![George Mason University IMG 1153 (6172571455)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Entrance_and_statues%2C_Ekoji_Buddhist_Temple.jpg)
is a temple of the
Jōdo Shinshū
, also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran.
Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.
History
Shinran ( ...
Hongwanji-ha Japanese Buddhist
Buddhism has been practiced in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while exten ...
sect in
Fairfax Station, Virginia, near
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
It is a member of the
Buddhist Churches of America The Buddhist Churches of America (abbreviated as BCA in English, ' or ''Beikoku Bukkyōdan'' in Japanese) is the United States branch of the Nishi Honganji subsect of Jōdo Shinshū ("True Pure Land School") Buddhism.
The BCA headquarters is at 17 ...
, the oldest Buddhist organization in the mainland United States.
Ekoji (literally in Japanese, "Temple of the Gift of Light") was founded in 1981; its initial location was an office condominium building located in
Springfield, Virginia
Springfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs includ ...
, and a larger temple was constructed in
Fairfax Station, Virginia, in 1998. The temple was established through the beneficial efforts of the late
Rev. Kenryu Tsuji (1919-2004), the former Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America, and the late Rev. Dr.
Yehan Numata was a Japanese industrialist and Buddhist missionary.
Early life
Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, Numata was the third son of a priest of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. He studied at Kyoto Heian Junior High School (today Heian High School) and ...
, a Japanese businessman and devout Jodo Shinshu Buddhist. He also established the
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai ("Society for the Promotion of Buddhism") to help spread Buddhism throughout the world.
Reverend Nariaki Hayashi became the full-time resident minister in 2016. However, as of 2022, he has left to be the minister of the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple.
There are several Ekoji Temples in Japan, as well as in
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
.
External links
Ekoji Buddhist Temple, Jodo Shinshu Buddhism (Nishi Hongwanji), Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C.Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK): Society for the Promotion of Buddhism
{{Virginia-struct-stub
Buddhist temples in Virginia
Buildings and structures in Fairfax County, Virginia
Japanese-American culture in Virginia
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1998
Religious organizations established in 1981
1981 establishments in Virginia
Buddhist Churches of America
20th-century Buddhist temples
Shinshū Honganji-ha temples