January 2015 - Reedley Buddhist Church

P.O. BOX 24 ~ 2035 15TH ST., REEDLEY, CALIFORNIA 93654
PHONE & FAX (559) 638-2146
http://reedleybc.org
January 2015
January Calendar
Message from Rev. Nakagawa
Calendar of Events
Happy New Year!
1
New Year’s Day Service
3
Buddhist Broadcast on KBIF (900 AM) 7:25 am
(Japanese ONLY)
10
Buddhist Broadcast on KBIF (900 AM) 7:25 am
11
Combined Monthly Memorial &
Family Dharma Service
9:30 am
14
Omigaki & altar cleaning
6:00 pm
17
Buddhist Broadcast on KBIF (900 AM) 7:25 am
18
Combined Hoonko & Family Dharma
Service (Lunch Following)
9:30 am
Vision & Preservation Committee
Meeting in Reedley
7:00 pm
19
24
Buddhist Broadcast on KBIF (900 AM)
Pre-Installation Dinner
Installation of Church Board, Cabinet
and BWA Cabinet
General Meeting
31 Buddhist Broadcast on KBIF (900 AM)
1:00 pm
7:25 am
5:00 pm
6:00 pm
6:30 pm
7:25 am

Please see page 7 for all the Buddhist Education
Program lectures and classes that are offered
during the winter and continuing into the spring.
All lectures and classes are sponsored by the Central California District Council - Buddhist Education

The monthly luncheon sponsored by the BWA
will be held after the Hoonko Service (not the
Monthly Memorial Service) Please make plans to
stay and eat lunch.
JANUARY TOBAN:
BWA - Area 5 - Nobuhiro
Church - District 3 - Naito & Kurumaji
Dharma School - TBA
In the month of January, we Jodo Shinshu, the Mainstream
Mahāyāna Buddhists celebrate GO-SHŌ-KI HŌ-ON-KŌ
(honorific-death-anniversary repay-indebtednessobservance) which is the most important service for us as
well as the New Years’ Day celebration for Japanese in
general.
In the 15th century Japan, Rennyo the Master of Honganji
VIII clarified the true purpose of having this service 250
years later after Shinran Shonin’s death in his letter [V11]; as follows,
Among those who make the pilgrimage, bring offerings,
and come before the image of Shinran to repay their
indebtedness and express their gratitude during this
anniversary, there will be those, who have truly realized
the Buddha’s intent. There will also be those who are
lacking in the motivation for awakening the true humanity.
This is an extremely serious matter. For, unless there is a
decisive truly realizing the Buddha’s intent (Shin), the life
that is to come in the realm of perfect relaxation is
uncertain. Therefore, those whose realizing the Buddha’s
intent is lacking (Fu-Shin) should in all haste attain the
decisive mind.
The human realm is a place of uncertainty. The realm of
utmost bliss is only one of eternity. Hence we should not
make our abode in the uncertain human realm, but rather,
aspire to live in the eternal realm of utmost bliss, peace
and relaxation. Therefore, the matter of truly realizing the
Buddha’s intent and his utmost wish-for-the-world is
placed before all else in our tradition; unless we are fully
aware of the reason for this, everything is meaningless.
We must promptly undergo a decisive realizing the
Buddha’s intent (anjin) and aspire to live in the Sukhāvati
(Jodo), the eternal realm of utmost bliss, peace and
relaxation.
What is widespread in the world and in most cases,
everyone has in mind is that if they just say the Nenbutsu
with their lips, without any understanding, they will be
born in the realm of utmost bliss. That is most uncertain.
Living with the decisive Buddha’s intent is a matter of
fully knowing the import of the six characters that
assorted with the six syllables of Buddha’s natural voice
in Ancient Indian “na-mu-a-mi-ta-bhaḥ” and, by this,
undergoing a settling of realization to the Buddha’s intent.
Continued on page 6
PAGE 2
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
Church Acknowledges Dana
Reedley Judo Club - Use of Facilities 2014
December Memorial Service cont.
$500.00
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Ching - In Memory of
Dorothy & Charlie Antoku
300.00
Mrs. Chiho Nishi - Year End Donation
130.00
Mr. & Mrs. Taro Asami - End of Year
Donation
100.00
Ms. Linda Salwasser - In Memory of Mrs.
