The Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research was founded in 1984 by Rev Yehan Numata, in order to realise his lifelong vision to make Buddhist teaching more widely available in the West. Working with a team of fifty of the world's leading scholar-specialists, the Center publishes English
translations of Buddhist texts from the Taisho Tripitaka, a comprehensive collection of Buddhist Canonical texts compiled in Japan in the early 20th Century.

Their books are beautifully produced. Being the Buddhist Canon, they are respectfully translated and edited, beautifully bound, and altogether of the highest standard. (those UK readers who know of the Folio Society and its publications will know the sort of standard that I refer to.) Hardbound in green and
cream cloth, I have two examples in front of me as I write. One volume contains the Tannisho: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith and Rennyo Shonin Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo; while the other is Honen's Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu.*

If anyone is creating a Pure Land Buddhism library, then these would make a wonderful addition to it. Many more volumes are planned, among which will be Hisao Inagaki's translation of the Three Pure Land Sutras.
The Center works in conjunction with the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism) which was also founded by Rev Numata, and which has produced the book Teaching of Buddha which is distributed to hotels and educational establishments throughout the world. To date, over 3 million copies have been distributed in more than 30 languages and can be found in more than 50 countries.

In addition to the translation work and the free distribution of The Teaching of Buddha, Rev Numata also endowed chairs of Buddhist studies at major universities throughout the world, and established Ekoji Temples in Japan, Washington DC in the USA, Mexico City and in Dusseldorf, Germany. I have been to the latter, and can testify to its beauty and wonderful atmosphere. The European Shin Conference has been held there on several occasions. In addition to the Buddhist activities, the temples also host various Japanese cultural events.

Rev Numata was a deeply compassionate Buddhist, whose lifelong commitment was that as long as he had even one breath left, he would do all within his power to tell the world about the teachings of Buddha, and contribute to the cause of world peace and happiness for all beings. His work is being continued by his family, and by the many dedicated Buddhists who have given their time and skills to continue the legacy which he left. Through this work, many people have come to hear about the teachings of Buddhism, and there is little doubt that this work will continue.

*Tannisho: Passages Deploring Deviations of Faith translated from the Japanese by Bando Shojun in collaboration with Harold Stewart; and Rennyo Shonin
Ofumi: The Letters of Rennyo translated by Ann T Rogers and Minor L Rogers. Published by the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2620 Warring
Street, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA, in their BDK English Tripitaka Series price
$30 cloth plus $8 postage [at time of ORIGINAL PLN publication].
Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu; a Collection of Passages on the Nembutsu Chosen in the Original Vow compiled by Genku (Honen); translated in English by Morris J Augustine and Kondo Tessho. Publisher as above, price $35 cloth plus $8 postage.
Further information can be obtained by writing to the Center.