Midwest Buddhist Temple

The Midwest Buddhist Temple is a temple of the Jodo Shinshu school of Buddhism, with roots in the Pure Land Buddhist tradition. Jodo Shinshu, also referred to as Shin Buddhism, was founded in Japan by Shinran Shonin (1173-1262). It was Shinran Shonin who made Buddhist teachings accessible to people of all walks of life — in contrast to the traditional, primarily monastic practice of Buddhism. Between 1900 and 1940, many Jodo Shinshu temples were founded along the West Coast of the United States. In 1944, the Midwest Buddhist Temple was founded in Chicago by Rev. Gyodo Kono, who was “resettled” in Chicago after being interned at the Rohwer Arkansas Relocation Camp during World War II. Many individuals and families of Japanese descent (most were U.S. citizens), were sent to relocation and internment camps in remote locations of rural America. Interned people were given a choice to remain in the camps and await permission to return to the West Coast, or gain release under the condition they relocate to the eastern part of the United States. Many chose to start a new life in Chicago. In 1948, the Midwest Buddhist Church purchased a three-story building at 1763 North Park Ave., and after significant renovation, the first permanent location of the Midwest Buddhist Church was dedicated in September 1950. Membership continued to grow, and twenty-seven years after the founding of MBT, the new Temple of Enlightenment on Nov. 6, 1971. The Temple of Enlightenment, designed by architect Hideaki Arao, is located at 435 W. Menomonee St., in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago, just blocks from the original North Park location. With its striking architecture, the temple is now an integral part of the Old Town community, and the tolling of the kansho (the large bell that heralds the start of Sunday Family Services) is a familiar sound.

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