2021

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BUKKYO DENDO KYOKAI Society for the Promotion of Buddhism

Michi

BDK

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公益財団法人 仏 教 伝 道 協 会

No.

- The Path -

10
2021

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Michi
- The Path -CONTENTS02BDK Japan News 2020
〜BDK Publications〜● “The Teaching of Buddha”● Newly Published BDK Publications● “Let It Shine! Temple Bulletin Board Award 2020”● The Fifth BDK Buddhist Picture Prize Competition● The Seventh Annual Competition of the BDK Calendar “A Wise Teaching a Day”

The Sixth Photo Exhibition of the BDK Calendar “A Wise Teaching a Day” at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple, Byodoin Temple,
and Zuiganji Temple● Providing the “Illustrated Story of Shakyamuni” to the “Exhibition of the Kosetsu Nosu and Buddha Wall
Paintings in Sarnath”● Sales of Kamishibai, Picture Story Cards “Buddha –the Life of Shakyamuni”● The 2020 Campaign for Gratifying Verses from “The Teaching of Buddha”

08〜Financial Assistance and Honoring Recipients〜● BDK Fellowship Programs＊ BDK Fellowship for Foreign Scholars＊ BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars＊ Obituary: Professor Seishi Karashima● The 54th BDK Cultural Awards Ceremony● BDK Financial Assistance Programs

17〜Buddhist Lectures and Seminars〜● BDK Official LINE Account● Live Dharma Talks on Instagram: “Organize the Mind through Buddhist Stories”● BDK Online Station: “Weekly Dharma Talks”● The 50th Anniversary of the Pipe Organ at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple.

“The 20th BDK Buddhist Music Festival, Buddhaspel; An Evening Pipe Organ Concert”● “Buddhist Yoga Plus 〜My First Meditation〜”● The 2019 “Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism” Commemorative Lecture● More Familiarity with Buddhism＊ Ten Best Phrases from the BDK Bulletin Board Chosen by Viewers in 2020
＊ “Capsule Toy Vending Machine – Model Figures of Buddhist Statues”● Other BDK Related Lectures, Classes, and Events● “Buddhism Through English” in Tokyo＊ “Buddhism Through English – Learning the Basics of Japanese Buddhism in English” in Kyoto● “Buddhist Yoga”● 2020 BDK Symposium＊ The 17th BDK Symposium “How to Live Your Life Only Once”＊ The 22nd BDK Symposium “New Biography of Shakyamuni”＊ The 23rd BDK Symposium “Are We Able to Make Ourselves Happy through Buddhism?”＊ The 24th BDK Symposium “Buddhism and Palliative Care –Supporting the Last Moment with Calm”● Canceled/Postponed Lectures, Classes, and Events in 2020

● Take a Break : Buddhist Yoga for People in the Modern World + Meditation

33

BDK Aﬃliated Organization Activities
World map & Contact information● BDK America● BDK Hawaii● BDK Mexico● BDK Taiwan● BDK Asia

● BDK Europe

42“Sasaeatte”「Jinsei (Life)」

BDK Newsletter No.10 2021- 6/1/2021- 4,000
Copyrightⓒ2021 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

2021

Enrich Your Life
by Aiming for a “New Lifestyle”
We truly appreciate your generous understanding and continued support for allof Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)’s activities as we report our 2020 news andupdates in this issue.
2020 was the year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, and our daily lives
have been deeply affected and limited in various situations. For instance, we
frequently heard “Avoid the 3Cs: Closed spaces, Crowded places, andClose-contact settings.” “Avoid meeting people.” “Avoid all social activities.”
Consequently, people continue to make efforts to date, thinking about what we
can do now to overcome these real difficulties by communicating online, working from home and such.
BDK also had to cancel and postpone most of our scheduled activities, and we
struggled to find the best possible countermeasures against COVID-19 to keep
providing opportunities to everyone. We would like to express our gratitude to
all of you for your understanding about the significance of our activities andsupporting us in these times of difficulty.
We cannot say anything with certainty, but we know what we should do. We
hope that these difficult situations will improve. Moreover, BDK will continue
to promote whatever we all need to do in order to share this “new lifestyle” toenrich our lives.

With Gassho,

Seikoh-Kiyotaka Kimura
Chairperson
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)Society for the Promotion of Buddhism
1BDK JAPANNEWS 2020

BDK Publications

01
Activity“The Teaching of Buddha”

Dist r ibution of “The Teachingof Buddha (TTOB)” in 2020 wasvery difficult due to the COVID-19
pandemic.

The number of tourists who visited
Japan in 2020 was 4.11 million, thesmallest number since 1998. Most
hotels were temporally shut down
or closed.
Despite this tough situation, wewere still able to distribute 7,662
copies of T TOB to hotels a nd
Shukubo, pilgrims' lodgings at
temples. In addition to the hotels inJapan, we replenished the Korean
version of TTOB in establishmentss u c h a s t h e “ T OYO KO - I N N
HOTEL Busan Station 1” in South
Korea. We have been distributing
TTOB to 13 TOYOKO-INN hotels
in Korea since 2012.

TTOB placed in a hotel guest roomFo r t u n a t ely, we we r e a ble t ocomplete most of the distributions
to Buddhist educational facilities
and nurseries in Japan before the
COVID-19 situation got worse, andwe distributed 40,143 copies, thesame amount as in 2019.
Howeve r, we ha d t o post pone
our plan to donate TTOBs in the
PRC and India, and lost most ofou r precious oppor t u nities for
distributing TTOBs to temples since
Buddhist services and events werecanceled or scaled down.
Toyoko Inn Seoul Yeongdeungpo in Korea

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BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

During this tough time, we started
uploading free PDF versions of
TTOB in various languages in April
2020. BDK is working to provide
more opportunities for everyone
any where in the world to read
TTOBs without any hassles. We aregoing to retrieve lost opportunities
once we finally get back to normal
again.
In addition to the above efforts,
revision of TTOB in Japanese has
been going on through the work of
the “TTOB Editorial Committee.”
TTOBs have been revised to adapt
to changing needs, and Bukkyo
Dendo Kyokai (BDK) is going to
make it better and more readerfriendly for everyone.
For more information about
T TO B s , p l ea s e v i s i t o ur
official website at https://www.bdk.or.jp/english/

02
Activity

Newly Published BDK Publications
from Jodo Shinshu Hongwanjiha, and Rev. Shoyo Yoshimura
from Soto-shu wrote and publishedthe ver y f irst issue of “Fuse –Hodokoshi-no-Kokoro (Offering –the Mind of Almsgiving)” in June,
2020.

"Michishirube (The Signpost)"

One of the most popular Bukkyo
D e n d o Kyo k a i ( BD K ) y e a r l ypublications, ‘Six Virtues’ in thenewest series of “Michishirube (The
Signpost)” has started. We renewed
the contents, and three Buddhist
priests carefully explain the “A
Wise Teaching a Day” calendar.
Rev. Hogen Natori from Shingonshu Buzan-ha, Rev. Tesshu Shaku

03
Activity

BDK also published the audiove r s i o n of “ T h e Te a c h i n g of
Buddha (TTOB)” at audiobook.jp.
We tried to sell the audio versions
in various ways such as cassettetapes and CDs; however, those had
to be excerpted due to the limitsof recording duration. The newest
audio version is recorded as a“complete edition” with the voiceof Mr. Tamiyoshi Okuda, one of themost popular professional narrators
for TV programs and animations.
We have uploaded it in our official
website and hope everyone will
enjoy listening to it.

For the English Tripiṭaka series,
we have published “A Forest of
Pearls from the Dharma Garden”
No.3 and No.4, which are known asencyclopedias compiled in the Tangdynasty (seventh century), and “TheMadhyama Agama” No.2, which is
the work of Gautama Samgha-deva
in the fourth century.
On our off icial website, digitalve r sio n s of T T OB i n v a r iou slanguages, the “English Tripiṭaka”
ser ies, t he “Kokoro -no -Ehon”
p i c t u r e b o o k s e r i e s , e t c. a r e
av a i l a ble , a n d we h o p e m o r epeople will take this opportunity
to download those books at https://www.bdk.or.jp/english/

BDK English Tripiṭaka series“Let It Shine!
Temple Bulletin Board Award 2020”

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) held the third annual “Let It Shine! Temple Bulletin Board Award 2020”
Competition. This award program drew media attention in spite of the pandemic of COVID-19, and we
received 1,677 entries in 2020 compared with 925 entries in 2019.
The grand prize for the 2020 award
was “Corona yor i Kowai nowa
Ningen datta (the most terrifying

thing is a human being, not
COVID-19).” It was from Myodoji
Temple in Kumamoto prefecture

and was tweeted by a drugstore
clerk in Kanagawa prefecture.

3

BDK JAPANNEWS 2020
We selected three bulletin board
phrases for BDK prizes, and oneof these was: “Although someone
pushes you, do not push back.
T hat is Budd hism.” T his wasfrom Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple inTokyo. This came from the popular
Japanese TV drama, “Hanzawa
Naoki” and expresses the Buddhist
attitude of nonviolence.
We found many good phrases andare going to hold the fourth annualcompetition in July 2021. For more
information, please visit our official
website at https://www.bdk.or.jp/
english/04
Activity

Photo taken at Tsukiji Hongwanji by aco@SDGs×仏教

The Fifth BDK Buddhist Picture Prize Competition

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) hosted the Fifth Buddhist Picture Book Prize Competition co-sponsored by
Suzuki Publications and supported by Mainichi Newspaper, the Japan Buddhist Nursing Association and
the National Youth Indoctrination Council with the aim of promoting the “development of the hearts andminds of children through reading.”
We received 146 submissions froma wide range of age groups for the2020 competition. The reason
why we received more submissions
in 2020 than we did for the 2019
competition might be the COVID-19
pandemic. Mr. Keisuke Nishimoto,a writer of children’s literature, Mr.
Tomohiko Fujimoto, a picture bookartist, and Mr. Minoru Haga, a chief
editor from Suzuki Publications,carefully selected one work for the
grand prize, three for outstanding
awards, and four for fine works.

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BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

The grand prize went to“Gamaguchi-san (Ms. Purse witha Clasp)” written and drawn by
Ms. Aya Yamaguchi. The story
describes the humorous and magicalexperiences through ‘Gamaguchi,”t he cla s p s of t he pu r s e. BDKawarded the prize money to thewinner and published the picturebook in March 2021.

The fifth grand prize "Gamaguchi-san(Ms. Purse with a Clasp)"

05
Activity

The Seventh Annual Competition of the BDK
Calendar “A Wise Teaching a Day”

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) hosted the seventh annual competition of the BDK Calendar, “A Wise
Teaching a Day.” We received 2,722 submissions from 805 people. We held a selection meeting in
September 2020 and the committee members selected 32 photos. The committee awarded them withprize money and certificates, and all of those photos can be viewed on our official website at https://www.
bdk.or.jp/photo_contest/2020_result.html (available only in Japanese).