Tisato Kobayashi
100.00
The Tavlan Family - Bodhi Day Service
30.00
Eitaikyo Service
Mr. Johnnie Togioka
Mrs. Ayako Yamada
Mrs. Lynn Kurumaji
Mrs. Elsie Morita
10.00
10.00
20.00
20.00
3rd Year Memorial for Mr. Kenichi Sunamoto
Mrs. Ayako Alma Sunamoto
$300.00
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Sunamoto
100.00
Mr. Jeffrey Sunamoto
100.00
Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Hamada
50.00
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Sunamoto
25.00
Mrs. Teruko Tsuji
50.00
Mr. & Mrs. Preston Hamada & Family
40.00
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Inn
25.00
Anonymous
20.00
November Memorial Service
Mrs. Ayako Yamada
$10.00
December Memorial Service
Mr. & Mrs. Taro Asami
Ms. Mary Hashimoto
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Inn
Mr. Hideo Shiine
Mrs. Ayako Yamada
Mrs. Ellen Yamada
Mr. & Mrs. Hitoshi Aoki
Mr. & Mrs. Yasuo Hashimoto
Mrs. Chizuko Iwasaki
Mrs. Setsuko Kimura
The Masumoto Family
Mr. & Mrs. Sammy Nakagawa
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Nishida
Mr. & Mrs. Ben Nobuhiro
$10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Sakata
Mrs. Kimiye Tanizaki
Mr. Johnnie Togioka
Mr. & Mrs. George Tsuji
Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Hamada
Mrs. Sue Kawamoto
Mrs. Shiz Kunishige
Mrs. Yasuko Murase
Mrs. Ayako Alma Sunamoto
Ms. Shizuko Taguchi
The Family of George & Yoshiko Kubota
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Nishinaka
Mrs. Teruko Shibata
Mr. Terashi Ibara
Ms. Amy Lum
$20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
30.00
30.00
30.00
30.00
30.00
45.00
50.00
50.00
50.00
100.00
100.00
Joya-E Service
Come say good-bye to 2014 at
the Joya-E service on Wednesday,
December 31st at 7:30 PM with
Rev. Alan Sakamoto! Ring the kansho and
enjoy the traditional soba afterwards.
NEW YEAR’S DAY
SERVICE
Let’s welcome 2015 together at the New Year’s
Day Service on Thursday,
January 1, 2015 at 1:00 PM with Rev.
Nakagawa. (this is a new time - no excuse
about getting up so early!) It’s a tradition to
greet your friends and neighbors to wish
them a Happy New Year!
In Sympathy
We extend our deepest sympathy to the family
members of Mr. Bob Akahori, father of Mrs.
Nanette Nakamichi, who passed away on November 27, 2014 at the age of 89, and to the family
members of Mr. Kunimitsu Iwo, husband of Mrs.
Edith Iwo, who passed away on December 19, 2014
at the age of 92.
PAGE 3
Pre-Installation Dinner,
2015 Installation for Reedley
Buddhist Church and BWA,
and General Meeting
set for January 24th
A pre-installation dinner, open to all members of
the Reedley Buddhist Church, will be held on Saturday, January 24th, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
There will be no charge for members attending the
dinner, but everyone must make their reservation
ahead of time. The reservation deadline is Sunday,
January 18th . Please contact Mr. Danny Nakamichi at (559) 393-2200 or email him at
dannyn@yahoo.com to make your reservation as a
headcount will be necessary.
Following the dinner, the 2015 Church Board of
Directors and Cabinet, and the Reedley BWA Cabinet will be installed.
The annual general meeting of the Reedley Buddhist Church will take place following the installation at approximately 6:30 PM. Members are urged
to attend this general meeting. Mrs. Kathy Nishinaka will be installed as the 2015 President.
THANK YOU!
MOCHITSUKI A
SUCCESS!
Thank you to all the members and friends
who came out to help at the annual mochitsuki! Approximately 800 pounds of rice
was washed, steamed/cooked, pounded, cut,
formed, cooled, packaged, and distributed to
those who ordered the delicious New Year’s
treat!
A special thank you to Mr. Hideki Otani
of Oriental Trading Company for his generous donation of the mochi rice and 2 cases of
mochiko flour. We appreciate his support
each year!
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
OMIGAKI & Altar
Cleaning
All church members are requested to come and
help with Omigaki & altar cleaning, on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30 PM. If men are available, they are asked to come at 6:00 PM to take
apart the implements. This is done only twice a
year, so please come and help.
Family Hoonko Service
Shinran Shonin
Memorial Service
&
LUNCHEON
following service
Sunday, January 18, 2015
9:30 AM
Guest Minister
Rev. George Shibata
A donation envelope is enclosed with this newsletter. Please bring it with you or mail it to the
church if you are unable to attend the service.
