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WHAT IS THE MEANING OF 円教寺 ENKYOJI?

円教寺 Enkyoji is the name of our Honbu Temple and our growing Network of  Nichiren Shu Temples and Sangha worldwide.  - En means “circle” and 教 - Kyo means “sutra.”  Thus, 円教 - Enkyo gives the idea that our meeting is not by chance, but rather that we have come together because of some sort of karmic link with the (Lotus) Sutra. 寺 - Ji  literally means “temple.” Our Honbu (main) Temple is: 長妙山 圓教寺 Chomyozan Enkyoji Buddhist Temple of Saga, Kyushu Japan. Our Hombu uses the ancient Chinese character for En 圓 - rather than the more modernly used - 円. We honor our Honbu Temple in Saga by reserving the ancient Chinese chararcter for En - only for, 長妙山 圓教寺 Chomyozan Enkyoji Buddhist Temple. 円教寺 Enkyoji Buddhist Network belongs to the 長妙山 圓教寺 Chomyozan Enkyoji Nichiren Shu lineage of Buddhism in Saga, Japan. The “Kyo” in Saga’s temple name “Enkyoji” is actually not technically sūtra () but , which means “teaching”. Together they may translate, "Perfect/rounded teaching" this might come from Zhiyi’s Goji Hakkyō (his system of sūtra classification) as 圓教 is the last of his Four Teachings, which are: 藏教 Storehouse Teaching                 通教 Pervasive Teaching                    別教 Separate Teaching                     圓教 Rounded/Perfect Teaching In that context though, 圓教 is pronounced Engyō. There are several famous Tendai temples called Engyōji 圓教寺. This should provide clarification for the slightly different kanji characters used for our modern Enkyoji Buddhist Network, Temples and Sangha and those of our Honbu in Saga, Japan.  

長妙山 圓教寺 Chomyozan Enkyoji Buddhist Temple of Saga, Kyushu Japan

   
Enkyoji Buddhist Network