Calligraphy performance at Byodoin Museum by Mr. Mori Suzuki

The Sixth Photo Exhibition of the
BDK Calendar “A Wise Teachinga Day ” at Tsukiji Hongwanji
Temple, Byodoin Temple, andZuiganji Temple
T he si xt h ex h ibit ion was heldi n t h r e e pl a c e s i n Ja p a n : t h e
I n for mat ion Ce nt e r at Tsu k iji
Hongwanji Temple in Tokyo from
April 25 to June 14, 2020, Byodoin
Museum at Byodoin Temple in
Kyoto from June 26 to September
22, and the main hall at Zuiganji
Temple in Miyagi from October 1
to November 4.

Exhibition at Tsukiji Hongwanji

About 10,000 people visited theexhibition at Tsukiji Hongwanji
Temple, 121,000 people at Byodoin
Te mple, a nd 41,0 0 0 p e ople at

Zuiganji Temple. Many visitors had
a wonderful opportunity to become
familiar with the Buddha’s words
accompanied by beautiful photos.

5

BDK JAPANNEWS 202006
Activity

Providing the “Illustrated Story of Shakyamuni”
to the “Exhibition of the Kosetsu Nosu andBuddha Wall Paintings in Sarnath”

Seven original pieces of the “Illustrated Story of Shakyamuni” painted by the Japanese artist, Mr. Kosetsu
Nosu, which are owned by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK), were exhibited at the “Exhibition of the Kosetsu
Nosu and Buddha Wall Paintings in Sarnath” hosted by Nosu Kosetsu Gahaku Kensho-kai at Kagawa
Prefectural Museum in Takamatsu, Kochi from September 1 to 6.
M r. Kei z o Ha m a d a , gove r norof Kagawa prefect ure; Mr. Raj
Kumar Srivastava, Deputy Chiefof Mission, Embassy of India in
Japa n; a nd M r. Ha r u m i Aok i,
BDK executive director, attended
the ribbon cutting ceremony inthe morning, which was followed
by a for um in the after noon of
September 1.
T h e “ C o l o s s a l B u d d h a Wa l l
Paintings of Mulgangha Kuti Vihar”
ow ned by Sot oshu Dai hon z a n
Eiheiji Temple were displayed at theexhibition as reproductions of thesame scale as that of Mulgangha

07
Activity

BDK Newsletter

Michi

Kuti Vihar in India.
Displays of all seven paintings of the“Illustrated Story of Shakyamuni”

in Kagawa, the hometown of Mr.
Kosetsu Nosu, has special meaning
for BDK and made the exhibitioneven more precious.

Sales of Kamishibai, Picture Story Cards“Buddha –the Life of Shakyamuni”

Kamishibai is a form of storytellingfor children using picture cards,
which was popular in the 1930s
in Japan. Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai( BDK) published it i n prequela nd sequel versions u nder t hesuper vision of ©TEZ U K A
PRODUCTIONS with the same

6

“Colossal Buddha Wall Paintings of Mulgangha Kuti Vihar”−The Path−

touch as is found in the mangac o m ic, “ B u d d h a ,” wh ich w a s
originally drawn by Mr. Osamu
Tezuka, one of the greatest Japanesemanga artists of all time. BDK
donated 2,500 copies to Buddhistk i ndergar tens and pre-schoolst h roug hout Japa n i n 2019. I n

The cover page of "Buddha -the Life of Shakyamuni"

response to all the requests frommany temples in Japan after the2019 donation, we decided to sella limited number of up to 2,000
copies in 2020.
In addition to selling the Kamishibai
cards, we arranged for shows at
kindergartens. For instance, they
were lively presented to 50 children
by the Shibuya Gagekidan, a Japanese
pic t u r e s t o r y t el l i ng c om p a ny
established by the Manga Artist
Network Inc. at Jufukuji Kindergarten

08
Activity

Kamishibai show performed by Shibuya Gagekidan

No.1 and No.2 in Nerima-ku, Tokyoand Korin Kindergarten in Ota-ku,
Tokyo in December 2020. It is ourpleasure to see that children can learn
more about the teachings of Buddha
through Kamishibai.

The 2020 Campaign for Gratifying Verses from
“The Teaching of Buddha”

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) has tried to provide constant opportunities for more people to experience thewonderful teachings from “The Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” through our publications, pdfs, audio books,
etc., and we launched the Campaign for Gratifying Verses from TTOB. This campaign invites people totweet their favorite verses and phrases from TTOB through Twitter.
Although we had to shorten theapplication period, we received
over 300 entries. We could see
many people participating in the
campaign such as the Buddhist

priest who tweeted sayings fromTTOB every morning. There wasalso the person who was eager to
get the prize, ready-to-eat currysauce, by tweeting many times.

We fou nd va r iou s t we et s t hat
revealed meaningful verses people
discovered in TTOB.

"The Campaign for Gratifying Verses from TTOB"

7

BDK JAPANNEWS 2020

Financial Assistance andHonoring Recipients

01
Activity

BDK Fellowship Programs
BDK Fellowship for Foreign Scholars

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) has two scholarship programs in Japan; “BDK Fellowship for Foreign
Scholars” and “BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars” to support scholars who would like to study
Buddhism.
The BDK Fellowship was established to promote international cooperation and mutual understanding in
Buddhist studies, and it is intended to enable researchers to engage in research on Buddhism while inJapan. The BDK Fellowship committee was established in 1991.
For the 31st year in 2021, we selected the following two promising scholars at a committee meeting heldin February 2021.

The 31st Annual Awardees for BDK Fellowship for Foreign Scholars
Ms. Simona Lazzerini
Nationality : Italy
Affiliation in Japan : Waseda University
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Nobuyoshi Yamabe
Theme of Research : A Study of Icons of Demonic Hārītī (Kishimojin) with Human Hair
Ms. Laxin Zhang
Nationality : China
Affiliation in Japan : Kyoto University
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Shinji Yoshikawa
Theme of Research : Buddhist Chanting, Spirit Writing, and Literary Culture in Heian Japan

We were unable to welcome all the awardees of the 2019 and 2020 BDK Fellowship due to the COVID-19
pandemic in 2020. Therefore, we would like to introduce them in the next issue.

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BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

The 29th Annual Awardee for BDK Fellowship for Foreign Scholars
Q&As (continued from the previous issue)
Mr. Anthony Robert ScottNationality : Canada
Affiliation in Japan : Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the University of Tokyo
Academic Advisor in Japan : Prof. Norihisa Baba and Associate Prof. Ryusuke Kuramoto
Theme of Research:
1 ) What made you apply for the2018 BDK Fellowship?
I f i rst lea r ned about t he BDK
Organization as an undergraduate
student at the University of Calgary
work ing with Professor Leslie
Kawamura. As a Master Student
at the University of Hong Kong,
I studied many BDK-sponsoredtranslations. When I started my
PhD Program at the University ofToronto, I learned about the BDK
Canada Graduate Scholarship, andvisited Japan to meet with scholars
researching Theravada Buddhism
and Pali Texts. After meeting withthese scholars and learning about
their exciting research, I resolved to
study in Japan to learn as much as
I can about the academic culture in
Buddhist Studies.
2 ) What is the best thing about
being a BDK Fellowship holder?
T he most i mpor t a nt pa r t of
my BDK Fellowsh ip tenu re is
immersing myself in the Japanese
Buddhist culture both inside andout of the university. An important
aspect of this immersion is learning
as much Japanese language as I
can, both writing and speaking,especially in terms of Buddhist

Prof. Baba (left) and Mr. Scott (right)

c o n c e p t s a n d t r a n sl a t i o n s of
Sanskrit and Pali words. Without
the BDK Fellowship tenure, I would
not have had a chance to lear nJapanese in my career, which opens
up a new horizon of how Buddhism
is researched and taught outside of
the English-speaking world.
3 ) What do you think about
your future career?
With my time in Japan learning about
Buddhist Studies at the University ofTokyo, I have experienced different
approaches and perspectives toboth researching and teaching
Buddhism. My BDK Fellowship has
thus internationalized my careertrajector y, moving my mindset
outside of American-dominatedu n ive r s it ie s , a n d o p e n i n g u p
possibilities for a professorship
outside of Nor th A mer ica andEurope. It has also renewed mycommitment to repay all of my pastteachers by becoming a professor
and teacher myself, spreadi ng
B u d d h i s t St u d ie s t o t h e n e x t
generation and beyond.

9BDK JAPANNEWS 202002
Activity

BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars

The BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars program was established in 2012 and aims to promoteinternational cooperation and mutual understanding in Buddhist studies. It is intended to enable Japanese
researchers to engage in research on Buddhism while in foreign countries.
For the 9th year in 2021, we selected a promising scholar at a committee meeting held in February 2021.

The 9th Annual Awardee for BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars
Mr. Arihiro Kosaka
Affiliation : Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Asia-Africa Institute, University of Hamburg
Academic Advisor : Prof. Michael Zimmermann
Theme of Research : Candrakīrti’s Interpretation of Satyadvaya

Most of the 8th annual awardees were unable to go abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Therefore, we would like to introduce the rest of them in the next issue.