Buddhist Broadcast to
Continue in Japanese
Only
It has been decided to continue the
Buddhist Broadcast on KBIF (900 AM dial) in JAPANESE ONLY, so the Japanese speaking / homebound individuals may continue to hear the Dharma. If there is an interest in bringing back the
English portion, there may be consideration, but for
now, it will only be broadcasted in Japanese each
Saturday at 7:25 AM.
PAGE 4
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
Rev. Sakamoto’s Message cont.
This Will Be Your Year!
Happy New Years! Renka and I both would like to extend our
warmest wishes for a prosperous and Happy New Year.
It’s the Year of the Sheep! Were you born in the Year of the
Sheep? People under the sign of the sheep are said to be
tender, polite, filial, clever, and kind-hearted. They have special sensitivity to art and beauty, faith in a certain religion and
a special fondness for quiet living. They are wise, gentle and
compassionate, and can cope with business cautiously and
circumspectly. In their daily life, they try to be economical.
Women born in this year are willing to take good care of others.
The Chinese New Year celebration, which will begin on February 19th this year, was initially observed to pay respect and
honor deities and one’s ancestors. Traditions include, cleaning the house before the arrival of the New Year, gathering of
family to share a meal, red decorations with signs that commonly say “good fortune,” “happiness,” “wealth,” and
“longevity.” Do some of these traditions sound familiar to you
and your family? Are all of those wishes that you have for the
New Year?
I think we all want the best and more for the New Year for
our family and self. But, how many of you are saying to yourself, “Those good wishes are only signs, and they’ll never
really happen to me?” It’s a rather negative and pessimistic
way of looking at the New Year.
Those are those negative habitual thoughts where you think
there is “no hope,” “no job,” “no boyfriend,” “no girlfriend,” “no
good health,” “no money,” and/or “no new business.” Those
“NO’s” just seem to go on and on and on. When will they
stop? I hate to be the one to tell you, but they have to STOP
within you. And, you are the one that can make the change
to look forward to all the positives that life has to offer. It’s
time to reap those seeds that you have sown. You have to
“release to increase!”
It’s time for you to believe that this year will bring with it all
the positives! With a true and consistent positive attitude and
outlook, you will see changes and doors opening with new
opportunities. How you start the New Year will set the foundation for a great year. Make peace, joy, love, kindness, and
compassion part of your every day.
I know, you are saying to yourself, “but he doesn’t really understand my problems.” You are right. But, instead of focusing on the problems, focus with a positive attitude, on what
needs to be done to solve the problem and move on. What?
Well, maybe you can’t overcome the problem, but that
doesn’t mean you can’t face the problem with a positive attitude. Just think about someone you know who is always
happy, upbeat, and positive. Don’t you just appreciate them
and their outlook on life? I know I do. Those people are a gift,
and we all can be a gift to others. The Chinese have a quote:
Continued in next column
“After endless mountains and rivers that leave doubt whether
there is a path out, suddenly one encounters the shade of a
willow, bright flowers and a lovely village.’”
The original meaning? A favorable turn of fortune will often
appear just when there seems to be no way out. We can
eventually find a way out from our problems. Therefore, we
can all look forward to that goodness with a positive attitude,
and make this the best year possible. Remember, if you believe, then you can overcome.
I go to the Buddha for guidance.
I go to the Dharma for guidance.
I go to the Sangha for guidance.
Rev. Alan Sakamoto
PAGE 5
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
Maintenance Fund Acknowledgements
Thank you for your generous donations towards the church maintenance fund. This fund is used for the upkeep
and maintenance of the church.
$20.00
Mrs. Lynn Kurumaji
$40.00
Mrs. Nancy Abe
Mrs. Joy Donaldson
Mrs. Joanne Hansen
Mr. & Mrs. Stan Hirahara
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Hirata
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Ikemiya
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Inn
Mrs. Yukiko Ito
Mr. & Mrs. Kuni Iwo
Mrs. Sue Kawamoto
Mrs. Setsuko Kimura
Mr. & Mrs. Ben Kubota
Mr. Michio Miyamoto
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Naito
Mrs. Alice Nakamura
Ms. Susan Nishio
Mrs. Fujiye Okino
Mrs. Ruth Sasaki
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Sunamoto
Mr. & Mrs. George Takasaki
Mrs. Kimiye Tanizaki
Mr. George Tomisaka
Mrs. Ayako Yamada
$50.00
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Iwasaki
Ms. Kay Antoku
Mr. Gerry Hada
Mr. & Mrs. Yas Hashimoto
Ms. Carole Hirakawa
Mr. & Mrs. Brad Hiyama
Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Ikemiya
Mrs. Mary Ishida
Mrs. Eva Iwanaga
Mr. & Mrs. David Kamada
Mrs. Helen Kimura
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kobayashi
Mrs. Miyoko Kunishige
Mrs. Yasuko Murase
Mr. Michael Naito
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Nishida
Mr. & Mrs. Ben Nobuhiro
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Sakata
Mr. Hideo Shiine
Mrs. Shizuko Taguchi
Mrs. Lillian Takayama
Mrs. Kazuko Tatami
Mr. & Mrs. George Tsuji
Mrs. Ellen Yamada
$100.00
Mr. & Mrs. Kliff Justesen
Mrs. Nancy Kimura
Wishing you a happy
and prosperous New
Year!
