Prospectus forthe 850th Anniversary of Shinran Shonin’s Birth andthe 800th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Jodo Shinshu Teaching
The year 2023 will mark the 850th anniversary of the birth of Shinran Shonin, the founderof the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition, and the following 2024 will be the 800th anniversary of theestablishment of the teaching. Accordingly in 2023, the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Buddhist
organization will observe commemorative services for those occasions.
As a human, it is our nature to see things through a self-centered viewpoint, and that is why
our life is filled with suffering. Buddhism is the wisdom that guides us to living in a way thattranscends suffering. Amida Buddha is the one who continuously calls out to us saying, “I accept you
as you are. I will never abandon you. Remember that I am always with you no matter how sad andlonely you may feel.” This message from Amida takes the form as the Buddha’s Name, Namo Amida
Butsu. By frankly listening to that message just as it is, without any calculation, we naturally come toentrust ourselves to the Buddha’s guidance, and this entrusting heart enables us to become settled,allowing us to feel confident, safe, and able to cope with any situation. Furthermore, this settled mind
becomes the spiritual foundation that facilitates our ability to stand up to and endure various hardships
we experience in this world. As our expression of gratitude and indebtedness for that benevolence,
we recite the Buddha’s Name, and this recitation is called nembutsu. Shinran Shonin is the one who
detailed how Amida Buddha’s salvific compassion reaches and works on us, as well as concretely
presented how we should live as a Jodo Shinshu or Nembutsu follower in this world. Thus, heestablished the teaching doctrinally as well as spiritually, and this is the significance of theestablishment of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism by Shinran Shonin.
More than 2,500 years ago, Sakyamuni Buddha awakened to the truth of this world andhuman beings, that is, the principles of impermanence and dependent origination. They lead us to theprinciple of ‘no-self,’ which explains that nothing in this universe has its own unchangeable andoriginal substance. Despite this fact, we cannot detach ourselves from the illusionary ‘self’ that ourown relentless human desires create. As a result, we bring suffering to ourselves and cause hostilities
to erupt in the world. This is the universal reality that remains true even in today’s world.
Approximately 800 years ago, Shinran Shonin deeply looked into himself and became aware
through his own experiences that we cannot free ourselves from our blind passions, that is, our selfpromoting way of thinking. However, he also encountered Amida Buddha’s aspiration, which theBuddha pledges to guide everyone to realization, leaving no one behind. Shinran Shonin expressed
his appreciation for the Buddha’s boundless compassion through the way he lived his life, and weshould follow his example for living our own. The dual commemorative services will be conductedin the spirit of expressing our gratitude for his guidance, as well as our joy of encountering the Jodo
Shinshu teaching.
Today, many nations and communities are placing importance only on their own economic
growth and cultural standards, and this tendency has brought about a tenacious atmosphere ofexclusiveness, intolerance, and even hostility to the international society, resulting in a variety ofviolent conflicts. On the individual level as well, under the pretext of self-effort and selfaccountability, people’s sense of beneficial coexistence is diminishing and being disregarded, causing
the feelings of loneliness and isolation to spread. Thus, what prevails in the contemporary world is asense of despair that drives us to self-destruction. Under such circumstances, it is the responsibility
and obligation of every religious leader and organization to bring that inclination to a halt and turn itin the opposite direction, toward building a harmonious society. However, traditional religious orders
not only in Japan, but also in many other places in the world, have not been able to fully respond topeople’s needs. Unfortunately, we are seeing many followers distancing themselves from thosereligions.
In light of this situation, it is now more than ever imperative that we recognize ourresponsibility as a community of Nembutsu followers who endeavor to walk in harmony witheveryone by upholding the fundamental concepts of the Buddha Dharma, and strive for the realizationof a society in which everyone can live a life of spiritual fulfillment.
Now we would like to conclude this message with the following words of Shinran Shonin,“May there be peace in the world, and may the Buddha’s teaching spread.” Keeping this in our minds,
let us move forward steadily to fulfill our responsibility.
August 2019
Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Buddhist organization
Ryukokuzan Hongwanji

In celebrating the Joint Celebration
Welcoming members and newcomers alike
It is our hope that the Joint Celebration will be a prime opportunity in leaving a lasting impression on
those encountering Buddhism and the Jodo Shinshu teaching for the first time as well as the youngergeneration.
Fruitful propagation
The Dharma or Ultimate Truth, is timeless. The words used to express and convey the teaching
however, are ever-changing. Words play a vital role in propagating the Jodo Shinshu teaching.
Therefore, it is critical that our means to communicate the teaching be reviewed carefully andconstantly.
Our Pledge
Composed in 2018 by Monshu OHTANI Kojun, “Our Pledge” presents Buddhism and the Jodo
Shinshu tradition in a familiar and understandable way not only to sangha members, but also tonewcomers and the younger generation alike. It is our hope that the Joint Celebration will serve as anopportunity for the pledge to be recited by as many as possible.
Sensitivity as a religious institute
Living the life of the Nembutsu entails the Mahayana Buddhist principle of harmonious coexistenceof all living beings. In this respect, having encountered the salvific working of Amida Buddha wemust share in the sorrow and suffering of others. In so doing, let us renew our efforts in contributing
to society.
Promotion of Social activities
We shall continue with our ongoing social campaigns: peace education, alleviation of poverty, andparticipating in the action plans for SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), a set of goals developedin 2015 by the United Nations. With the aim of the movement being that “no one is left behind,” it isin accordance with the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha that it is only natural for us to support thecampaign.