The 8th Annual Awardee for BDK Fellowship for Japanese Scholars
Q&As
Ms. Yosho Tominaga
Affiliation : Center for Buddhist Studies, University of California, Berkeley
Academic Advisor : Prof. Alexander von Rospatt
Theme of Research : A comparison between Chapter 2 of Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra in Kashgar and
Nepalese manuscripts1 ) What made you apply for the2020 BDK Fellowship?
At the end of November 2019,
I got a n email f rom P rofessor
Akira Saito, who recommended
that I apply for the 2020 BDK
Fellowship. This email made me
nervous because, in my opinion,

10

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

only those who are smart can apply
for this fellowship. I told Professor
Alexander von Rospatt about it, andhe recommended that I apply for it.
I remember the professor saying thatunless you apply for it, there is nochance of getting it. Even though
I understood that I am not suitable

for the application, thanks to bothprofessors' kind recommendations, I
decided to apply for the 2020 BDK
fellowship with great courage.
2 ) What is/are the best thing(s)about being a BDK Fellowshipholder and what do you thinkMs. Tominaga (second from the left in the second row) with her colleagues on a hiking trip, taken in 2019about your future career?
Thanks to BDK, I had the chance tostudy Buddhism at the Universityof Califor nia, Berkeley. There
were countless great experiences
while studying at UC Berkeley.
In addition, the most impressive
thing was studying with wonderfulprofessors and great classmates whoconstantly worked hard with infinite
perseverance and joyfulness. I
learned the power of grit from allof them. Honestly, I sometimes
wanted to give up participating intheir classes due to my poor English
and understanding. However, they
never gave up on me and always
gave me a chance to participate intheir classes, not as a guest, but asa fellow student. To sum up myexperiences, I can use the power ofgrit that I learned through my study
abroad at UC Berkeley and willcontinue to do so in my research inJapan.
3 ) What did you like the mostabout life in a foreign country?
I could say that the most striking
thing is how to participate in aclass. I observed that it was like a"question-discussion party" because
the teachers and the students shared
their opinions and openly discussed
them inside the class. In my opinion,
classes are based on the lecture-stylein Japan, but UC Berkeley is basedon a discussion style. I have neverexperienced such excellent classes
in which professors and students
examined texts by asking questions
and discussing issues together. I
remember what Professor Alexsaid, "After the class discussion,
our understanding will become a
lot better even though we prepared

for the class before." I prefer thisteaching style because teachers
a nd st udents ca n get a deeper
understanding together.
By studying abroad at UC Berkeley,
I lear ned the power of grit andex p e r ie nc e d a d isc u s sion a ndquestion style of classroom learning.
I cannot convey all of my wonderfulexperiences, but I can say thatstudying abroad gave me a newperspective and the power of grit,
not only for our research but also for
our lives.
For more information about
T TO B s , p l ea s e v i s i t o ur
official website at https://www.bdk.or.jp/english/

11

BDK JAPANNEWS 2020

Obituary : Professor Seishi Karashima
The BDK Fellowship for Foreign Scholars has a long history and welcomed its 31st year in 2021. During
those decades, Professor Karashima, who was the former director of the International Research Institutefor Advanced Buddhology at Soka University, had taught many of the BDK Fellowship scholars from allover the world. He passed away at the age of 61 in July 2019.

Prof. Karashina and Dr. Lu

His enthusiastic yet polite
attitudes towards those who aim
to learn more in Japan under his
supervision made him everyone’s
favorite. Scholars trusted him as herepresented our aim of promoting
i nt e r nat ional coope r at ion a nd
mutual understanding in Buddhist
studies.
Specializing in Buddhist
philosophy, Professor Karashima
applied h is vast k nowledge of
Sanskrit, Tibetan, Pāḷi, Middle
Indo-Aryan, and ancient Chinese to
conduct detailed analyses of early
Chinese Buddhist t ranslations.

He studied the formation of early
Ma haya na Budd h ism a nd wa s
a leading light of the Buddhist
academic com mu nit y in Japanand abroad. Professor Karashima
was invited to work at various
institutions in Japan and abroad,i nclud i ng t he Un ive r sit y of
California, Berkeley; the Schoolof Literar y St udies at Ren min
University of China; and Institut
de France. During his time atthese institutions, he did not limit
himself to simply giving lectures
on Buddhist studies. He also set up
initiatives to support research, suchas creating a worldwide network of

Buddhist researchers. Moreover,he appeared with those researcher/
students in our newsletter manytimes before.
We truly appreciate his support
and guidance over the years. As
the chairperson of BDK, SeikohKiyotaka Kimura would like tooffer our deepest condolences. We
also received the heartwarming
message from Dr. Lu Lu, who was
the 2019 BDK Fellowship awardeeand his last student, telling us her
memories about him and showing
her appreciation.

In Remembrance of Professor Seishi Karashima
Seikoh-Kiyotaka Kimura, BDK Chairperson
BDK ha s cont r ibuted to t hepromotion of Buddhism and its
culture in various ways, and the12

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−“BDK Fellowship” is one of themost important programs for us.

T he la st t i me I met P rofessor
K a r a s h i m a w a s a t t h e “ BDK
Fel lowsh ip G at he r i ng forScholarship Holders” in July 2019.
He attended with Dr. Lu Lu from
China. After all the presentationsof scholars’ research and studies inJapan, we shared the same dinnertable and talked about everything
ranging from nothing in particular
to academic issues for more thanan hour. It was a truly fun moment
after we had not seen each other fora long time.
However, only two weeks after thegathering, I received the sudden
news of his passing away. I was

absolutely shocked and was at acomplete loss for words.
He was only in his 60s but
h i s a c h ie ve m e n t of B u d d h i s tphilology was stunning. He had
an abundance of knowledge about
Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, ancient
Chinese, etc. and his research on
early Chinese Buddhist translations
had a huge impact. In addition to
those achievements of his research/studies, he was eager to nurture
young promising Buddhist scholars
and linguists from all over theworld. He taught/supervised fourof our excellent BDK Fellowshipawardees since 2006. I am surethat they have been leading at theforefront of Buddhist studies after
their stay with Professor Karashima
in Japan.
I wou ld li ke to express ou r
deepest appreciation and pay ourheartfelt respects and gratitude
to his work and contributions to
the BDK Fellowship program, thefield of Buddhist studies, and the
Humanities as well.

Dr. Lu Lu (studied at the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University)
The 29th BDK Fellowship Awardee
Those who knew Professor Seishi
K a r a sh i ma , even if t hey werecompletely unfamiliar with his fieldof study, were always surprisedby his lang uage t alents. As a
Buddhist philologist, he was not
only proficient in Sanskrit, Pali,
Chinese, Tibetan, English, French,
German, and of course his native
language, Japanese, but as far as
I know, he also studied Russian,Thai, and Korean for many years.
Thus, despite the fact that Sanskrita n d a n c ie n t C h i n e s e a r e t wovery difficult and vastly different
languages, Professor Karashima
was able to master both of them,and to examine many unansweredque st ion s about Budd h ism bycomparing Buddhist texts written invarious languages. His dictionaries
on the early Chinese translationsof Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitāand Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra areessential tools for every scholar
engaged in related studies.
I only met Professor Karashima
in person for the first time after
many years of acquaintance withhis works, and, like every young
scholar starting out in Buddhist
philology, I was very curious about
how he managed to master such awide range of languages so well.
I soon noticed that he was a very
lively and talkative person who
spoke Chinese as f luently as the
locals, and he had a long-standing
habit of keeping a small dictionary
or a storybook in foreign languages
i n h is s u it p o cket - - le a r n i ng
languages at anytime and anywhere
had apparently become a source ofpleasure for him.
I n a l l t h e t i m e I s p e nt d oi ng
research with him, he was always

g e n e r o u s i n e n l ig h t e n i n g m e
with his unimaginable wealth ofknowledge. What I had learned
from him was not only specificknowledge, but also all the personal
characteristics that an outstanding
scholar should possess: tenacity,
diligence, perspicacity, patience,and generosity to students, justas he said one day when leaving
the institute: "You young scholars
are like cherry blossom trees in
winter, which, although seemingly
u n i mpressive, a re absorbi ng
nutrients through their roots day
and night, waiting for the day when
they will bloom in spring."
I believe that Professor Karashima
has now reached the "pure land"t hat he ha d be e n se ek i ng a ndcontemplating all his life, and I will
always cherish all my wonderful
memories of studying with him.

13

BDK JAPANNEWS 202003
Activity

The 54th BDK Cultural Awards Ceremony
on October 8, 2020 at the Bukkyo Dendo
Center Building

The 54th BDK Cultural Awards, Bunka-sho ceremony and banquet were held on October 8, 2020 at the
Bukkyo Dendo Center Building.
Dr. Sengaku Mayeda, the Bunkasho winner, taught at the Universityof Tokyo after Dr. Hajime Nakamura,
the world renown aut hor it y ofIndian philosophy. He contributed
to developing human resources in
Buddhist studies and its researchf ield a s a ch a i r p e r s o n of t h eJapanese Association of Indian andBuddhist Studies and the Nakamura
Hajime Eastern Institute.
In his greetings at the ceremony,
he talked about how he accepted
the position of chairperson of the
BDK English Tripiṭaka Editorial
Committee and why he had decided
to major i n I ndian philosophy
because he was fascinated withthe cutting-edge lecture on “AnOverview of the History of Indian
Thought” by Dr. Nakamura at the
University of Tokyo. At the end of

Dr. Mayeda (right)

his speech, he said, “There is only
one more thing I can do to make myparents proud. I will need to live to
be 90 years old.” The whole crowd
filled the room with laughter.
Rev. Zenno Ishigami, Emeritus
Professor of Taisho Universit yc ong r at u lat e d D r. Maye d a byrecalling old memories of compilingthe “Sanskrit-Japanese Dictionary”
together. Rev. Hiroyuki Honda,
Director of the Shinran Buddhist
C e nt e r, p r o p o s e d a t o a s t a n d
expressed his gratit ude for his
contributions to the republishingproject of “The Teachings of Jodo
Shin Buddhism” translated by Dr.
Daisetsu Suzuki.

Obituary: Rev. Zenno Ishigami
Rev. Zenno Ishigami, who won the50th BDK Cultural Awards in 2016,
passed away on November 29, 2020.
He was a pioneer of studies of thesutras of Pure Land Buddhism. He
contributed to the publication of
BDK’s “The Teaching of Buddha”

14

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−and the “English Tripitaka” from the
beginning, and supported BDK asa board member for decades. BDK
would like to express our sincere
appreciation and pay our heartfelt
respects and gratitude to his workand contributions to our activities.

Rev. Ishigami (the middle of the front row) with the
TTOB editorial team (1960s)

04
Activity

BDK Financial Assistance Programs

BDK supports individuals and groups that agree with the purpose of our non-profit activities and contributeto promote Buddhism and its culture with high quality public programs.
For 2020, we received 30 applications and the BDK Financial Assistance Committee selected 20 individuals/groups
and granted them financial assistance as listed below.
For more information about BDK financial assistance programs, please visit our official website athttps://www.bdk.or.jp
A. Support for Groups

Name of Group

Project

The Japanese Association ofIndian Studies
NPO Kamakura Terakoya

International academic and cultural exchanges through digital correspondence at theassociation
Promotion of temple communities through volunteer activities by universities, temples, local
government, and people“Freestyle Monks”

Publication of free magazine, “Freestyle Monks” and website, and holding related events

B. Support for Projects: B-1 Buddhist Spiritual/Cultural and Humanitarian Activities

Name of Group

Project

Public Interest Incorporated
Association Zaike Bukkyo
Kyokai (Buddhist Followers
Association)Workshops and lectures for Buddhist followers

All Japan Young Buddhist
Association
General Incorporated
Association Project Gamon

International young Buddhist exchange program (*Did not subsidize due to the suspension of
the project because of the COVID-19 pandemic)
Publication of free Buddhist magazine, “Wagense”

Public Interest Incorporated
Association Shanti Volunteer
Association

Publication of picture books of Buddhist tales in Myanmar

Public Interest Incorporated
Training/education of Buddhist chaplains (*Did not subsidize due to the suspension of theFoundation Zenkoku Kyokaishi
project because of the COVID-19 pandemic)
Renmei (Japan Buddhist Chaplain
Union)

