Shinran Shonin
New York, United States
<br> Shinran Shonin is the founder of the Jodo Shinshu Sect of Buddhism. He developed the doctrine that reveals the one unobstructed way through which we can receive salvation and Buddhahood. This teaching is the torch that lights the way and guides our footsteps through life. This inspiring statue depicts Shinran Shonin in his missionary travel robes, as he appeared through most of his life propagating the teaching.<br><br> The statue originally stood in Hiroshima at a site 2.5 kilometers northwest from the center of the first atomic bomb attack. Having survived the full force of the bomb, the statue was brought to New York in September of 1955 to be a testimonial to the atomic bomb devastation and a symbol of lasting hope for world peace.<center><br>Namu Amida Butsu<br>May 21, 1985 Jodo Shinshu Honganji-Ha</center>