WHERE WE WORSHIP
'Pure heart' essence of Sun Mission
By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Faith Editor
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| Bishop Jiitsu Yamauchi, leader of Sun Mission, a Buddhist denomination related to the Tendai sect of Japan, says religious adherents who worship at his home seek to "become one with the universe" and pray to improve humanity.
Sun Mission |
Denomination: Buddhist. The sect is related to the Tendai sect of Mount Hiei, Kyoto, Japan.
Where we are: Based in the home of the bishop at 3987 Kaualio Place, Diamond Head.
Our numbers: About 50 members, though only about 10 people attend services weekly.
Our bishop: Bishop Jiitsu Yamauchi.
What is special about us: The bishop holds healing services and uses "tantra," or "secret knowledge."
As a young boy, boddhisattvas would visit Yamauchi in the night, according to his wife, Lorraine. One night the Jizo boddhisattva told him he had a responsibility to help people with his special gift.
Jiitsu Yamauchi didn't follow that path until he eventually retired as an executive in Tokyo in the mid-1990s. He then realized his calling by training at Gassanji temple before entering Enryakyu-ji temple on Mount Hiei.
What we believe: Yamauchi believes in good karma as well as bad karma.
"Everybody can change self, so everybody can get happiness," said Yamauchi, for whom English is a second language.
Sun Mission members believe in reincarnation, karma and following the teachings of Tendai sect, he said.
"My tantra (secret knowledge) is, I talk with the universe," said Yamauchi. "With my special gifts, I want to help people."
He also noted an Easter parallel: "Christians say Jesus going to come back.
Jizo is going to come back (through reincarnation), too."
Sun Mission followers believe in the Jizo bodhisattva as the eternal life bodhisattva or the earth treasure bodhisattva. He is a bodhisattva with great compassion and an inexhaustible store of power to nurture and save all beings, Yamauchi said.
"Sun Mission members believe that we are all born with good/bad karmas," Yamauchi said.
"Our goal is to learn bukkyo and mikkyo, make pure heart so we can erase our bad karma. In doing so, we can break free from the cycle of rebirth and go to heaven.
"By making pure heart, we can become one with everyone and the universe. Together we can pray to change humanity thereby creating peace on this earth.
Lorraine Yamauchi went on to explain that each person has a "deep mind," or soul. This deep mind can teach them from past lives what is right and wrong, she said.
Our history: The Tendai school was introduced to Japan in 806 by Dengyo Daishi (A.D. 767-822).
Dengyo Daishi went to China to study Buddhism under the Chinese masters, and combined esoteric and Zen Buddhism as well as mahayana precepts and brought the teachings back to Kyoto. A temple, with a school, was established on Mount Hiei at that time and continues to be the leading center of Tendai Buddhist studies in Japan.
After studying Tendai, Jiitsu Yamauchi created the Sun Mission in Hawai'i in 1998 as an offshoot of Tendai.
Our activities: Sun Mission holds daily gatherings at 9:30 a.m. and an evening service on the 4th, 14th, and 24th of each month. Upon request, memorial services, funeral services, and ceremonies to bless buildings can be arranged.
This year, the bishop also hopes to start teaching Zen meditation classes.
Contact: 732-3067.
If you would like to recommend a faith organization for a Where We Worship profile, e-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 525-8035 or write: Where We Worship, Faith Page, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.
