Richard Tennes
Richard Tennes is currently enrolled in the Master of Buddhist Studies program at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, in Berkeley, California, which is affiliated with the Graduate Theological Union, also in Berkeley. He is working on a new, chant-able English translation (with commentary and musical settings in the original modes), of Shinran's poem "Shōshin Nenbutsu Ge" 正信念佛偈 (from the Kyōgyō shinshō), which is a key part of traditional Jōdo Shinshū liturgy. After ordainment, he intends to serve as a Jōdo Shinshū priest with the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai`i . His main scholarly concerns lie in the area of the translation of liturgical texts meant for actual use, perceiving a need for the development of an authentic body of chant-able texts, texts that not only properly convey the teachings, but which have serious literary merit as well. In this vein he is also working on chantable version of Dharmākara's song from the Larger Pure Land Sūtra ("San Butsu Ge" 讚佛偈). He has contributed a lengthy entry to the DDB on the Kyōgyō shinshō 教行信證. [2007/6/5]