H1 HOUWA Grandprix H1
Executive Committee

2020 H1 HOUWA Grandprix in Nara (*Did not subsidize due to the suspension of the project
because of the COVID-19 pandemic)

All Japan Young Buddhist
Association
Shimane Buddhist Federation

Plum Village Mindfulness retreats of Thich Nhat Hanh (*Did not subsidize due to the suspensionof the project because of the COVID-19 pandemic)
The 45th All Japan Buddhist Conference in Shimane (*Did not subsidize due to the suspensionof the project because of the COVID-19 pandemic)

Tohoku University Graduate
School of Letters, Endowed
Courses of Practical Philosophy

Public interest incorporated
association Otani Childcare
Association

Training/education of chaplains (*Did not subsidize due to the suspension of the project
because of the COVID-19 pandemic)

Certified Childcare Psychologist Course

15

BDK JAPANNEWS 2020
B. Support for Projects: B-2 Promotions of Buddhist Academic Learning

Name of Group

Public Interest Incorporated
Foundation the Nakamura
Hajime Eastern InstituteProject

2020 research investigation

Ryukoku Museum

Special Exhibition 2020 “The Disciples of Buddha –Their Stories」(*Did not subsidize due tothe suspension of the project because of the COVID-19 pandemic)

Public Interest Incorporated
Foundation
Japanisch-Deutsches
Kulturinstitut

Workshops co-hosted by research institutes in Japan and Germany “Concepts of Buddhism
and Christianity” (*Did not subsidize due to the suspension of the project because of the
COVID-19 pandemic)

Research Center for Buddhist
Studies, Eötvös Loránd
University

Research based on the philology and iconography about Samantabhadra in Eat Asia

B. Support for Projects: B-3 Protections of Buddhist Cultural Properties

Name of Group

Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii
Betsuin

Project“i am a link” project

C. Numata Program in Buddhist Studies and its Related Activities

Name of Group

16

Project

University of Vienna

Continuing Numata Program in Buddhist Studies

University of Chicago Divinity
SchoolContinuing Numata Programs in Buddhist Studies

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−Buddhist Lectures and Seminars

01
Activity

BDK Official LINE Account

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) officially opened a LINE account inJune 2020 for promoting our activities to people of all ages.
Through this account, we introduce
information about our publications,
regular classes, BDK symposiums
and more, and anyone can browse
through a variety of BDK related
information once you add yourself
as a “Friend” as directed below.

●H ow to Ad d yo ur s el f a s aLINE Friend (only available in｢友だち追加｣の方法
Japanese)

アカウント名：公益財団法人仏教伝道協会
LINE ID：@384zhjgw
Nameof Account : 公益財団法人❶ ホームの｢友だち追加｣画面から、｢ID検索｣ボタンを選択する。
Koeki Zaidan Hojin
仏教伝道協会「@384zhjgw」と入力・検索し、追加する。
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK)❷ 各種Webブラウザから https://lin.ee/wlOD8qj へアクセスし、追加する。
LINE ID : @384zhjgw❸ QRコード読み取り機能がついているスマートフォンをお使いの方は、ホームの ｢QRコード｣ボタンを選択し、読み取り画面から、こちらの

1) Search with ID “@384zhjgw”
QRコードを読み取り追加する。
2) Visit https://lin.ee/wlOD8qj
3) Read QR code

02
Activity

BDK official LINE page

Live Dharma Talks on Instagram: “Organize theMind through Buddhist Stories”

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) welcomed Rev. Ryukai Matsushima, head priest of Koyasan Shingonshu
Kudokuin Temple, as a guest speaker for the live dharma talk event on BDK’s official Instagram, “Organize
the Mind through Buddhist Stories,” on July 30, 2020. He selected some words and phrases from his
publication “Oyasumimae-no Sanpun Ondoku-de Iyanakoto-ga Suutto Kieru Hotoke-sama-no Hanahi(Buddhist Stories to make bad things disappear with 3-minutes of chanting before going to bed).”We had many viewers not only
from Japan but also from the U.S.,
Austria, and other foreign countries.
We also received various comments

such as, “This is what I was waitingfor,” “It drew me into his world
because it was so easy to follow,”“It was fantastic that his examples

were modern and it was easy tounderstand the doctrines,” etc.

17

BDK JAPANNEWS 2020
Themes (Number of Viewers)
The First Live Talk: “Are you trying
to compare yourself with someone
else?” (30 people)
The Second Live Talk: “Are you
always at the mercy of someone
else’s schedule?” (33 people)
The Third Live Talk: “Are you
ignoring your small feelings everyday?” (27 people)

03
Activity

The Fourth Live Talk: “Are you
believing that you are the only
person having a hard time?” (25people)Rev. Matsushima explaining the words

BDK Online Station: “Weekly Dharma Talks”

We lost many opportunities at Buddhist temples because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We started
broadcasting “Weekly Dharma Talks” via Zoom as one of the basic ways of providing more opportunities
for everyone to become familiar with Buddhist teachings in January 2020.

Live dharma talks(Rev. Matsubara)

The BDK Online Station “Weekly
D h a r m a Ta l k s” p r ov id e s l ive
d h a r m a t a l k s o n Z o om eve r y
Wednesday with a monthly themefor 30 minutes from 6 pm. Thesetalks provide moments for taking a
break from everything at the end ofeach day. We use Webinar, which

18

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

is a form of an online seminar on
Zoom. Therefore, viewers’ faces
are not shown in public, and they
do not need to interact with otherparticipants and can simply enjoy
the dharma talks. The previous
talks are also available on our
official YouTube page.

(Rev. Kobayashi)

We a r e c o n t i n u i n g “ We e k l y
Dh a r m a Ta l k s” i n 20 21. Fo r
more information about the 2021
broadcasts, please visit our official
website at https://www.bdk.or.jp(only available in Japanese).

2020 Themes, Schedules and Speakers

January: “Health”

1/20 : Rev. Kakuho Aoe (Jodo Shinshu Higashi Honganji-ha, Ryokusenji Temple)
1/27 : Rev. Hironori Tsukada (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyogakuji Temple)
February: “Information”
2/3 : Rev. Yonin Koike (Shingon-shu Sumadera-ha, Sumadera Temple)
2/10 : Rev. Daiki Fujimoto (Rinzai-shu Nanzenji-ha, Hosenji Temple)
2/17 : Rev. Eshun Kobayashi (Tendai-shu, Shomyoji Temple)
2/24 : Rev. Tetsuhide Saiiki (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Saihoji Temple)
March: “Changes”
3/3 : Rev. Daichi Matsubara (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Komyoji Temple)
3/10 : Rev. Jin Makino (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Houonji Temple)
3/17 : Rev. Daishin Otobe (Shinshu Otani-ha, Onrakuji Temple)
3/24 : Rev. Koshi Hirano (Soto-shu Kannonji Temple)
3/31 : Rev. Shozui Murakami (Jodo Shu Kenchuji Temple)

04

The 50th Anniversary of the Pipe Organ at Tsukiji
Hongwanji Temple. “The 20th BDK Buddhist Music*Ken Shimura - The most popular Japanese comedian of all time, who passed away from COVID-19 in 2020 (1950-2020)**Boo Takagi – Festival,
Japanese comedian/ukulele
player, one ofAn
Mr. Shimura’s
best friends
Buddhaspel;
Evening
Pipe Organ Concert”#2: “You will have a hard time if you only seek comfort.” By Katsuya Nomura* with 247 Likes
on– TheNovember18, 2020
at Tsukiji
Hongwanji Temple*Katsuya Nomura
most famous Japanese
baseball playerof all time (1935-2020)
Activity#1: “Shimura*is not dead. He is still alive.” By Boo Takagi**with 274 Likes#3: “What is the big deal about being famous?” By Tatsuro Yamashita* with 180 Likes*Tatsuro Yamashita – the famous Japanese singer/song writer of all time

It has been 50 years since Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) donated the pipe organ to Tsukiji Hongwanji in#4: “When are you trying to live, if not now? Where are you trying to live, if not here?” By Yoshio Toui*with 131 Likes
Chuo-ku, Tokyo.
*Yoshio Toui – Japanese educator/Jodo Shinshu priest (1912-1991)#5: “Snails. It does not matter where they die because they are always at home.” By Issa Kobayashi* with 121 Likes
For
theKobayashi
50th anniversary,welegendary
held
*Issa
– a Japanese
Haiku poem artist (1763 -1828)“The 20th BDK Buddhist Music#6: “Prejudice is Ignorance” By Michel Jackson with 98 Likes
Festival, Buddhaspel; An Evening#7: “Do not think that a losing person is weak. They are strong because of their patience.” With 97 Likes
Pipe Organ Concert” in the main
#8: “Rain has to drop on poop. It cannot be avoided, but no one understands.” By Kojiro Nomura, a Japanese poet with 94 Likes
hall of Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple.
#9: “Evil out! Fortune in!” with 90 Likes#10: “The world will change if YOU change.” By Shundo Aoyama* with 90 Likes
At*Shundo
the beginning
concert,Aoyama –ofthethefamousJapanese Buddhist priest of Aichi Senmon Ni-sodo Shobo-ji Temple in Aichi, Japan
we r e c eive d a c ong r at u lat or ymessage from Rev. Kojun Ohtani,
the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha
Monshu. Rev. Yugen Matsunaga
from Tsukiji Hongwanji temple
Concert at Tsukiji Hongwanji

19

BDK JAPANNEWS 2020
led the music ser vice with thepipe organ as the first part. In thesecond part, Ms. Mineko Kojima,a professional organist, presented asolo performance accompanied byEnsemble Kochi (Eastern Breeze).
The entire crowd was fascinatedwith the majestic and splendid
performance.
For the th i rd pa r t, the Tsu k iji
Hongwanji Gasshodan Gakuyukai
choral group conducted by Rev.
Joko A ndo per for med “Gen so

05
Activity

Watashi (Element Myself).” BDK
h a d c o m m i s s i o n e d M r. I s a o
Mat su sh it a , who was t he v ice
chancellor of Tokyo Universityof the Arts and who passed awayin 2018, to compose this song forpeace. The soft voices of the chorus
accompanied by the pipe organ
created a comfortable harmony
and the concert ended with a calmfeeling.
We had to limit the audience to
250 people because of COVID-19,

Pipe organ donated by BDK

however, we managed to provide a
valuable opportunity for participants
to experience the beautiful soundof this pipe organ aged with a long
history of half a century.

“Buddhist Yoga Plus 〜My First Meditation〜” at
Bukkyo Dendo Center Building, December 2020
to March 2021

One of the most popular Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) classes is Buddhist Yoga, and we held a special
series of classes focusing on meditation with a new perspective.
We had three classes in December
2020, February 2021, and March
2021 (we had to cancel the one in
January 2021 due to the state of
emergency).

