The Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada are a group of temples and fellowships that are affiliated with the

Nishi Hongan-ji is a Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist temple in the Shimogyō ward of Kyoto, Japan. It serves as the head temple of the sub-sect Honganji-ha. It is one of two Jōdo Shinshū temple complexes in Kyoto, the other being Higashi Hongan-ji, which is the ...

of Kyoto, Japan, the mother temple of the Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) sect of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

. Groups follow the interpretation of the Buddha-Dharma according to

Shinran Shonin ''Popular Buddhism in Japan: Shin Buddhist Religion & Culture'' by Esben Andreasen, pp. 13, 14, 15, 17. University of Hawaii Press 1998, was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Hino (now a part of Fushimi, Kyoto) at the turbulent close of ...

(1173–1262), the founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Shinran promoted the principle of "dependent co-arising" as the basis for individual liberation. He attempted to understand the dharma in view of his own existence and thus derived the

Nembutsu Nianfo (, Japanese: , , vi, niệm Phật) is a term commonly seen in Pure Land Buddhism. In the context of Pure Land practice, it generally refers to the repetition of the name of Amitābha. It is a translation of Sanskrit '' '' (or, "recoll ...

(recitation of "Namu Amida Butsu": Amitabha Buddha's name) teaching, which he emphasized as an expression of thanks and joy in realizing the interrelated nature of human existence. Established in 1933, it is the oldest Buddhist organization in Canada. The national office for the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada (formerly Buddhist Churches of Canada) is located in Richmond, British Columbia.

History

Japanese Canadians are Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Canadians are mostly concentrated in Western Canada, especially in the province of British Columbia, which hosts the largest Japanese community in the country with the majority of them living ...

first established Buddhism in Canada during the late 1800s as new immigrants gathered in homes. The Jodo Shinshu tradition likely resided in British Columbia as early as 1889, when the first Japanese consulate was established.''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' The Reverend Senju Sasaki and his wife Tomie arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia on October 12, 1905, and immediately set about bringing Jodo Shinshu Buddhism to Canada. By December 12, 1905 the first Buddhist Temple in Canada was established in the city.Watada, ''Bukkyo Tozen: A History of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in Canada 1905-1995'' Because it was identified with a particular ethnic group, this form of Buddhism did not become integrated into the Canadian society at that time. During World War II, the internment of people of Japanese ancestry almost eradicated Japanese Buddhism and institutional Buddhism from Canada. The lifting of the ''

War Measures Act The ''War Measures Act'' (french: Loi sur les mesures de guerre; 5 George V, Chap. 2) was a statute of the Parliament of Canada that provided for the declaration of war, invasion, or insurrection, and the types of emergency measures that could t ...

'' in 1949 restored Japanese freedom of movement throughout Canada; some Japanese Buddhists returned to BC, many stayed in Alberta and others settled elsewhere. Many temples now have a multicultural population consisting of Japanese, Japanese-Canadians and non-Japanese members. Multiple temples have branched out in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec.

Affiliated Temples and Fellowships

* Buddhist Temple of Southern Alberta (Lethbridge) * Calgary Buddhist Temple * Fraser Valley Buddhist Temple * Hamilton Buddhist Temple * Jodo Shinshu Buddhists of Thunder Bay * Kamloops Buddhist Church * Kelowna Buddhist Temple * Manitoba Buddhist Temple * Montreal Buddhist Church * Steveston Buddhist Temple * Toronto Buddhist Church * Vancouver Buddhist Temple * Vernon Buddhist Temple

References

External links

Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada websiteManitoba Buddhist Temple website

Homepage for Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Hongwanji International Center
- English {{Japanese-Canadian relations Shinshū Honganji-ha Buddhist temples in Canada Japanese-Canadian culture 1933 establishments in Canada