Shinnyo-en Global Interfaith Conference Explores Varieties of Meditation

TOKYO, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Shinnyo-en, the esoteric Buddhist denomination, in partnership with the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW), sponsored a conclave of religious and spiritual leaders to consider how the emergent popular interest in contemplative practices can be channeled into more effective engagement for relief of suffering in the world and towards building unity and affirming diversity.

The conference was held at Shinnyo-en's Ogen Training Center in Tokyo, Japan, September 15-19, 2012.  Representatives of 25 religious traditions and denominations convened to explore how their contemplative practices have concrete impact both within their communities and globally. Religious leaders and meditation teachers represented Buddhist (Mahayanan, Theravadan), Christian (Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Roman Catholic), Hindu, Indigenous African, Sufi, Yogic, and Non-Theistic contemplative traditions.

On September 17, the conference was opened to the public for a series of guided meditations. Over 1,500 people were able to experience a selection of meditation approaches provided by eleven teachers of varying practices from around the world.

As an acknowledgement of the importance of interfaith cooperation and action, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, Head Priest of Shinnyo-en, conducted a Shinnyo fire ceremony on the morning of September 17th for conference participants and over 12,000 Shinnyo-en members and guests. The Shinnyo fire ceremony, based on the ancient traditional homa, is conducted for the public only a few times each year. For the first time ever, Shinso Ito adapted the ceremony to include the participation of the visiting interfaith conference religious leaders in the building of the ritual fire -- the symbol of transforming negative human desires and attachments to an awakening of wisdom and compassion.

Social Impact of Meditative Practices
The flourishing interest in meditation and other contemplative practices worldwide, among spiritual organizations, healthcare providers, scientific researchers, and lifestyle trendsetters, testifies to a widespread acknowledgement of individual benefits experienced by those who engage in contemplative practices. The conference sought to renew focus on how contemplative practice also empowers altruistic action.

Reverend Minoru Shitara, Head of the Shinnyo-en International Department, in convening the conference, said: "The goal of interfaith dialogue should not be academic or anthropological. Nor should it be only for personal transformation. The goal must be to learn from one another. The different religious traditions provide evidence for how spiritual practices provide relief and motivate compassionate action. Shakyamuni Buddha reminded us: the world is burning with darkness, greed, and anger. Our contemplative practices open our awareness to this suffering of others and of our societies and the environment. We need to explore together how our contemplative practices also empower us, individually and together, to transform this world of suffering toward a world of harmony and understanding."

Ms. Dena Merriam, founder of the GPIW, said, "The interfaith community has matured. There is a new willingness to embrace proposals for universal cooperation and initiatives. The common concerns and purpose of faith leaders throughout the world offer new hope for healing, for the well-being of not just the whole human community, but all the ecosystems of the world."

Topics explored in the discussions included:

• How silencing the mind, one of the common features of diverse contemplative traditions, makes one aware of the external world and of one's situation in the world.
• How the training of the mind – in concentration and reflection – shapes our actions in the world and how we relate to people and all life on the earth.
• How leaders in religious organizations and teachers of contemplative practices can assist people to sustain their experiences and insights gained during meditation into their actions and lives.
• The roles of religious rites, ceremonies, and cultural traditions as a complement to contemplative practices.
• The importance and understanding of the roles of meditation teachers and contemplative guides.
• The "secularization of meditation" – as a threat and opportunity in the 21^st century.

About Shinnyo-en (http://www.shinnyoen.org)
Shinnyo-en is a Buddhist denomination originally established in Japan and with members today throughout the world. Shinnyo-en is, first and foremost, a place for Buddhist training, in which all people regardless of age, gender, nationality, or religious background can cultivate their innate buddha nature, the kernel of enlightenment existing in all beings. Shinnyo-en Buddhism is differentiated by its teachings drawn from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, by its deep roots in ancient esoteric Buddhist practices, and by its distinctive form of meditative training, called sesshin. Shinnyo-en conducts unique fire and water ceremonies, based on the ancient rituals of homa and merit transfer, several times each year at significant places around the world. Shinnyo-en's ceremony, Lantern Floating Hawai'i, has been conducted in Honolulu since 1998, and is the largest Buddhist ceremony regularly held outside of Asia, with an audience annually exceeding 40,000 people.

The first Shinnyo-en temple was consecrated in 1938, led by Master Shinjo Ito (1906-1989), who had trained at the Daigoji Monastery, the Shingon temple in Kyoto, Japan (founded 843 CE), one of the historic centers of Japanese esoteric Buddhism. Recognized as an acharya in 1943, Master Shinjo was authorized to establish his own dharma lineage, which became the contemporary Shinnyo-en. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Shinnyo-en has temples throughout Japan and in other countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle). The current Head Priest of Shinnyo-en is Her Holiness Shinso Ito, the first woman ever to officiate at a Buddhist ceremony at the Daigoji Monastery in the 1,100 year history of the temple, an origin of Japanese esoteric Buddhist practice.

About the Global Peace Initiative of Women (http://www.gpiw.org)
The Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) was founded to help awaken and mobilize spiritual energies in places of great need with the goal of aiding in healing and unifying the world community. GPIW facilitates this by seeking to gather together those of great insight, wisdom, compassion and dedication, many of whom are working quietly for the upliftment of the world.  A major focus of GPIW's work is to aid in building a global network of contemplative leaders who through their inner work can help transform the causes and conditions that lead to suffering at both the individual and collective level.  

SOURCE Shinnyo-en