Phone: (602) 278-0036

Email:azbtemple@gmail.com

The mission of the ARIZONA BUDDHIST TEMPLE is to encourage Sangha:

1) to learn the joyful and compassionate teachings of Amida Buddha;

2) to practice these teachings in their daily lives; and

3) to share the teachings with others.

All beings be happy. May they be joyous and live in safety. All living beings, whether weak or strong, tall or short, big or small, visible or not visible, near or far away, already born or yet to be born. May all beings be happy.

May no one deceive or look down on anyone anywhere, for any reason. Whether through feeling angry or through reacting to someone else, may no one want another to suffer. May all beings be happy.

Donations

We are now accepting Donations online

Click Here to Order or Donate

Or 

You can also send to our NEW Mailing Address

Arizona Buddhist Temple

P.O. Box 23282

Phoenix, AZ 85063

Your generosity is greatly appreciated

The Arizona Ondo Kai

Dharma in the Desert

Introducing our video Dharma Talks.

Even in times of great suffering there is always a path to enlightenment

To celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Arizona Buddhist Temple, we have put together a series of interviews from some of our Sangha members and what being a part of the Arizona Buddhist Sangha means to them. 

Sunday, July 6th, 2025

10:00am Dharma Service

Sunday, July 13th, 2025

10:00am Dharma Service

Last temple service before Summer break

--Summer Break--

No Temple services for a bit

Have a Great Summah!

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Sunday, September 7th

10:00 am Dharma Service

11:30 am Welcome Back Potluck!

So how was your Summah?

Sunday, September 14th

10:00 am Dharma Service

Sunday, September 21st

10:00 am Shotsuki Hoyo Dharma Service

Fall Ohigan

Birthday Sunday

Sunday, September 28th

10:00 am Dharma Service

---------------------------------------------------- 

Additional Activities may be planned, schedule will continue to be updated.

Stay safe, wash your hands, relax, and try to work on that enlightenment thing you have been meaning to get to.  Its always a good time to practice the Dharma.

Morning Meditation

Please join us for some quiet sitting, chanting, and guided meditation. Most sessions last from 10 to 20 minutes. Sit in one of our comfortable chairs, borrow one of our zafus or bring your own!

-see above schedule for meeting times-

Dharma Message

Gakubutsu Vonn Magnin

 Greetings, Dharma friends! I hope y’all are surviving the summer heat of Phoenix so far! If you’re someone who enjoys the heat, don’t worry as there’s more to come! Alternatively, if you prefer cooler temperatures, don’t worry, as you only have to wait about 5 more months before the daily highs dip below 100!

  This past spring has been very busy for me. I took my final 2 classes for the Institute of Buddhist Studies (I have the next year to work on my thesis) & my Temple duties & full-time job have both kept me very busy as well. My full-time job, especially, has been very challenging over the last few months, as we’ve gone through 2 reorganizations, & I’ve been directly involved in many efficiency improvement projects that we are implementing at a lightspeed pace.

  Throughout the early part of the Spring, I felt like Dory from the great Disney movie Finding Nemo. I kept telling myself to just keep swimming.

  To tell the truth, though, it was a bit hard to keep swimming. I started to tell myself that once I finished whatever I was focused on in that moment, things would get easier; but, what ended up happening is that something new would slide right into the gap that was left after I checked off the box of a finished task. That’s life, isn’t it?

  It wasn’t long before I felt like I wasn’t swimming anymore but drowning, despite the love & support I was receiving from my family & friends. It was hard to notice other things that were going on around me. I started suffering from tunnel vision & was only able to see the thing right in front of my face.

  Then one day in late March/early April, I was driving to work & watching the sun start rising above Piestewa Peak while I was at a stoplight. At one point in that brief moment, the sunlight started to shine in a single huge ray between two peaks, which illuminated a spot on the ground below. Everything else around that spot was still shrouded in darkness, so the illuminated spot really stood out as something as beautiful as the ray that was shining on it.

