アーカイブス

Histry of the Juko-in Temple

Juko-in Temple was established by Rev.Rinsho（円蓮社鏡誉輪冏上人） in 1617(Gennna3) as atemple of the Jodo Sect. It is formaly called “Saihou-zan Muryokyo-ji Juko-in(西方山無量教寺寿光院）”.
It became an branch temple of Chion-in –the head temple of Jodo-shu– in 1633(kanbun3)
It is reported that the Amitabha Tathagata (sedentary statue) of the principal image was made in the last stage of the Kamakura era. [Right photograph] Only for the principal image thrown into the pond by the predecessor chief priest’s quick wit although all the buildings , such as main-building for the principal image, an abbancy , were disappered by the Tokyo massive air raid on March 10 , 1945.
Present Hondo(Main Building) was rebuilt in 1967 , and Shakado(abbancy and reception hall) [upper Photograph] was built in 1999.

Working with Civic Groups and Building a Pure Land
without Nuclear and Military Presence

The Engaged Buddhist Festival of Peace and Social Transformation
(the 20th Anniversary of International Network of Engaged Buddhists ? INEB)
14 Nov. 2009

The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) since its establishment has been supporting the Buddhists worldwide on personal spiritual development together with social development. Taking the opportunity that the year 2009 marks our 20th Mahachulalongkorn rajavidyalaya University Anniversary, we will organize Engaged Buddhist Festival of Peace and Social Transformation and INEB Conference from 10-17 November 2009 at The International Meditation Center of (Chiangmai Campus) and Suan Dok Temple, Chiangmai, Thailand. The festival, consisting of activities such as meditation retreat, conference, exposure visit, international alms round, and others, will provide spaces for the socially engaged Buddhists from many countries to share their knowledge and experiences of applying Buddhist teaching in response to modern challenges.

I think that the true citizen activity is to practice the teaching of four noble truths for various problems that the modern society has. I learned it through international collaboration activity.

I awared the contradiction of the monetary economy, in Bhutan.
In Cambodia and Palestine, I knew that judgment of the United Nations and the media was not always right and keenly realized the importance of looking at the world structurally.
In addition, in Thai slums and rural villages, I learned an importance and possibility of the local community.

With such thought, I participated in a local group in my home town, Edogawa. Therefore we had a question towards a price of the canned aluminum which we collected for fund-raising. And we examined and knew that the price of imported primary products including the pulp all falls. Furthermore, there was adjustment of economic structure by IMF when we traced it, and the greatest creditor who tormented the people of the developing country in it was Japan. And the financial funds were from our savings.

Because cheap resources are imported for Japanese, Japan does not become rich. For example, Japanese forests are destroyed. Japanese capitals destroy Asian forests. And because the cheap wood was imported, forestry of Japan collapsed.

Therefore the care for forest was not possible, and the mountain went to ruin.

We did not want to use our saving for suffering. And we established “a future bank” as organization of the money to cost the future wealthily without tormenting life. we refer to the micro-credit spreading out in the world and I help each other together and support a valuable business. Began with millions of yen, but pass 10 several years, and become the hundreds of millions of yen scale;, as for the bad loan, is zero. It will be more excellent than the major financial institution of some country. Such NPO bank spreads out in each place of Japan now.

In our activities we always keeps in mind to stand the side of suffering, and ascertain a cause and structure of the suffering logically. And we make clear society image which should be, and to do practice effectively without the unreasonableness. We did similar approach for the issue of global warming.

Toward the COP3 held in Kyoto in 1997, we established “Edogawa citizen network for thinking about global warming from where we stand”.

At first we collected documents and repeated a study session about global warming. We thought from the viewpoint of people and the creature which was damaged most. And we investigated it while digitizing a cause as much as possible and we specially thought relativity with us. We decided as our priority, to promote energy saving and CFC recovery from cars. There are many car dismantling factories in Edogawa. And at that time Japan did not have the collection duty of the CFC. We collected the Freon in cooperation with a local supplier group and ward, and it was made a budget in a ward assembly in June, 1997 and announced it in COP3.

Aiming at the spread of natural energies, we set up a solar electric plant on the roof of our temple in 1999 as a citizen’s project. And 2 years ago we installed the second solar power station on the elderly house which is managed by other citizen’s group.

On the other hand, we thought about how we could save electricity efficiently in our house. We examined a breakdown of the local domestic average electricity consumption. It’s more effectively to take measures from bigger cause. And we understood that air-conditioners, a refrigerator, lights, and a television audio system are occupying 66% of the domestic electricity consumption.

On the other hand, the energy-saving technology of the Japanese electronics maker progressed markedly, too and was reduced to half when the electricity consumption of the main item compared it in the days of 1995. They achieved in particular a one-fifth or less about a refrigerator. Therefore we developed a simulation game to replace to energy saving products on a limited budget effectively. And we held many workshops to realize an effect with numerical value.

And we thought that the device which promoted replacement by purchase was really necessary. We paid our attention to the refrigerator which could get back purchase expense in running cost surely. Therefore we started the free interest loan activity for replacement of refrigerator. We calculate how long an electricity bill of one year is reduced by changing into an energy saving refrigerator. And we furnish it with a share for the five years, and it is structure having you pay it back for the electricity bill that became low for five years. We furnish it with a share for the five years and the borrower pay it back for the electricity bill that became low for five years.

As a result of having furnished it with 700,000 yen for eight cases in the first year, they reduced electricity of 8000KWH in the year. There is a meaning same as what it brought about electricity of 8000KWH without spoiling environnment. In contrast, it cost expense of 6 million yen to the solar power generation facilities on our temple which generate 6000KWH in a year. The cost-effectiveness of the loan is more than 10 times.

We want to change a house into an electronic calculator. An electronic calculator does not need an outlet. If there is a small light panal, it is enough for an electronic calculator. We can live on only a natural energy if we reduce cost electricity. It is not necessary to destroy nature, to threaten life by radioactivity, and to fight for oil. It is not a dream now. I expect it to the smart grid which President Obama advances.

We have practiced rather small scale activities in our community. But we showed some examples of ways for the alternative society which is not depend on big capitals or super-power. That’s right. Natural energy society is the society which people pile up from the bottom. The social hierarchy is reversed. Society comes to be made from small units in every locale. Practice of each citizen determines the world and the future.

The environmental problem is only one phenomenon that appeared in the present world. A basic problem is to be convinced that the economy must grow up. It is a GNP myth measuring all for money. The world is ruled over in three poisons. We have to make the vision of our pure land which should be built from facing sufferings and problems of this world.

I will submit a problem to think to be very important to Asian people in this respect. We propose natural energy society, but the completely opposite policy that this Japan takes is atomic energy. Needless to say, it discharges the radioactivity which cannot coexist with life. With a vast cost burden, the pollutant of the unit is forced in the future in hundred million year.

The nuclear power generation needs radiation exposure labor. In Japan, those worker with the atomic energy surpassed 420,000 people. The number is more than the number of Atmc-bomb victims of Hiroshima / Nagasaki. Many people die of cancer and leukemia.

Such a nuclear power plants are going to be exported to each Asian country in conjunction with the issue of global warming.

Such a nuclear power plants are going to be exported to each Asian country in conjunction with the issue of global warming.