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. 10
October 2010
REV. USUKI’S PAGE
Blind Ignorance
The world as we know it is often filled with insecurity and unhappiness, because it is
a world woven out of our own blind ignorance and we are out of touch with reality.
The Awareness of Self, Rev. Gyodo Haguri, 1967, p. 9
My wife and I just returned from
a long-anticipated dream cruise
to Alaska, which was designed to
bring our families together from
Canada and California. We
looked forward to this trip because we saw it to be an ultimate
refuge from the daily routine of our work, with an
opportunity to be with our families in an enclosed
and exciting environment. The views from the
ship, the glaciers, the abundant wilderness, the
bountiful food, and the attentive service were exceptional, but the trip was rather busy and exhausting as well. We hoped that it would be the
trip of a lifetime, being locked up in a huge, luxurious ship with peace and relaxation, doing
whatever we wanted with no time restrictions, enjoying quality time, and eventually returning
home with body and mind refreshed and reenergized. Although everyone had a grand time, for us
perhaps it had been an over-anticipated blind
dream. We may have put too many eggs into one
holiday basket. It has been exactly one week
since our return, and we can finally say that we
have recovered from the trip both mentally and
physically, now that we’re in our own home with
our dog and an environment that is very comfortable to us.
I’m sure many of us dream of taking time off,
going somewhere different and unique, eating
what we want, and meeting other people, thinking that this will add some balance to our lives.
These dreams may arise out of everyday stress,
watching too many travel and adventure chan-
nels and food networks, or even reading Sunset
magazines that fill our minds with fantasy. According to Rev. Haguri, when this happens,
whether with travel or with regard to our everyday
situations, we do not see the world as it is.
Rather, we see it through our anxieties and a selfcentered viewpoint that is a projection of the
blind and ignorant self. This is a natural consequence of one’s ongoing frustration and sense of
duress that constantly repeats itself in the Buddhist world of samsara. It is taught by Shinran
Shonin that there is no escaping this world of
delusion that we create for ourselves because we
cannot completely free our minds from succumbing to greed and ignorance. It is all the more difficult when we do not recognize the restrictions
of our basic human nature. Thus, the difficulties
of our daily lives are perpetuated by our misguided delusions. However, our struggles can be
mitigated by seeking to understand the true reality of the world in which we live.
The pitfall of taking certain kinds of vacations is
that we find ourselves in a world of fantasy. For
example, the cruise industry is an 11 billion dollar affair, and apparently there are some 10 million of us willing to be caught in the feeding
frenzy, so the cruise lines are doing very well. We
don’t mind paying the big bucks to be pampered
and taken to tourist towns, where we buy such
items as Ketchikan socks made in Taiwan. By the
way, this was the only thing I bought as a gift.
Never mind this commercialism because we
gladly pay to escape our daily routine at home. In
Alaska, where nature and scenery are primary at(cont’d on page 2)
West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
tractions, every port—such as Juneau, Skagway,
and Ketchikan—earns its main revenue from
tourists like us. However, many who work as bus
drivers or tour guides, and in restaurants and gift
shops, come as seasonal workers from Seattle,
Monterey, Canada, and even West LA. The man
who grilled our fish at the famous Alaska Salmon
Bake was from Hawaii. It was also overwhelming
and disappointing to see so many diamond stores
in these towns as well as on the ship. They occupied every other shop in some places. Obviously,
shopping and looking for deals doesn’t stop at our
local Costco or Walmart. We were told that 60%
of the Alaska diamond stores close with the
cruise season and they move on to Mexico and
other sites, following the ships. It was a scene
that made us feel uncomfortable, but many
tourists flocked to these shops.
So will we take another scenic vacation? Perhaps
there are many sites such as the Canadian Rockies or a Southwest train ride or even somewhere
far away that might intrigue us when we get back
into our daily routine once again. Since we are
human beings, we are always living in a world of
illusion, so we have no sense to see that home is
also just right the way it is, and our bed and our
friends are also just perfect. And so, we will
dream of another adventure. I hear October is the
best time to see the trees in Canada
Rev. Fumiaki Usuki
Shinshu Corner
The Hongwanji - History
(From Jodo Shinshu - A Guide, Hongwanji International Center)
(continuation from September issue)
changed completely. Whereas, it had patronized
Buddha Dharma in the past, the policy was now
to suppress it. This policy was referred to as
Haibutsu Kishaku (Abolition of Buddha Dharma
and Destruction of Buddhist Images and Temples).