  I was awestruck in that briefest of moments. From that moment forward, every time I drove to & from work, I made a point to look & listen to whatever was going on around me when I was stopped at a red light. I’d hear birdsong, children laughing, the wind, & people singing in the cars. I’d see clouds passing by, the sun reflecting off of Tempe Town Lake, people walking along Central Avenue smiling as they went, & lots of happy dogs walking with their human companions. It’s amazing how a little light can command you to wake up & notice the beautiful things around you.

  To me, this is what Shinjin must be like. Shinjin is the Light of Amida Buddha’s Boundless Wisdom & Compassion that is shining on each of us – illuminating us even though the world around us may still be cloaked in darkness. When we receive Shinjin from Amida Buddha, we naturally begin to wake up & see ourselves as we truly are. Our thoughts begin to soften & our hearts grow more tender to the world around us. Not all the way & not all the time, as we will always be tethered to this world of human existence filled with moments of dissatisfaction, disappointment, & suffering until we complete this life. But when we truly “see” the Light of Shinjin, we will know we are okay just as we are until we are born in Amida Buddha’s Pure Land of Peace & Bliss.

  So, the next time you are super busy & frantically going from thing to thing, I hope you will find your stoplight moments to look around & see the Light of Shinjin that is shining on you, always.

Namo Amida Butsu!

President's Message

Kris Nakashima - June 2025

  Welcome to the infernal month of June where we mark the start of the Summer season with our first triple digit high.  Close the doors, turn on the TV, and keep the A/C running, the next few months are going to get toasty.

  I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Obon in the Garden event and our partners at the Ro-Ho-En Japanese Friendship Garden whom we co-hosted this event together.   A special thanks to our dancers at the Arizona Ondo Kai, who showcased their amazing dance skills to thunderous applause.  As well as our concession volunteers who slinged delicious Somen Salad to ravenous appetites.  We hope to keep the Obon tradition alive by sharing it with the wider community.

   Of course this is only the start of the Obon season.  On Saturday June 7th we will be having our traditional Obon at the Temple. We encourage everyone to attend another great evening of fun and dance.   The evening starts at 5pm for Bento Dinner and Drinks, while the dancing commences at 7pm at night.  Wear your favorite Happi coat, remember your loved ones, toast to their memories, and party the night away!

  The next day, on Sunday June 8th  will be our Obon Service in the morning at 10am.  Our guest speaker this year is Rev. Landon Yamaoka.  We hope everyone is able to attend.

  May you stay cool indoors while the skies above burn with a fiery rage as we hold out hope for a Monsoon miracle.  In the meantime, take it easy and have yourself a splendid Summah!

Arizona Buddhist Temple Women's Club

Betsy and Liz Matsumoto

We would like to thank Hana Japanese Eatery for the Mother’s Day Luncheon held on May 4th.  As always, they prepared a delicious lunch for us.  

“Obon in the Garden 2025” was held at the Japanese Friendship Garden on June 10.  A short service was held before the start of the odori, and somen salad and mochi cake were sold by the temple.  Thank you to everyone who participated during this event. 

Bento preparations for Obon will start at 12:00 pm on Saturday, June 7. Please come out and help.  The Women’s Club will have a pastry sale Saturday evening during Obon odori, so please bring your favorite pastry item Saturday afternoon, or a donation of $15.00 is requested if you are not able to bring anything.  

The Federation of Buddhist Women’s Association (FBWA) is selling 12oz packages of Panko for $3.00 each.  The sale is to offset the cost of the Southern District hosting the conference to be held in San Diego next year, Oct. 2-4, 2026.  Arizona BWA (Fujinkai) will be helping with greeting and directing the attendees to their respective workshops and will have a craft booth to sell items handmade by our temple members.  If you are interested in buying a package or two of Panko, please contact Betsy or Liz Matsumoto.  Also, thanks to those who ordered Panda Express on Friday, May 16.

We would like to thank everyone for their continued help and support during our temple events

UPCOMING EVENTS

Arizona Buddhist Temple Cookbook

The Arizona Buddhist Temple is fortunate to have great cooks who help at the Temple.

This year we are collecting recipes from Arizona Buddhist Temple Sangha members.

Please send your favorite recipes to Liz Matsumoto at liz.matsumoto@cox.net

You can also drop off your recipes at Temple-there is an envelope in the kitchen.

They will be put together a cookbook for all of us to enjoy.

Please contact Rev. Lynn Sugiyama if you have any questions at 602-366-0590.  Thank you!

Dharma Services

Dharma Services and Dharma Talks will in person and live streamed online every Sunday. Please visit the Temple website at https://www.azbuddhisttemple.org/ or our Temple Facebook page to view the Dharma videos.

Adult Discussion Group

Adult discussion group will be conducted by Sensei Lynn Sugiyama. Please check the calendar for dates.

Meditation Class

8:30 Am on most Sunday Mornings.

Online Donations

The Temple now has online donation payment methods on the Temple website https://www.azbuddhisttemple.org/. The Temple thanks you for your dana.

Religious Needs

Sensei Lynn, Sensei Vonn, and Sensei Michael are all available for any religious needs including memorial services. Please reach out to them directly or via email at azbtemple@gmail.com for any needs!

Community Information:

Everyone’s mental health is important.

If you are in need of help, please call:

2-1-1 or 1-800-273-8255 for English.  

Tetris Mobile Crisis Unit, please call 602-222-9444.  

For Spanish please call 1-888-628-9454.

For Japanese please call 1-800-654-5341 or 1-877-990-8585.

Suicide Hotline -9-8-8

For all emergencies, please call 9-1-1.    

Our Maintenance crew welcomes anyone who would like to join! The schedule is variable, however the group meets 2-4 times a month depending on the weather and needs of the trees. Please see Fran Johnston if you’re interested!

Information on recent fire adjacent to the Temple.

Donation to the Buddhist Temple. 

https://arizona-buddhist-temple.square-site/

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/1406103 

Buddhist Churches of America:

Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter and in Opposition to Racism

  Today we find ourselves in a time of deep unrest and pain. There is no justification for the killing of George Floyd, of Ahmaud Arbery, of Breonna Taylor. These and other countless racially motivated misuses of force against Black people are a travesty that must not continue. The pain and anguish of the Black community is resounding throughout the United States and the world, and is touching the hearts of many more people, including our own ministers and members.

Amida Buddha is said to have the “Wisdom of Non-Discrimination.” This is manifested in the Great Compassion that embraces ALL beings. Amida Buddha does not reject anyone based on age, gender, class, race, or any other basis. Although it is difficult for us as unenlightened beings to manifest this Wisdom of Non-Discrimination, this radical equality is an ideal in our tradition.

Although it is difficult for us as foolish beings to manifest the all-embracing Great Compassion, this kindness and caring is our model to strive for. However, this equality will never be reached until Black Lives Matter.

Buddhists are not immune from racism. The insidious influence of racism is learned from many sources, usually unconsciously. It is important for us as Jodo Shinshu Buddhists to engage in self-reflection, and to be open to finding this racism within ourselves, as well as within our temples.

To learn more please check out the following links:

Thoughts about Black Lives Matter -Buddhist Church of Sacremento -Reverend Matt Hamasaki

The Importance of Sangha

Cole Siegrist

A few weeks ago I was part of a group that travelled to San Fernando in the LA area for the Southern District JRYBL Seminar 1 event. The six paramitas were the focus of the workshops and discussions, and during the closing message Rev. Usuki introduced us to an activity that would demonstrate all six. I was fortunate enough to participate in the game, which was similar to musical chairs, except everyone needed a seat when the music stopped and chairs were removed. To us, the activity was a challenge we needed to overcome; to the rest of the Sangha, it was entertainment as they watched and laughed at our struggles and victories. At one point I tried to give someone a piggyback ride, thinking it would simplify matters a bit. At the last stage of the game, with one chair left for the 14 of us, I figured one less pair of legs to worry about should make it easier, right? Wrong, as we found out when I tried to balance on someone’s knee and we both came crashing to the ground. 

