May 2015 - Reedley Buddhist Church

P.O. BOX 24 ~ 2035 15TH ST., REEDLEY, CALIFORNIA 93654
PHONE & FAX (559) 638-2146
http://reedleybc.org
May 2015
May Calendar
Message from Rev. Nakagawa
Calendar of Events
2
3
7
9
Japanese Buddhist Broadcast on
KBIF (900 AM)
Hirata Family Memorial Service
Saichi’s Poem - Nenbutsu Experience in
Everyday Life
7:25 am
11:00 am
Combined Monthly Memorial &
Family Dharma Service
(Luncheon following)
BWA Dharma School Teachers
Appreciation Luncheon (combined
with service luncheon)
11:30 am
Fowler Lecture Series at the Fowler
Library
7:00 pm
9:30 am
Japanese Buddhist Broadcast on
KBIF (900 AM)
7:25 am
Nikkeijinkai - Conference Room 9 am - 2:30 pm
Hanemoto Family Memorial
Service
11:00 am
16 Japanese Buddhist Broadcast on
KBIF (900 AM)
7:25 am
17 Combined Gotan-E & Dharma School
End of Term Service
9:30 am
20 Church Board Meeting
7:00 pm
23 Japanese Buddhist Broadcast on
KBIF (900 AM)
BWA Prepares Memorial Day Flowers
7:25 am
8:00 am
24 Memorial Day Service at Church
7:00 pm
26 MAP Training Class - Reedley
6:30 am
30 Japanese Buddhist Broadcast on
KBIF (900 AM)
7:25 am
Hirahara Family - Conference Room 9 am - 3 pm
*Bazaar Meeting postpone until June 3rd.
MAY TOBAN:
BWA - Area 3 - Nakagawa & Takayama
Church - Justesen & Hamada
Around the beginning of the 20th century, a carpenter by the
name of Saichi lived in Shimane prefecture. He was an ordinary,
diligent person as one of the general public of Japan. He was a
Shin Buddhist as well as the majority of people in Shimane
prefecture were. He spent hours each day at his daily work and
frequently, the resonating sound of ‘Na-nn ma-nn da-bu’ could be
heard.
There was nothing unordinary about everyday life in his town
but there was a special uniqueness that belonged to him. Saichi was
a natural-born poet and his countless poems would become
fortunate gifts for the future followers of Shin Buddhism. Saichi
could not stop expressing his everyday experiences into series of
poems. His experiences when he recited the Nenbutsu were the
resources of his poems.
Saichi, along with the other devout followers of Shin Buddhism
in his town recited the Nenbutsu thousands of times each day.
Saying ‘Na-nn ma-nn da-bu’ is the Buddha-as-words that Saichi’s
‘true-self’ has pronounced. Immediately Saichi’s ‘real-self’ hear
the voice of Shahkyamuni-Buddha’s duplicating Rennyo’s 15th
century tone, based on the six syllables.
Sometimes during his series of Nenbutsu recitation, his ‘Kokoro
(heart/mind = soul)’ shook when hearing the Nenbutsu from his
mouth. The ‘true-Saichi’ appears and asks questions to the ‘realSaichi’ like the following:
1
"O Saichi, let me have what your understanding is."
"Yes, yes, I will:
How miserable, how miserable!
“Na-nn ma-nn da-bu, Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
"Is that all, O Saichi?
It will never do."
"Yes, yes, it will do, it will do.
According to Saichi's understanding,
Ki and hoh are one:
The ‘Na-nn ma-nn da-bu ' is no other than he himself.
This is indeed Saichi's understanding:
He has flowers in both hands,
Taken away in one way and given as gift in another way."
(He wrote the Nenbutsu in two ways in his notebook as ‘Na-nn mann da-bu’ and ‘Namu Amida Butsu’. I standardize to ‘Na-nn ma-nn
da-bu’ at this time because born and raised in Shimane prefecture,
Saichi used the Shimane dialect in daily life. He, as well as other
Shimane people certainly pronounced it in this way. ‘Namu Amida
Butsu’ is an innocent scholastic term that appeared at his time and it
ignored the original phonogram that was pronounced with six
syllables.)
