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48 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE
Shin Buddhism in
the Modern World
By Dr Jeff Wilson
Jeff Wilson is a professor of Religious Studies and Benny: Shin Buddhism in North America tends to
East Asian Studies at Renison University College attract mainly those with Japanese ancestry. How
(University of Waterloo) in Ontario, Canada. He did you become interested in this tradition rather
was ordained in the Nishi Hongwanji lineage of than Zen or Vajrayana?
Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in Kyoto in 2012, and
serves in a ministerial support capacity for the Jeff: I actually started out at university studying all
Toronto Buddhist Church and Hamilton Buddhist types of Buddhism, and when I graduated I moved
Temple. Dr. Wilson is the author of numerous to New York City, where I regularly attended a wide
books, including “Living Nembutsu: Applying range of different Buddhist groups, including Zen and
Tibetan Vajrayana. But I hit a point in my personal Zen-
Shinran’s Radically Engaged Buddhism in Life
based practice where I realized that it wasn’t the right
and Society,” “Buddhism of the Heart: Reflections
path for me. Zen, at least among white converts in the
on Shin Buddhism and Inner Togetherness,” and
United States, encouraged me to try hard for personal
“Mindful America: The Mutual Transformation of enlightenment and maintain strict personal morality
Buddhist Meditation and American Culture.” He standards. I found that over time, this increased
is currently writing a book on the history of Jodo my egotism as I got better at meditation, study, and
Shinshu Buddhist social engagement and activism. precepts than many people around me.
Benny reached out to Jeff to seek his thoughts on
various aspects of Shin Buddhism to provide our Ultimately, I had to drop out of the self-powered
readers a better understanding of this tradition. approach to Buddhism in order to find the right balance.
I became impressed with Shinran’s thoroughgoing self-
investigation and honesty, the humility and ordinariness
of the regular Jodo Shinshu practitioners I met, and
Amida Buddha’s efforts to liberate all beings, not just
those who had the capacity to complete the bodhisattva
path on their own. But that didn’t happen right away
