Sculpting the Buddha Within

June 24, 2019
In his English-language debut, Japanese poet Kido presents a (perhaps too) admiring biography of Shinjo Ito, the founder of Shinnyo-en, a lay Buddhist order based on the Shingon sect of Esoteric Buddhism. Kido’s main focus is Shinjo’s life prior to the establishment of Shinnyo-en. Born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1906, Shinjo showed religious promise and eclecticism from an early age and even built a reputation for his divination skills. Forgoing a career in aeronautical engineering (which he pursued until he was 30 years old) Shinjo suddenly decided to dedicate his life to finding ways to help people address their suffering. Shinjo sculpted devotional vidyarajas (Buddhist deities) personifying awakening and intended to instruct his students in shinnyo—the innate goodness of every human being. He also wished to integrate the traditional practices of Esoteric Buddhism and the doctrines of the Nirvana Sutra into the day-to-day struggles of lay practitioners with simple meditations and practices. Originally published in Japan in 2006 as a series of scholarly essays, this first English translation is a significant reworking intended to serve a general audience. While Kido’s adulatory and hagiographical tone will not be to all tastes, this reverential work effectively humanizes and explains Esoteric Buddhist doctrines and practices. Readers interested in nontraditional Buddhism will enjoy this trenchant biography.