3)3455-5851 Fax: +81(3)3798-2758
E-mail: bdk@bdk.or.jp
http://www.bdk.or.jp/

BDK TAIWAN

8

c/o Mitutoyo Taiwan Co., Ltd.
4F., No.71, Zhouzi St., Neihu Dist.,
Taipei City 114, TAIWAN (R.O.C)
Tel: +886(2)5573-5913 Fax: +886(2)8752-3267
E-mail: sharon@mitutoyo.com.tw

BDK ASIA
c/o Mitutoyo Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
24 Kallang Avenue, Mitutoyo Building,Singapore, 339415, SINGAPORE
Tel: +65 6294-2211 Fax: +65 6299-6666
E-mail: bdk@mitutoyo.com.sg

30

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─BDK MEXICO

10

Prolg. Eugenia No. 17, Col. Nápoles, C.P.03810
México D.F., MEXICO
Tel/Fax: +52(55)5669-1088
E-mail: bdkmexico@prodigy.net.mx

9

BDK SOUTH AMERICA
a/c Mitutoyo Sul Americana Ltda.
Rodovia Índio Tibiriça 1555, BAIRRORAFFO, CEP 08620-000 SUZANO-SP, BRASIL
Tel: +55(11)5643-0006 Fax: +55(11)5641-3745
E-mail: bdk@mitutoyo.com.br

11

BDK America
Japanese Buddhist Sects in America Meeting

Century America,” Duncan Williams
of USC spoke on “The Current Stateof the Japanese Buddhist Community
in America” and John Nelson fromthe University of San Francisco
shared his ideas on “Opportunities for
the Future of Japanese Buddhism inAmerica.”

On February 22-23, BDK America
sponsored the first meeting of representatives from the traditional
Japanese Buddhist sects with followings in America. Held at the Buddhist
Churches of America’s Jodo Shinshu
Center in Berkeley, California, representatives from the Nishi Hongwanji,
Higashi Hongwanji, Soto, Nichiren

and Koyasan organizations came
together for the first time in the nearly
120-year history of Japanese
Buddhism in America.

At the conclusion of this historic summit gathering, the group agreed tocontinue to meet to share common
concerns, needs and opportunities inan effort to expand a sharing of theteachings of Japanese Buddhism withmore Americans.

Stimulating discussions and lectures
were led by Professors Mark Blum of
UC Berkeley speaking on “WhatJapanese Buddhism has to offer 21st2016 Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism
Each year, the Toshihide NumataBook Award in Buddhism (Toshi
Award) recognizes a book that excels

The 2016 Awardee, Prof. Gyatso
and BDK America President, Dr.Tanabe

among the books on Buddhism published during that year.
In 2016, it was awarded to “Being
Human in a Buddhist World: AnIntellectual History of Medicine in
Early Modern Tibet” written by
Professor Janet Gyatso of Harvard
University. The award ceremony andthe symposium were held at UC
Berkeley on October 28, 2016 with
about 70 people in attendance.

Dr. Adams

Dr. van Vleet

Dr. Thompson

Dr. Sharf

31

Numata Program in Buddhist Studies
We held a Numata Program coordinators meeting on November 18, 2016
in San Antonio, Texas where the AAR
meeting was held. Eleven coordinators from universities sponsoring
Numata Programs in the US andCanada gathered to report and discuss
the status of their programs.

Participants of the meeting

BDK booth at the AAR meeting

The Words of the Buddha in the Landscape of India
This photo exhibit was held at the
Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley from
December 1 to 9, 2016. About 200
people came to see the exhibit duringthat time and many thought it waswonderful.

ferent cities in the future.

＊For more information about activities in the U.S., please contact BDK
America.

This exhibit was originally held in2015 in Japan as a commemorative
event for BDK Japan’s 50th anniversary, and donations received at theexhibitions were used to ease the suffering of those still affected by themassive earthquake and the tsunami
of 2011.
With the success and the great
response received in Japan, we
brought the exhibit to the US anddeveloped an English version of it.
We plan to hold more exhibits in dif-

The exhibit at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley

BDK Hawaii
Humanities BDK Hawaii Buddhism Programat Honolulu City Hall

During the year of 2016, BDK Hawaii
reached out beyond our local
Buddhist organizations and sponsoredspecial programs for the general com-

32

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

munity at large.

