Being a Little off, in and out and Up-Tempo: A Catholic Priest Falling in Love with Shingon Buddhism

Tuesday, May 24, 5-6:30 p.m.
Zoom: RSVP to ICTC@seattleu.edu

Thierry Jean Roboüam, S.J., is an accomplished scholar in Japanese Buddhism, especially Shingon, the esoteric Buddhist practice that in Japan goes back to the early ninth century when Kūkai (also known as Kōbō Daishi) traveled to China and brought back what is now one of the only surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia. What is more remarkable, Father Roboüam is the first and only Jesuit in history to also complete the arduous work to become a Shingon priest. Father Roboüam will speak about his personal spiritual development, including how he came to hold these two different practices together in his own life.

A short response will be offered by the Reverend Taijo Imanaka, the Shingon priest at Seattle Koyasan Temple.

Thierry-Jean Roboüam, S.J., is currently the director of the Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice in Sri Lanka. He is also a Research Fellow at Koyasan University, where he was also a professor from 1997-2019 and lectured on philosophy and comparative religion. He received his doctorate from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in the field of Experiential Theology on Buddhist and Christian dialogue. For a sampling of his articles, visit Thierry Roboüam.