On the surface, this activity was a 15 minute period of watching 14 teenagers trip over each other and attempt to sit on chairs in creative ways. But on a deeper level, it allowed the group of us to work together and rely on each other. We practiced Dana, the generosity of our peers to help each other; Sila, the moral discipline to pick each other up and provide encouragement after we fell; Ksanti, the patience when we had to adapt; Virya, the effort we put into problem solving; Dhyana, the mental fortitude to continue and persevere; and Prajna, our mindset throughout the process and belief in ourselves. We trusted that if we were about to fall, one of our friends would catch us and hold up our legs or arms to fulfill the objective. 

This idea also forms one of the basic principles of Buddhism. We as human beings cannot walk the path to enlightenment by ourselves. Sure, we can try our best to and strive to follow the teachings Sakyamuni preached, but if we do so alone, we have already failed. At some point along the journey, we are forced to lean on other people, whether it be something minor like a ride to school or something more significant, such as the emotional support from family or a close friend after the loss of a loved one. Everywhere we look, throughout our lives, others have been there for us. Parents, siblings, teachers, friends, coaches, even strangers have impacted our lives. A kind word when we are having a bad day, a voice of motivation when we’re feeling defeated, a consistent reminder of what we’re trying to accomplish in this life as well as the support and assistance to do so. 

Every Sunday we sing the phrase ‘I go to the Dharma for guidance’. The Dharma contains teachings such as the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, and the Six Paramitas. These ideas provide a roadmap for us to follow in our lives. However on a much more physical and realistic level, we turn to the people around us for guidance, we go not only to the Buddha and the Dharma but also to the Sangha. The Buddha teaches us the Dharma, but without the Sangha we have no one to ask questions to when we are confused or struggling with our lives, no one to lean on when we can’t hold ourselves up, no one to walk the path with us. We would be alone in our suffering. We would have the Buddha and the Dharma to look to, but at a much more primal level, we need others. We need others to care for us, to nurture us, to keep us disciplined, to push us forward toward our goals and aspirations. We need others to help us solve problems, and to help us sit on a chair currently occupied by 12 other people. The Three Treasures of the Truth are a vital part of Buddhism, and the next time we sing Vandana and Ti-Sarana, find new meaning in the words ‘I go to the Sangha for guidance’.

-Cole Siegrist

The Jr. YBL at Conference 2019.  Ehsa Murray designed the poster and won first place. Way to go Ehsa!

Aaron was in the Chigo Parade when the Gomonshu came to L.A.

First Row (l to r): Naomi Mayer, Sean Belcheff, Aaron Murray.

Second Row (l to r): Fran Johnston, Kimiyo Oka Duda, Mia Duda,

Lauren Kawashima, Kendall Kawashima, Joshua Tominaga, Cole Siegrist,

Kenji Matsumoto, Zack Siegrist, Nicholas Murray, and Joe Murray. 

THE KIESHIKI AFFIRMATION CEREMONY

  A group of 45 people went on a trip to Japan from June 20th to July 1st.  It was a wonderful trip and everyone learned so much and enjoyed the many places we visited.   This included a trip to Hompa Hongan-Ji, the mother temple of our tradition Shin Buddhism.  During our visit to Hompa Hongan-Ji, 14 people (9 Jr. YBA Members, 2 children, and 3 adults) took part of the affirmation ceremony, called Kieshiki, to receive their Buddhist Names.   