Mr. Kiyoshi Aoki
Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Hamada
Mrs. Tatsuko Hatanaka
Mr. Art Hirata
Mr. & Mrs. Kan Ibara
Mrs. Kikuyo Ikemiya
Mr. & Mrs. Craig Ito
Mrs. Chizuko Iwasaki
Mrs. Toshiko Kawagoe
Mr. Kevin Kimura
Mrs. Nagiko Konishi
Mr. Craig Miyamoto
Mrs. Amy Naito
Mr. & Mrs. Sammy Nakagawa
Mr. & Mrs. Ron Nishinaka
Mr. & Mrs. Dale Okamura
Mrs. Nancy Sakata
Mrs. Ayako Sunamoto
Mr. Byron Taira
Mrs. Yukiye Takayama
Mr. Johnnie Togioka
Mrs. Mary Uyeda
Total: $2990.00
PAGE 6
As for the essentials of Buddha’s intent, a passage in the
Larger Sūtra states:
“Hear the resounding Nenbutsu and realize the Buddha’s intent with utmost bliss.” Shan-tao, the fifth of seven great masters of Jodo Shinshu in history has said:
“na-mu” means ‘to take refuge’ or simply ‘Come and
join in’. It also signifies aspiring to join in the Buddha’s
wish-for-the-world and directing virtues of all conducts.
‘a-mi-ta-bhaḥ’ is the ultimate Pāramitā, the Living in
truth-reality with the steadfast wish for sharing the
Dharma.” The meaning of the two characters “na-mu”
is that we surrender ego for the Buddha’s wish-for-theworld and entrust ourselves whole-heartedly to Amid the
Buddha-as-words. The meaning of the four characters
‘a-mi-ta-bhaḥ’ that assorted with the four syllables is
that, without any effort on our part, solely surrender ego
for Amida the Buddha-as-words saves all sentient beings. This is the very essence of the four characters ‘ami-ta-bhaḥ’ the champion of Pāramitās. To understand
“na-mu-a-mi-ta-bhaḥ” in this way is, therefore, to truly
realize Buddha’s ‘Intent’. This, in other words, is the
understanding of the nenbutsu practitioners who has
fully realized the Buddha’s true intent by the power of
benefiting others or simply the original sense of care.
Respectfully.
I hope you will read Rennyo Shonin’s letter repeatedly,
like your ancestors and ask questions to your minister.
Please remember the fact that they were all ordinary
farmers, fishermen and merchants who never received
regular schooling during their lifetime. Rennyo Shonin’s
letters had been the text for our ancestors to study since
the 15th Century to the middle of 19th Century, when
Japan’s government established the modern school system.
In Gassho, Rev. Kakei Nakagawa, Rinban
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
MOCHITSUKI 2014
PAGE 7
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
2015 Crab Feed & Silent Auction - We need your HELP!
The annual Crab Feed and Silent Auction is just a few months away! Please contact Gary Sakata at (559) 250-9687 or Joy Donaldson (559) 859-7861 if you need tickets, or you may contact
any board member for tickets or information.
The very popular DESSERT AUCTION table is always very successful! If you have a special dessert you would like to donate, please contact Judy Kobayashi at jk108@sbcglobal.net or
call her at (559) 281-3954! Just be sure to put it on a plate that you can donate. (It will go with
the dessert) Many times people buy the dessert because of its plate!
If you are able to donate a Silent Auction item, please let us know! New items, such as
electronics, (TV, iPad, Kindle, iPod, Wii, Xbox, digital camera, etc.), gift certificates for restaurants, stores, Amazon, etc., nice plants, gardening items, office supplies, kitchen goods, toys, gift
baskets, etc.! You can ask family members and friends to donate too! Please let Judy Kobayashi (281-3954) or Joy Donaldson (859-7861) know by February 28th if you will be able to donate.