Continued on page 5
PAGE 2
M A Y 2015
Church Acknowledges Dana
Mrs. Misa Hatakeda - Bulletin Donation
Alta Reunion 2015 - Use of Tent
The Family of George & Mary Wada
March Memorial Service
Mr. & Mrs. Taro Asami
Mrs. Chizuko Iwasaki
Mrs. Nagiko Konishi
The Masumoto Family
Mr. & Mrs. Dean Ueda
Mrs. Lynn Kurumaji
$150.00
200.00
250.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
25.00
25.00
50.00
April Memorial Service
$10.00
Mrs Nancy Abe
Mrs. Keiko Sugai
Mr. & Mrs. Shuzo Toyota
$20.00
Mr. & Mrs. Hitoshi Aoki
Mrs. Fumiko Ikemiya
Mrs. Chizuko Iwasaki
Mrs. Toshiko Kawagoe (2)
Mrs. Satoko Kim
Mr. Michio Miyamoto
Mrs. Amy Naito
Mr. & Mrs. Ben Nobuhiro
Mrs. Ellen Yamada
$30.00
Mrs. Nancy Sakata
Mrs. Mary Hirata
Mrs. Kikuyo Ikemiya
Mrs. Toshiko Kawagoe
Mrs. Sue Kawamoto
Mrs. Setsuko Kimura
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kobayashi
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Nishida
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Sakata
Ms. Shizuko Taguchi
Mr. & Mrs. George Tsuji
Mr. & Mrs. Yasuo Hashimoto
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Inn
Mr. Alan Kubota
Mrs. Hiroko Shimozono &
Family
Mr. Johnnie Togioka
$15.00
Mr. Kiyoshi Aoki
$20.00
Anonymous
Mr. & Mrs. Hitoshi Aoki
Mr. Stanley Hirahara
Mrs. Fumiko Ikemiya
Mrs. Chizuko Iwasaki
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kobayashi
Mr. Michio Miyamoto
Mr. & Mrs. Sammy Nakagawa
The Otani Family
Mr. Akio Tatami
Mrs. Ellen Yamada
$25.00
Mr. & Mrs. James Hatakeda Mr. & Mrs. Kliff Justesen
Mrs. Nancy Kimura
Donald Ikemiya Family
Mr. Michael Naito
Mr. & Mrs. Dale Okamura
Mrs. Kimiye Tanizaki
$30.00
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Iwasaki
The Tavlan Family
Mrs. Yasuko Murase
Mr. & Mrs. George Tsuji
$50.00
Mrs. Toshiko Kawagoe
Ms. Amy Naito
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Nishinaka
$100.00
Mr. & Mrs. T.D. Sahms
Dharma School End of Term
$50.00
Mrs. Ayako Alma Sunamoto
Hanamatsuri Service
$10.00
Mrs. Nancy Abe
Mr. & Mrs. Kan Ibara
Mrs. Sue Kawamoto
Mr. & Mrs. Ben Nobuhiro
$20.00 cont.
Mrs. Joanne Hansen
Mrs. Mary Hirata
Mrs. Kikuyo Ikemiya
Dr. Kent Kawagoe
Mrs. Nagiko Konishi
Mrs. Amy Naito
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Nishida
Mrs. Nancy Sakata
Mrs. Kazuko Tatami
Anonymous
Mrs. Joy Donaldson
continued next column
Join us for the 2015 Dharma School End of Term
and Graduates Luncheon on Sunday, May 17th at
9:30 AM. Lunch will be served following the service.
In Sympathy
We extend our deepest sympathy to the family members of Mrs. Mary Wada, who passed
away on April 8, 2015 at the age of 93, to the
family of Mrs. Elsie Morita, mother of Mrs.
Lynn Kurumaji, who passed away on April 13,
2015 at the age of 98, and to the family of Mr.
Kenneth Takeo Suemoto, husband of Mrs.
Donna Suemoto and brother of Mrs. Naomi
Hashimoto, who passed away on April 24, 2015
at the age of 73.
PAGE 3
M A Y 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Food Booths - 5:00 PM
Dancing at 8:00 PM
Obon & Hatsubon Service
Sunday, August 2, 2015
9:30 A.M.