Edo Period
With the arrival of the Edo Period of Japanese
history (1605-1867), the Hongwanji can be said
to have reached its peak. On one hand, because
of the feudal government policies of national isolation and the ban of Christianity, the teaching of
the Buddha Dharma was patronized. On the
other hand, activities of Buddhist groups were severely restricted. Within the Hongwanji, the study
of Jodo Shinshu doctrine increased significantly.
Thanks to the dedication with which the teaching
was spread, many devout practicers, called
“myokonin” (lit. wondrous, excellent person),
were cultivated.
The Hongwanji led the other Buddhist schools in
demanding freedom of religion from the new government. At the same time, it sent promising students to study at European and American
universities to invigorate the Jodo Shinshu teaching with fresh ideas. Further, it established assemblies with elected officers to gain input from
the grassroots level.
With the consolidation of the relationship between main and branch temples, and between
members of a temple, however, the Hongwanji organization did become feudalistic in nature. It
cannot be denied that as a result, the fervor that
the Hongwanji had manifested in the past experienced a decline.
The Hongwanji also sent Jodo Shinshu ministers
to the newly developed area of Hokkaido in northern Japan, and to wherever Japanese people emigrated. They were posted to Asian countries and
to North America, where they built schools and
organized dharma groups. Moreover, they engaged in a wide range of activities, such as prison
chaplaincy, outreach and social welfare programs, and propagation of the dharma in the
workplace and on university campuses.
Recent Years
At the onset of the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the
government policy towards Buddha Dharma
(Next Bulletin – “The Hongwanji Today”)
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
I am so pleased to remind everyone that we will be celebrating our temple’s 60th Anniversary! It was 60 years ago
that West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple gained its independence from Nishi Hongwanji Los Angeles Betsuin. The
celebration follows our Thanksgiving Day Service scheduled for Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 10 a.m. This will
be a joyous affair including a luncheon party, and every
member is cordially invited. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend.
This month we will hold our annual Memorial Service for Buddhist Men
and BWA on Saturday, October 16, followed by lunch. Please join us at 11
a.m. On October 17 we will be venturing out to San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple to join them for their annual Pet Memorial Service
starting at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome.
October 30 will be a haunted night of great fun when our annual Family
Fun celebration begins at 5 p.m. Everyone should plan to attend wearing
an appropriate Halloween costume, especially to enjoy the giggles and
thrills that our children are sure to experience that evening. As has been
our custom, we will again construct a haunted house in the caves deep
below our Social Hall.
As for business, there will be a meeting of the 2011 Southern District Buddhist Conference Committee on Wednesday, October 13, at 7 p.m. to continue our planning for this exciting event. West LA Buddhist Temple is the
sponsor for this day-long program. We are holding the conference at UCLA’s
Covel Commons and it should be a grand affair. Everyone is expected to
attend and participate on that Saturday, June 4, 2011, so please plan now
to be in town.
There has been some discussion at our Board of Directors meetings (on
the first Monday of most every month at 7 p.m.) about Oseibo Taikai in December. Many members feel that giving money to our members in recognition of their participation and generosity is not appropriate for our
Buddhist Temple. Others prefer to continue as we always have in the past.
Please attend our Board Meetings to weigh in with your thoughts on this
important matter as well as on many other issues we grapple with each
month to keep everything afloat and running smoothly.
