BULLETIN - West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple

WEST LOS ANGELES BUDDHIST TEMPLE
BULLETIN
2003 Corinth Avenue
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
TEL (310) 477-7274
FAX (310) 477-6674
Email: westlabt@verizon.net
Web: www.wlabt.org
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Vol. 53, No. 11
November 2010
REV. USUKI’S PAGE
Play Buddha Ball
Pure gold is procured by melting ore and removing all impure substances. If people
would melt the ore of their mind and remove all the impurities of worldly passion
and egoism, they would recover the same pure Buddha-nature.
“Buddha-Nature: Egolessness,” The Teaching of Buddha, 2006, p. 80
If you play golf, basketball, or
even perform in front of people,
you can become very scared,
nervous, or perhaps feel stage
fright. If you miss an important
free throw, then your friends
may say you “choked.” We can
even “gag” on a golf course over a silly one-foot
putt. In sports, this phenomenon is called the
yips.
seven feet tall and stands very close to the rim
when his arms are stretched out. Isn’t this remarkable? We can make the shot at practice but
for some reason, in a game, the basket seems to
look higher and farther. When you’re standing on
the free throw line, suddenly people stop cheering
and yelling. All’s quiet and you stand alone. Then
for some weird reason, you get a spaghetti arm
and your legs get like tofu.
According to Wikipedia encyclopedia, the word
yips recently became an official word. It was
made famous by a professional golfer, Tommy Armour. Yips are very common—we see it in all
sports—golf, basketball, baseball, football, darts,
bowling, and so on. In golf, yips are described as
a movement disorder known to interfere with putting. These are known as twitches, staggers, jitters, and jerks, or gag. Yips affect up to half of all
mature golfers because the condition may result
from biochemical changes in the brain that accompany aging. Golfers who have played for more
than 25 years appear to be the most prone to this
condition. Hmmm, so this is my problem, and the
more I play, the worse I will get. Not at all promising.
Don’t we feel sorry for the field goal kicker who
misses in the last seconds of the very last play of
a Super Bowl game? I think they should be paid
on commission, perhaps a million dollars for each
game they win. We can identify with the kicker
and feel the same shame, embarrassment, and
agony because we experience the same thing in
our daily life. The scariest part of becoming a
minister was knowing that I had to sing in front
of hundreds of people or dance during Obon. I almost quit because of it. The thought that comes
to mind when we are in such situations is “What
if I don’t do this right? If I mess up I’m going to
look very stupid and it will be embarrassing.” So,
we put so much pressure on ourselves when we
worry about “What if?” Here is a very interesting
definition explained in Wikipedia:
We have always thought that yips were nerves, or
being very scared, or resulted from being
watched. Perhaps we can identify this phenomenon with Shaquille O’Neal. How can a person who
earns $10 million a year, playing a kid’s game,
make only four out of ten shots from the free
throw line, when no one is guarding him? He is
Yips or the yips is an expression used to describe the apparent loss of certain fine motor
skills, seemingly without explanation, in one
of a number of different sports.
It is a disease or malfunction of your brain for
some reason. When you are nervous then this
sensation may create some chemical reaction or
(cont’d on page 2)
West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
November 2010
what to do. If you don’t make it, don’t worry about
it. You’ll get another chance. This is what Buddha’s been teaching us forever. If you worry too
much about the result, then you will not be able
to execute. Well, he may not have said it exactly
like this, but there is a story we know very well,
called “The Poison Arrow,” which talks about the
same situation:
electrical pulse of some kind and attack the brain
and make your muscles react funny. This is the
cause of spaghetti arm and tofu legs. So, there
you are! It is scientific. Now that we know the
cause for yips, what is the cure? I found two
cures—one suggested by Wikipedia and another
in Buddhism. This is what Wikipedia says:
Professional or leading amateur sportsmen
affected by the Yips sometimes recover their
ability, sometimes compensate by changing
technique, or may be forced to abandon their
sport at the highest level.
Suppose a man were struck by a poison
arrow, and his relatives called a doctor to remove it and treat the wound. What would
happen if the man didn’t want the doctor to
pull the arrow out until he knew who shot
him? Or whether it was a man or woman?
