The Road to the “Kaikyoshi”
I returned to Japan for training to become a Kaikyoshi Minister (Official Overseas Minister) and I wrote this month’s article from Japan. At the end of July, I participated in a week-long online training course from Toronto, and I’ve attended a two-day training course at Nishi Hongwanji, the head temple. The temperature in Kyoto was nearly 40 degrees Celsius, making the heat dangerously intense.
When I’m in Canada, I’m often asked about the difference between a Kaikyoshi and a Kyoshi in our sect, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji. In this article, I will explain the steps for a Japanese person to become a Kaikyoshi, using my own experience as an example.
In our sect, the process of becoming a Buddhist minister is called “Tokudo.” After about 10 days of training, we shave our heads, participate in the Tokudo ceremony, and receive a license called a “Docho,” officially recognizing us as Buddhist ministers of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji sect. This marks the beginning of one’s journey as a Buddhist minister. There are currently about 30,000 Buddhist ministers in our sect. I became a Buddhist minister in October 2019.
To become a Kaikyoshi, one must first obtain the Kyoshi qualification. This is the basic qualification required for Buddhist ministers to serve as resident ministers in Japanese temples. In addition to what is learned in the Tokudo training, the Kyoshi training includes demonstrations of Dharma talks and more. After about 10 days, “those who can serve as role models for other Buddhist ministers” are granted this qualification. Kyoshi certification also allows ministers to obtain specialized qualifications, such as the “Fukyoshi” certification for Dharma talks or the “Tokubetsu-Homuin” certification for rituals. Currently, about 60% of Buddhist ministers hold the Kyoshi certification. I obtained my Kyoshi certification in August 2022. Then, after receiving instruction on Dharma talks at the graduate school of Ryukoku University, I passed the Dharma talk examination in March 2024 and obtained the Fukyoshi qualification.
The Kaikyoshi training program is for Buddhist ministers who hold the Kyoshi certification and are willing to work in temples overseas. Strictly speaking, Kaikyoshi is not a qualification. Kaikyoshi are Buddhist ministers who have completed training in international missionary work and have been appointed and dispatched to an overseas region. There are three requirements to apply for this training:
1 The Kyoshi must have a strong interest in the international mission of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji sect.
2 The applicant must have sufficient English proficiency to attend lectures in English (pre-1st grade of the Eiken test is recommended).
3 Applicants must generally be under 40 years old.
For me, the English requirement was a significant challenge. It may be difficult for native English speakers to understand, but the level of Eiken pre-1st grade is considered “the level at which one can fully understand and use English in social situations.” It’s said that only about 40% of junior high school English teachers in Japan reach this level. When my father was a Kaikyoshi Minister in the 1980s, he said that English could be learned after being assigned overseas, but by 2024, the requirements for Japanese Kaikyoshi Ministers are much higher.
I have managed to reach this level of English through studying abroad in Kamloops, although my speaking skills are still improving. The only step left for me to become a Kaikyoshi is to complete the two-month International Ministerial Orientation Program (IMOP) at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, California, starting in October.
I’ve wanted to work as a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist minister abroad since 2019, and it’s been almost five years since then. During my graduate studies at Ryukoku University, I had the opportunity to meet wonderful teachers and learn deeply about the teachings of Jodo Shinshu. In Kamloops, where I studied abroad, some temple members pretended to understand only English to help me improve my skills, even though they could understand Japanese. Since April, I’ve been working in Toronto, and I continue to live my Nembutsu life with the support of many people here as well.
Lastly, I’d like to share a phrase that I cherish in my Nembutsu life, which reflects the heart of Shinran Shonin.
It appears that disputes have arisen among followers of the sole practice of nembutsu, who argue that“these are my disciples” or “those are someone else’s disciples.” This is utterly senseless.
For myself, I do not have even a single disciple.
A Record in Lament of Divergences, 6 (Collected Works of Shinran, p.664)
The reason why Shinran Shonin said that he did not have any disciples was because “everyone recites the Nembutsu not by my own action, but by the power of Amida Buddha.”
Since all those who recite the Nembutsu by the action of Amida Buddha become disciples of the Buddha, for Shinran Shonin there is no hierarchical relationship between master and disciple, and all are equal “fellow companions ” as Buddhist disciples.
In the teachings of Jodo Shinshu, although I am a Buddhist minister and you are members of the TBC, we are all fellow followers of the Nembutsu through the action of Amida Buddha. Although I would like to continue my studies as a Buddhist minister, I do not intend to teach the teachings to the members, but rather to build a relationship with them as fellow members who praise Amida Buddha together. I hope that TBC will continue to be a place where people gather to recite the Nembutsu as the center of their lives, with Amida Buddha as the center, just as Nishi Hongwanji is.
Namo Amida Butsu
Rev. Kensho Hashimoto
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