  In this ceremony, an official from Hongwanji performed the ceremony before the altar of the  Amida Buddha.  All the participants took the important step of affirming their reverence for the Buddha (Sakyamuni), Dharma (the Buddhist Teachings), and Sangha (the Buddhist Community), and their determination to follow the path to Buddhahood.  This path is of great value to all followers because they are entrusting themselves to Sakyamuni Buddha’s teaching.  For this reason, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are called the Three Treasures.   

  As part of the ceremony, the officiant touches the head of each participant with a scroll inscribed with the words of the Buddha.  This is referred to as Chokyo, or receiving the teachings.  The affirmation ceremony in Shin Buddhism has deep meaning because the participants are declaring their entrusting heart and mind to the Buddhist teachings. 

  By participating in the affirmation ceremony, one receives a Buddhist name, or Homyo.  The name begins with the kanji, Chinese character, for Shaku or “disciple of Buddha,” then followed with two kanji characters of Buddhist meaning.  To be the disciple of Buddha signifies that the person has joined the followers of the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, a community that transcends race or nationality.  As Shin Buddhists, the participants endeavor to hear the teaching of Amida’s Primal Vow, and teach it to others who want to learn.   

We congratulate the recipients who received their Buddhist Name.

The Chuck Matsumoto Memorial Scholarship

              This year’s scholarship recipient winner was Emiko Jay. She has received the Chuck Matsumoto Memorial Scholarship. We would like to share her essay below. Congratulations Emi!

Q: What is an example of a time when you had a hardship that you overcame by the Jodo Shinshu and Buddhism teachings?

My life has often felt as if I am landing in an airplane feeling the jolt of the brakes pushing me--and the plane-- back, preventing me from stopping. I need to hold on long enough to push through the pressure and then everything will run smoothly. Finally, I can walk through those plane doors to a new day.

Growing up in a predominantly white area I have always viewed myself as not “White” enough. At age two I was adopted from China; and by having no connection to my Chinese roots, I never felt  “Chinese” enough. However, the small Asian community I am connected to comes from temple. Because most members of the temple are Japanese, it has resulted in me never feeling “Japanese” enough either. It didn’t seem like I had a solid place to feel accepted and at peace with who I was. Consequently, I have always felt as if I would never be good enough for anything. This mindset was the catalyst for the constant cycle of trying to prove my worthiness to everyone.

In my junior year of high school I moved across the country from Arizona to Connecticut. I was no longer competing against my life long friends and acquaintances anymore. Instead, they were complete strangers. The scrutiny of my new peers was at its peak; and with the addition of sitting alone in class everyday, I felt like an alien. I thought of how much easier it’d be to make friends if I was more White. If maybe I could have blue eyes. The snarky seniors in my math class whispering I would get an A, “because I was Asian.” All of this contributed to the shame I felt in being me.

  I used to find escape from these feelings at temple surrounded by the teachings of the Buddha, but once I moved away, I felt as if I fell off the Eightfold path and was lost. Though I would feel more similar to everyone around me, the color of our skin didn’t mean cohesion. I know a variety of Japanese traditions and all about their history, but nothing about my Chinese roots. I’d sit and think, “If only I could be Japanese” during meditation, unable to clear my mind. Why couldn’t I be Japanese or White like everyone else? I felt isolated with no one to talk to, no place to fit in. That is until I became more heavily involved with the Jr.YBA, where I had the opportunity to meet more people like me, who were adopted into a Japanese lifestyle; we’d relate on feeling out of place and I finally felt understood and no longer alone.   

Jr.YBA led me to the friends who would unconditionally stick by my side. When I’d fly to see them, it was refreshing to be able to open up about my feelings. Opening up for the first time, led me to accept my differences rather than be ashamed of them. The teachings of the Buddha that we would discuss and learn more about at the events, along with the camaraderie of everyone is where I learned that concept and importance of interdependence. Our similarities and differences are what allow us to grow closer and bring people together as a whole.  

