Toyo Miyatake Studio

In addition to my teaching and research, I am a minister's assistant at the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, a  Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) Buddhist community, established in 1921 by Japanese immigrants in Pacoima, California. Over the years, I have been a Dharma School volunteer, taught introductory courses on Buddhism, and helped research and write a short documentary for our centennial celebration. Outside of the temple, I've furthered my education at the Institute of Buddhist Studies of the Graduate Theological Union, where I'm pursuing a graduate certificate in Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Studies.

Through innumerable karmic causes and conditions, I was privileged to received ordination (tokudo) in Kyoto, Japan as a priest in the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, the largest denomination of Jodo Shinshu (or Shin) Buddhism. The Hongwanji-ha's US district, the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA), is one of the oldest extant Buddhist organizations in the Americas and just celebrated its 125th anniversary. Within the BCA I serve on the Archives and Historic Preservation Committee and have gratefully received invitations to deliver talks and seminars for the Center for Buddhist Education and several temples in California. 

By my estimation, I'm one of only about five Filipinx/Filipinx American Shin Buddhist priests. 

You might notice my headshot is from the historic Toyo Miyatake Studio. To learn more about the eponymous founder, his life during World War II, and how his family business is a pillar of the Los Angeles Asian American community, click here.  

Writing 

• "Jodo Shinshu in Europe and the Americas," Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion (New York: Oxford University Press, forthcoming).
• "From Pacoima to Kyoto and Back," Wheel of Dharma, November 2024. Link. 
• "UCLA Students Learn About Jodo Shinshu in US," Wheel of Dharma, September 2024. Link. 
• "Gratitude for My Mom," Young Buddhist Editorial, March 2023. Link. 
• "The Dharma of a Turkey Sandwich," Everyday Buddhism​, July 2022. Link. 
• "The Pure Land Is in the West," Lion's Roar, April 2022. Link. 
• "Mindful Action in Mindless Times: A Buddhist Response to Injustice," Wheel of Dharma, May 2021. Link.
• "Japanese Americans and the Birth - and Rebirth - of Buddhism in the City of Angels," ​Lost and Found: Religion in Los Angeles, eds., Diane Winston and Richard Flory (New York: Routledge, 2021). Link. 
• “Finding Buddha in the Barrio: Reflections on the Unanticipated Consequences of Archival Research,” UCLA Historical Journal 27:1 (Fall 2016): 27-34. Link.

Visual Media 

• "The Benefits of Living A Shin Buddhist Life," Center for Buddhist Education​, July 2023. Link. 
• San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple 100th Anniversary Documentary (2022). Link.

Podcasts 

• Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys Into Buddhism, July 26, 2024. Link. 
• "O'kagesama-De (All Thanks Are Due To You...)," Opening Dharma Access Podcast, June 4, 2024. Link. 

Miscellaneous Media

• Some of my work teaching about American Jodo Shinshu Buddhism is acknowledged in Jon Kawamoto, "BCA Celebrates 125th Anniversary Globally: Service Pays Tribute to Past — and Voices Optimism About the Future," Wheel of Dharma (October 2024). Link.
• I contributed a brief note of gratitude for one of my most significant mentors in Sara Perott, "Rev. Patricia Kanaya Usuki: A Trailblazer, Minister and Author," Wheel of Dharma (May 2024). Link.