Was it a peasant or someone famous? Was
the bow made of wood or bamboo? What was
the bow-string made of? And so on.... Before
the doctor could take the arrow out, if the
man wanted to know all these things, what
would happen to him? He would die, silly—
everyone knows this.
The simple translation is: 1) Somehow you will
get better. How? I don’t know. 2) You may be able
to get better by changing your technique. OK. 3)
Or, just give it up. Well, this is not encouraging.
How does Buddhism look at this situation? It
says something like this:
-
Don’t worry about what may happen before
you take the shot.
If you just do what you are trained to do,
without thinking, then you can make it like
you always do. Just do it.
Paraphrased from “The Way of Practical Attainment: Search for Truth,”
The Teaching of Buddha, 2006, pp. 150-151
How does this story compare to shooting a free
throw or standing over a two-foot putt? Take care
of business first because there is nothing to worry
about until the ball either goes in or not. Don’t
make it a mental game. Play Buddha Ball.
This means that when you’re standing on the free
throw line, take a deep breath, relax, think you’re
a Buddha, and let your body do the work. Separate your mind from your body. Your body knows
Shinshu Corner
The Hongwanji - Today
(From Jodo Shinshu - A Guide, Hongwanji International Center)
(continuation from October issue)
“fellow-practicers,” gathered together on the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
Name and Headquarters
The correct official name of the organization is
Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha. It is often commonly referred to as Honpa Hongwanji or Nishi
Hongwanji, and the headquarters, or Honzan in
Japanese, is located in Kyoto, along Horikawa Avenue.
Spiritual Leader – The Monshu
The person who is the spiritual leader and resident minister of the Hongwanji is called Monshu.
Shinran Shonin’s grandson, Nyoshin, was the
second Monshu. Since that time, all the succeeding Monshu, including the current Monshu, His
Eminence Monshu Ohtani Koshin (Sokunyo
Shonin), have been direct blood descendents of
Shinran. The previous Monshu, who in this case
was the current Monshu’s father, is honorably referred to as Zemmon, or Monshu Emeritus in
English. The successor is referred to as Shimmon, or Monshu Apparent. Generally, the Shimmon is the Monshu’s eldest son. The Monshu’s
wife is known as Urakata, or Lady Ohtani. Usually, honorifics such as “o-” or “go-” and “-sama”
The first Buddhist organization, which is often referred to as a sangha, was composed of the group
of disciples that always accompanied Sakyamuni
Buddha. Amidst the severe caste system that existed in India at that time, the principle of this organization differed greatly; it was based on
equality and harmony. Because the Hongwanji
was founded on Shinran’s teachings arising from
the Buddha Dharma, its principles are meant to
cross social lines, ethnic divisions, and national
boundaries. Shinran believed that we were all
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(cont’d on page 3 )
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November 2010
(“Shinshu Corner” from page 2)
are attached to titles; hence, “Go-Monshu-sama”
and “O-Urakata-sama.”
important aspects of equality and fellow practicers have paved the way for spreading the Shinshu teaching of “realizing shinjin oneself and
guiding others to [realizing] shinjin.” Today, more
than ever, this idea holds true. Maintaining the
Hongwanji institution and ensuring the Jodo
Shinshu teaching for future generations depends
on the efforts of every Shin Buddhist.
The Organization
The sangha of the Hongwanji is referred to in
many ways: monto, monshinto, members, Nembutsu followers, and “fellow practicers.” The
Japanese term monto and monshinto mean “followers of the [dharma] gate” and are specifically
associated with Jodo Shinshu Buddhists. This is
because the Hongwanji organization is based on
the idea that all followers are “fellow practicers”
who are on equal standing, all sharing the same
life and all enabled to live according to the same
teaching.
The world and society have changed considerably
since Shinran’s time. Likewise, the Hongwanji organization has also tried to evolve and adapt to
those changes. However, the spirit of the Nembutsu teaching remains the same, providing
guidance and a firm foundation on which all people can base their lives. In Shin Buddhism, the
fundamental practice is to “hear the dharma.” By
hearing the Dharma, and always being mindful
of the Buddha, the organization is able to reflect
on changes and make any necessary reforms
leading to improvements for the benefit of all people.
