Lindsey Winter[Type here]

Salt Lake Buddhist Temple

Here in America there is so much diversity when it comes to religion. Some religions
have become mainstream while others not so much but that doesnt mean that the less known
religions arent trying nor are they sitting back not making an effort to expand because ideally,
religions want to expand and grow among the nation and its people but some religious groups try
harder to become noticed more than others. I chose to research the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple to
further exam how it came to be in America but more specifically in the state of Utah, also I will
touch on their beliefs, their influence on American culture and how American culture affects their
religion.
Here is a brief background on the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, Japanese immigrants came to
America in 1899 and with them they brought their religion, Buddhism. They established their
headquarters in San Francisco and in 1912 a memorial service was performed in Ogden, Utah for
the Japanese prisoners that had passed away and it was on that day that the Salt Lake Buddhist
Temple of Ogden came to be. Jodo Shinshu tradition is held on April 8 which was the birthday of
Shakyamuni Buddha who originally was known as Siddartha Gautama. This day is also referred
to as Hanamatsuri, The Flower Festival. Another important holiday is December 8th, this day
symbolizes the day when Siddartha reached his enlightenment.
In the Jodo Shinshu religion the teach compassion as the central focus of Buddhism. Man must
learn to be compassionate to lead a good life. They also teach that the harder a man tries to
overcome fear and terror, the more that they will increase. In their temples they are taught about
the truths of the essence of life from Buddha Dharma, those truths are known as the Four Noble
Truths. Duhhra is the first, meaning Life is suffereing and that we continue to suffer from pain

Lindsey Winter[Type here]

because of 1.)birth 2.)sickness 3.) old age 4.)death 5.) separation from loved ones 7.)not always
getting the things that we want 8.)difficulties of growing in our minds and body.
The second Noble Truth is Nirodha which translates to Nirvana, meaning is we get rid of our
thirst and desire in return we will receive wisdom. The third Noble Truth is called Magga which
means Path or otherwise known as The Noble Eightfold Path. This path is the search for
happiness and to reach happiness we must give up our pleasure, once we give up our pleasures
we will no longer care for them The last of the Noble Truths is the Noble Eightfold Path, these
are the right ways of living and they go as follows: 1.) right view 2.) right thought 3.) right
speech 4.) right conduct 5.) right likelihood 6.) right effort 7.) right mindfulness 8.) right
mediation. Buddhism teaches that in order to reach full nirvana people must follow the path and
to follow the path we must teach ourselves because wisdom is very important on our life paths.
Jodo Shinsu Honganji Ha means True Pure Land Teaching. Their mission at the Salt Lake
Buddhist Temple is to awaken mankind with Wisdom and Compassion. They are a community
of people who have come together because of their similar faith in Amidha Buddha. They thrive
to be mindful with their words and actions, share the wisdom and truths of Jodo Shinshu and to
become responsible citizens. They entrust themselves to the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism in
seek of a better and more happy life. They do not believe in magic or astrology, this I found
interesting because most people nowadays are consumed by the idea of astrology and what
sign they are so it stood out to me that they even made it a point to state this.
When it comes to their temples, they offer memberships to all and any who show interested or
are seeking information on the Buddhist path. They have combined their education and teaching
into one day a week, Sunday, where everyone will come together but then they also have divided
it so the children will go together for their studies.

Lindsey Winter[Type here]

Buddhism has been known to adapt and evolve to the culture and lifestyle around it. It tries to
accommodate the ways of life which are much different from when Buddhism was in Japan, a lot
has changed and will continue to change. For example, the temples used to be the only place in
which an Obutsudan could be found and people go and worship there but due to all the changes
that society has influenced on this religion, people now can have a small Obutsudan in their
homes where traditionally they would practice daily observances of the Obutsudan twice a day,
once in the morning as a family and once in the even as a family. Since Buddhist practice and
education has been confined to one day a week it has limited the effect Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
on peoples everyday living so by having an Obutsudan in everyones homes it allows followers
to live the Jodo Shinshu Buddhism to its fullest every day.

The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple is a great example of the diversity of religion in America. Not
only are there different forms of Buddhism all across America which has been slightly altered to
fit into the culture and lifestyles which surround it and influence it, but there different forms of it
specifically in the state of Utah. They are open to all those who want to learn more about
Buddhism and are an accepting religion. I find it very interesting that Buddhism has altered its
ways to fit into the American Culture and lifestyles that around it because some people like to
keep things in their original form and changing things to fit societys needs can be very
challenging but yet they continue to do so in order to help their followers. Although Buddhism
has been in America for quite some time, they feel that it is still going to take a while before they
can make it mainstream. This was something that they stated on their webpage The Jodo
Shinshu teachings have provided comfort and a way of understanding life that has nurtured our
families over the years. We foresee future growth and expansion of Jodo Shinshu as we

Lindsey Winter[Type here]

continually adapt to the ever changing needs of the congregation without losing our reliance on
the Nembutsu teachings. Throughout my research, they never made it seem like expanding and
become the biggest and best religion was what they wanted and I feel that it is due to their
teachings and way of life. They dont feel the need to compete with other religions, they are
simply content with what where they are. Yes Im sure they are thrilled when more people join
but their concern is about living life happily and being compassionate towards others, not
fighting or disregarding another religion because they want to become mainstream. The fact that
there are so many religions in Utah and throughout all of America but yet Buddhism is so open to
all diversity and people, I find that humbling because we live in a world where everyone wants to
be the top dog and is willing to do whatever they can to get the word out about their religion. I
enjoy the simple mindedness of the Buddhist religion, just wanting to be good people in society
and reach their full enlightenment.

Lindsey Winter[Type here]

RESOURCES:
http://slbuddhist.org/slbt-history.html
https://suite.io/aimee-larsen-stoddard/38m624d