The Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin will celebrate "Gotan-e," the birthday of Shinran Shonin, founder of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist sect, with special services May 19 and 20.
The celebration is also called "Fujimatsuri," or Wisteria Festival, according to the May issue of the temple’s Goji newsletter (hhhb.org/images/goji/ 2012_may.pdf).
"Shinran opened Buddhism and Amida Buddha’s salvation to people of all levels of society, not just the ruling class," the newsletter said.
Shinran was born in Kyoto, Japan, more than 800 years ago on May 21, 1173, during the Kamakura Period in Japan, and died in 1263. His teaching is based on the Pure Land tradition as a successor to Honen Shonin. Followers place primary importance on trusting in the power of the Primal Vow, reciting Amida Buddha’s name, or nembutsu, "Namo Amida Butsu," according to www.hongwanjihawaii.com.
The Rev. Alfred Bloom, a Shin Buddhist priest, professor emeritus of religion at the University of Hawaii and a Hongwanji member, said the Jodo Shinshu is the largest Buddhist sect outside of Japan, and was once the most predominant in western Japan in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is also the largest Buddhist sect in Hawaii, he added.
Here is the Gotan-e schedule at the Hongwanji temple, 1727 Pali Highway:
» May 19: The Rev. Bert Sumikawa speaks at 7 p.m.
» May 20: Japanese service with the Rev. Shinkai Murakami of Wailuku Hongwanji at 7:30 a.m.; Dharma School Family Service with Murakami at 9 a.m.; English service with Murakami at 10 a.m.; Japanese service with Rimban T. Muneto at 1 p.m.
