Buddhist Churches of America - Post-war Developments

Post-war Developments

After World War II, the newly reorganized Buddhist Churches of America temples resumed traditional Jodo Shinshu rituals and services, and served as a refuge from continuing racial discrimination in wider American society. For this reason, there was little or no desire by many Japanese-American sanghas in propagating Jodo Shinshu, with few exceptions. The internment legacy also created a stronger desire to assimilate into mainstream American society by many nisei ("Second Generation"). The nisei soon replaced the issei in BCA ministry and leadership positions, and English was used more frequently in services and meetings. During the next several decades, as Buddhism became more widely known and accepted in American society, particularly in its Zen and Tibetan Buddhist forms, Jodo Shinshu Buddhism continued to remain unknown, or misunderstood as an ethnic or "Christianized" form of Buddhism. This view is gradually changing as the organization's membership is becoming more ethnically diverse due to the growing American interest in Buddhism and intermarriage among the sansei ("Third Generation") and yonsei ("Fourth Generation") families, who continue to constitute the majority of sangha membership. English is the predominant language spoken at BCA temples, although some Japanese-language-only services and classes are still held. Sutra chanting (or shomyo) is still in the Japanese-language; some temples have attempted to create an English-language shomyo.

The BCA continues to struggle with the legacy of the internment and the effects of assimilation, as it confronts many serious issues: temples which are in isolated rural or deteriorating urban areas (which were formerly Japanese-American enclaves), a dwindling membership, lack of interest by young Japanese-Americans in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and misconceptions of their doctrine within American Buddhism. There are also ongoing debates regarding the adaptation and change of traditional Shin doctrine to Western ideas of Buddhism, such as whether or not temples should offer more diverse forms of meditation in addition to chanting meditation, in order to attract new members, who would not be ethnic Japanese. However, it is hoped that ongoing American interest in the Dharma will lead to a new interest in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and a revival of Jodo Shinshu in the United States. The BCA has attempted to accomplish this goal chiefly through academia, "minister's assistant" training, and through cultural events open to the public, such as the Obon Festival, taiko drumming, and Japanese food bazaars.

The majority of BCA temples are in California, although there are other temples and howakai ("Jodo Shinshu Dharma Associations") in Washington, Idaho/Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. The BCA is administratively and regionally divided into six districts: Northern, Coast, Southern, Central, Eastern, and Northwest. Each district may sponsor its own yearly conferences, lectures, and social and religious events. The BCA also publishes a bilingual monthly newspaper, Wheel of Dharma.

In the United States, BCA priests may be addressed as either sensei ("teacher"), "Minister," or "Reverend." BCA ministers have historically been all male and ethnically Japanese, but there is now a substantial number of female, and non-Japanese, ministers. BCA minister's dress or koromo includes the full-length black fuho, which is the everyday priest's robe, and wagesa, a type of stole which is said to symbolize the original Buddhist robe worn by the historical Buddha. Additional, more formal robes include the kokue, a heavier black robe with longer sleeves and pleated skirt, hakama, and gojo-gesa, a colorful five-paneled apron which is draped over the kokue. These are worn for major services such as Obon or Hoonko. In Japan, Jodo Shinshu priests typically wear a white hakue, or undershirt, under their robes, and tabi, a traditional split-toe sock, but this is usually not worn in America. BCA ministers also carry an ojuzu, a string of beads with tassels said to symbolize a person's bonno or "evil passions" which one must be mindful of. They are similar to the mala in other Buddhist traditions. Jodo Shinshu Buddhism does not have monastic vows (vinaya) so priests may marry: priests' spouses are called bomori, an archaic Japanese word which may mean "temple helper." Bomori are very active in temple activities, and may also be ordained and assist in rituals and services.