American Buddhist Net

March 13, 2007

Osaka's Kakuryoji is headed by a self-professed punk priestess called Renzuki who has shunned the traditional money oriented path toward Enlightenment, instead using a smidgen of Nirvana-like grunge to guide lost souls toward the path to, well, Nirvana, according to Spa! (3/13).

In a far cry from the quite, serene, peaceful Buddhist, Renzuki has become notorious for unleashing vicious verbal barbs directed at AUM Shinrikyo (the death cult that carried out the 1995 deadly gas attack on the subway systems), blasting the Yamagishi (a religious group often accused of being a cult) and also putting on fashion shows and dance displays within her temple.

"When my dad was the chief priest, there were about 150 parishioner families whose payments kept the temple afloat. By the time my generation took over, the number of paraishioners started dropping one at a time, then two at a time, and so on," Renzuki tells Spa! "One day, I realized that there were only five paying parishioner families left."

LINK TO ORIGINAL

Renzuki had long criticized Buddhist priests for charging hefty fees to conduct traditional funerals, so didn't see that path as an option. When her father died, leaving her as the new chief priestess, Renzuki opted to introduce a little originality, choosing to put on punk funerals. Parishioners were inflamed by the diabolical death rites and cut off financing Kakuryoji. Renzuki was forced to fund the temple on her savings.

Most of the punk priestess's activities now are focused on cats. She provides a home for strays which has seen Kakuryoji pick up the nickname locally of the Tabby Temple. Last year alone, Renzuki adopted another 18 cats.

"At the peak time, I was looking after 45 cats," she says. "I was feeding them, and paying for them to be neutered, all out of my own pocket," the punk priestess tells Spa! "I managed to get by with a donation here and there."

Cut off from funding, taking in more cats to care for and becoming poorer by the day, Renzuki was "saved" by setting up a small area within the temple as a caf? and now is finally on a more stable financial track."I make coffee for the people who come here," she says. "They pay me a sum that they think is right. The rest of the time I spend playing with the cats or lying around reading books."

Of course, Renzuki also maintains the typical services provided by Buddhist temples, like weddings, exorcisms and whatever. She also has hopes for the future.

"I want to set up a cemetery for single people, or divorcees," the punk priestess tells Spa! "You know, people who don't want to be buried in the family grave." (By Ryann Connell)