In May, BDK Hawaii had a special
tent pavilion at the Hawaii Book andMusic Festival, an annual event heldon the grounds of Honolulu City Hall.
More than 15,000 people attended theevent, and our tent was filled withpeople who came to the seven panels
held throughout the day.
Topics included Temple Architecture

in Hawaii, Translating Buddhist Texts,
the Future of Temple Buddhism in
Hawaii, American Zen, Meditationand Mindfulness, Socially Engaged

Workshop on Suicide Prevention
at Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
In August, BDK Hawaii co-sponsoreda workshop on suicide prevention incooperation with the SamaritanCounseling Center, Higashi
Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, andthe BDK-Fujitani Interfaith Program.

In Hawaii, one person commits suicide every two days, and this workshop addressed this crisis, which isoften hidden from view. Michelle
Snyder from Pittsburgh led a program
called Soul Shop, which is designed
to help people, especially ministers,

deal with this widespread problem.
The workshop was attended by over

50 people, half of whom were
Buddhists.

The workshop on suicide prevention“Teaching of Buddha” to Military Bases
BDK Hawaii has a close relationshipwith chaplains in the U.S. military.
We donate the Teaching of Buddha
books to military bases, and also supply the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki,
which serves military personnel andtheir families on vacation.

Buddhism, and Buddhism, Christianity
and Native Hawaiian Religion.

The highest ranking chaplain in the
Pacific Command is Colonel Charles
Lynde, and we received a requestfrom Chaplain Lynde for a Dharma
Wheel altar piece that can be used by
Buddhist soldiers at a chapel at Fort
Shafter. “There are more Buddhists in

the U.S. military,” said Chaplain
Lynde, “than there are Jewish or
Muslim soldiers.” We made a
Dharma Wheel altar piece, and presented it to Chaplain Lynde.

Repair of BDK Hawaii Building
Our activities are supported by revenue we receive from the BDK
Hawaii apartment building, which is
now over 22 years old and has been inneed of repair and painting. With thecooperation of Mitutoyo and BDKJapan, we were finally able to repair
the cracks in our concrete building
and paint it for the first time since its
construction. We are relieved that we

can now expect the building to serve
us well for many more years in our
mission of promoting Buddhism andserving our community.
＊For more information about activities in Hawaii, please contact BDK
Hawaii.

The BDK Hawaii building is under repair

33

BDK Mexico
Mexico Ekoji Head Priest Rev. Todaka Receives
the Honorary Doctorate from Alva Edison University
Alva Edison University in Puebla,
Mexico officially announced that the
Ekoji head priest and BDK Mexico
president, Rev. Koichi Todaka is therecipient of an honorary doctorate
from the university for his contribution to educating students and faculty
about the teachings of Buddhism.

In December, 2017, Rev. Todaka
accepted the honorary doctorate fromthe chancellor, Prof. Jorge Leon, at aceremony held in his honor. In his
speech, Rev. Todaka stated that “The
Teaching of Buddha” is an excellent
textbook for promoting co-existence
and co-prosperity, not just for surviving in today’s competitive world. He
also told all the students that theyshould learn important lessons at theuniversity and make a difference bybecoming a citizen of the world withan international and balanced perspective. As Rev. Todaka concluded his

speech, he encouraged them to be persons who can always make fair decisions.
＊For more information about BDK
Mexico and other BDK related activities in central/southern Americancountries, please contact BDK
Mexico/Mexico Ekoji Temple.

Rev. Todaka on the right and Prof. Leon on the left

BDK Asia“The Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” Distribution in Thailand
Mitutoyo Thailand is in charge ofsales and service of Mitutoyo products in the kingdom of Thailand,
where 95% of the population believes
in Buddhism. We also distribute “The
Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” in
Thailand to our customers, distributors, university libraries, and vocational schools in accordance with thewishes of Mitutoyo’s founder, the lateRev. Dr. Yehan Numata.

