The degree of success in the Shinshu sect and the Jodo sect

I contracted cancer at this age. If you think about it, the other half of my life is over. Here, I thought I wasn't studying how to die, and I wanted to learn the Jodo religion, which I had been interested in for a long time.

My parents' house is not a Jodo sect or Shinshu sect, so I don't have any affiliated temples.
My father is a member of the Soto sect, my mother is Nichiren Shoshu, and I am the only Jodo sect sympathizer.

Even if you ask the Tokyo diocese of Zojo-ji Temple and Honganji Temple, they say you can search for the temple yourself.
Each of the Shinshu Honganji school and the Jodo sect have monks I know, but it seems that the hurdle of getting a degree is quite high.

I plan to attend a correspondence course at Musashino University or Bukkyo University starting this fall. I gave up on the Central Buddhist Academy Communications because I had to get the seal of the chief priest of the temple I belong to. I gave up Tokyo Bukkyo Gakuin because my weekday schedule was too tight.

I think monks are not an occupation, but a way of life, so I have no intention of using them as food support. While being an office worker, I want to get paid for it.

What are the reasons for getting points? As a monk, I would like to accumulate a certain level of Buddhism... knowledge, retire as an office worker early, and become a missionary. Is it the religious version of an industrial counselor? I want to be someone who can interact with sick office workers by saving them or taking a break.

I'm worried about what to do with the temple I belong to in order to learn the law and study because there are no affiliated temples even when it comes down to it. Depending on the temple, people who intend to become members of the temple (because they don't want to pay the head temple levy) are not allowed, and depending on the temple, there are only memorial services, and there is no Dharma at all...

I feel that our house, which is not a so-called temple tribe, has a pretty narrow gate, and it's tough.

6 Zen Responses

After all, I think the first problem is finding a mentor. First, why don't you try visiting one by one from a temple near where you live?
If you talk to the chief priest there and seem to be someone you can trust, I think you should be persistent and convey your enthusiasm.
I hope you have a good relationship.
Namu Amida Buddha

For reference
http://www.rinkaian.jp/m/pravrajya.html

Same as looking for a rakugo storyteller's mentor

There are many stories where people aiming to become rakugo storytellers go to ask for “please be my apprentice” many times to a master they respect and finally have them become apprentices.
I think it's the same as that.
In the Jodo sect, it is possible to teach the mysteries of the teachings of the Jodo sect through a 5-day ascetic practice called “Quintessou Den,” even at home.
If it's just an award, it's possible in an even shorter number of days than quintuplation.

However, I think the threshold is still high when it comes to the degree of attainment (registration as a monk).
Modern temples are organizations called religious corporations where each case is managed at the expense of believers, so as a chief priest (representative officer), I am confused about decisions that put a burden on religious corporations.
Increasing the number of affiliated monks by 1 may increase expenses for religious corporations and parishioners, so chief priests will be cautious.
Also, in this day and age, we have to be careful about letting strangers enter and leave religious corporation facilities (parishioners' facilities).
It's safe if it's someone introduced to you through a parishioner or acquaintance.
In the case of the Jodo sect, most of the chief priests are hired and are in the position of caretakers, and basically temples belong to parishioners.
As a chief priest, I have no choice but to be careful about various decisions.

Note that in the case of our temple, even if you are a new member of the parishioners, it is necessary to consult a general meeting of parishioners.
If the chief priest is alone, the number of parishioners cannot be increased.
This is because becoming a parishioner is like getting a share of the temple's assets.
It is not easy to make it possible to use the facilities that parishioners have built up until now.
If it were my temple, I think I would have to report Tokudo (register as a monk and become a monk belonging to the temple) to the parishioners.
At our temple, if you are not a parishioner but a believer (no use of a graveyard), the chief priest can accept it on his own.

Don't despair.
There are people who come from home and become monks.
Some of my buddhist college classmates also came from home.
At the end of the day, we have no choice but to count.
Also, it may be necessary to present conditions so that the chief priest can accept it with peace of mind.
(Other expenses will be borne by actual expenses, etc.)

“I believe that being a monk is not an occupation, but a way of life, so I have no intention of using it as food support. While being an office worker, I want to get paid for it.

This ambition is good, isn't it? Why don't you come to Nakano's dojo for nembutsu?
(I'll do it once for close to 2 hours) taosangha.com 　

Let's move on

I read it.
It is truly precious that you feel that you want to study Buddhism in the future.
So why don't you meet the chief priests of various temples within the denomination that you would like to believe in this teaching from now on?
Depending on the chief priest, there are always people who can form a teacher-pupil relationship.
Also, there are various monks, and there are various ways of thinking about how to live even within the same denomination.
If possible, try meeting various monks in person, talk to them, and take a close look at them.
On top of that, I think there are people who would like to follow this person.
If it's all of a sudden, your partner might be surprised, so please listen to the puja etc. and then talk to them directly.
I sincerely pray to the Buddha that you will have a wonderful faith in the future, meet a wonderful master, and learn Buddhism properly.

Please do your best! I'm rooting for you!

I see, it also depends on what attitude the chief priest and family members of each temple have. There are also temples that are easy to enter, so don't give up and go. It's worth visiting temples that have puja, shōkai, and recently yoga classes and children's cafeterias. Also, I think the temple on this site is probably an easy temple to go to.

Do you know the Religious Corporations Act or Temple Regulations?

“Not a so-called temple tribe, we have a pretty narrow gate at home”
I earned it when I was a student. I'm not from a so-called temple family, and I didn't have a Buddhist altar at my parents' house, and I wasn't a devotee of any temple, so starting off as a monk itself wasn't something I could write without hesitation here; it was difficult at the risk of my life.

“I feel like it's going to be tough”
Tokudoku doesn't feel like it's going to be tough; it's insanely tough. I think almost every denomination is the same thing, but when I looked around house by house, I was sure it was close to impossible. On the temple side, it has been said that adding someone to the temple's monk register is as serious as adding someone else to one's family register. At the time, I thought it was so feudal and discriminatory, but when I became the chief priest, I came to understand the circumstances of the temple, which I had no choice but to be convinced of. I think your ambitions are really great, but to be honest, I think the current situation is that it is still quite difficult for so-called temple families, that is, people who are not children of the temple to aim to become monks.

” No one but parishioners! I think temples like that should disappear.”
In the first place, when I said this, I probably overdid it and got into trouble with my mentor and followers later.

(From the Editorial Department. (Some of the details in this answer have been corrected and removed.)

I am a monk of the Jodo Shinshu Honganji school. Certainly, it seems that the profit threshold for those who live at home is slightly high.
My temple is in Nagano, and I am currently active mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Incidentally, with distance education at the Central Buddhist Academy, it takes at least 3 years to graduate.
When it comes to working, I think it's quite a steep road just to graduate.

It is said that you will attend a correspondence course at Musashino University or Bukkyo University, but if you are still interested in Central Buddhist Academy distance education, please contact us.

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