At a very young age we learn about The Golden Chain of Love.  I will have it memorized in my mind forever. When I think back to learning it, I used to perceive it as just a children’s lesson that would not apply when I was an adult. For example, this line has shown much significance to my troubles as a teenager:

“... knowing what I know now, not only affects my happiness or unhappiness but also that of others...”

I have learned that it is not all about myself, that it is also about everyone that surrounds me; it is chain made up of a numerous people, all trying to attain the unanimous goal of being their best self. We are all connected in this chain of love, togetherness and unity, interdependence. Without everyone else’s group effort, there would be no chain. Each member of Jr.YBA is a part of this chain, including me. I am a part of something much bigger than myself, contributing to better myself and the world around me. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and let go of your ego and selfishness. I finally realized not everything is about me, everyone else has their own insecurities too and are suffering in their own ways. I decided to stop dwelling on how my differences hurt me and ‘what could be’ to what it is and bettering myself.

With that push forward I began joining more clubs to put myself out there. I stopped focusing on what people think of me because of what I look like, but how they’d think of me based on who I was. A year of my life wasted, being isolated with no one in class to talk to. What I needed to figure out earlier was that it doesn’t hurt to try; the worst that could happen is they don’t like you. In certain classes I wasn’t scared to talk in front of the class and participate anymore; I needed to stop caring and set myself free.

I learned you can’t do everything alone, and that’s okay. Life begins with ignorance, uncertainty, and it definitely has its fair share of difficulties, but it will always find a way to make sure you do walk through those plane doors to a new day. Without the acceptance and love I found through the teachings of the Buddha I don’t know where I would be; I am so thankful to be apart of such a supportive and caring community.

Dharma School Kid of the Month

Our Dharma School Kid of the Month is Sean Belcheff! Sean made a wonderful picture about family! Great job Sean!

Japanese American Citizens League, Arizona Chapter 

Announces Flower Growers Memorial on Baseline Road

  PHOENIX, AZ— On October 20, 2019, the Japanese American Citizens League, Arizona Chapter (JACL-AZ) in collaboration with the Circle K Corporation and the City of Phoenix, will unveil a memorial to the Japanese American farmers who grew flowers on Baseline Road for over 50 years. The memorial will be located at the northwest corner of 40th Street and Baseline Road and will include photographs of the fields and a short history of the Japanese American families who lived and farmed along Baseline Road.

  Funded and installed through a donation from the Circle K Corporation, the memorial was conceived and included during the master plan redesign of the Baseline area. Historian Pamela Rector and former JACL-AZ president Ted Namba worked with the City of Phoenix and Circle K to ensure that the vision of the memorial was fulfilled.

  The unveiling will take place on October 20, 2019 at 10 am at the northwest corner of 40th Street and Baseline Road and will be followed by a reception at Baseline Flower Growers, 3801 E. Baseline Road, Phoenix 85042.

Contact: Kathy Nakagawa, Board Member, Japanese American Citizens League-AZ Chapter, email: nakagawa@asu.edu, phone: (602) 373-7322

AZBT Wants YOU!

-Volunteer Today-

Dear Sangha, 

  We are looking for additional volunteers for the Toban schedule. The Temple needs more people to help keep our Hondo and associated facilities clean. Right now the schedule is 7 groups rotating every other week with 3 people in a group. The cycle is about every 2 months. 

  It takes about 1 hour to vacuum the "Hondo" (Main Hall) area and mop and clean the restrooms and kitchen. We would appreciate any availability anyone has to help keep our Temple clean. 

  To sign up or for more information, please contact Mine Tominaga at

 480-­‐838-­‐3057 or see her at Sunday services. 

Thank you! 