PAGE 4
M A Y 2015
Dharma Distractions
The other day I was reading an article about a gentleman who
left the busy and hectic life in the city for a week in the rural
setting of Montana. He wrote, “My days are filled with emails,
pings, and notifications. So much so that I forgot what it was
like to be away from all of the distractions of technology I’ve
grown accustomed to.” I thought this article was very good, and
would like to summarize some of his points here in this month’s
article.
His first point was, “I have a lot more thoughts than I realized.”
He didn’t watch movies, listen to music, or play video games for
a whole week. He noted that he had to time to think about
things, and how much frivolous time was spent consumed with
all those extracurricular activities. It was rather meditative and
he encouraged us all to take time to get away from all those
daily distractions.
The next point was, “I don’t really need my phone as much as I
thought.” How many times during the day do you glance at your
phone? Do you ever think how lost you would be without all the
information on your phone, like contacts, calendars, to do lists,
etc.? What will happen if there is a problem at work or emergency? He spent a week at a cabin with only Internet inside the
cabin, and no cell phone connectivity. It was difficult to get used
to the separation and the incessant need to always check in,
but he noted that he didn’t need to check in all the time, and
those problems that arose, could be handled by someone else.
Now, this may seem revolutionary, but after all, what did we do
before cell phones? Cell phones aren’t the problem. The problem is that we are too attached to them. Before I moved to
Fresno, Renka and I went to Italy. However, I lost my cell
phone before I got on the plane. I felt terrible. Then I realized,
as each day without the phone passed, that I didn’t need to
look at it all the time. It was an awakening!
The third point was, “It felt good to define work boundaries.” He
was only able to work in the cabin since that was where the
Internet was connected. He also established working hours and
limits so he could maximize time spent with his family. Do you
bring work home with you? He has a great quote, “work should
be focused, efficient, and only part of your life.” I think that says
it all.
Another point was, “Time became a blessing not a curse.” Time
slowed down; or rather he began to see the time available as a
blessing because he never seemed to have enough time. What
about you? Maybe you need to say “NO” to some people who
ask too much of your time, or those projects that seem important, but aren’t truly important.
The last point he made was, “I became much more appreciative
of the little things.” He was able to focus on the tasks at hand.
He began to APPRECIATE life! Imagine that.
That is certainly what I would like to accentuate more in my life,
an unlimited and boundless appreciation for everything and
everyone in my life. Many times we get caught up in the “Rat
Race,” and we lose track of our own lives, or at least what
should be important in our lives. I can relate to each and every
one of his points. I’ve been there! As a matter of fact,
Continued in next column
I’m one of those people who is attached to his cell phone. It
seems like it is my own contact with the outside world, and
what better device to use when I want to escape reality by
watching a movie or playing a game. All of these distractions take our attention away from the importance of the
Buddha Dharma. They are all distractions from the importance of the Dharma. Do we all need to be taken away
to the rural countryside of Montana to learn this lesson, or
perhaps, we need to experience the sudden demise of
someone we know to shake the foundation upon which we
work and live. I hope not. I hope that a simple newsletter
article can point us all in the right direction.
I go to the Buddha for guidance.
I go to the Dharma for guidance.
I go to the Sangha for guidance.
Rev. Alan Sakamoto
M A Y 2015
PAGE 5
Rev. Nakagawa Message cont.
How happy I am for this favor! " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
Now I know where to deposit all my amassed delusions:
It is where the ki and the hoh are one-The " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu."
Such a Buddha! he is really a good Buddha!
He follows me wherever I go,
He takes hold of my heart.
The saving voice of the six syllables
Is heard as the oneness of the ki and the hoh-As the " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu."
I have altogether no words for this;
How sweet the mercy!
2
"O Saichi, what is your pleasure?"
"My pleasure is this world of delusion;
Because it turns into the seed of delight in the Dharma
(hoh)."
" Na-nn ma-nn da-bu, Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
"O Saichi, when you die, who will be your companion to the
Land of Bliss?"
"As to me, Emma-san will be my companion."
"O Saichi, you tell us such tales again.
Who has ever gone to the Land of Bliss with Emma-san as
companion?
O Saichi, you'd better not tell us such nonsense anymore."
