First U.S. Buddhist High School

When the first Buddhist high school in the nation opened in September 2003, and the air crackled with excitement and anticipation, of the historic moment when classes began at the Pacific Buddhist Academy in Honolulu.

Instructors well versed in the tenets of Buddhism deliver a peace curriculum that resonates with eager Buddhist, and non-Buddhist students. A legacy was born, and yes, a bold dream was finally a reality.

"I'm happy about the Pacific Buddhist Academy and the $1.5 million contribution from headquarters in Kyoto," says Bishop Chikai Yosemori of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. "Before World War II, we had a Buddhist educational system statewide. That system was based on the Japanese school. After the war, we started the Hongwanji Mission School, which went up to sixth grade. About seven or eight years ago, we added additional grades, up to eighth grade."

Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin manages the preschool through eighth grade curriculum, made up of 300 students, at the Hongwanji Mission School in Honolulu. Honpa also operates a Buddhist Study Center in Manoa, near the University of Hawaii (UH) campus, for college students and adults.

"When I became a minister in this country, there were only a few universities that focused on the Buddhist philosophy," recalls Bishop Yosemori. "Today, there are several universities that focus on the Buddhist faith. The academy is the first of its kind in the nation. The academy is associated with Pure Land Buddhism. Shinran Shonin is the founder of Jodo Shin school of pure Land Buddhism. The teaching is based in the Pure Land tradition as a successor to Honen Shonin. Pure Land Buddhism involves the power of the Primal Vow as the inner dynamics of recitative nembutsu."

Bishop Yosemori explains that the complete entrusting of self to the Primal Vow meant abandoning all need to rely on self-power. This is the reason for Shinran Shonin's stress on Shinjin (faith).