Yoga class at the BDK Center Building

20

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

We welcomed Rev. Ryoyu Konishi,
also known as Momo, who is a
Koyasan Shingon-shu priest andyoga inst r uctor for the special
series. She taught yoga for 60
minutes, gave a dharma talk for 10
minutes, and gave instructions forthe meditation for 30 minutes witha mixture of Vipassana and esoteric
meditations.
Depending on the state of emergency,
we had classes at the hall in ourbuilding and online at the same timefor December and March, and online
for the February class. We welcomed
many participants both for the on-siteand online classes.
We are cu r rently exper iencing
difficulties because of the unstablesituation of COVID-19. The newseries of yoga classes were able
to satisfy the participants and we
decided to renew our regular yoga
class with the addition of meditationfrom 2021.
For i n for m at ion a b out t heregular yoga classes for 2020,
please see page25.
For more information about
the new yoga classes for 2021,
please check page30.

06
Activity

The 2019 “Toshihide Numata Book Award in
Buddhism” Commemorative Lecture on February
12, 2021

The “Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism” suppor ts theadvancement of Buddhist studies in the western world. Bukkyo Dendo
Kyokai (BDK) established the award, which is administered by the Center
for Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. The winningentry for the best academic Buddhist title written in English of the year isselected by an independent committee every year.
The 2019 winning title is “Clear
Serenity, Quiet Insight: T’ien-t’ai
Chih-i’s Mo-ho chih-kuan (3 vols.,

Nanzan Library of Asian Religion
and Culture, University of Hawai`i
Press 2018),” which was selected by
the committee in November 2019.
The 2019 winning author Dr. Paul
Swanson lectured online with thehelp of the co-host, the ResearchCenter for Buddhist Culture in
Asia.
Dr. Swanson has continued his
researches on the translation of“Makashikan (Mahayana Practiceof Cessation and Contemplation)”for over forty years as his lifework.
In his talk, “What is a translation?
Forty Years of English Translationo f Te n d a i B u d d h i s t R e l a t e dDr. Swanson online

Literature and the Future Tasks,”
he explained the three important
aspects of translation, the meaningof the word, the context, and thereader constituencies, and described
the points to consider in English
translations.
At t h e e n d of t h e le c t u r e , h epromised to translate “Hokke Gengi(Essentials of the Lotus Sutra).”For more information about
the “Toshihide Numata Book
Award in Buddhism” and its
previous awardees, please visit
https://www.bdk.or.jp/english/

Flyer for the lecture at Ryukoku University

07
ActivityMore Familiarity with Buddhism
Ten Best Phrases from the BDK Bulletin Board
Chosen by Viewers in 2020

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) installed a new bulletin board at the entrance of the BDK Center Buildingin July 2019. We select phrases from many sources, including our best-selling book, “The Teaching of
Buddha (TTOB),” and some quotations from Japanese celebrities and historical figures, and put them withpictures on our official SNS such as Facebook and Instagram.
21

BDK JAPANNEWS 2020

2020 Themes, Schedules and Speakers

January: “Health”

Capsule toy vending machines at BDK

1/20 : Rev. Kakuho Aoe (Jodo Shinshu Higashi Honganji-ha, Ryokusenji Temple)

1/27 : Rev. Hironori Tsukada (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyogakuji Temple)
We introduce below the 10 best
February: “Information”
phrases that earned the most “Likes”
2/3 : We
Rev.hope
Yonin(Shingon-shu Sumadera-ha, Sumadera Temple)
in 2020.
thatKoikethe bulletin
2/10
Rev. Daiki
Fujimoto(Rinzai-shu Nanzenji-ha, Hosenji Temple)
board
can: provide
moments
when
2/17think: Rev.
you canof EshunyourselfKobayashi
in relation (Tendai-shu, Shomyoji Temple)
to Buddhism.
WeTetsuhide
will keep Saiiki
posting(Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Saihoji Temple)
2/24 : Rev.
moreMarch:phraseson our SNSs, and“Changes”
please check our previous posts, too.
3/3 : Rev. Daichi Matsubara (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Komyoji Temple)

3/10 : Rev. Jin Makino (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Houonji Temple)“Capsule Toy Vending Machine
3/17 : Rev. Daishin Otobe (Shinshu Otani-ha, Onrakuji Temple)– Model Figures of Buddhist
3/24 : Rev. Koshi Hirano (Soto-shu Kannonji Temple)
Statues”: Rev.aShozui
Temple)BDK3/31
installedvendingMurakami
machine (Jodo
T heShu
leafKenchuji
let s havei n for mat ion
machines and change one of themfeaturing capsule toy Buddhist
about each Buddhist statue andevery month. In addition to that, we
statues with commentary leaflets on
its affiliated temples, and visitors
change the messages on the white
the first floor of the Bukkyo Dendo
to the building enjoyed them. We
board monthly as well, so we hope
Center Building in July 2018.
currently have in place four vending
people will not to miss that either.
#1: “Shimura*is not dead. He is still alive.” By Boo Takagi**with 274 Likes*Ken Shimura - The most popular Japanese comedian of all time, who passed away from COVID-19 in 2020 (1950-2020)**Boo Takagi – Japanese comedian/ukulele player, one of Mr. Shimura’s best friends#2: “You will have a hard time if you only seek comfort.” By Katsuya Nomura* with 247 Likes*Katsuya Nomura – The most famous Japanese baseball player of all time (1935-2020)#3: “What is the big deal about being famous?” By Tatsuro Yamashita* with 180 Likes*Tatsuro Yamashita – the famous Japanese singer/song writer of all time

#4: “When are you trying to live, if not now? Where are you trying to live, if not here?” By Yoshio Toui*with 131 Likes*Yoshio Toui – Japanese educator/Jodo Shinshu priest (1912-1991)#5: “Snails. It does not matter where they die because they are always at home.” By Issa Kobayashi* with 121 Likes*Issa Kobayashi – a Japanese legendary Haiku poem artist (1763 -1828)#6: “Prejudice is Ignorance” By Michel Jackson with 98 Likes#7: “Do not think that a losing person is weak. They are strong because of their patience.” With 97 Likes#8: “Rain has to drop on poop. It cannot be avoided, but no one understands.” By Kojiro Nomura, a Japanese poet with 94 Likes#9: “Evil out! Fortune in!” with 90 Likes#10: “The world will change if YOU change.” By Shundo Aoyama* with 90 Likes*Shundo Aoyama – the famous Japanese Buddhist priest of Aichi Senmon Ni-sodo Shobo-ji Temple in Aichi, Japan22

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

08
Activity

Other BDK Related Lectures, Classes, and Events

One of the missions of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) is to “support programs that advance the Buddhist
spirit and its culture.” Seminars and lectures geared toward specific and general interests are sponsoredthroughout the year.

Studying “The Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” for BusinessThis lecture series was establishedmainly for business people who
desire background in Buddhism tohelp them operate and manage theirbusinesses with opportunities tolearn about the spirit of compassion
and the wisdom of Buddhism. For
2020, we welcomed Rev. Makoto
Ic h i r a k u , P r ofe s s o r of O t a n i
University and Rev. Koji Chiba,

Chancellor of Tohok u Fu k ushi
University, and hosted a monthly
lecture on every fourth Friday at 6pm.

Studying “The Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” for Daily Life
This monthly lecture shares thedharma with participants who learn
how to live their daily lives with thespirit of Buddha through reading
TTOB. The lectures were held ina relaxed atmosphere during theday. For 2020, the lectures weredelivered by Rev. Ryojo Shioiri,
hea d pr iest of Shoka n non-shu
Sensoji Hozenin Temple, and Prof.

Rev. Hisao Mayeda, Musashino
University. We hosted a monthly
lecture on every fourth Tuesday at
1:30 pm.

We had to postpone/cancel someof the above lectures, which weres che d u le d i n 2020 d ue t o t he
COVID-19 pandemic. However,
we are going to start broadcasting
the classes online for 2021 so thatpeople can attend whenever theylike.
For more information about
regular lectures, please visit our
official website at https://www.
bdk.or.jp/english/

Lecture by Rev. Mayeda

23

BDK JAPANNEWS 202009
Activity“Buddhism Through English” in Tokyo

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) offers a two-year program of “Buddhism Through English (BTE)” with level 2
and level 3 classes. We planned to hold the classes in Tokyo for 2020; however, we had to cancel them
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Buddhism Through English – Learning the Basics of Japanese Buddhism
in English” in Kyoto

BTE lecture online by Dr. Grumbach“Buddhism Th rough English –Learning the Basics of Japanese
Buddhism in English” was started
in Kyoto in 2019, and we wereable to begin the classes f rom
September 2020 with appropriate
countermeasures against
COVID-19.
We welcomed Dr. Lisa Grumbach,lecturer of Ryukoku University,
once again for the series of classes
in 2020 since last year’s classes
were well received. We held four

24

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−classes in 2019, but we planned forsix classes this time to enhance thecourse.
Starting from an outline of JapaneseB u d d h i s m , s h e a l s o i n clu d e daspects of Buddhist culture sucha s t he desig n a nd f u nct ion of
traditional Japanese gardens in
temple architecture. One of thest ude nt s who is work i ng a s aprofessional tour guide commented,“the classes were very practical,
and I have learned a lot from thiscourse.”Never theless, we had to cancelt he D e c e mb e r cla s s si nc e t hegove r n m e nt i s s u e d a s t a t e of
emergency once again. We changed
the class settings and started having
it online.
For more information about
BTE, please visit our official
website at https://www.bdk.
or.jp/english/

10
Activity“Buddhist Yoga”
at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) canceled the classes from April to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic
and restarted it from September with thorough countermeasures to ensure health and safety.
We tried to provide opportunities
for Buddhist yoga and dharma talks
to ease the stress from the longter m voluntar y rest raints af ter
five-months of cancelation. Rev.
Yuuka Gazzo, BDK Buddhist yoga
instructor, gave us lots of practicaladvice, and we tried our best to
welcome our participants at the
Bukkyo Dendo Center Building
once again. At the September class,most of the people returned happily,s a y i n g “ We w e r e v e r y m u c hlooking forward to the Buddhist
yoga classes resuming at BDK!”Fo r t h o s e w h o wo u l d l i k e t o
pa r t icipate w it hout com i ng to
the site and having close contact
with others during the COVID-19
pandemic, we started having classes
online and on-site at the same timefrom October 2020. We are stilltrying to figure out how we canhandle the changing situation tosatisfy everyone’s needs.
The December class was the last
one for Rev. Gazzo, who has beenteaching our Buddhist yoga classes
from the beginning of the program,
and Mr. Go Sato, the director of
Radhika yoga and certified IHTA
yoga instructor, taught the classes
from January to March. For the2021 classes, we welcomed Rev.