"In spite of your remark, I say you are mistaken;
Have you not read this in the 'Songs'?
'Emma, Great Lord of Justice, respects us; together with lords
of the five paths, he stands as guardian day and night.'
You too should rejoice in the company of Emma-sama-Here is Na-nn ma-nn da-bu.
This world, how enjoyable with Emma-sama!
This Saichi too is guarded by Emma-sama,
This Saichi and Emma-sama both are one Na-nn ma-nn dabu:
This is my joy!"
"O Saichi, from whom did you get such a joyous note?"
"Yes, I talked with Emma-sama himself who granted this to
me--p. 193
[He says] 'You are welcome indeed.'
How joyful! how joyful!
Na-nn ma-nn da-bu! Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
3
The treasure of the six syllables was given me by Oya-sama:
However much one spends of it, it is never exhausted.
The treasure grows all the more as it is used;
It is the most wondrous treasure,
And I am the recipient of the good thing.
How happy I am with the favor! " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
"O Saichi, you say 'I am given, I am given'
And what is it that is given you?"
"Yes, yes, I am given, I am given the Name of Amida!
And this for nothing I
Saichi is thereby set at ease.
To be set at ease means that the ki is altogether possessed [by
Oya-sama].
It is indeed Oya-sama who has taken full possession of me,
And this Oya-sama of mine is the Na-nn ma-nn da-bu.'
Saichi has his heart revealed by Amida's mirror,
How happy for the favor! " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
" Na-nn ma-nn da-bu, Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
" Na-nn ma-nn da-bu, Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
Continued in next column
"Saichi's illness, is it cured by swallowing the Na-nn ma-nn dabu '?"
"O, no!"
"If so, how is it cured?"
"Yes, Saichi's illness is cured when it is swallowed up by the
‘Na-nn ma-nn da-bu’ sama.'"
Saichi is now bodily swallowed up by the pill of the six sylla
bles,
And within the six syllables he leads a life of gratitude.
His life of gratitude is indeed a mystery,
The mystery of mysteries this!
How happy I am with the favor!
" Na-nn ma-nn da-bu!"
Saichi’s journey started with the conversation between his true-self
and real-self. And gradually, a gap between of his true-self and realself narrowed. His Dharma-experience is getting deeper and deeper
within him.
4
What is Saichi's understanding of the " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu
Yes, I am an adopted child of " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu."
How do you understand a life of gratitude?
As to being grateful, sometimes I remember it, sometimes I do
not.
Really, a wretched man I am!
5
"O Saichi, who is Nyorai-san?"
"He is no other than myself."
"Who is the founder [of the Shin teaching]?"
"He is no other than myself."
"What is the canonical text?"
"It is no other than myself."
The ordinary man's heart has no fixed root,
Yet this rootless one takes delight in the Hoh [i.e., Dharma];
This is because he is given Oya's heart-The heart of " Na-nn ma-nn da-bu."
The conversation between his true-self and real-self continued until
death at the age of 83 years. Before the end of his journey, Saichi’s
‘Kokoro’ reached the realm of Buddhahood. His true-self and realself had already become one and there was no doubt at all on his
future.
Saichi’s mind is like the gourd on water,
Floating all the time,
Blown by the winds, it flows on floating
To the realm of true and real Buddhahood.
Asahara Saichi (1859-1932) was just one of the millions of
Nenbutsu practitioners after the Rennyo the master of Honganji
(1415~1499)’s propagation, we can trace the process of his spiritual
awakenings through everyday Nenbutsu experiences on his poems.
Gassho with Na-mu a-mi-ta-bha, the estimated six syllables of
Śākyamuni Buddha’s tone in 7 th~6th century B.C.E in India, which
simply heard by me “I never abandon you, all times in everywhere”
Rev. Kakei Nakagawa, Rinban
M A Y 2015
PAGE 6
cont.