34

BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─On the 25th of January, we were oneof the sponsors of the “ Koma
Competition” at the Thai Nichi
Institute of Technology, and we distributed copies of TTOB as a prize forall 60 students who competed.

In the “Koma Competition” studentsof the Thai Nichi Institute ofTechnology use lathe machines attheir facilities to produce their own
spinning tops (Koma). The students
then spin their tops and let them fighteach other in a Sumo ring, and compete with each other to see which top
can spin for the longest time.
Also, we had a measurement seminarat a school in Thailand that wasorganized by one of our dealers,
Sumipol Co., Ltd.. This vocational

school is located in the royal palace
and was established by Princess
Sirindhorn, who is a sister of the current King, with the aim of providing
learning opportunities to the children
who are poor and cannot afford
school. In our seminar, we introduce“Mitutoyo’s Founding Spirit” established by the late Rev. Dr. Yehan
Numata. In addition, they put theirown company sticker on the backof “The Teaching of Buddha” anddistribute the books to students
and teachers.
＊For more information about
activities in Thailand and other
Asian countries, please contact
BDK Asia.

“Koma competition” participantsจิตวิญญาณของผูก้ อ่ ตัง้ Our Founding Spiritความปราถนาของผูก้ อ่ ตัง้ อันเป็นรากฐานของ­M­ itutoyo
Our founder’s wish as expressed upon the foundation of Mitutoyoทำให้ผคู้ นมีความเป็นอยูท
่ด
ี่ ข
ีน
ึ้ โดยใช้ศรัทธาอันแรงกล้าในศาสนาพุทธเป็นสิง่ ชีน้ำ
To contribute to people's welfare through support of the advancementof Buddhist understandingทำให้Mitutoyoเป็นเลิศมีความชำนาญในการทำธุรกิจทัว่ โลก
To see that Mitutoyo excels in its field of expertise and in its businessconduct throughout the world

The Distribution of “The Teaching of Buddha”

BDK Taiwan
2016 BDK Taiwan Board Meeting

The BDK Taiwan board meeting isheld every two years and took place
on December 15th in 2016. We invited Mr. Ikuta, Managing Director fromBDK Japan, and he introduced the
BDK activities taking place aroundthe world and gave us lots of precious
advice. In addition, we also invited a
Tibetan Buddhist "Rinpoche," whogave us a lecture on “Buddhism andLife.” It was a very valuable experience for everyone who attended.

the intermediary of Buddhism, and it
was a very meaningful gathering.

The attendees of the meeting included
employees, distributors and agents fora total of 110 people. Once again,
cultural exchanges between Japan andTaiwan were made possible through＊For more information about activities in Taiwan, please contact BDK
Taiwan.

BDK Taiwan board members and guests

35

BDK Europe
August Workshop of the Jōdo Shinshū Centerticipants meet once a year in the summer
for a workshop at the Center in Berkeley,
but this year for the first time the location
was different.
Students not only from the US
Mainland, Hawaii, Canada, and Brazil
took part, but also former students from
Europe. About 30 people gathered in theEKŌ temple.

Cherry trees inside the EKŌ temple garden

Rev. Umezu greets participants

On the 20th and 21st of August 2016, theAugust Workshop of the Jōdo ShinshūCenter was held at the EKŌ temple inGermany. The Jōdo Shinshū Center,located in Berkeley, California, is an

Prayers at Anshindo

institution of the Buddhist Churches ofAmerica, and it offers a “Jōdo Shinshū
Correspondence Course” to students
from the US, but also from other countries all over the world. Usually, the par-Weekend Zazen Retreat

BDK Europe (EKŌ-Haus derJapanischen Kultur e.V.) holds theWeekend Zazen Retreat twice a yearin spring and fall at EKŌ Hall. We
welcomed the Zazen masters, whocame all the way from Japan, and held
the events in April 15 -17 and in
December 2-4, 2016.
We had Rev. Sōtai Hiromi for the
April retreat and Rev. Sensho Kishida
for the December retreat. 30 people
from inside and outside of Germany

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BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

attended and they experienced Zazen
practice as well as cleaning the EKŌHaus and the garden together.