Ryoy u Konishi, also k nown as
Momo, who is a Koyasan Shingonshu pr iest a nd A sht a nga yoga
instructor, and she taught a special
course, “Buddhist Yoga Plus -My
First Meditation,” which replaced“BDK Buddhist Yoga.” For more
information about “Buddhist Yoga
Plus,” see page and for the new“Buddhist Yoga,” please also check
page.

Yoga Instraction by Rev. Gazzo

Yoga instraction by Mr. Sato25

BDK JAPANNEWS 202011
Activity

2020 BDK Symposium

The 17th BDK Symposium “How to Live Your Life Only Once”
at AP Nagoya on October 28, 2020
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) welcomed Rev. Shundo Aoyama, who is the head priest of Aichi Senmon Nisodo Shobo-ji Temple and who also won the BDK Bukkyo Dendo Koro-sho, Innovation Award in 2004, togive lectures on her life and teachings of Zen in a symposium titled, “How to Live Your Life Only Once.”
We originally planned to have it
in March 2019, but we postponed
it to April 2020 because of her
sickness. Unfortunately, we had topostpone it again due to the state of
emergency. We were finally able
to welcome Rev. Aoyama and mostof her fans and 70 participants in
October 2020.
Rev. Aoyama talked to the audience
about her ow n exper iences.

“Although going straight to yourgoals is important, you will enjoy
your life more if you are able tohave some fun along on the way toyour goals.”This was our f irst time to holdan event in Nagoya, and we took
a big new step even though thesymposium was affected by the
pandemic.

Rev. Aoyama

The 22nd BDK Symposium “New Biography of Shakyamuni”
at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building on September 12, 2020

Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) welcomed Emeritus Professor Shoji Mori from Toyo University for the 22nd
BDK Symposium, “New Biography of Shakyamuni.”
Professor Mori is a group leader ofa research project called “A Studyof the Biography of Shakyamuni
Ba s e d o n t h e E a rly B u d d h i s t
Scriptural Sources” that is based at
Chuo Academic Research Institute.
The research g roup st udied
Shakyamuni’s life and the formationof the Buddhist community for 28
years and finally resolved manyquestions regarding this important
topic. Professor Mori explained
the beginning of Buddhism and26

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−profiled Shakyamuni based on theirresearch.
We limited the audience to 60
people and held the lect u rewith thorough countermeasuresagainst COVID-19. Participantsc o m m e n t e d , “ I fel t cl o s e r t oShak yamu ni,” and “I was ablet o le a r n a b o u t t h e b eg i n n i n gof Budd h ism a s a relig iou scommunity,” etc.

Prof. Mori

The 23rd BDK Symposium “Are We Able to Make Ourselves Happy throughBuddhism?” at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building on December 10, 2020
We definitely learned that things are not always as good as we wish them to be in 2020. We held this
symposium, which asks people if we can really make ourselves happy through Buddhism.
B e c a u s e of t h e C OV I D -19
pandemic, we limited the audienceto half the number as we would
have had at a regular event and heldthe 23rd BDK Symposium withthorough countermeasures against
the vi r us. We welcomed Rev.
Jikisai Minami, head priest of Sotoshu Reisenji Temple in Fukui anddeputy priest of Osorezan Bodaiji
Temple in Aomori.

Starting with his shocking statementthat “you will not be able to makeyourself happy through Buddhism,”Rev. Minami talked about how wemake compromises with Buddhism
and religion while understanding
the ambiguous concept of happinesswith the key word, “Live Well.”His humorous talk made the crowd
smile many times, but they weredrawn into his words in the second
half of the lecture and tried to facethemselves.

Rev. Minami

The 24th BDK Symposium “Buddhism and Palliative Care –Supporting theLast Moment with Calm” at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building on March 13, 2021
We are expecting a rapid increase of finding ourselves by someone’s deathbed at home in our society thathas a high percentage of elderly people and therefore a high death rate. What will the challenges be bothfor people who will be at someone’s deathbed and for people who are going to pass away? We held this
symposium to think about what Buddhists can do to prepare for these roles in society.
We set a maximum capacity andheld the 24th BDK Symposium“Buddhism and Palliative Care –Supporting the Last Moment withCalm” on-site and online at the sametime under the state of emergency
for the Tokyo area in March.
We welcomed Rev. Myoyu Tamaoki,
who is a nu rse and a Koyasan
Shingon-shu priest, and she talked
about spiritual care and modern
medical care in a society that stillsees death as taboo. She explained
about the spiritual care provided
by Buddhist priests at Taiwanese
medical institutes as an example
from which Japanese can learn.

medical institutions, so we hopethat this kind of opportunity will bea good chance to make a connection
between the medical world andBuddhism.

We had participants from various
places in Japan since we held theevent both online and on-site andwe expect that we are going to havemore people attending online at
future events. We also had many
people who are working at theRev. Tamaoki※You may find the information about previous BDK Symposiums and see our future schedule on our
official website at https://www.bdk.or.jp/english/

27

Canceled/Postponed Lectures, Classes, and Events in
2020
We canceled/postponed some lectures, classes, and events in 2020 listed below. The 2021 eventsmight be affected as well and we will change schedules depending on future circumstances. For
the latest information, please visit our official webiste at https:// www. bdk.or.jp/english（As of April 2021）
Lectures, Classes, and Events

Scheduled Dates

New Schecule

Online/Offline(Place)

The 50th Jissen Fukyo Kenkyukai
at Tendai-shu Head Monastry Hieizan
Enryakuji Temple

June 3-5, 2020

May 2022

TBA

BDK Symposium in Sapporo, Hokkaido

July 20, 2020

October 20, 2021

Online and Offline

Special Zazen Retreat at Soto-shu
Daihonzan Sojiji Temple

September 1, 2020

Fall 2021

TBA

Special Fall Program : One-day Field
Trip (Studying TTOB for Businessand Daily Life)

November 10, 2020

November 9, 2021

Offline"Feel Buddhism" in Meguro, Tokyo

November 29, 2020

November 1, 2021

OfflineEl

Choir Volunteer GASSHOMarch 25-26, 2021

March 1, 2023

OnlineMa"Buddhism Through English" Level 3 at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building

Th

La

Ca

Ind

Vie

My

Ma

Ma

No. 1

April 13, 2020

May 10, 2021

OnlineMa

No. 2

May 11, 2020

June 7, 2021

OnlineMa

No. 3

June 8, 2020

June 28, 2021

OnlineMa

No. 4

June 29, 2020

July 12, 2021

OnlineMa

No. 5

July 20, 2020

July 26, 2021

OnlineMa

No. 6

October 12, 2020

October 4, 2021

OnlineSt

No. 7

November 16, 2020

November 8, 2021

OnlineNo. 8

December 14, 2020

December 13, 2021

Online

Stu
for

No. 9

January 18, 2021

January 17, 2022

OnlineFinal Exam

February 13, 2021

February 12, 2022

OnlineNo. 10 (Completion ceremony)

February 22, 2021

February 21, 2022

Online

Stu
for

Stu
for

"Buddhism Through English" Level 2 at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building

28

Le

No. 1

April 22, 2020

May 26, 2021

OnlineNo. 2

May 20, 2020

June 23, 2021

OnlineNo. 3

June 10, 2020

July 14, 2021

OnlineNo. 4

July 1, 2020

July 28, 2021

OnlineNo. 5

July 22, 2020

Septemer 29, 2021

OnlineNo. 6

October 28, 2020

October 27, 2021

OnlineNo. 7

November 25, 2020

November 24, 2021

OnlineNo. 8

December 23, 2020

December 22, 2021

OnlineNo. 9January 27, 2021

January 26, 2022

OnlineFinal Exam

February 20, 2021

February 19, 2022

OnlineNo. 10 (Completion ceremony)

February 24, 2021

March 2, 2022

OnlineBDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

Stu
for

Stu
for

Stu
for

1）
Lectures, Classes, and Events

Scheduled Dates

New Schecule

Online/Offline(Place)

Learning About Buddhism in the World Part II at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building
ThailandApril 23, 2020

April 22, 2021

Online and Offline

Laos

May 28, 2020

May 27, 2021

Online and Offline

Cambodia

June 23, 2020

June 17, 2021

Online and Offline

Indonesia

July 30, 2020

July 29, 2021

Online and Offline

VietnamAugust 27, 2020

August 26, 2021

Online and Offline

Myanmar

September 24, 2020

September 16, 2021

Online and Offline

Maleysia

October 29, 2020

October 28, 2021

Online and Offline

Elementary Course of Buddshit Lectures on "Japanese Buddhism - Learning from Scratch" at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building
Master Saicho, Tendai-shu

April 28, 2020

April 27, 2021

Online and Offline

Master Kukai, Shingon-shu

May 26, 2020

May 25, 2021

Online and Offline

Master Honen, Jodo-shu

June 30, 2020

June 29, 2021

Online and Offline

Master Shinran, Jodo Shinshu

July 28, 2020

July 27, 2021

Online and Offline

Master Nichiren, Nichiren-shu

September 29, 2020

September 28, 2021

Online and Offline

Master Eisai, Rinzai-shu

October 27, 2020

October 26, 2021

Online and Offline

Master Dogen, Soto-shu

November 24, 2020

November 30, 2021

Online and Offline

Studying "The Teaching of Buddha" for Business and Daily Life at Bukkyo Dendo Center Building
Studying "The Teaching of Buddha"
for Business in April

April 24, 2020

September 25, 2020

Studying "The Teaching of Buddha"
for Business in May, June, and July

May, June, andJuly in 2020

Canceled

Studying "The Teaching of Buddha"
for Business in February

February 26, 2021

March 12, 2021

Studying "The Teaching of Buddha"
for Daily Life in April

April 28, 2020

September 15, 2020

Studying "The Teaching of Buddha"
for Daily Life in May, June, and July

May, June, andJuly in 2020

Canceled

Studying "The Teaching of Buddha"
for Daily Life in February

February 9, 2021

March 9, 2021

29

Buddhist Yoga for People in the Modern World+ Meditation
Are you feeling uncomfortable with the instability of yourdaily life during the COVID-19 pandemic because you
cannot freely go outside and stay away from stressful
situations? We are pleased to introduce our new
instructor, Rev. Ryoyu Konishi, also known as Momo,
who taught “Buddhist Yoga Plus” earlier in 2020 for oneof the most popular Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) classes,“Buddhist Yoga,” for 2021. At the beginning of the newyear, we interviewed her about her suggestions for
meditation at home to loosen up your body and soul.

How was the “Buddhist Yoga Plus”?
First of all, I must thank everyone
who attended my classes during
this tough time. We had to cancel
the January class due to the state of
emergency and had to have classes

online and all that. However,
the attit ude of the par ticipants
impressed me because they triedso hard to do yoga and meditation.
People of all ages and genders

participated in the classes, and wewere able to enjoy our time in apeaceful atmosphere.