DECEASED:
SESHU (OBSERVANT)
Naoemon Morikawa, Yasu
Kurokawa, Izo Kurokawa,
Imachi Yamada, Tomiko
Yamada
Ayako Yamada
The May Monthly Memorial Service will be held on Sun- Bill Fumio Yamada, Robert
day, May 3rd at 9:30 AM. Families and fr iends ar e
Minoru Yamada
Ellen Yamada
asked to attend and offer incense. The deceased and
seshu (observant) for May are as follows:
Procedures for Requesting a Minister
Funerals:
DECEASED:
SESHU (OBSERVANT)
The family will contact the Reedley Buddhist Church
Katsuji Abe
Sadie Abe
President, Mrs. Kathy Nishinaka at: (559) 905-3107 or
Dorothy Antoku
Kay Antoku
Funeral Chairperson, Gary Sakata at (559) 250-9687.
Haruichi Hanemoto
Harvey Hanemoto
Makuragyo Service:
Helen Matsuoka
Joanne Hansen
During the week contact the Fresno Betsuin Office (442Junzo Hashimoto
Yasuo Hashimoto
4054) or Rev. Nakagawa on weekdays or weekends diTsurutaro Arakawa, Shizuye
rectly at (970-7652).
Arakawa
Keiko Hatakeda
Family Memorial Service:
Fumiye Asakawa
Misa Hatakeda
For services at the Reedley Buddhist Church: ConGeorge Masato Hatanaka
Tatsuko Hatanaka
tact the RBC President to check the availability of the
Mariko Hiyama
Bradley Hiyama
Reedley Church. Then contact Lee Osaki at the Fresno
Michi Ikeda, & Sets
Betsuin (442-4054) to schedule the service. Fresno BetKimura
suin office hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday thru
Chiyo Hosaka
Todd Hosaka
Friday. Return call to Church President to confirm date
Shinichi Ikeda
Michiko Ikeda
and time.
For services at family home: Family will contact Lee
Henry Hiroshi Iwanaga,
Osaki at the Fresno Betsuin office to arrange for a minisTsumoru Kai
Eva Iwanaga
ter.
Harry Hayao Iwasaki
Chizuko Iwasaki
Fumi Kawagoe
Roy Kawagoe
Contact Number for Church Business
Umeyo Saunders, Waka
Kawamoto, Setsuko
Reedley Church Phone: (559) 638-2146
Kawamoto, Ken Kawamoto Sue Kawamoto
Church President: Mrs. Kathy Nishinaka
Sakichi Fujioka
Jean Kobashi
Phone: (559) 905 - 3107
Gunzo Kubota
Ben Kubota
Funeral Committee Chair; Mr. Gary Sakata at:
Toshi Hashimoto
Shiz Kunishige
Cell Phone: (559) 250-9687
Tsuyako Sue Miyakawa
James Miyakawa
Fresno Betsuin Office - Lee Osaki: (559) 442-4054
Ryo Miyamoto
Michio Miyamoto
(requesting minister or schedule family service in
Kenneth Nishida
Larry Nishida
Reedley after contacting Reedley president for church
Matsue Nancy Hirasuna
Kathy Nishinaka
availability)
Masao Okamura
Dennis Okamura
Rev. Nakagawa: (urgent for Makuragyo)(559) 970-7652
Jintaro Kubo,
Kaizo Geo Kubo
Kathy Omachi & Patricia Reedley Buddhist Church
Omachi
2035 15th Street - P.O. Box 24
Bobby Sakata
Nancy Sakata
Reedley, CA 93654
Tadayoshi Yamamoto
Ruth Sasaki
Phone/FAX: (559) 638-2146
Kaichiro Sasaki
Susumu Sasaki
Website: http://www.reedleybc.org
Email Pres. Kathy Nishinaka: knish_1@comcast.net
Ayano Takanishi,
Email Newsletter/Webmaster: jk108@sbcglobal.net
Takumi Joe Shinkawa
Kay Takanishi
Satomi Takasaki
George Takasaki &
Yukiye Takayama
ARTICLES/NEWS
Ginpei Takayama
Lillian Takayama &
Yukiye Takayama
All submissions must be made no later than the
Yukimi Noji
Kazuko Tatami
21st of each month to be included in the bulletin
Tsuneko Ideuye, Masutaro
/newsletter. We appreciate your help in adhering
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to the deadline. If your article or advertisement is
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Amy Tsuji
print ready, you may email it to:
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jk108@sbcglobal.net
May Monthly
Memorial Service