Buddhism In My Life 

By Sara Jay 

Since I was 5 years old, I have been attending the Arizona Buddhist Temple on Sunday’s, as well as attending seminars and conferences in Los Angeles in the Bay Area for the Jr. Youth Buddhist Association. Because of my dedication to Buddhism, you may think I completely rule out any other religion. However, my father has taught me the complete opposite. The many teachings I have learned, only sought to teach me that everyone in this world is made up of events that make them different and unique from each other. However, our connections to each other, interdependence, make us a unifying force in the world. Our differences are not meant to make us defy each other. They are meant to contribute to a grander force that will better the world and make a more peaceful place. By following the Eightfold Path, I have been able to see the brighter light and that you make your own path. By doing so, I have pursued a more open lifestyle, accepting the change I see in the world instead of running from it.  

One of the most substantial events in my Buddhist life that helped me to become who I am today is my first leadership conference at Nishi Buddhist Temple my freshmen year. It was an event that brought us so much closer to one another in a period of hours. We were in a room with posters around us that read: school, friends, family, economic status, the future, yourself, etc. Then the administrator would say, “go to the side of the room that makes you feel secure.” Because of this, I was able to witness who felt most comfortable at home, and who was most comfortable with their friends. Then they would say, “go to the side of the room that you hide from the world.” This was the point that made me said. I saw people at ever poster. Some were insecure about themselves, others who lacked friends, and some who had troubles at home. This made me see that so many people lead different lives than us. We may know them as our friends from YBA, but that is only one small, minute part of their life. Similar to what we see in everyday society, you really cannot fathom what people are experiencing in their lives, as humans are very skillfull at picking and choosing what they express on the outside.

The teachings I have learned from seminars, conferences, and weekly Dharma service discussions have taught me that each and every individual is different. There are aspects of our lives that intertwine us, but the events, people we have met, and places we visit separate us from being identical. I learned that there are reasons why some one may have said a rude comment, or why someone chooses to be extremely quiet in school. We should not judge them for this, as we most likely express some of these habits ourselves. But if we can learn to identify and express understanding towards one another, then we will only better ourselves and the world as a whole. Overall, Buddhism has taught me that diversity is a beneficial attribute, and we should rejoice in its presence instead of shying away from it. 

What Reincarnates: A Clear Explanation 

David Belcheff 

    I have received valuable responses to my article, “Buddhist Peace—Before, After, and During This Life”, (Prajna, November, 2016; and the British journal, Pure Land Notes #30, December, 2016). The problem of traditional Buddhist doctrine simultaneously upholding the notion of no-self (anātman) and the contradictory notion of reincarnation has been an object of sustained contemplation for me and a topic of discussion with Dharma friends for years. One Dharma friend directed me to the work of Ian Stevenson. Another Dharma friend claimed that the Buddha simply left us with a mystery regarding the simultaneous assertion of reincarnation and denial of substantial selves. So, with help from my friends and the Larger Sutra, I pressed on, trying to make sense of this “mystery” until, at last, discovering a satisfactory explanation that conforms to Siddhārtha Gautama’s rational methodology and to his great insight into the issue of impermanence: It is relationships—most technically, patterns of relatedness—that reincarnate, not individuals. For humans, especially, patterns of relatedness between our genes (biology), memes (communications culture), and extended phenotypes (material culture) reincarnate. This view takes the Buddha’s assertion of no-self seriously. Also… 

• It explains all of the phenomena related to testimonies of reincarnation, including visitations from dead loved ones, without positing survival of individual personhood after death. Think of patterns of relatedness rippling across regions and generations, much like the hundredth monkey effect.

• Relationships exist between the “extremes” of pairs (or groups) of subjectivities. Therefore, relationships accord with the principle of the Middle Path. And, as such, relationships are not accessible to the grasping or calculating mind. Relationships are homeless. Relationships do not dwell exclusively in this or that personality, but visit them all.

• If patterns of relatedness persist, life after life, then the unique personalities involved in a given relationship are merely – and wonderfully, and deliciously – incidental, accidental, finite, mortal, evanescent, special. From the gratuitous aid of a stranger to a loving life-long relationship, the “and” of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou” spontaneously manifests, ever fresh and alive, as the dependent arising of mutually-acknowledging subjectivities.

