WHY DO WE RECEIVE A BUDDHIST NAME
I have recently started reading Jodo Shinshu Handbook for Laymen, a book published in 1982 by the Hongwanji International Center. It contains 242 questions, and as I go through them, I reflect on how I would answer each one before looking at the official responses provided by Hongwanji at the time. Since this book was published over 40 years ago, some translations include words that are no longer commonly used. However, the book presents many essential questions that every Jodo Shinshu follower should be familiar with—questions about terms we may have heard but whose meanings we might not fully understand.
This month, I have chosen one of those 242 questions, comparing Hongwanji’s response from that time with my understanding, and sharing my reflections in this article.
Hongwanji Handbook (1982)
When we receive confirmation rites (Kikyōshiki) from our Monshu, a Dharma name—that is, a Buddhist name beginning with Shaku—is bestowed upon us to signify that we have taken refuge in the Buddha-Dharma. Shaku (Sakya in Sanskrit) indicates that through the teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha, we have encountered the Dharma of Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow and are now counted among the disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha. Thus, the Dharma name signifies our acceptance of the Truth.
It is preferable to receive this name while we are healthy and young. Furthermore, in Jodo Shinshu, the name we receive is called Hōmyō (Dharma name), not Kaimyō (discipline name), as there are no monastic precepts that we are required to follow in our tradition.
Hashimoto (2025)
The Buddhist Name is an expression of encountering the working of Amida Buddha, living within that teaching, and being embraced as a disciple of the Buddha. In Jodo Shinshu, a Buddhist Name is given upon receiving the Kikyōshiki (Affirmation Ceremony), a ritual in which one vows to take refuge in the Three Treasures—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—as a disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha. The Buddhist Name consists of the character 釈 (Shaku), followed by two additional characters. The character Shaku is derived from Śākyamuni, signifying that one is a disciple of the Buddha.
Thus, a Buddhist Name is not something reserved for after death. Rather, those who did not have the opportunity to receive Kikyōshiki during their lifetime may be given a Buddhist Name at their funeral.
Shinran Shonin taught that those who have received an Entrusting Heart through the working of Amida Buddha will undoubtedly attain supreme awakening. Thus, they are true disciples of the Buddha.
At this very moment, we are fortunate to have encountered the teachings of Amida Buddha and are living a life of Nembutsu. We, who are full of blind passions, are embraced by the calling:
“Entrust yourself to me, just as you are, and I will bring you to liberation,”
expressed in Namo Amida Butsu. Through this teaching, we recite the Nembutsu in our daily lives, and when our life comes to an end, we are guided to become Buddhas. This is the path we are walking.
A Buddhist Name serves as a reminder of our journey on the path of the Buddha. Receiving a Buddhist Name is not merely a formal act but a profound opportunity to awaken to our path as fellow travellers in the Nembutsu. It represents our determination to follow the way of a true disciple of the Buddha, embraced by Amida Buddha’s boundless compassion.
May this name continue to illuminate our hearts, guiding us along the path of the Nembutsu. And when our journey in this life reaches its end, may we awaken to the Buddha’s great wisdom and compassion. Until that moment, we walk this path together, held in the warm embrace of Namo Amida Butsu.
Mrs. Sakaye Tsuji
Mrs. Sakaye Tsuji, the wife of Rev. Kenryu Tsuji, the first minister of Toronto Buddhist Church, passed away on February 14, 2025, at the age of 100 and a half.
It was a great honor for me, as a minister serving at Toronto Buddhist Church, to have had the opportunity to meet and interact with Mrs. Tsuji during my training in California last November.
Together with Rev. Tsuji, she supported the temple through the difficult early years of its establishment and contributed greatly to the growth of Toronto Buddhist Church.
Upon hearing of her passing, I extend my deepest condolences and heartfelt respect.
Namo Amida Butsu
Kensho Hashimoto
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