Two Trips in Search of the Buddha

About the Book

Come with me as I travel through Japan in search of the Buddha and the Buddhist ethic. Ever since my first visit to Japan in 1962 I have been fascinated by Japanese culture. To date I have made twenty trips to Japan. I began exploring museums and temples where I visited some of the most beautiful and spectacular art work of the Japanese religions. Looking at some of the Buddhist art work in temples and museums I developed a gripping need to learn more about what I was viewing. I had an eagerness in reading about Buddhism and consumed many books on the subject. I decided to pursue Buddhist terachings by traveling through Japan and partaking in the culture. The first trip, in 1981, was a journey back and forth across the Inland Sea during which I encountered many people who explained the Buddhist religion to me. Ten years later in 1991, I made a pilgrimage by walking halfway around the Island of Shikoku stopping at 42 of the 88 temples built by the monk Kukai. It was here I met many pilgrims and temple monks who continued my Buddhist education. These two trips were important preliminary components of my life of a practicing Buddhist.

   - Albert Shansky

About the Author

Albert Shansky is a Buddhist scholar and a member of the Soto Zen tradition of Buddhism. He teaches philosophy and religion as an adjunct professor in the Humanities Department of Norwalk Community College. He was the Executive Vice President of the International Institute for Field-Being at Fairfield University. He was a member of the Hosshinji Monastery in Obama, Japan where he practiced as a monk. He has had two books published on thirteenth century Japan and one book on a personal memoir as a Buddhist practitioner.