MATTHIAS LEY
Issue 70
Kajita Shinsho: The Path to Honen-In.
Interview by John Dougill
After all, we don’t know how we will be reborn, so we need to think about that and cultivate a peaceful heart.
Honen-In has for many years been a center for international cultural interchange, thanks to the vision of its head monk, Rev. Kajita Shinsho. In a typical year, the small tranquil temple located just off the Philosopher’s Path hosts around 50 art exhibitions and 60 concerts. The third generation of his family to head the distinguished temple, Rev. Kajita laments the debasement of Japanese Buddhism into “funeral Buddhism” and regards Kyoto’s reputation as a “city of monks” as a measure of its potential to stand out among cities as a “beacon of higher truths.”
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JA