English Translation Projects

The Jodo Shu Research Institute
International Translation Committee
The Jodo Shu Research Institute International Translation Committee was created in 2001 in accordance with the growing English language work of the Institute. Unlike the other seminal masters of the Kamakura Buddhist era such as Shinran, Dogen and Nichiren, the corpus of Honen's work remains largely untranslated into any foreign language today. It has been the specific goal of the International Section of the Institute in the past few years to address this work. There are now two full time fellows at the Institute working on various translations. Further, the Institute has been working with some foreign scholars to augment their work. The International Translation Committee is a group of Institute Fellows, esteemed scholars and support staff who meet every two weeks to oversee these various translation projects, check for their accuracy, and pose important questions for further research.

Current Projects:

Editing and retranslation of Coates and Ishizuka's translation of the Pictorial Biography of Honen Shonin (Honen Shonin gyojoezu), also known as the Forty-eight Fascicle Biography (Shijuhachikan-den). Portions just published as Traversing the Pure Land Path: A Lifetime of Encounters with Honen Shonin

English translation of the Three Pure Land Sutras (Jodosanbukyo), according to the Jodo Shu interpretation

English Translation of Honen's Words (Wago Toroku)

English Translation of Shan-tao's Commentary on the Meditation Sutra (Kuan wu-liang-shou ching shu/Kammuryoju-kyo sho)

Project on Ojo (Birth in the Pure Land) and Death: Its Meaning for Pure Land Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism and Contemporary Society