Zazen practice

The first day of the workshop started
with a guided tour of the EKO center,and many participants expressed theirsurprise at the existence of a Japanesegarden in Europe. After the tour, an
opening ceremony was held in the temple, and the overseas ministers from the
US and Canada held presentations in the
EKO hall. In the afternoon, training in
the Shōshinge service took place in themain hall, and after the dinner, there wastime for a discussion between the participants on the teaching of Jōdo Shinshū.
The debate was very vivid and did not
end earlier than 9:00 pm, long after theoriginal timetable.

＊For more information about activities in Germany and other European
countries, please contact BDK Europe.

BDK U.K.
100th Anniversary of the Establishmentof the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
at the University of London

Mr. Thomson on the left, Mr. Suma in the middle and
Mr. Katayama on the right

The School of Oriental and African
Studies (SOAS) at the University of
London celebrated the 100th anniversary of its establishment on
September 8, 2016 and Bukkyo
Dendo Kyokai (BDK) Chairman,
Toshihide Numata, and the executive
director of BDK, Mr. Tadashi Ikuta,
attended the ceremony. SOAS currently holds the Numata Professorship,
and the chancellor, Prof. Valerie

Shogyoji Temple in London

Amos, and the Numata Professor,
Prof. Lucia Dolce, greeted them.
On the day before the ceremony, theBDK Japan group visited Jodoshinshu
Shogyoji temple in London and discussed the future of BDK UK activities while enjoying the view of the traditional Japanese garden at the temple. It was a perfect opportunity to
deepen our mutual friendship.

Announcement from BDK UK
Former BDK UK board member, Mr.
Takaji Katayama has resigned, and Mr.
Shunsuke Suma replaced him as of
September, 2016. We will enthusiastically continue our activities in the UK!
＊For more information about activities in the UK, please contact BDKUK.

BDK Poland
New Establishment of BDK Poland
With our primary goal of promoting
the teachings of the Buddha, Bukkyo
Dendo Kyokai (BDK), and our affiliated organizations throughout theworld are involved in a variety ofactivities and programs.
For many years in Europe, BDK U.K.
and BDK Europe have been engaged
in many promotional activities such as
spreading the spirit of Buddhist compassion and coexistence, and distributing “The Teaching of Buddha” tothe public and lodging facilities in
European countries. In January 2016,
BDK Poland opened their office as
the third affiliate organization in
Europe.
The establishment of BDK Poland is
supported by Mitutoyo Poland and theoffice is located inside their building.
BDK Poland is now ready to get started with the distribution of “The
Teaching of Buddha” and other BDK
materials.

＊For more information about the distribution of “The Teaching of Buddha”
and other activities in Poland, pleasecontact BDK Poland.

BDK Poland office37

Heiwa (Peace)

Although it is said generally that there is peace
when there is no war and all is calm and peaceful, it is certainly not peaceful even when there
is no war in a world in which the life of every
person is not valued. There is, moreover, discrimination.
There is no peace in a world in which a majority
group generally exerts pressure on a minority
group, and causes this minority group to feel as
if their life was being choked off, wherein one
group of people are especially careful in thisregard. Thus it is said in Shakyamuni Buddha’s
teaching:

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BDK Newsletter Michi ─The Path─

If those who govern believe in the Buddha,
believe in the Teaching, respect the deeply compassionate virtues, and value this, the nation willcertainly prosper without enemies or any regret.
And if the nation’s riches flourish, there is noneed to covetously invade another country andthere will be no need for weaponry for attacking
others. Accordingly, the people will also be satisfied and be happy, and high and low can live
harmoniously.

(Sūtra of Golden Light)

Taken from “Sasaeatte” authored by the lateRev. Toshihide Numata, former Chairman of
BDK