Currently, the Hongwanji institution consists of
approximately ten thousand temples in Japan
and nearly two hundred temples overseas, with a
total of more than twelve million members. Of
course, this did not occur overnight. Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha has grown to become one of
the largest Buddhist sects in Japan, with numerous temples and members scattered worldwide,
thanks to the teaching of true entrusting and a
life of joy in the Nembutsu established by Shinran
Shonin. As people have encountered Shinran’s
teaching, they have come to realize the truth in
this teaching and thereby have awakened to the
Great Compassion of Amida Buddha. All who
truly awaken to and attain shinjin, entrusting
themselves wholeheartedly and completely to
Amida Buddha’s Vow, realize that all life is equal
and precious, and thus all Nembutsu followers
are “fellow practicers.” Throughout its history, the
Responsibility for spreading the Buddha Dharma
is not left up to the ministers alone. As “fellow
practicers,” there is no distinction between
priests or laypeople, and in actuality, the teaching is passed along from one person to another.
In this way, all “fellow-practicers” are the means
by which the dharma is propagated. Each member can and does make a difference. With members taking an active role in society as Shin
Buddhists, the Hongwanji institution will continue to evolve, aiming to answer the needs of humanity.
(Next Bulletin: “Organizational Structure of the Hongwanji”)
Eirik Haenschke
Mary Haenschke
Mari Muki
Victor Sasaki
Valerie Schwartz
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
November 2010
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Saintliness does not consist in specific acts,
such as excessive prayer or
performance of rituals. It is an
attitude bound up with all actions, all
doings, accompanying and shaping all
life’s activities. Saintliness is not an
excursion into spirituality. Its mark is
loving-kindness. A saint is he who does
not know how it is possible not to
love, not to help, not to be
sensitive to the anxiety of others.
A. J. Heschel
I have had the honor of serving our Temple as its President
for almost two years now. During that time I have come to
know many of our members and the unique qualities they
offer. We may not realize just how special many of our Temple members actually are. As is so often the case, many of
us will wax nostalgic, years from now, about how singular
our members were way back in 2010. Instead, I suggest we
recognize some of these exceptional people today rather than wait to reminisce about them years from now.
I selected the quote above because I think if offers us some important lessons. I know it is unusual today to refer to a saint or to saintliness in the
context of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. But it was not always that way. In
fact, while researching early texts written in the United States by Jodo
Shinshu Kaikyoshi ministers I unearthed a book entitled The Life of St.
Shinran. It was originally published in Japanese in 1923 and translated
into English by one of our first Shin Buddhist priests who was sent to the
U.S. in 1899 to propagate the Dharma. The book discusses “Saint Shinran” and uses the word saint in the same way I prefer to interpret that
word for this article. Online dictionaries offer secondary definitions of saint
as referring to people known for their virtues from which others can learn.
One definition offers Bodhisattva as synonymous with saint. So I’m talking
about saints as people of special virtue. One might say every member in
our temple sangha is a person of special virtue. The most memorable times
I have spent in the past two years while serving as your President have
been my encounters with many of you. You have been my teachers. I have
learned important lessons by watching and listening to many of you display great thoughtfulness; people who do not know how not to love others,
how not to help, how not to be sensitive to the anxiety of others.
I apologize in advance to those who I fail to mention, who I have inadvertently neglected to include in the following list of people who are always
volunteering to help; who rush to offer their ideas in a spirit of cooperation;
who inconvenience themselves for the benefit of others; who make our
Temple function. I thank you all and each one of you for being who you
are and making our Temple Sangha unparalleled.
(cont’d on page 5 )
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
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(“President’s Message” from page 4)
In no special order, I recognize the following people much the same as we
might do for Oseibo Taikai: Masako Ishioka; Grace Mizushima; Connie
Yahata; Rob Kafka; Yasuko Shohara; Tosh Ishioka; Beverly Yahata;
Kayo Ohkawahira; Toshiko Uyekubo; Sei Shohara; Dr. Jack Fujimoto;
Ichiro Ouchi; Milton Iwamoto; Vance Nishimoto; Haru Matsumune;
Michiko Takata; Jim Shimomaye; Betty Takahashi; Shirley Ito; Joko
Tamura; Victor Naramura; Hidemi Ohkawahira; Kiyoka Totani; Kazuko
Seike; Kimi Ishii; Atsie Murayama; and Diane Ohkawahira. And I note
with reverence and appreciation four of our dharma teachers, Rev. Fumiaki Usuki, Rev. Ensei Nekoda, Rev. Harold Oda, and Rev. Akira Hata.
