Our affiliation: The Shinnyo-en Grand Holy Temple is in Tachikawa City, Japan; sanctuaries are throughout Japan and overseas temples are in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.

Where we are: 2348 S. Beretania St.

Our numbers: About 150 people regularly attend weekly services. They estimate they have about 2,000 followers statewide, with "propagation centers" in Mililani, as well as in Kahului, Maui, and Kona on the Big Island, where people gather for monthly meetings and services. (Services are set by the date of the month corresponding to an important date in the life of Buddha. (For example, their sect's eighth-day service corresponds to the birth of the Buddha, April 8).

Our leader: Archbishop Shinso Ito, who succeeded her father, founder Shinjo Ito. There is one Buddhist clergy from Japan, the Rev. Norio Ishikawa, who is assigned to Hawai'i. The Rev. Given Tokunaga is another leader who is on staff at the temple here.

What we believe: Shinnyo-en was established so ordinary people could make society their fundamental training ground. Although its doctrine is rooted in traditional Buddhism, the order allows lay practitioners to train in society on an equal level with conventional clergy.

Members follow the teachings of Buddha's final sutra, the Nirvana (Mahaparinirvana) Sutra. The basic training for members is based on the Six Paramitas (paths to perfection) of Buddhism, which apply to today's society. Training focuses on practicing altruism as displayed by the Buddha in seeking enlightenment, and focuses on active participation in social welfare, humanitarian aid and environmental protection.

The Mahaparinirvana Sutra emphasizes that all people have the seed of enlightenment (or Buddha nature) within them, and yjsy by acting out of compassion and sincere concern for others, everyone is able to cultivate that seed. Through sincere practice, people can begin to cut their negative karma, and as a result, experience true salvation and great joy, not only for themselves, but for their ancestors and descendants as well.

Our history: Shinnyo-en began in Japan in the mid-1930s, when Shinjo Ito and his wife, Tomoji, discovered their spiritual path. Shinjo Ito trained at Daigoji Temple, and soon afterwards was ordained as a monk and became a Buddhist master (Acharya) of Shingon esoteric Buddhism. He started his own denomination in about 1936, then came across the Mahaparinirvana Sutra.

Shinnyo-en came to Hawai'i in the 1970s, when the founder arrived at the request of a Wahiawa couple who had relocated to Hawai'i. Its first meetings were in Wahiawa, then Mililani. The Honolulu temple was built in 1973.

What we're excited about: The Sixth Water Consolatory Service at the Shinnyo-en temple is set for May 30 and Lantern Floating Ceremony will be at Magic Island on May 31. The head of the order, Shinso Ito, will be in Hawai'i to officiate.

"The significance of holding the Lantern Floating on Memorial Day lies in our founder's wish to offer consolatory prayers to all victims of war, whether friend or foe, on a national day of remembrance, as well as to victims of natural and man-made disasters, our ancestors and with prayers toward world peace," Tokunaga said.

"Since officiating at our first Lantern Floating at Ke'ehi Lagoon in 1999, Shinso Ito continues to carry on the wish of our founder. It is through this event that many groups of people, young and old alike, have harmoniously come together to offer sincere prayers to those who have passed on."

What's special about us: In 1957, Shinjo Ito sculpted a statue of a reclining "Buddha in Nirvana," which has become the principal figure of Shinnyo-en. The faith organization "values all spiritual truths," said Tokunaga, and does not ask its members to convert or give up their current religion.

Shinnyo-en also has its own unique form of meditation, sesshin ("touching the essence"), which is performed by spiritual guides (reinosha) and who act as spiritual mirrors for its trainees.

"Sesshin helps people to objectively look into themselves and strip away one's greed, anger and ignorance," Tokunaga said. "Through sesshin, people can also learn about their karma, also known as 'cause and effect.' Negative karma casts a shadow over our lives, and good karma helps us to aspire toward truth, enlightenment and a better life."

Contact: Shinnyo-En Temple, 947-2814 or on the Web: www.shinnyo-en.org, www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com.