Please continue to contact me directly with your comments and suggestions for the future at (310) 284-8003 or at wlabtpres.rick@live.com
Namo Amida Butsu
Rick Stambul, WLABT President
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
OCTOBER SHOTSUKI HOYO, 10 a.m. Saturday, October 2, 2010
Babamoto, Takeshi
Deguchi, Toshiko
Endo, Hiroshi
Fujino, Koheiji
Fukuhara, Ichisuke
Hara, Ichi
Hashimoto, Teruko
Ifuku, Yugi
Ige, Yasu
Ikkanda, Kenso
Inabu, Kimi
Inatomi, Kametaro
Inatomi, Misao
Ishii, Akira
Ishioka, Riichi
Iwamoto, Seitaro
Iwamoto, Toki
Kaisaki, Harry
Kafka, Kathleen
Kanow, Nobuko
Kimura, Jim
Koda, Kiyono
Koda, Torao
Kurauchi, Munezo
Mann, Charles
Matsuoka, Tom
Miyamoto, Masataro
Morioka, Yasutaro
Nagai, Harumi
Nagata, Sadako
Nakamura, Kazumi
Nakasako, Ned
Nakashima, Miyo
Nishiya, Kinkame
Nitta, Larry
Ogata, Kiyoko
Ohara, Nijiro
Okamoto, Chikako
Okumoto, Itono
Sakurai, Yaye
Shinto, Hatayo
Sujishi, Donald
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Takade, Sakuichi
Takemoto, Kanichi
Takenoshita, Moyo
Takeuchi, Tomoyo
Takeuchi, Willard
Tamura, Toshikazu
Tominaga, Masao
Tominaga, Virginia
Totani, Toshio
Uyemura, Sueichi
Yabuta, Takeo
Yamamoto, George
Yamane, Frank
Yanokawa, Hideji
West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
BWA NEWS
October 2010
OBON 2010
Yasuko Shohara
President Connie Yahata wishes
to alert all members that our
BWA meeting in the month of October will be on Sunday, October
24 from 11:00 a.m. Matinee with
BWA will follow at 12:00 noon see the flyer on the following
Tosh Ishioka
Thanks to all the capable and
hardworking people, we had another SUCCESSFUL OBON FESTIVAL.
We had a great many booths
serving a variety of delicious
foods, and many games for the children and
adults to enjoy. The colorful dancers from our
temple, from other Southern District temples,
and from the local community made the Obon
dances very festive and fun. Mr. Ted Tanaka did
a great job as our new MC. A special “thank you”
goes to Dr. Jack Fujimoto who was our MC for
many, many years.
page.
August may have been a restful month for BWA
members, but Temple leaders have been busy solidifying plans for the 2011 Southern District
Conference that the Temple will be hosting on
June 4, 2011. Any member wishing to help in any
capacity is encouraged to attend the next planning meeting on Wednesday, October 13, from
7:00 p.m., or contact President Connie.
The bonsai and flower arrangement displays were
very beautiful as usual. The WLA Taiko performance was very energetic and received with enthusiasm.
Occasionally the Temple plans off-site activities,
and in October we have two of them - visits to the
Hsi Lai Temple and to San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (see the October calendar
in this Bulletin). If you are interested in attending
but need transportation, check with the Temple
Office to see whether any is available.
Special thanks to Joe Belli of Venice BT and his
helper who came to assist in the setup and takedown of our four large tents. A BIG “THANK YOU”
to all the organizations, members, families, and
friends who came out to help with this event. Last
but not least, we appreciate and thank the banks
and businesses for their support of the Raffle
Booth.
HSI LAI TEMPLE VISIT
Sunday, October 3, 2010
(no regular Sunday service at WLABT)
Carpoolers: sign up at WLABT
Others: meet at 10:30 a.m. at Hsi Lai Temple
We will hopefully visit the Columbarium at
Rose Hill Cemetery on the way back.
Hsi Lai Temple
3456 Glenmark Drive
Hacienda Heights CA 91745-6445
info@hsilai.org / (626) 961-9697
www.hsilai.org/en/index.html
The August birthday celebrants are (from L to
R): Ruby Soeda, Jean Saito, and Fusaye
Kurosaki. They donated the huge cake that
was later shared with all the people who attended the luncheon.
DIRECTIONS:
Santa Monica Freeway (10) to the 60 Freeway, off at
S. Hacienda Blvd., approximately 2 miles to the temple.
Friday, October 15th
7:30 p.m.
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
MATINEE WITH BWA
presents
TOKYO STORY
A film by Yasujiro Ozu
(in Japanese with English sub-titles)
Date:
Time:
Location:
Sunday, October 24, 2010
12:00 p.m.
WLA Buddhist Temple
Social Hall
2003 Corinth Ave., WLA
FREE SHOW – FAMILY AND FRIENDS WELCOME!!!
Light refreshments and beverage served
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
WLA JR. YBA AT 2010 SOUTHERN DISTRICT JR. YBL CONFERENCE
(From L to R): Rev. Fumiaki Usuki, Kaylie Nishimoto, Kylie Mizushima, Nathan Ohkawahira, Amanda Bang,
Jacqueline Lin, Kathy Nishimoto, Advisor Vance Nishimoto
This photo was taken at the banquet held during the Southern District Jr. Young
Buddhist League (YBL) Conference held in San Diego over the recent Labor Day weekend.
