Events

Salisbury/ Rowan PFLAG Scholarships Foundation

Autumn Soirée

Our July Speaker is Rev. Ryusho Jeffus (Nichiren Shu Priest - Buddist)

 A little about Rev. Ryusho

     I converted officially to Buddhism when i was 19 in 1969, though I had studied it before when I was in high school and college.  After practicing as a lay practitioner for several years I felt that I really wanted to become a priest.  In the denomination of Nichiren Buddhism I practiced with at the time no non-Japanese were being accepted as priest candidates.  I continued to practice Buddhism through the years when finally in 2002 the opportunity arose for me to fulfill my dream and goal of becoming a Buddhist priest.  I was accepted by my teacher and begun the initial phase of training with him, which included along with Buddhist training going back to college and learning to speak Japanese.  I received a BA in Japanese from Portland State Univeristy in 2007.  Eventually in 2004 I had my tonsure ceremony where my head was shaved and I received my robes.  Finally in 2006 my teacher decided that I had received sufficient training and could take the final series of tests and required monastery residence.  In 2007 I completed the doctrine exam, the sutra reading in Shindoku exam, and my ceremony manner exam and applied to be accepted into the monastery.  My application was approved and I entered the monastery in April of 2008.  Upon completing that I was officially ordained as a Nichiren Shu Priest.

     In August of 2007 while in the midst of preparing for my exams I opened the temple here in Charlotte.  In October of 2008 the temple was officially recognized by Nichiren Shu and the Nichiren Order of North America and I was designated the head priest at that time.  We started with only myself and now have grown to almost 10 regularly attending and financially supporting members.  It is my great joy to be a part of this opportunity to teach people about Buddhism.

     It is the mission of this temple and myself to make available to anyone interested the teachings of the Buddha without expectation that conversion or acceptance take place.  It is more important that people be able to freely learn about Buddhism in an environment that does not pressure any one to give up or abandon their current religious or spiritual beliefs.

 For more information please vist there website:  http://www.myoshoji.org/