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Meet Our Minister
Dr.
Seigen Haruo Yamaoka has been a familiar face at the Buddhist
Church of Oakland over the course of many decades. He is a former
Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America as well as the former
President of the Institute of Buddhist Studies.
Rev. Yamaoka
was born in 1934 in Fresno, California and found his religious faith
as a youth in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He
received his BA degree from California State University, Fresno in
1956 and an MA from Ryukoku University, Kyoto in 1961. Three years
later (1964), he was ordained as a minister of the Buddhist Churches
of America.
From 1964 - 1971, Rev. Yamaoka served as our
English-speaking minister at the Buddhist Church of Oakland. During
that time, Rev. Yamaoka continued his education and attended the
Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California receiving his MRE
(Masters in Religious Education) in 1969. From 1969-71, Rev. Yamaoka
was also the Registrar at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in
Berkeley, California. Then in 1971 he was reassigned to the Stockton
Buddhist Temple as their resident minister and remained there for 10
years (1981).
During his years in Stockton, Rev. Yamaoka
also worked on his doctorate degree and in 1979 received his D. Min
(Doctor of Ministry in Religious Education) from the Pacific School
of Religion. He became the Chairman of the Ministers Association and
held this position for two years (1979-81). Shortly after that, Rev.
Yamaoka was ordained as Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America
and served for 15 years (1981-1996).
In April 1996 we were
very fortunate to have Rev. Yamaoka
return to our temple. Six
years later in 2002, he received a D. Litt (Doctor of Letters) from
the Department of Letters in Shin Buddhist Studies at Ryukoku
University.
As a career minister, Rev. Yamaoka has served as
a member of the BCA Research Committee, BCA (1970-75); member of the
IBS Board of Trustees (1971-75 and 1979-81); English Secretary of
the Ministers Association (1972-75); and member of the Board of
Buddhist Education (1977).
Published works by Rev. Yamaoka
include: Compassion in Encounter; Teaching and Practice of Jodo
Shinshu; Jodo Shinshu - Religion of Human Experience; Meditation -
Gut Enlightenment; and The Way of Hara and Six Aspects of Jodo
Shinshu.
Rev. Yamaoka has been married to Shigeko (Masuyama)
since 1966 and they have 2 children.
Reverend Yamaoka will be happy
to personally answer any questions or address any concerns that you
may have.
For those
interested in learning more about Jodo Shinshu,
Reverend Yamaoka has compiled a
suggested reading list below.
Recommended
Shin Buddhist (Jodo Shinshu) Books
Kakehashi, Jitsuen, Bearer of the Light:
The Life and Thoughts of Rennyo, Los Angeles: Pure Land
Publications, 1999.
Kanaya Usuki, Patricia, Currents of Change: American Buddhist Women
Speak Out on Jodo Shinshu, Berkeley: Institue of Buddhist Studies
Monograph Series Number 2, 2007.
Shigaragi, Takamaro, A Life of Awakening: The Heart of the
Shin Buddhist Path, Kyoto:Hozokan Publication, 2005.
Unno,
Taitetsu, Shin Buddhism: Bits of Rubble Turn Into Gold, (New
York:Doubleday, 2002).
Unno,
Taitetsu, River of Fire River of Water, ( New York:
Doubleday, 1998).
Yamaoka,
Seigen, True Pure Land Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu, an Introduction (Los Angeles: Pure Land Publications, 1991).
Yamaoka,
Seigen, The Transmission of Shin Buddhism in the West; Jodo
Shinshu Educational Process, (San Francisco: BCA Federation of
Dharma School Teachers League, 2005).
Books are
available at the Buddhist Bookstore, 2140 Durant Avenue, Berkeley,
CA 94704
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