The Buddhist Temple of San Diego and Vista Buddhist Temple were the joint hosts for
the event.
The WLA Buddhist Temple Jr. Young Buddhist Association (YBA) had been dormant for
some time for lack of sufficient young people to form a Jr. YBA. This was true during Rev.
Usuki’s time here at WLA, and for many years before that … until now. Hopefully, the
formation of this new group signals the beginning of constant Jr. YBA activity again at
this Temple.
At this conference, our Jr. YBA advisor, Vance Nishimoto, was elected to the position of
Assistant Head Advisor for Southern District Jr. YBL. We here at WLA know they made a
very good choice because we saw what a great advisor he was for our Jr. YBA in the days
when there were many young people in the Temple. He was one of the youngest, if not the
youngest, to receive the annual WLA Buddhist of the Year award. He received it mainly
for many years of dedicated, wise, and hands-on guidance of our Jr. YBA.
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INTERESTING BUDDHIST TID-BITS
Did you know that the U. S. Air Force Academy at
Colorado Springs maintains a room for Buddhist
services in their new Cadet Chapel?
The easily accessible areas of the Academy’s
website informs the reader that cadets have
access to Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish
services, but Buddhism is not mentioned. It is
only implied by a statement saying there is also a
room for all-faiths worship. However, digging
further into the website, there is a page of
worship schedules listing just Catholic, Jewish,
and Buddhist services. No Protestant services are
listed.
At the website of the builder of the Buddhist area,
there is a photo of it reproduced on the right.
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
To: West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
members and friends
Tuesday, 9/07/2010
Re: Ralphs Community Contribution program – time to re-enroll
We appreciate your participation in the Ralphs Community Contribution
Program. Thanks to you, WLABT has received $399.54 for the first three
quarters of the 2009-2010 cycle.
You may now register for the new 2010-2011 cycle (9/01/2010 is the start
date). You can either (1) enroll in person at a store or (2) enroll on-line.
(1) enroll in person
(a) Stop by the Temple Office to pick up a copy of WLABT’s customized scanbar code
letter.
(b) Take the WLABT scanbar code letter next time you shop at Ralphs.
(c) Ask the cashier to use the letter to link your Ralphs rewards number to WLABT.
Ralphs can link via your card or your telephone number.
You need to register at the store just once. Please note that if you enroll with the
scanbar letter, WLABT's name will NOT appear on your receipts.
(2) enroll on-line
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Use Ralphs website: www.ralphs.com
Click on "Services" (near the top)
Click on "Community Contribution"
Near the bottom is the "Participant" section.
Click on "enroll" to sign up or click where indicated for more information.
Thank you very much for your ongoing support of WLABT.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Question: Does participation in the program interfere with my individual
Rewards?
Ralphs’ Answer: No. Your individual rewards are awarded to you and your
household. Your Community Contributions are for your favorite community
organization. Even though both programs are based on your Ralphs
purchases and are linked to your Ralphs rewards Card, the two programs are
completely unrelated to each other.
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
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West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
October 2010
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Bulletin folding
toban:
Asoka Fujinkai
Phone: 310-477-7274
E-mail: westlabt@verizon.net
Web site: www.wlabt.org
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5
6
10
11
12
6 pm Asoka dinner
and mtg
7:30 pm Taiko
13
14
9:30 am Service and
discussion
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18
19
9:30 am Service and
discussion
11 am BWA meeting
12 pm Matinee with
BWA
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7 pm 2011 SD
conference mtg
7 pm B-Men mtg
7:30 pm Taiko
7:30 pm Bingo
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21
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26
7 pm Long Range
Planning mtg
7:30 pm Taiko
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28
12 pm 80+ lunch
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11 am B-Men/BWA
Memorial service,
lunch
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10 am Buddhism
class
1 pm Study Class (E)
25
2
10 am Buddhism
class
1 pm Study Class (E)
WLABT visits SFVHBT
10 am Pet Memorial
24
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1 pm Study Class (E)
7 pm Service and
board mtg
Saturday
10 am Shotsuki hoyo
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NO Service
Visit to Hsi Lai Temple (Hacienda Heights)
Friday
1
Office hours: 10 am - 4 pm
3
Thursday
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30
1 pm Study Class (E)
7:30 pm Taiko
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9:30 am Service and
discussion
NO Dharma School
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5 pm Family Fun
Night
West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
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