Could you tell us your motivation for teaching our very first class withthe combination of yoga and meditation?
I have practiced yoga for moret ha n 15 yea r s a nd t aug ht a s ayoga instructor for more than ten
years now. On the other hand, I
officially received my ordination asa Buddhist priest after training at
Koyasan, Mt. Koya in Wakayama
in 2019, so I am still a rookie in theworld of priests.

Buddhist teachings to everyone.” Afterand philosophy, and for people who are

I came back to Tokyo, I started thinking

studying Buddhism to absorb the wisdomthat I would like to have a place where I

of yoga. I just hope for anyone to join

could pass on the wisdom of Buddhism

the class with no hesitations.

to people around myself. My yoga
teacher, Mr. Ken Harakuma, introduced

It takes a long to time to pass on bothme to BDK’s “Buddhist Yoga,” and I

yoga and Buddhism to people with care,

immediately said YES to that!

and to maintain their cultures. Bothpresent complete packages of wisdom

I would like everyone to feel good about

and richness that do not easily change

At the time I officially received myboth Buddhism and yoga in one class.

according to time and place. Let’s learn

ordination, my teacher gave me a

For example, I hope people who aretogether the “wisdom for living” that has

message, saying, “You are now readyalready practicing yoga daily will learn

been proven in history.

to perform the role of disseminating

something about Buddhist meditation

What is the advantage of adding “meditation” to “yoga”?
For our Buddhist Yoga classes,
one of the themes is ‘making our30

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−bodies sit easily.’ Yoga poses andmeditation are complementar y

to each other and produce goodeffects.

In general, people who regularly
practice meditation tend not topractice yoga, and people who
regularly practice yoga tend not topractice meditation. However, bothare something like the head and tailof a coin. The only difference liesin their methods of approach but thedestination is the same.
We human beings like to moveour bodies when we have to stay
still and like to sit quietly when
we have to move around all thetime. Training our bodies so that
we can easily practice meditation

eases the tiredness of our bodies
after sitting for a long time. The
practice of meditation helps thepractice of yoga and makes ourbodies comfortable. I will be morethan happy if the Buddhist Yoga
participants could feel this synergy.

Do you have anything special that we should pay attention to when wepractice meditation?
Let’s try not to practice meditation( Meisou) by get t i ng of f t r a ck
(Meisou)! I’m kidding (with a big
smile).
Seriously speaking, the state of being
focused in mind automatically leads
to the state of practicing “meditation.”
Conversely, you cannot create thestate of “meditation” by yourself.
This means that you should pay

attention to keeping your focus
while you are sitting.
Everyone experiences days in which
they feel sleepy all the time, daysin which they lose concentration,
or days in which they feel anxious
for some reason. Therefore, I truly
hope that everyone will be able toenjoy the time of mediation with aneasy and relaxed feeling.

Could you tell us your advice for prospective participants of “Buddhist
Yoga”?
I would like everyone to attend aclass once and think about adding
yoga, meditation and Buddhism totheir daily lives. I am also happy
to recommend that participants
deepen their learning about yoga
and meditation. Or maybe, they

may feel like learning a little more
about Buddhism, and I would liketo recommend that they follow theirinterests.

T h e r o o m h a s a h ig h c e i l i n gwith a huge space unlike that ofregular yoga studios. The quiet
and calm voice of Momo gently
resonates w it h i n t he spa ciou sroom. Especially for those who are
feeling stress from every day of thepandemic, this is an extraordinary
place where you can relax andexperience yoga. For 2021, we arehaving the classes both online andon-site at the same time, so anyone
can participate from anywhere andfocus on yoga and meditation in
their own space without concern
about others.
***
The 2021 “BDK Buddhist Yoga”
classes are taught by Momo. BDK
hopes to offer more opportunities
for everyone to feel a connection
to Buddhism through yoga andpractice. I hope people will be able
to practice by themselves from what
they learn in the classes, even fora short time. They will realize thechanges in their bodies and souls.

The most important thing aboutyoga and Buddhist training is to justmeditation and absorb the essenceof Buddhism and yoga/meditation
by facing your true self in yourdaily life.
For the latest information about“Buddhist Yoga,” please visit
our official website at https://www.bdk.or.jp/english/

31

Let’s Try “Meditation” at Home!

By Rev. Ryoyu Konishi, the BDK Buddhist Yoga Instructor
Momo((Rev. Ryoyu Konishi)
Momo
Momo(Rev.
Konishi)

Ashtanga Yoga instructor officially certified by Sharath Yoga Center, SYC in India. Koyasan
Shingon sect Buddhist priest.
Teaches over 1,000 people monthly. Instructor at Yoga Festa, the biggest Yoga event in Asia
for ten years. Published DVDs. Directs for TV commercials, magazines, etc. Also teaches atbusiness corporations. MA from Koyasan University. Completed 100 days of training at
Koyasan Shingon Sect Main Temple Kongobu-ji and participated in Denpo Kanjo consecration
ritual for the conferral of the status of Acharya in esoteric Buddhism. Received the status of
Acharya from Rev. Zenryu Hidaka, the 520th Hoin, the head priest of Kongobu-ji.
<IYC Profile Information> https://iyc.jp/instructor/momo<YouTube> https://www.youtube.com/c/AshtangaYogaTemple/<Blog> https://ameblo.jp/momoshanti/

Step 1: Sit on the floor or on a chair and relax.
How toPlace your legs in a lotus position or just cross your legs when you sit on the floor.
Put both soles of your feet on the floor when you sit on a chair.
Stretch your spine, remove excess energy from your body, and relax.
Place your hands easily on your laps.

Step 2: Relax the whole body.
How toExhale, remove excess energy from your face and head, and relax.
Exhale, remove excess energy from your right hand, and relax.
Exhale, remove excess energy from your left hand, and relax.
Exhale, remove excess energy from the front side of your body, and relax.
Exhale, remove excess energy from the back side of your body, and relax.
Exhale, remove excess energy from your right leg, and relax.
Exhale, remove excess energy from your left leg, and relax.
Point

Keep your back and head straight when you remove excess energy from your body.

Step 3: Count your breaths when your whole body isrelaxed.
How toBreathe slowly, inhale and exhale for the first set.
Breathe slowly again for the next set.
Count to ten.
For the beginner, 3-10 minutes of meditation can be enough. Please try not to overdo it. I would
recommend that you set your own daily meditation schedule like right after you get up in the morning,
before you go to bed at night, before you eat, etc. After you become familiar with the schedule, practicelonger for 20 minutes, 30 minutes…
Point Breathe deeply if you get sleepy while practicing meditation
Please get back to breathing consciously whenever you lose your concentration or think aboutsomething else while sitting.
I hope you will enjoy the relaxed moments of your day without thinking about difficult things!

32

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−ポ◎◎BDK Affiliated
Organization Activities
BDK AMERICABDK ASIABDK CANADABDK EUROPE

BDK HAWAIIBDK MEXICOBDK SOUTH AMERICABDK TAIWANBDK UKBDK POLAND

33

BDK Affiliated Organization Activities
World Map & Contact Information
BDK EUROPE

1(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: bdk@eko-hause.de
http://www.eko-haus.de

BDK U.K.

4

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
http://www.bdkcanada.com

2

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

BDK POLAND

BDK CANADABDK AMERICA

5

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

3

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

BDK HAWAII

61757 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: bdktaiwan@yahoo.com
https://www.bdk.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
https://bdkasia.org

34

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−

BDK MEXICO

10

Prolonagación Eugenia No. 17, Colonia Nápoles,
Alcaldía Benito Juarez, CDMX, C.P.03810, MEXICO
Tel: 52{55}5543-0507
Email: difusion.eko@gmail.com

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

Toshi Award online talk : Dr. Tanabe (left) and Prof. Jackson (right)

T h e g r e a t p a n d e m i c of 2 0 2 0
affected everyone in serious ways
and BDK America had to makemajor adjustments. We had tosuspend our distribution of “The
Teaching of Buddha (TTOB)” tohotels and we were not able to havein-person events. Despite thesesevere challenges, we neverthelesswere able to continue much of ourwork by telephone, email and Zoom
meetings.
Challenging as it was, we still
managed to have a product ive
year with our publications. With
the suppor t of BDK Japan, we
published the first American editionof TTOB. The U. S. edition has
some formatting revisions, but thecontent remains exactly the same.
Publishing TTOB in the U. S. willsave on the costs of shipping fromJapan and allow us to distribute thebook more widely and easily. While
our usual distribution of TTOB
was down, we were surprised andpleased to receive orders for 10,500
copies from various branches of the
U.S. military.
In the Tripiṭaka series, we published

A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma
Garden and The Madhyama Agama,
which, at more than 500 pages, isthe longest single translation so far.
The distribution of Tripitaka books
remains high, both in print form
and as free PDF downloads.
To meet the needs ofthe general reader,
we published a new
book w r it ten by
Professor Kenneth
Tanaka. It is aimed
specif ically foryounger people andi s c a l l e d Je we l s:
An Introduction to
American Buddhism
for Youth, Scouts,
a nd t he You ng at
Hea r t. T he pr i nt
version is available
for pu rchase byindividuals but isfree for institutions.
It can also be
downloaded for freefrom our website.
T h e To s h i h i d e
Numata Book Award
in Buddhism in2020 was given to Roger Jackson,
Professor Emeritus of Carleton
College. The award ceremonya nd s y m p o siu m we r e held on
Zoom on November 6 with over
100 people participating from allover the world. His book is called

Cover page of "Jewels" by Prof. Tanaka

35

Mind Seeing Mind: Mahāmudrāand the Geluk Tradition of Tibetan
Buddhism.
The pandemic has made all ofus aware of how the internet has
become even more important for
us to do our work. In recognitionof this, we redesigned our website
to make it more attractive and user
friendly.
Check it out at www.bdkamerica.
org.

"Mind Seeing Mind" by Prof. Jackson 2020 Toshihide Numata Award in Buddhism

BDK Hawaii

Dr. Tanabe (BDK Hawaii) , Mr. Aoki (BDK) and Mr. Yamashita (BDK America) at KOLOA Jodo Mission

The COVID-19 pandemic severely
affected ou r operations andactivities in 2020. Hotels shut36

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−down and temples cancelled theirsummer Bon dances, thus depriving
BDK Hawaii of the most importantvenues for the distribution of The
Teaching of Buddha. Despite these
difficulties, we managed to hold ourannual board of directors meetingon March 6, 2020, when it was stillsafe to travel. Mr. Harumi Aoki
was able to come from Japan, andMr. Mikio Yamashita travelled from
California.
We had to cancel some in-person
programs but were able to have two
events on Zoom. On June 27, we
held a workshop “Understanding
Trauma,” and on November 14, we
did a Zoom meeting called “I’m Not
Okay, but It’s Okay” about finding
spiritual comfort from Buddhism
and Native Hawaiian religion in atime of difficulties. Sponsored by
the BDK Hawaii-Fujitani Interfaith
Program, both of these workshops
add ressed personal challenges
people faced during the pandemic.
We also did a virtual tour of Honpa
Hongwanji temples in Hawaii byZoom. In all of these events, over
100 people participated, and werealized that while we miss having

in-person events, Zoom meetings
allow many people f rom many
places to participate.

