On October 15th at the Oyasono temple complex outside Tokyo, the Japanese lay Buddhist group Shinnyo-en celebrated an “eye-opening ceremony” for a Buddha statue sculpted in 1957 by their founder, Master Shinjo Ito. Huffington Post has a slideshow of the recent event here.
Shinnyo-en emphasizes service and the possibility of the liberation promised by the Buddha for all beings. Tracing its origins to the Japanese Vajrayana school of Shingon Buddhism, Shinnyo-en is a growing lay movement that numbers its worldwide membership at more than 1 million. Tricycle was able to catch up with the head teacher of the group, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, when she visited New York not long ago.
Below is an image of Master Shinjo’s sculpture. More photos here.
