Buddhism: Temples in Chicago

The statue of Shinran Shonin in the garden outside of the temple.

The temple, though, was once used to be called Midwest Buddhist Church when it was established. ² The reason for that is that most of the Japanese people who came from Japan practiced Buddhism, and once the Pearl Harbor attack happened and people of Japanese ancestry were put in internment camps, racial hatred towards them was raised. Japanese and Japanese Americans were considered aliens, as well as the faith that was commonly practiced by them, which was Buddhism. The Church got its new name Midwest Buddhist Temple in 1971, many years after World War II was over. ³ Over the years, a lot of things have been “Americanized” in the Temple in order for the temple and Buddhism to survive (refer to Americanized Buddhism for more information).

Now the Temple serves many people as a place of worship as well as support. Among Japanese Americans, there are a lot of other nationalities that come from many countries and create a community of the Midwest Buddhist Temple in Chicago. Today, several classes such as Buddhism classes, Mind and Body seminars, and Dharma School, as well as annual events like Ginza Holiday Festival, Bon Odori Festival, and Shinnen Enkai, people are able to gather together and share their own experiences while having a moment of joy. ⁴

The Buddhist Temple of Chicago

The Buddhist Temple of Chicago is also considered one of the oldest temples in Chicago. It was founded in the same year as the Midwest Buddhist Temple, October 8, 1944. Historically, people of Japanese Ancestry made the membership of this place. Later on, the membership diversified, and now there are a lot of people that represent different cultures and countries. ⁵

Reverend Gyomay M. Kubose, along with the people who survived and left incarceration camps, were the ones who founded this Temple. The Buddhist Temple of Chicago is operated independently, but historically, it can be attributed to the Higashi Honganji denomination of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. The temple still holds a firm connection to the head temple located in Kyoto, Japan. ⁶ In the temple, Rev. Gyomay M. Kubose led Sunday practices for people in English and was the first Jodo Shinshu and had Zen meditation sessions. The first location of the Temple was in the South Side of Chicago, and now it has been moved to the neighborhood of Uptown on the North Side. ⁷ The Membership of the Temple started back during World War II when people still were incarcerated in Relocation Centers. In Heart Mountain Relocation Center, people of Japanese ancestry who practiced Buddhism built their Altar from the scratches, which nowadays is preserved in the Buddhist Temple of Chicago in the city. ⁸