Starting in January 2025, I would like to host a study group on Zoom to read and discuss Shinran’s writings with me. The theme is “Warera: Shinran and Solidarity.” The pronoun “warera” is what Shinran used for “we” in his Yuishinsho mon’i. He wrote what are called “commentaries” to explain in vernacular Japanese the Buddhist texts written in Chinese. The non-elites of his day were not completely illiterate – many could read kana, the simple notations indicating syllables, but as Shinran notes, they did not read the complex ideographs known as kanji, the Han writing from China.
I would like to take the time to read through the commentaries, starting with Yuishinsho mon’i. So the first half hour of the session will be reading the passages and the second half hour will be for discussion. We will use the English translation in the Collected Works of Shinran but we will look at the original Japanese and consider alternative ways to translate the text.
This group is for people who want to seriously study Shinran’s teachings but in the context of how we participate in our communities to promote liberation and resist authoritarianism. It would not be appropriate for someone to join the group if they do not fit that description.
I have not set a date and time yet, but will ask those who are interested what days and times work for them. I hope to start the group around mid-January 2025. If you are interested, please email or message me.
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