Interfaith and Cross Cultural Dialogue

Dialogue across religious and cultural traditions is a core value of Shinnyo Buddhism. In 1966 Shinjo Ito, the founder of Shinnyo-en, attended the Eighth International Congress of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Goodwill missions to India, Europe, Israel, the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia to foster ties of friendship and mutual understanding followed in close succession. Today Her Holiness Shinso Ito continues this tradition by expanding the scope of Shinnyo-en's international activities, driven by a belief that people, and all forms of life, are interconnected, and that Buddhism should actively engage in serving our society.