Thank you all!
In gassho,
Rick Stambul
WLABT President
THANKSGIVING SERVICE
60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Sunday, November 21
Service begins at 10:00 a.m.
Lunch served immediately following Service
Sign up for reservations at Temple Office
(There are no tickets being sold)
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
November 2010
NOVEMBER SHOTSUKI HOYO, 10 a.m. Saturday, November 6, 2010
Arita, Toshio
Deguchi, Setsuko
Dote, Shikanosuke
Fujimoto, Helen
Fujimoto, Larry
Fujimoto, Ronald
Fujimoto, Ume
Fujimoto, Yutsuma
Hada, Art
Hada, Niichi
Hata, Tsutomu
Hatanaka, Torazo
Ichiho, Tsuyako
Ige, Sueko
Ikeda, Kuni
Ishibashi, William
Kakehashi, Tatsuyo
Kawaguchi, Doris
Kitagawa, Kaoru
Kurauchi, Tamayo
Kurokawa, Juro
Maeda, Goro
Marumoto, Shigeru
Maruyama, Hideo
Masukawa, Tomoko
Matsumoto, Kichnosuke
Miyada, Gonji
Miyake, Torao
Mochizuki, Keiko
Morikawa, Gosuke
Morita, Chiyoki
Murakami, Sugae
Nagaoka, Hiroshi
Nagaoka, Sachi
Nagayama, Yoshio
Nakagawa, Ayako
Nakagawa, Misao
Nakagawa, Shinso
Nakamura, Frank
Nakamura, Michael
Naramura, Hiroshi
Nimori, Misu
Nishida, Hirotoshi
Nishimoto, Akira
Nishimoto, Kyo
Nomura, Toshihiro
Nonoguchi, Matsuyo
Ohigashi, Hozumi
Okita, David
Okitsu, Jou
Onami, Yaeko
Oshinomi, Sally
Osumi, Chie
Ota, Kane
Ota, Tokizo
Oyanagi, Tamaichi
Sherriff, Shirley
Shibata, Shozo
Shimano, Katsu
Takata, Hatsuko
Takemoto, Yonezo
Tanimura, Hirokichi
Tanimura, Thomas
Terashita, Masaru
Tomita, Carol
Tsuruzawa, Ayako
Watanabe, Osamu
Yahata, Tozo
Yamaguchi, Helen
Yamaji, Chieru
Yoshidome, Saichi
Yukawa, Anthony
CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF:
FRANK MINORU NAKAGAWA
April 9, 1932 - September 12, 2010
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
BUDDHIST MEN REPORT
November 2010
BWA NEWS
Jack Fujimoto
Yasuko Shohara
We enjoyed very cool weather this
summer and had only a few days
of blistering heat of summer in
the final days of September. The
beginning of October brought
much needed rain to clear the
Los Angeles basin. How grateful
we are for the beauty and wonder of our life here
in West Los Angeles!
Revision of Buddhist Men Bylaws
At the September meeting, Jack
Fujimoto circulated a copy of
proposed Bylaw changes that
collated elements from the previous versions issued on March 6,
1996, April 7, 1999, and March
5, 2003. The new condensed Bylaws streamlined the executive board and clarified duties of officers. Quorum and amendment
rules have been updated. Bylaws are effective as
of November 1, 2010.
The Temple had scheduled a visit to the Hsi Lai
Temple in Hacienda Heights on October 4.
Twenty-two members and friends had a grand
tour of the beautiful grounds and temple, and
they enjoyed their very tasty vegetarian lunch.
The lucky BWA members who went on the outing
were: Kay Kafka, Kiyoko Nakamura, Kathy
Nishimoto, Jacqui Pierce, Toshiko Uyekubo,
Beverly Yahata, and Connie Yahata. Thanks to
the BEC Committee for arranging this outing. Pictures may be seen elsewhere in this issue.
November events involving Buddhist Men are several and significant:
• LONGEVITY PARTY is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.,
November 13, Saturday. Seven members are to
be honored. Menu is salmon or steak. Charge
is $5 per person except for honorees and accompanying ladies. Program chair is Rick
Stambul and includes bingo called by Rob
Kafka. Gifts are being handled by Milton
Iwamoto.
