His life and teachings remain the foundation from which Buddhist communities draw meaning, discipline, and spiritual direction. Jodo Shinshu belongs to the many paths that honor those teachings in its own way, reflecting the diversity of Buddhist practice while remaining anchored in the same central source. That grounding gives the temple a clear religious identity: one connected to a longstanding Buddhist heritage rather than a generalized or purely secular meditation culture.

Its character is defined by continuity with a historical tradition and by participation in a form of Buddhism that recognizes both shared roots and the distinctive practices of different sects. In that sense, Midwest Buddhist Temple is best understood not simply as a place of gathering, but as part of an enduring religious stream—one that links contemporary Buddhist observance in Chicago to centuries of teaching inspired by Siddhartha Gautama and preserved through the Jodo Shinshu tradition.