| Three Wheels | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shin Buddhism |
| Sect | Higashi Hongan-ji |
| Year consecrated | 1994 |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Acton, London |
| Country | England |
| Website | |
| https://threewheels.org.uk/ | |
Three Wheels is a Shin Buddhist temple in London, England, founded in 1994.[1] It is the London branch of Shogyōji (正行寺), a temple in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, which has affiliations with the larger Higashi Hongan-ji (Ōtani-ha) branch of Shin Buddhism.[2]: 286
The temple was founded by Kemmyō Taira Sato, a former pupil of D. T. Suzuki,[1]: 10 [2]: 291 supporting both the local Japanese diaspora and non-Japanese attendees. The temple is spread across three buildings, with a main building holding the primary altar and two separate buildings used for events and hosting guests, alongside a Zen garden. The Zen garden was designed by John White, art historian and professor at University College London,[3]: 15–16 and it opened in 1997.[2]: 290 [4]
Three Wheels conducts daily services, meditation sessions, twice-yearly shokai retreats (a term coined from two characters meaning "to flow" and "to open") involving communal meals, dharma talks, and chanting,[2]: 297 and services such as funerals and weddings. The temple also hosts bi-monthly eza gatherings, which feature dharma talks in English.[2]: 289 The term "eza" means "to meet and sit"[2]: 296 and is a distinctive practice within the Shogyōji lineage of temples, compared with wider the Shin Buddhist movement.[2]: 289
Since 1997, Three Wheels has conducted a yearly Annual Ceremony to Pray for World Peace and Reconciliation between British and Japanese War Veterans.[5][1]: 11