to become his successor in 1983 and gave her the priestly name 'Shinsō'. After Shinjō's passing on July 19, 1989 Shinsō Itō becomes the head of Shinnyo-en. In 1992, Shinsō Itō was conferred Daisōjo, the highest priestly rank in traditional Shingon Buddhism, by the Daigo-ji Shingon Buddhist monastery. She also received an honorary doctorate from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University in Thailand in 2002 for her long-standing efforts to foster relations with Theravada Buddhism. In Shinnyo-en's Dharma School () members study Buddhist doctrine and learn ritualistic aspects. After graduating as a Dharma Teacher they can further qualify for undergoing Buddhist ordination () and receiving traditional monastic ranks. Social action Shinnyo-en believes an individual's action can contribute to creating a harmonious society. Working towards this goal, the organization engages in interfaith dialogue, environmental activities, and disaster relief. Shinnyo-en also supports organizations such as Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), the Red Cross Society, and the World Wildlife Fund. In an interview conducted by the Tricycle magazine, Shinso Ito stated: Shinnyo practice Shinnyo-en practitioners are encouraged to practice sesshin training and undertake the , which are a distillation of the Pāramitā taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. Three Practices are: . Concretely, this means abiding by the principles of the Teachings, participating in volunteer activities, and donating small sums of money. Sesshin Sesshin (the word is composed of the two Chinese characters, “touch” and “heart”) is the central element of spiritual practice for Shinnyo practitioners. This is not to be confused with the sesshin in Zen Buddhism. Whereas in Zen Buddhism, sesshin refers to a period of intensive meditation, with many hours of meditation each day, sesshin in Shinnyo-en has an entirely different meaning. A sesshin involves receiving guidance from a , a person who has been specially trained and whose is recognized by the Shinnyo-en organization. This kind of guidance lasts for about three minutes per person, and is, in most cases, given only at a Shinnyo-en temple, aimed to help members to understand themselves in light of Buddhist concepts. Shinnyo-en refers to the spiritual world from which the guiding messages emanate as the shinnyo reikai (). This is not merely the dwelling place of the spirits of the dead, it also encompasses and is equated with the . The spiritual guides' contact with this world is not direct, but aided by the intercession of two and various dharma protectors, who are viewed as being one