Let us hope that our health andeconomic conditions will improvein 2021.

BDK Mexico
BDK Mex ic o op e r at e s a non sectarian Buddhist temple called
Mexico Eko-ji that is popularly
known by many people as the “OpenTemple,” and we planned to holda variety of activites in 2020. At
the end of February, the very first
patient of COVID-19 in Mexico
was reported. After the “Taishoera Romantic Jazz Piano Concert”
on March 19, we had to temporarilyclose the entire temple.
Fo r t u n a t ely, we we r e a ble t oprovide many opportunities suchas the regular exchange of opinions
between Mexican Buddhist groups,
a music event at the main hall andgarden of the temple, a book fair,a small dharma talk event with
Kamishibai illustrated storytellingat elementary schools, a special
d h a r m a t al k by Rev. G yomyo
Nakamura, a Miso (soy bean paste)making class, etc. in addition to
Buddhist services and programsin January and February before
we closed. And we were able toRev. Todaka (BDK Mexico) chanting at the service

distribute more than 300 copiesof “ T h e Te a c h i n g of B u d d h a(TTOB)” in Spanish in person and
2,500 copies of the BDK “A Wise

37

Participants of the music event

Teaching a Day” calender.
No one expected the COVID-19
pandemic, but it feels like we havebeen challenged to ask ourselves
about how we think, act and live
our lives within the natural world.
Moreover, we felt that more people
want Buddhism and we have manythings to offer while everyone in
the world is staying home.
A s we t r ie d t o p r ov i d e m o r eopportunities for more people toexperience Buddhist related books
in Mexico, we translated “Satorino Chie-wo Yomu (Learning the
Wisdom of Enlightment),” “GUIDETO BUDDHISM IN JAPAN” and“A LIFE OF THE BUDDHA” into
Spanish. We uploaded each chapter
on SNS and received responses
every time with comments like,“This is the teaching that we wantto listen to.”We were able to distribute 3,000
copies of TTOBs to universities,
hospitals, correctional facilities, andcorporations in 2020. In addition
to the TTOB dist r ibutions, we

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Top page of the event online (Ms. Yokoo from BDK Mexico on the bottom right)

uploaded the Spanish translation of
the Kamishibai “Buddha,” which
BDK originally published withthe theme of war and peace, andthe episodes of the Japan-Mexico
friendship history. Many people
enjoyed them.
Zazen meditation and the study
g roup called “Yeha nju k u” a recontinuing online, and more people
from distant places are able to joinus.
Moreover, we started renovating the

BDK Mexico building in the middleof November, and this will becompleted in July 2021. Although
it is hard to predict the future, wehave been planning on various
events for our renewal opening. At
the moment, 10% of COVID-19
patients are dying in Mexico, so
we must find ways to live together
with nature. We think everything
including the virus is related to eachother as we live and die. Therefore,
we will continue to deal with thetruth for the consolation of those
who have been sacrificed.

BDK Taiwan
BDK Taiwan was established in2000 and distributes “The Teachingof Budd h a ( T TOB)” t o hot els
and public facilities throughout
Taiwan. We have organized a
new team that we introduce below
with our activities since January
2021. We hope to provide various
oppor t u n it ie s for d ist r ibut i ng
TTOBs in Taiwan.
For more information about
BDK Ta iw a n , ple a s e v i sit
https://www.bdk.tw/
BDK Taiwan members

Yoshio Tsutsumi
I have once again
been appoi nted
a s t he d i r e c t orof BDK Taiwan.
Before that, I
had served as the
director of BDK
Taiwan for about seven years from2006 to 2013. This is my second
time, so I feel it is destiny thatbrings us together. And I am very
glad to be given such an opportunity
again in Taiwan, where Buddhist

Display at the BDK Taiwan officeideas are familiar to everyone. I
will do my best to contribute to the
expansion of Buddhism.
Hsiao-Chu, LinMy name is Lin
and I have been
the secretary
to Mitutoyo
Taiwa n , wh ich
manages theactivities of BDK
Taiwan, since January 2021. I am
honored and glad to be involved

with Buddhist efforts. I will do mybest to learn and work for BDK.
Yu-Chuan, Fu
My name is Fu,
a n d h a ve b e e nwith BDK Taiwan
since September
2 0 18 , h e l p i n g
promote TTOB.
We a r e a c t i v e
with 240 new donation cases per
year. The expansion into hotels
and other places has been affectedby COVID-19. Besides, schools
often refuse to accept books onpolitics and religion, therefore thePR activities are not going well.
Despite many setbacks, we wereable to take advantage of lessons welearned from BDK JAPAN, and also
most people in Taiwan are familiar
with Buddhism. We certainly will
do our best to increase donations of
TTOB to city libraries, hospitals,
Buddhist organizations, and otherinstitutions in the near future.

39

BDK Asia
BDK A sia wa s e st abl ishe d i n
1999. The main project includes
p r e s e n t i n g “ T h e Te a c h i n g of
Budd ha ( T TOB)” t o Budd h ist
temples a nd hotels i n Asia ncountries. In the past, BDK Asia
presented 32 different language
versions of TTOB to Her RoyalHighness Princess Mahachak ri
Sirindhorn of Thailand and 5,000
copies of the book to the Thai Hotel
Association. For 2020, we were notable to carry out all of the activities
that we originally had planned,
however, we d ist r ibuted some
TTOBs to the places described
below with the support of Mitutoyo
Thailand.

Students at the commencement

Mahamongkut Buddhist University
On 21st November 2020, Mitutoyo
T h a i la nd , wh ich m a n age s t heactivities of BDK Asia in Thailand,
donated 1,500 copies of TTOB
to st udent g raduates and thei r

relatives who attended the rehearsal
ceremony. This was the second
time we attended this event. We
plan on promoting this activity toother universities in Thailand.

Department of Corrections
We donated 11,540 copies of TTOB
to libraries located at 142 prisonsnationwide. The library concept
or iginated with H R H Pr incess

Sirindhorn. We hope that TTOB
will educate prisoners to be goodpeople in the future.
Officer received TTOB at the department ofcorrections

BDK Europe
Due to the worldwide COVID-19
pandemic, our physical EKO-House
facility was initially closed in the
Spring of 2020 and then was able toopen from June to October. In April
2020, we established an Instagram40

BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−account by which we could sharephotos of EKO-House’s programs
and our beautiful facilities withpeople throughout the world during
this difficult time. Please join us on
Instagram at “ekohaus_germany.”

Additionally, since July, we havebeen providing Sūtra-chanting andDharma-talk videos on YouTube.
Thus, people who cannot visit our
temple are still able to listen tothe Buddhist teachings, and thisalso provides a good opportunity
for people who might have neverv isit e d a t e mple t o e ncou nt e r
B u d d h i s m . Yo u c a n v i sit o u rYouTube channel by searching for“EKO-Gemeinschaft.”
EKO -House has been offer i ng
monthly lectures on the venerated
and classic Japanese Buddhist text
“Tannishō” in Japanese, and on
an introduction to Buddhism andBuddhist thought in German. And,after the COVID pandemic began,
we started doing on-line lectures.
Than ks to this on-line system,
people who couldn’t participate
in EKO-House programs because
they live far away are now able
to join us. This has brought about
an increase in the number of newparticipants, and even those wholive abroad are now able to join

Lectures and programs online by BDK Europe

Japanese Family attending Infant Presentation Ceremony (Rev. Shoju from BDK Europe on the right)

us. However, for those who might
not be so technically capable, theymight not be able to join us for thetime being during the pandemic.
Throughout the past year, EKOHou s e c ou ld c o n d u c t f u n e r a lservices by limiting the numberof mourners who could attend theservice, but other private services
were somewhat limited. During
this COVID-19 period, the mostfrequently held private service was
the Infant Presentation Ceremony(the first presentation of a child by
the parents to the Buddha). During
the 7-month period while private
services were allowed, there were
17 families who participated inthis Infant Presentation service.
Considering that in past years, lessthan 20 families would typicallyparticipate in an Infant Presentation
Ceremony in one year, it can besaid that the nu mber of Infant
Presentation services held in 2020
was unusually large. The reason
why the number of Infant services
might have increased may be due tothe fact that Japanese families who
might have planned to temporarily
return to Japan and visit a temple
or shrine for their child’s Infant
Presentation were unable to returnto Japan due to COVID-19 travel

rest r ict ions. T herefore, t hesefamilies chose to come to EKOHouse for the Infant Presentationce r e mony. T hu s , 2020 wa s ayear filled with such unexpectedencounters.
E a c h N o v e m b e r E KO - H o u s eobserves our annual Hōonkō (aday to pay our respects to Master
Sh i n r a n , t he fou nd e r of Jo d oShinshu) service and sponsors a
3-day Hōonkō seminar featuring
a lecturer from abroad. Over theNovember 27-29, 2020 weekend, we
held our on-line Hōonkō service andseminar. The 2020 lecturer was theRev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara, Directorof the Jodo Shinshu International
Office and Supervising Ministerof the Berkeley Buddhist Temple
in California, whose seminar topic
was “The Light to Change.” Since
the service and seminar were held
online, Nembutsu followers fromJapan, India, Brazil and the UnitedStates, who would not have beenable to participate in the seminar
if the seminar had been only heldin-person, were able to join in theseminar this time. The 2020 Online Hōonkō-Seminar has offered
us some new possibilities to share
the Buddha’s teachings with people
from throughout the world.

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Jinsei (One’s Life)“Jinsei” refers to one’s life, which can be likened to

Is it permissible to let our truly precious life

a journey. What’s important about a journey is that

wander around without aim or purpose, perchancethe destination is clear. To wander around aimlessly

to perish on the road? If life is a journey, where is it

without a clear destination is not a journey but

headed?

simply wandering or roaming.
Our predecessors, who lived their lives according
Once, someone asked me where he was destinedto the Buddhist precepts, saw life as a journey toto go when he died. I had a difficult time trying

the “Land of Enlightenment” (Jōdo), and lived life

to answer this question. An easier question would

day by day, advancing step by step with a steadyhave been “To get to a certain place, which roadgait toward the Pure Land.

do I take to get there?” to which I would haveanswered, “Take this road to get there.”

Taken from “Sasaeatte” authoured by the late Rev.
Toshihide Numata, former chairman of BDK

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BDK Newsletter

Michi−The Path−