    Furthermore, relatedness (rather than personalities) reincarnating is falsifiable. Our relationships with others—whether alive, dead, or fictional—already reincarnate from instant to instant, so we can empirically test the correctness of this view at any time. It is not persons, but relationships that are reborn each instant. It is patterns of relatedness that account for personalities, and that “return” over and over again in the “return to earth-school until getting it right and graduating from the wheel of samsara” analogy; for example, centuries-old conflicts that still persist today.

    This view puts to rest worrying about what happens after we die. Liberated from such ontological anxieties, we are free to focus on peaceful and happy relationships (which is what we really are), rather than obsess about the right-or-wrong, he-said-she-said, rule-bound, tit-for-tat exchanges within relationships—whether generous or mean-spirited. Am I so mighty? No matter how great my self-cherishing, my precious identity, my spiritual ego, my “annoying humanity” (as my wife calls it), I am still going to face the same oblivion as Shelley’s “Ozymandias.” Yes, it is true that everything we think, say, and do matters a great deal, and we are all “responsible for our actions,” as we robotically remind ourselves. But when we misunderstand a self (whether our own or another’s) as an atomistic automaton, rather than a complex assemblage of relationships, we fall into error. When we attack another, we never just attack an individual being, we attack an entire network of relationships. Likewise, when we love another, a wondrous union of relational love flows through us into the midst of another wonderful gathering of relationships, affecting untold revolutions of “peace and happiness” (see Dharmākara’s thirty-third vow).  

    Ultimately, then, it is our relationships that really matter. Relationships are powerful. Individual identities only seem so. Shin Buddhism has a wonderful term that helps us understand relationships, rather than individuals, as the locus of life-activities, and even of consciousness: “Other Power” (Tariki). Other Power undulates through friendships, studentships, parenting, devotion, pastoral care, diplomacy, charity, etc., and also through our relationships with food, technology, and other non-human beings we encounter in the world.  

    When understanding patterns of relatedness, and not individual persons, as that which “reincarnates,” the term, Sangha, and Shinran’s notion of Dharma friends (ondobo/ondogyo), come to mean so much more, and the Shin canon can be heard in a much deeper key

1) Amida Buddha selects all helpless, hopeless, foolish, ordinary beings drowning in the karmic ocean of birth and death as the targets of his inconceivable Vow. This means that we have a special connection with all other beings as fellow targets of Amida’s Vow. How, then, could we not naturally aspire to regard all others with the same compassion expressed in Amida’s Vow “to remove the roots of the afflictions of birth and death of all” (Larger Sutra 1:6)?

2) In his “causal stage,” as the bodhisattva, Dharmākara, Amida Buddha learned an eternal practice from his teacher, Lokeśvararāja. This practice is called kuyō (Skt., puja, lit. “worshipping with offerings;” see, e.g., the twenty-fourth vow). Kuyō involves visiting countless Buddha lands, making offerings to them all, and learning relational wisdom from the “good and evil natures of heavenly and human beings living there.” The practice of kuyō emerges spontaneously from the relationship between Lokeśvararāja and Dharmākara, spreading out like rebounding ripples in a pond, expressing itself as the Vow to save all beings, to make each and every one a Buddha. Identified especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth vows, and supported by all forty-eight vows, the relationship Amida has with all beings, the kuyō selected as his eternal practice, manifests in his Name. 

    From these two relational templates, we develop an awareness of every being we encounter as: 1) a fellow target of Amida’s boundless compassion, and, thereby, 2) a Buddha in the making, or a teacher of relational wisdom. Amida’s Vow-mind, then, models the correct attitude to maintain towards every being, in every moment, in every incarnation.  

    For further study, see: the third, sixth, and ninth chapters of the Tannishō; and the third, fourth, fifth, and forty-fifth vows of the Larger Sutra, reading the events of past lives as history, and the beautiful, homogenous golden appearance of humans and devas as relational rather than as personal forms of being, i.e., as love.