Background
Beiho Takashima was born on January 15, 1875 in Niigata, Japan. He was the eldest son of Shiimei Takashima, priest of the Shinshoji Temple, Niigata Prefecture.
米峰 高嶋
Beiho Takashima was born on January 15, 1875 in Niigata, Japan. He was the eldest son of Shiimei Takashima, priest of the Shinshoji Temple, Niigata Prefecture.
After attending Kojin Kyoko (Buddhist Institute for Promotion of Humanism) at Takada City, Niigata Prefecture, he graduated from Tetsugakukan (Institute of Philosophy) (1896).
He worked successively as staff member of the Toyo Tetsugaku (Oriental Philosophy) magazine, newspaper reporter and middle school teacher, until he established at Hara-machi, Koishikawa, Tokyo, a bookstore called Kakuseido (The Hall of Screening of the Crane) (1899).
He then proceeded to set up the Heigo Publishing Company and until its dissolution (1934) published about 300 books dn philosophy, religion and culture. He also organized with his friends Shin-Bukkyo Doshikai (New Buddhist Friends' Society) (1899), which was followed the following year by the publication of Shin-Bukkyo (New Buddhism), through which he did much to clear up the world of Buddhism. He also contributed his efforts to many phases of social welfare, participating in temperance and anti-vice movements and campaigns for popularization of Roman characters and protection of animals, all of which attest to his high and versatile personality.
His works: Hannya Shingyo Kawa (A Lectnre on Hannya Shingyo-a Buddhist sutra). lkkyu Osho-den (A Biography of Priest Ikkyusee Ikkyu), Mono-no Chikara Kokoro-no Chikara (The Power of the Matter and the Power of the Mind) and Jinsei Shokan (A Small View on Life).