Welcome to the Ekoji Buddhist Temple, the “Temple of the Gift of Light”. Ekoji is a non-monastic Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temple just outside of the D.C. Beltway in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
Founded in 1981, Ekoji is an ethnically and racially diverse fellowship with services and Buddhist education programs for adults and children. All services are in English.
Ekoji is a member of the Buddhist Churches of America and is partially endowed by BDK America.
Our Mission
Ekoji’s programs serve our spiritual need to see ourselves and the world through a “Buddhist eye” by sharing the teachings of the Buddha Dharma.
Ekoji also seeks to develop a Buddhist community that provides friendship, refuge and support to its Sangha members.
Sunday Morning Services
Join us every Sunday at 11:00am EST for a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist service. Dress is casual, yet conservative, and everyone is welcome to listen to the Dharma, learn the Nembutsu, chants and songs associated with our tradition of Shin Buddhism. Please come as you are.
Reverend Nariaki Rajan Hayashi
It is a pleasure to introduce myself to all of you as a minister of Ekoji Buddhist Temple. My name is Nariaki Rajan Hayashi and I came from Kyoto, Japan as a minister for the Ekoji Buddhist Temple to share and spread Shinran Shonin’s; the founder of our tradition, Shin Buddhism teaching here in America. I was born in Hawaii, so I guess that makes me a Nisei; the second generation. I moved back to Japan when I was 12.
I come from a temple family with roots in Kagoshima, Japan.
After my graduation of Kansai International Language University, my first job was working in the hotel business as a salesman for over 5 years. The hotel business was a wonderful job, and proved to be a challenging career. However, while working so hard to achieve good results at sales, there was always a feeling of emptiness in my personal time. The more I succeeded, the more I sacrificed, spending more and more time at work. I quickly found out that, yes, the Japanese do work too hard.
Reflecting on this experience and what I was going through, I came to realize that the teaching of Shin Buddhism gave me an opportunity to pause and consider what life is. At the same time, it helped to fill the emptiness in my heart. Thus, from this experience, I believe that the teaching will guide me, and hopefully all of you who has not still encounter to our tradition, to a greater journey and meaningful life.
The wonderful teaching which Shinran Shonin left for us has and continues to be propagated over many generations. Truly, the teachings are relevant in this age. I look forward to being part of this propagation effort with the members of new home, the Ekoji Buddhist Temple, and with all of you.
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