A table with a black and white ceramic vase holding red flowers, a blue and white ceramic bowl, and a large white candle on a glass holder. In the background, a decorative scroll with Chinese characters and an illustration of a lotus flower surround the calligraphy.

What is Shin Buddhism?

A lot of people think Buddhism is for monks and requires years of meditation and intellectual study. A monastic path may be for some, but what about the rest of us? Is there a path for those of us with jobs, families, and other everyday concerns?

Shinran Shonin, the founder of Shin Buddhism, wondered the same thing. His solution was a practice that is accessible to anyone. What he began almost 850 years ago in Japan is as relevant and practical today for you, as it was for him. Shin teaches we are all part of a universal family that needs each other to sustain life. As a Sangha (community), we learn to see ourselves not as an isolated string but a part of a larger interconnected cloth.

The teachings of the Buddha seek to help all beings find true peace, happiness and well-being. It does not require that we follow doctrines, beliefs, or creeds, but simply encourages us to listen to the Dharma (teachings), and if we find them to be true through our own life experiences, then to follow them.

From the website of the Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Fairfax Station, VA