Bringing together Buddhist Wisdom and Japanese Culture for more than Seventy Years
The ABSC vision is to bring together American and global communities who seek the unconditional wisdom and compassion expressed in Buddhist teachings. All are welcome.
Trailblazer
The American Buddhist Study honors outstanding individuals who have made the Buddha Dharma their lifetime mission to create a better world
ABSC Honors Eshinni Shonin and Kakushinni, her daughter
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There is little known about Nun Eshinni (1182-1268), but there is still much to unpack about her life. We know she was the wife of Shinran Shonin, and considered the mother of Shin Buddhism. She was a devoted wife and a devoted follower of Shinran’s teachings. In 1921, ten letters were discovered in the archives of the Hongwanji in Kyoto. These letters were written in the declining years of her life. The letters authenticate the existence of Shinran, the founder of Shin Buddhism, and her daughter Kakushinni.​
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These letters offer us a glimpse into the world of Buddhism, as practiced by ordinary women of this time, which would have been otherwise hidden in the shadows of a history chronicled mainly by men. In the letters, Eshinni conveys her deep reverence for her husband.
ABOUT Us
American Buddhist Study Center was originally founded in 1951 by the late Reverend Hozen Seki. At that time the Study Center’s name was The American Buddhist Academy. Back then Reverend Seki’s wanted to enlighten the spirit and the minds of Americans to the great compassion, wisdom, and teachings of Amida Buddha.
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