Posted on: Saturday, June 9, 2001

Where We Worship
112-year-old temple preserves Shin Buddhism

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

A minister leads a congregation in Sunday prayer at Honpa Hongwanji Hawai'i Betsuin in Nu'uanu.The temple is affiliated with Jodo Shinshu Nishi Hongwanji of Kyoto, Japan. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

• Name of temple: Honpa Hongwanji Hawai'i Betsuin.

• Our denomination or affiliation: Jodo Shinshu Nishi Hongwanji, based in Kyoto, Japan.

• Where we are: 1727 Pali Highway in Nu'uanu.

• Our numbers: 1,100 to 1,200.

• Our head minister: "Rinban" is the official title of the temple's head minister; in English, he's the Rev. Hiromi Kawaji.

• What we believe (our mission statement): "The mission of the Honpa Hongwanji Hawai'i Betsuin is to preserve, perpetuate and extend the heritage of Shin Buddhism for all its members, their families and the general community."

"The Jodo Shinshu teaching is really a teaching of awakening," said Janet Youth, associate minister, "and we talk about this as the path of Nembutsu."

Youth said Jodo Shinshu, which means "pure and true teaching," follows the teachings of Amida Buddha, their central figure of worship. "The Buddha, out of His compassion for the conditions of sentient beings, made promises for our salvation, and that's the foundation of Jodo Shinshu, the vow of Amida Buddha," Youth said, "and our path at this time is to awaken to the vow that Amida has made for us, to awaken to the fact that . . . the wisdom and compassion of Amida Buddha is what saves us. Our mission, then, is to be able to enable others to awaken to that path."

• Our history: "We have a 112-year history," Youth said. "This (temple) was probably the initial entry of Jodo Shinshu into Hawai'i. So it serves as a flagship, so to speak, of the tradition."

Youth said that it was because of Japanese immigrant laborers that the temple came into being. "What really happened was the people here, the immigrant laborers who were here, called to have their religious tradition be part of the community," Youth said.

These issei (first-generation immigrants) made a request to the religious headquarters in Japan, which then dispatched the Rev. Soryu Kagahi, who performed the first service of Honpa Hongwanji on March 18, 1889, near the temple's present site in Nu'uanu.

"Hongwanji," pronounced "hong-gahn-JEE," literally means "temple of the primal vow." "Honpa," pronounced "HÒN-pah," is an abbreviation of "Hongwanji Ha," and "Ha" translates into "group."

• What we're excited about: Members are looking forward to the annual Betsuin Bon Dance, 7:30 to 11 p.m on June 29, and 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. on June 30. Services will be 7 p.m. on June 29 and 7:15 p.m. June 30. Practice sessions for the bon dance will be 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. , June 25 to June 27.

Youth said that the temple is also undergoing major renovations, and members are anticipating the main temple's reopening, scheduled for mid- to late June. Until then, members are meeting for services at an annex next to the main temple.

• What's special about us: Honpa Hongwanji Hawai'i Betsuin is the oldest of 36 temples statewide under the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai'i organization. The administrative offices of the organization are also on the temple site.

Youth said that the temple has been instrumental in making what was a Japanese tradition become more broad and inclusive.

"We have been, I think, taking leadership in terms of being able to have Jodo Shinshu be a source of guide and support," Youth said, "and something that's thousands of years old, be able to have contemporary application."

Mary Tanouye, president of the temple, said the temple is involved in a project to increase its service to the broader community. "We are negotiating a partnership with Kuakini Medical Center for them to operate a senior daycare center on our premises, and slowly we are trying to become a more active part in the society," Tanouye said. "And we're really fortunate to have dynamic, young, English-speaking ministers to assist us in this."

• Contact: 536-7044.

If you would like to recommend your church, temple or faith organization for a Where We Worship profile, e-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 535-8174 or write: Where We Worship, Faith Page, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.