This year’s Dharma School’s Family Fun Night is
on October 30 from 5 p.m. Pictures from previous
years give evidence of a wonderful fun night of
games, food, great costumes, and prizes in store
for those who attend. But the haunted house is
beyond what the camera can capture. Jim Shimomaye and his group have become experts in
creating a hair-raising haunted house each year.
Come join the fun!!
• EITAIKYO SERVICE is scheduled for 10 a.m.,
Sunday, November 14 with Jack Fujimoto as
service chair and Kimi Ishii as organist.
• 60TH ANNIVERSARY AND THANKSGIVING
EVENT is scheduled for 10 a.m., Sunday, November 21. Service Chair is Sei Shohara with
Malcolm Cross as organist. Program chair is
Rick Stambul. This is a significant event in the
life of the Temple. All members are encouraged
to attend.
President Connie and Buddhist Men President
Milton Iwamoto are planning the program for
the Temple’s 60th Anniversary Celebration. There
will be lunch, musical entertainment, and Taiko,
with Temple organizations also participating in
the program. There will be no tickets sold, but get
your name on the reservation list the next time
you attend service.
Nomination Committee Announced
For 2011 officers, nominations will be handled by
Milton
Iwamoto,
Rob
Kafka,
Hidemi
Ohkawahira, and Jack Fujimoto.
Please note that the November BWA meeting will
be on November 28 at 10 a.m. Matinee with BWA
at 11 a.m. will feature the big hit in Japan,
Hachi-Ko, a beautiful story about a dog and his
adopted master.
Keiro-Sponsored Programs Studied
Instructional presentations for seniors on “Balance” and “Memory” are being studied as possible
future programs to be sponsored by the Buddhist
Men. Jack Fujimoto has been charged with this
project.
EITAIKYO SERVICE
Sunday, November 14th • 10 a.m.
Friday,
November 19th
7:00 p.m.
Guest Speaker:
Rev. George Matsubayashi
BCA Minister Emeritus
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November 2010
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PICTURE PAGES
Fall Ohigan Seminar, Saturday, September 11, 2010
(First row, left to right): Hisako Kokado, Chiyo Nishina, Atsie Murayama, Rev. Ensei Nekoda, Rev. Seikan
Fukuma, Rev. Fumiaki Usuki. (Second row): Beverly Yahata, Ayanna Yonemura, Dianne Ohkawahira, Ichiro
Ouchi, Kay Kafka, Shiz Sera. (Third row): Terumi Iwamoto, Masako Ishioka, Tosh Ishioka, Alice Umeda, Rob
Kafka, Milton Iwamoto, Yasuko Shohara. (Back row): Annie Chuck, Rip Rense, Sei Shohara.
English Seminar moderator Rip Rense with Guest Speaker
Rev. Ensei Nekoda.
Guest Speaker Rev. Seikan Fukuma delivers lecture at
Japanese Seminar.
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
November 2010
PICTURE PAGE
West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple Visits Hsi Lai Temple
Hemisphere. This Order’s headquarters are in
Taiwan, in the largest monastery in Taiwan
occupying over 148 acres. The Order itself was
established in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing
Yun, who also founded Hsi Lai Temple, and has
more than 200 temples worldwide. More than
1500 monks and nuns serve the Order.
On Sunday, October 3, twenty-two members of
WLABT went to Hacienda Heights to visit the
famous Hsi Lai Temple. The temple encompasses 102,432 sq. ft. of a 15-acre property. It
was built in Ming and Qing Dynasty
architectural style, and its construction was
completed in 1988. The buildings, gardens, and
statuary are faithful to traditional ancient
Chinese monasteries.
The Fo Guang Shan Order is a Mahayana
monastic order, and works to unite all Buddhist
sects by promoting inter-religious dialog
through symposia, conferences, and services.
Hsi Lai means “coming West” and signifies the
dedication of the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha’s
Light Mountain) Buddhist Order to spreading
the teachings of the Buddha in the Western
(The material above was paraphrased from a brochure
distributed by Hsi Lai Temple.)
WLABT visitors to Hsi Lai Temple (plus a passerby who wanted to be in the photo, plus two large arms)
Due to space limitations, additional photos, if any, will be published in the December Bulletin.
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