We will again be offering payment by credit card for the Silent Auction too! The Crab
Feed and Silent Auction is one of our church’s major fund raising events of the year! Please
come out and support it!
PAGE 8
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
J A NU A R Y, 201 5
PAGE 9
January Monthly
Memorial Service
The January Monthly Memorial Service will be held on
Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 9:30 AM. Families and
friends are asked to attend and offer incense. The deceased and seshu (observant) for January are as follows:
DECEASED:
SESHU (OBSERVANT)
Kiroku Harada
Nancy Abe
Masaru Abe
Sadie Abe
Wai Yamamoto
Betty Aoki
Yachiyo Aoki
Hitoshi Aoki
Chojuro Asami
Taro Asami
Iyoko “Yonki” Hamada
Clifford Hamada
Chiyomi Utsunomiya
Kazume Hanemoto
Kimi Matsuoka
Joanne Hansen
Tokichi Haraguchi, Kamagesa Nagai,
& Sakichi Haraguchi
Hatsuko Hanashiro
Fumio Wesse Hashimoto
Yasuo Hashimoto
& Mary Hashimoto
Wallace Arakawa
Keiko Hatakeda
Sam Shigemi Hirakawa
Carole Hirakawa
Otane Shimizu
Eloise Ibara
Toyo Ibara, Usaburo Takahashi
& Sute Takahashi
Terashi Ibara
Masataro Ichihana
Kenji Ichihana
Ayako Wood
Harry Inn & Nancy
Sakata
Kosuke Sasaki, Kameyo Sasaki
& Frank Sasaki
Ruth Sasaki &
Larry Nishida
Muneko Kawabe & Miyo Fujita
Edith Iwo
Masayoshi Kajihara, Masamori
Kajihara & Mine Kajihara
Richard Kajihara
Kogoro Kawamoto
Sue Kawamoto
Toshio Yamashita, Shizuko Pearl
Yamashita, Takeyo Sakai &
George S. Ikuta
Satoko Kim
Gintaro Ito
Helen Kimura
Kazuye Nagai
Nancy Kimura
Yoshio Kubota
Ben Kubota
Genji George Kubota
Steve Kubota &
Alan Kubota
Eiki Maruyama
Michael Maruyama
Yuki Miyamoto
Michio Miyamoto
Ikutaro Murase
Yasuko Murase
Esther Sasaki & Ayako Bungo
Grace Nakagawa
& Hazel Bungo
Esther Sasaki
Dennis Sasaki
Mika Nishinaka & Toshiye
Nishinaka
Ronald Nishinaka
Cont.
DECEASED:
SESHU:(OBSERVANT)
Toyo Murase & Hichigoro
Okamura
Dale Okamura
Tomeye Okamura & Hichigoro
Okamura
Dennis Okamura
Hisakichi Omachi
Kathleen Omachi
Jozaburo “Joe” Shimozono
Hiroko Shimozono
Mary Sunamoto
Alma Sunamoto
Kathy Hamada
Hana Takayama
Lillian Takayama
Haruko Okada
Akio Tatami
Kango Togioka, Zentaro Togioka,
Eisuke Togioka, Chiyo Togioka,
Setsugo Togioka, Goro Nikami &
Kame Nikami
Johnnie Togioka
Kenichi Kimoto & Shinayo Kimoto Amy Tsuji
Mary Matsue Yamamoto
Mary Wada
2015 BCA Calendars
The 2015 BCA calendars for the Reedley
Buddhist Church members are here. If you
have not picked yours up, they are available
in the conference room (labeled with your
name) after any event or service. Reedley’s
“naijin” is featured in it this year.
Contact Number for Church Business
Reedley Church Phone: 559-638-2146
President, Mr. Gary Sakata at: Home: (559) 638-3747
Cell Phone: (559) 250-9687
Fresno Betsuin Office - Lee Osaki: (559) 442-4054
(requesting minister or schedule family service in
Reedley after contacting Reedley president for church
availability)
Rev. Nakagawa: (urgent for Makuragyo)(559) 970-7652
2035 15th Street - P.O. Box 24
Reedley, CA 93654
Phone/FAX: (559) 638-2146
Website: http://www.reedleybc.org
Email Pres. Gary Sakata: kgsakata@verizon.net
Email Webmaster: jk108@sbcglobal.net
ARTICLES/NEWS
All submissions must be made no later than the
21st of each month to be included in the bulletin
/newsletter. We appreciate your help in adhering
to the deadline. If your article or advertisement is
print ready, you may email it to:
jk108@sbcglobal.net