Shinjo: Reflections

Shinjo Ito

ISBN 978-1-935244-00-4

About the Book

Shinjo: Reflections is a collection of gems drawn from Master Shinjo Ito’s wealth of insight and experience. They offer us not only a glimpse into the mind of a deeply awakened master, but also a practical set of teachings on how to turn daily challenges into a path of self-discovery and genuine awakening.

Praise for the Book

“This book introduces us to the life and teachings of the revered Shinjo Ito. I so much enjoy his life story—leaving the industrial and mechanical world for the world of enlightenment and the world of art, making the Dharma accessible to people through beauty and balance. His teachings point to the free bliss of nirvana at the deepest level of natural reality. One is lucky to encounter him and his thought.”
Robert Thurman, Columbia University, American Institute of Buddhist Studies

“This book of Shinjo’s thoughts is useful to all people regardless of religion because it offers a method of compassionate attentiveness to a world in need.”
Margaret R. Miles, Professor Emerita, Graduate Theological Union

“Inspiring…this is a field guide to living reality, a compass to an honest life. Shinjo understood life and pointed to clear truth. Through practical application and a loving devotion, he shared it with the world around him.”
Holly Star, Meditation Teacher and Intuitive Healer

“Shinjo’s humility is of great inspiration. He truly understands what a devotional path is for us all.”
Hillary Rubin, Yoga Instructor & Transformational Health Coach

About the Author

Shinjo Ito (1906-89) was a renowned Japanese Buddhist master who believed that the Buddha’s enlightenment was a realizable goal for all human beings. For him, all experiences—whether positive or painful—were opportunities to cultivate the wisdom we need to live rich and satisfying lives. He was one of post-war Japan’s most innovative Buddhist teachers.
Shinjo Ito was recognized as an acharya (teaching master) at the age of 37. Respectful of tradition yet mindful of progress, Shinjo tried to reach as wide an audience as possible. During his life, he worked as an engineer, was married, and had a large family. He taught from his everyday experiences on such subjects as human relationships, anger, grief, and materialism. For Shinjo, society itself provided a practical framework for spiritual development. Teaching for over 50 years, Shinjo’s main contribution to Buddhist thought was “Shinnyo Buddhism”—a path of wisdom useful for the religious and non-religious alike. Since his death in 1989, Shinjo has been widely acknowledged as one of the great Buddhist masters of the twentieth century.