Activities of Amidaji temple

The altar of Amidaji temple
located in the little
Hondo (Dharma Hall)
As clearly stated here, the single goal of Amidaji is to teach, preserve, protect and transmit the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist teaching in order to help people receive simple faith in Amida Buddha. Nothing else is more important than this.
To fulfill its mission Amidaji will organize, free of charge, religious activities and events that can help members or non-members to receive faith in Amida Buddha.

No discrimination shall be made between members or non-members of Amidaji when it comes to teaching activities, access to religious services or when using the facilities of Amidaji. The only requirement is that everybody make efforts to listen deeply to Amida Dharma, have a respectful attitude towards it, and do not support wrong views. 

Mixing of Jodo Shinshu with other Buddhist teachings and practices is not allowed at Amidaji. No meditation or practice which belongs to other Buddhist or non-Buddhist denominations will ever be taught or followed at Amidaji. No priest or teacher who belongs to other Buddhist schools will ever be invited to teach to Amidaji sangha. However, lays or teachers of other Buddhist traditions who are passing through Romania and don't have a place to stay can also receive accommodation for some time at Amidaji. This temple has a friendly attitude towards all authentic lineages of transmission. Everybody is welcomed at Amidaji but the teachings given to the temple sangha must be only Jodo Shinshu (Amida Dharma). If other authentic Buddhist groups are in need of a place of practice and have difficulty in finding one, they can be helped by Amidaji in the spirit of Buddhist brotherhood, on the conditions that they do not try to proselytize among the members of Amidaji and if they are respectful of Amidaji teaching.

Non-Buddhist activities are forbidden at the temple. No priests, teachers or lay followers who belong to other religions or spiritual paths, will ever be invited at the temple to teach or present their practices and beliefs. Amidaji will never be used as a place of practice or teaching for non-Buddhist paths and groups. 

The religious services of Amidaji will contain the saying of Nembutsu, chanting and recitation of various hymns or passages related with Amida Buddha or fragments from the Three Pure Land Sutras. Hymns in praise of Shinran Shonin, Rennyo Shonin, the Seven Patriarchs can also be recited. As a general rule, the role of chanting various hymns is only to express faith and gratitude. [1] 

The Dharma talks and discussions will be strictly related with Amida Buddha's salvation and will aim at helping members and visitors to receive faith in Him. All Dharma talks and discussions will be based on the sacred texts contained in the Jodo Shinshu canon.

Amidaji will not seek the favor of government or local public institutions, and will engage with them only as it is required by law.

Amidaji will not involve itself in any social or political activity with the exception of special cases when the physical integrity of the temple and its sangha is endangered, or when Amidaji  is hindered by exterior forces from acting in accord to its goal, rules and regulations.

Amidaji temple and sangha will never support nor promote the particular views of any social, political, or sexually oriented group and will not join, nor ally itself with any social, political or sexual oriented movement. No social, political or sexually oriented activities are allowed at Amidaji. However, in their private lives, priests and lay members of Amidaji are free to express any personal opinion they want and participate in any social, political or any kind of group or organisation, under the condition that those activities do not go against the teachings of Amidaji or they do not do this in the name of Jodo Shinshu, Amidaji temple, or while  wearing the Jodo Shinshu robes and other specific marks of our school or of Amidaji temple and sangha.

No bazaars, no parties and no worldly amusements of any kind will take place at Amidaji.

Children presentations at the temple can be done on any occasion during normal services and Dharma talks, or at other times that are decided together with the family. These represent the family wish for their children to follow the Jodo Shinshu path and also constitute a warm welcome of the children into the temple.
Dharma schools for children and any children related activities that are focused on the Dharma can be organized at the temple, while great care will be given so that the children can learn the basic Jodo Shinshu Buddhist notions.

Members and visitors will do their best to maintain a religious atmosphere and will observe the Rules of the Temple/Dojo.


Notes:
[1] No priest or teacher of Amidaji will ever be called by the title of "Master" as such a title belongs only to Shinran Shonin, Rennyo Shonin or the Seven Patriarchs. 

0 comentarii:

Dharma talks on my youtube channel