Monday 27 August 2007

Peace Activist & Buddhist Monk Handa Shonin San R.I.P.



Last week a Handa Shonin San, a Buddist Monk and peace activist, died in a freak accident while mowing the lawn at his temple in Milton Keynes. Its a trajic loss, he was only 50, and a man greatly respected. I went to his funeral service on Sunday, there were hundreds there, and messages from many more who couldnt be there. There were tributes many, including Bruce Kent (CND), London Mayor Ken Livingstone, the police and representatives from religious groups.

I walked with him on the footprints for peace walk from Reading to London, he was a peaceful man who lifted spirits by his presence. His order does a lot of peace campaigning, he walked once across asia to Japan, which took 12 months.

The Nippon zan Miohoji temple in Milton Keynes was built in 1980 and is the first Buddhist peace pagoda built in the West. See www.mkbuddhism.org.uk for more.

No comments: