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Interview Profile #2: Buddhist Minister

Interview Profiles

Higashi Honganji Minister


The first interview that I conducted during my site visit was with one of the ministers of the special DISC service. The temple was having a large off-site event on this day, which allowed me to spend more one on one time with the minister.

Prior to answering any of my research questions, he asked that I participate in the service, given that the crowd was so small. He had me throw sage into a burning pot and had me listen to the Japanese scripture being read out loud. He then translated each of the lines into English for me so that I was better able to understand why some of the lines were meaningful to the service.

Following the service, he then said: "okay, you can ask your questions, but only the short ones". My first question related to how he became involved in Buddhism,  and so my short question was met with a lengthy answer. He responded with:

"I worked in the corporate world until I was 45, and towards the end of my time there I began to realize that the work that I was doing and the money I was making was not fulfilling and didn't provide me with a sense of purpose. So, I quit my job and have been practicing Buddhism for 40 years. My kids are grown now, and my wife passed away several years ago, and practicing Buddhism has filled the void with purpose and has made me happy. I began to realize that material possessions don't really matter, and it is the relationships you have and the bonds you form with people that are important to keep".

My second question to him revolved around the purpose of practicing Buddhism, and its impact on modern-day society, especially in LA where it seems as if material possessions are king. His response to me was a small pamphlet called: A Teaching Day, and in this pamphlet, there were several passages that stood out to me as relevant to my question. On Day 5, it states that "the root of all suffering is the "principle desire of material objects". He stated that it is teachings like this, that can bring the focus of life from external factors to internal ones, allowing people to reflect what is important to them and why which is one of the main cornerstones of Buddhist teachings.




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