This is the first major biography of Shinjo Ito, the founder of the Shinnyo-en tradition of Buddhism and one of the twentieth century's most innovative spiritual teachers. Shinjo Ito was schooled in the millennium-old esoteric Buddhism of Japan, and used that as the basis for developing a unique lay practice grounded in the principles and concepts of the Mahayana version of the Nirvana Sutra.

Sculpting the Buddha Within is an important book that traces Shinjo Ito's evolution not only as a spiritual master but also as a human being. Living in a time of unprecedented change, Shinjo Ito's personal life was often marked by hardships and personal grief, experiences that became the foundation for cultivating universal compassion. Committed to making buddhahood tangible for others and a goal worth aspiring to, Shinjo Ito also excelled as a sculptor of devotional images. His wish was to help his practitioners see their own potential for goodness so that they, too, would want to work diligently to shape and give form to their inner buddha. Rather than encouraging his followers to believe in a fixed system of practice or beliefs, Shinjo Ito taught how to live life in accordance with one's buddha nature and the gratitude, creativity, and happiness latent within it.

Sculpting the Buddha Within : The Life and Thought of Shinjo Ito, Shuri Kido, 2019, Paperback, 257 pp, $19.95

Kido, known as the "far north poet," has published several poetry books and essays and is one of the most important poets on the front line of contemporary poetry in Japan. He has translated many English poems into Japanese and has introduced works by Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot to Japan. Kido has been a critic and columnist for various magazines and newspapers and has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture.

CONTENTS: Sculpting the Buddha Within
Foreword: In Remembrance of Shinjo Ito, by the Most Venerable Etai Yamada			xiii
Preface by Shuri Kido			xv
Introduction: Shinjo's Nirvana Sutra -- The Practice of Shinnyo, by H. H. Shinso Ito			1
Note to Readers			19
I.	FUMIAKI
	1.	Boyhood in Yamanashi	25
		A Learned and Spiritual Family	25
		Signs and Portents at Birth	30
		A Fortuitous Connection with Esoteric Buddhism	32
		Love of Art, Science, and Wisdom	34
	2.	A Young Man in Tokyo	41
		Fascination with Technology and a Growing Spiritual Capacity	41
		Military Man and Aircraft Engineer	44
		Practitioner of the Byozeisho	47
		Husband and Father	50
	3.	Settling Down	55
		Diviner, Photographer, and Buddhist	55
		Finding Achala	61
		Welcoming Achala into His Home	65
II.	TENSEI
	4.	Heeding the Call to Service	73
		The First Winter Training	73
		The Decision to Leave Work	77
		The Birth of a Spiritual Community	80
	5.	Cultivating a Philosophy and Practice	83
		Choosing a Tradition: Esoteric Buddhism	83
		"The Buddhism of All Buddhisms"	84
		Unity of Theory and Practice	93
		Homa: The Ritual at the Heart of Practice	96
	6.	Laying Foundations	101
		Facing Difficult Social, Political, and Financial Conditions	101
		Becoming Affiliated with Naritasan Shinshoji	105
		Choosing to Train at Daigoji in Kyoto	110
	7.	Transformed by Suffering and Hardship	113
		The Young Couple Build a Practice amid Scarcity and Want	113
		Bearing the Unbearable: The Loss of a Child	116
		Forging Ahead in a Treacherous Climate	126
	8.	Growing a Community around Achala	131
		Love Associated with Achala Gazing Straight Ahead	131
		Walking on Fire and Practicing Asceticism	134
		Building a New Temple	139
		Founding the Tachikawa Fellowship of Achala	144
III.	SHINJO
	9.	Attaining Mastery	149
		Using Skillful Means to Bring Dharma to the Masses	149
		Keeping Miracles in Perspective	153
		Undertaking Arduous Training to Receive Transmission	157
		Struggling to Train and lead in Wartime	160
		Rising in the Ranks at Daigoji	164
	10.	Becoming Independent	167
		Branching Off from Daigoji to Found the Sangha of Truth	167
		Taking a Unique Approach to the Path	172
		Developing a New Form of Meditative Practice: Sesshin	177
		Remaining Humble and Growing Spiritually as a Family	181
	11.	Tested by Crisis and Loss	185
		Being Accused of a Crime and Publicly Reviled	185
		Turning Hardship into the Path: The Dharma Crisis	189
		Suffering the Unbearable Loss of a Second Child	193
		Bringing the Crisis to a Close and Beginning Anew	197
		Struggling to Practice Forgiveness	200
	12.	Reaping the Fruits of Philosophy and Practice	205
		Searching for a a Teaching That Gives Hope to the Hopeless	205
		Singling out the Nirvana Sutra	207
		Understanding That No One Is Ever Truly Lost	209
	13.	Creating Art to Awaken the Buddha in Others	213
		Deciding to Sculpt a Reclining Buddha	213
		Sculpting, Installing, and Consecrating the Massive Image	216
		The Unique Character of Shinjo's Image	219
	14.	Setting Shinnyo-en Apart	223
		Synthesizing Openly Taught and Esoteric Buddhist Traditions	223
		Forging a Path for Lay Practice in Everyday Life	224
		Four Unique Qualities of Shinnyo-en	226
		The Meaning of "Shinnyo-en"	229
	15.	The Flower of Shinnyo-en Blossoms and Shinjo Passes Away	233
		Sharing Shinnyo-en with the World	233
		Losing a Wife, Partner, and Dharma Friend of Thirty-Five Years	238
		Realizing the Genesis Temple	242
		Spreading Shinnyo-en throughout Japan and the World	244
		Passing beyond the World	247
		Epilogue -- Shinjo's Lineage Endures	251
		Afterword -- Harmony amid Diversity, by H. H. Shinso Ito	253
		About the Author	257