Vol. 2, Issue 3

FEATURED ARTICLE - ENCOUNTERING SHINRAN SHONIN THROUGH A COFFEESHOP WINDOW
(Above) Front gate of the Rokkakudo in Kyoto, Japan.
for my desire to pursue more mundane goals, which were
becoming more and more important to me. At some point
in the autumn of 2011 I formally left my Tibetan Sangha.
At first, I thought I would leave Buddhism altogether, since
I assumed that being a real Buddhist necessarily meant
to devote countless hours to arduous practices. Soon I
realized that it wasn’t possible for me to abandon the path.
I had been involved with the Dharma since my late teens
and it had become an integral part of my life. So, I was
caught between a rock and a hard place. It was obvious
that I couldn’t carry on practising and living like I had
and yet I couldn’t entirely put Buddhism aside and focus
on my career and other aspects of my life.
Then I remembered my trip to Japan, where I
witnessed many lay people expressing a deep sense of
devotion at the temples I visited. These were presumably
lay people who had jobs and families. They didn’t sit at the
temple for many hours, they just came in, offered incense
and spent a few quiet minutes before going back to their
daily lives. However, I did sense a few times, especially in
older women, a strong feeling of faith and commitment,
which touched me very deeply. Perhaps this was way the
way forward?
By the end of the year 2011, I became immersed in
looking for a suitable tradition where I could explore my
worldly desires and continue developing my connection
with Buddhism in a freer, gentler way. Around that time,
I stumbled upon Al Bloom sensei’s website and decided to
take his self-study course. It was at that point that I heard
about Shinran Shonin for the first time. Learning about
his experiences and his predicament, somewhat resolved
at Rokkakudo, brought me great joy: the joy of feeling
understood, the joy of not feeling alone.
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