{"id":162,"date":"2023-08-17T20:47:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T03:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/cjrc\/?page_id=162"},"modified":"2023-08-29T15:53:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T22:53:28","slug":"shinso-ito","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cjrc\/shinso-ito\/","title":{"rendered":"Shinso Ito"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\n Her Holiness Shinso Ito is the head priest and spiritual leader of the global Buddhist sangha known as Shinnyo-en.\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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She was born in Japan on April 25, 1942, to Shinnyo-en\u2019s founders Shinjo and Tomoji Ito, who also served as her principal spiritual teachers. Shinso Ito studied and trained in Buddhism from childhood, and in 1966 she was ordained in the Shinnyo Dharma tradition. Her formal academic study was at Taisho University where she majored in religious studies, graduating in 1965 from the Department of Philosophy at the Faculty of Letters. In 1984, Shinjo announced that Shinso would become his successor, and upon his passing in 1989, Shinso assumed the leadership of Shinnyo-en.<\/p>\n

In 1992, the head temple of the 1,100-year-old Daigo school of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism bestowed on Shinso the title of daisojo, the highest priestly rank of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism. In accepting this title, Shinso became one of the few women to be recognized as an accomplished master of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism. Shinso also accepted invitations to officiate at the monastery\u2019s important commemorative ceremonies in 1997 and 2009, making her the first woman to do so.<\/p>\n

Outside of Japan, in 2002 Shinso was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University in Thailand in acknowledgment of her long-standing efforts to build mutual understanding and harmonious relations with Theravada Buddhism. In 2013, representatives from the three main orders of Sri Lankan Buddhism\u2014the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam Nikaya, the Amarapura Nikaya, and the Ramanna Nikaya\u2014all jointly conferred on Shinso titles that are given to \u201cthe most knowledgeable and venerable in the field of Mahayana Buddhism\u201d in honor of Shinso\u2019s achievements as a master of Mahayana Buddhism and leader of Shinnyo-en\u2019s philanthropic activities in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

Believing that faith-based efforts can contribute to promoting peace and understanding in the world, Her Holiness has been conducting a series of global ceremonies dedicated to cultivating harmony between cultures and religions. She has also partnered with secular philanthropic foundations throughout the world, acting on her belief that all life is interconnected and that Buddhism should actively engage in serving the global community. Shinso is also committed to assisting with disaster relief, humanitarian and medical aid, social welfare, women’s empowerment, environmental protection, educational aid, the preservation of traditional culture, and the promotion of innovative artistic and cultural programs.<\/p>\n

As Her Holiness values education as a primary tool of growth and understanding, in 2014 she decided formally to make a commitment to partner with USC. In October 2017, Shinso gave a public lecture at the university on effecting positive change for the future, during which she conducted an empowerment ceremony for bringing out one\u2019s inner light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Her Holiness Shinso Ito Visits USC \n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n
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Visiting the Ito Center<\/h3>\n \n \n
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Her Holiness Shinso Ito with Ito Center Director Duncan Williams at USC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n

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Her Holiness at Bovard Auditorium <\/h3>\n \n \n
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Her Holiness Shinso Ito filled the Bovard Auditorium with followers from around the country for her talk, “Letting Your Inner Light Shine Through.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n

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Reception <\/h3>\n \n \n
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Her Holiness created a calligraphy piece which was framed and gifted to the Ito Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n

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Center Associate Director Jason Webb, Center Director Duncan Williams, and Her Holiness Shinso Ito standing in the Shinso Ito courtyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n

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Her Holiness with Ito Center staff, faculty, and graduate students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n

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