Minister & minister's assistant

Rev. William Briones was born and raised in Mountain View, CA. His major was in Biology. He worked 28 years as a Research Biologist in the Department of Physiology, at Syntex Pharmaceuticals in Palo Alto, CA. He took an early retirement in 1995 and enrolled at the Institute of Buddhist Studies at CA Berkeley's Graduate of Theology Union. Upon Completion of ministerial program at Berkeley, Rev. Briones attended Chuo Bukkyo Gakuin (Buddhist Seminary) in Kyoto, Japan for 2 years. He received his Tokudo ordination in September 2000 and Kyoshi certification in April 2001.

His orientation began at LA Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in June 2001 and he joined the ministerial staff as a full time minister in January 2002. He became the 10th Rimban (head minister) of LA Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in September 2013.

Rev. Hibiki Junkyo Murakami（村上 響、釋 順響） is from Kitakyushu city, Fukuoka, Japan. He received his bachelor’s and a master’s degrees of letters of Shin Buddhism at Ryukoku University, Kyoto in 2016 and in 2018.  In the meantime, he received Tokudo ordination and was licensed Kyoshi in the school of Jodo Shinshu Hongwaji-ha. His international ministerial activity began at being a candidate minister upon completing the International Ministerial Orientation Program at Jodo Shinshu Center, Berkeley in 2018. 

In January 2020, he moved from Japan to Los Angeles for serving Nishi Betsuin.

After 20 years in Soto Zen Buddhism, John embraced Nembutsu at the LA Betsuin, finding solace in Amida Buddha's compassionate acceptance toward all beings regardless of their shortcomings and imperfections. With gratitude as his practice, he has a newfound patience for life's chaos and has traded in his solitary Zen practice for the embrace of a busy Dharma family. When one door closes, another opens.  Namo Amida Butsu!

You can visit John’s blog, Being Bombu-Cultivating Gratitude at https://beingbombu.com/