Dec - Buddhist Churches of America

WHEEL
OF DHARMA
Official Publication of the Buddhist Churches of America
President’s
Message
VOLUME 35
1710 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
DECEMBER 2009
ISSUE 12
Shinran Shonin
750th Memorial Symposium
By Billy H. Saeki
BCA President
Exciting Times
for the Institute of
Buddhist Studies
C
elebrating its 60th anniversary this year,
these are exciting times for the Institute
of Buddhist Studies (IBS). The BCA
President is an ex-officio member of the IBS
Board of Trustees and is invited to attend and
participate in their quarterly meetings. A trustees’ meeting was held at the BCA Jodo Shinshu
Center (JSC) on Friday, November 13, 2009.
Currently the IBS student roster lists 27 students including 3 exchange students from Ryukoku University. The students have identified areas of emphasis: Ministry (12), Chaplaincy
(6), and General Interest (6). For the Fall Semester 2009, 15 courses are offered with enrollment
not limited to IBS students, but students from
the University of California at Berkeley, Franciscan School of Theology, Graduate Theological
Union, Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley,
Orthodox Studies, Pacific Lutheran Theological
Seminary, Pacific School of Religion, San Francisco Theological Seminary and Starr King
School for the Ministry. It is indeed gratifying
that future ministers from other religious traditions are studying at IBS to understand Buddhism and, specifically, Pure Land Buddhism.
Dr. Richard Payne (Dean of the Institute of
Buddhist Studies) reported at the trustees’ meeting that a Buddhist studies track within the
Graduate Theological Union (GTU) doctoral
program (Cultural and Historical Studies of Religion) has been approved and will be offered in
the GTU catalogue. Hopefully, IBS will be able
to offer a doctoral program in Buddhist studies
in the future. Also in work is a proposal to establish a postdoctoral fellowship program to bring
recent Ryukoku University doctoral graduates to
Continued on Page 5
S
even hundred and fifty years after his
death, the life and teachings of Shinran Shonin still to reveal the way for
us to lead lives of true peace and tranquility
today. With that in mind, a major part of
the BCA's Shinran Shonin 750th Memorial Observance will be a symposium entitled
"Peace and Tranquility," which will take
place on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 at the
Fairmont Hotel in San Jose.
The symposium will open at 1:15 p.m.
with a service officiated by Socho Koshin
Ogui and featuring the chanting of special
hymns in Japanese written by Shinran Shonin (wasan) and the singing of a special,
new gatha. Dr. Rev. Kenneth Tanaka will
then deliver a keynote address on the topic
of "Shinran Shonin's Wish for Us and the
World: From Inner Peace to Outer Peace."
Dr. Tanaka is a professor of Buddhist
studies at Musashino University in Tokyo.
Many will recall that he was a professor at
the Institute of Buddhist Studies of the
Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley,
California, as well as the resident minister
at the Southern Alameda County Buddhist
Church. He is the author of numerous
texts, including The Dawn of Chinese Pure
Land Buddhist Doctrine, Ocean: An Introduction to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in America, The Faces of Buddhism in America, and
many scholar articles.
The next session of the symposium will
take place from 3:10 to 4:10 pm. It will feature four concurrent talks on topics related
to peace and tranquility.
1) Dr. Rev. Kenneth Tanaka will present a talk in Japanese entitled, “アメリカ浄
土真宗の歩みと展望とその意義－アメリ
カ仏教全体を背景に (Amerika Jodo Shinshu no Ayumi to Tenbo to Sono Igi – Amerika
Bukkyo Zentai wo Haikei ni).” He will focus on will be on the significance of the
footsteps and the horizon of American Jodo
Shinshu: within the backdrop of overall
American Buddhism.
2) Professor James Dobbins will speak
on the topic of "Shinran and Eshinni: Husbands and Wives in Shin Buddhism." Prof.
Dobbins is the James H. Fairchild professor
of religious studies at Oberlin College in
Ohio. A well-known scholar of Japanese religions, he has a particular interest in Japanese Pure Land, Jodo Shinshu, and women
in medieval Japanese Buddhism. He is the
author of two important scholarly texts,
Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval
Japan and Letters of the Nun Eshinni: Images of Pure Land Buddhism in Medieval Japan, as well as numerous scholarly articles.
3) Jacqueline Kramer will join us to
speak about "Using the Buddha's teachings
to create peace in the home." Ms. Kramer is
the author of a widely acclaimed book, Bud-
Help Vista Buddhist Temple
Honor Rev. Art Takemoto
dha Mom-the Path of Mindful Mothering, in
which she explores how she has become a
better Buddhist through opening herself to
motherhood, and 10 Spiritual Practices for
Busy Parents. A student and practitioner of
Theravadin Buddhism for over 30 years,
she found that, by applying what she was
learning from Buddhism to pregnancy,
birthing, mothering and homemaking, not
only did her practice deepen, but her mothering and homemaking became more joyful. She is also the founder and director of
the Hearth Foundation of northern California, dedicated to developing a Buddhist
family lifestyle in the West
4) Rev. Harry Gyoko Bridge will offer
a musical presentation on the topic of
"The Meaning and Potential of Music in
Shin Buddhism."
Rev. Bridge spent various parts of his
youth in both Tokyo and the Boston area.
He encountered Buddhism while in college, and although he had dreams of becoming a professional musician, he instead
found his way into the Buddhist ministry.
He received Masters Degrees from both the
Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley,
California and Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan. He has served at the Buddhist
Church of Lodi and is currently the resident minister of the Buddhist Church of
Oakland.
By Ricky Schlesinger, Chairman
VBT Campaign Committee
Beginning in 1929, about 25 pioneer families gathered for religious,
language schooling, and cultural and
social activities at each other’s homes.
Seeing a need for expanded facilities,
the current Cedar street property was
purchased in 1937 by the JapaneseAmerican community. In 1978 the
present Japanese Cultural Center was
built with a portion serving as a place
for Buddha-Dharma gatherings. In
1980, Rev. Art Takemoto became Vista Buddhist Temple’s first full-time
resident minister. Through Reverend
Art’s visionary leadership and commitment to establish a permanent and in-
The late Rev. Art Takemoto
dependent home for the pursuit of
dharma and Buddhist education, funds
were raised and we were able to build
our current, beautiful, Vista Buddhist
Temple facility. The new temple construction was completed and dedicated
Continued on Page 6
The final portion of the symposium will
be the "Shinran Expo." From 4:20 to 5:30
Continued on Page 6
PAGE WHEEL OF DHARMA
Rev. Giko Abiko
Dies After Turning
100 Years Old
Is How We Die Related
to our Spiritual Destiny?
Rev. Carol Himaka
Enmanji Buddhist Temple
A
s a temple minister I have been asked more than once,
if one’s faith in nembutsu is related to how we die.
By that, I mean, if a person is very devout in their life,
reciting nembutsu repeatedly, will their death be peaceful
and without pain. Although I have searched Shinshu writings, there is nothing I have found that can absolutely assure
such a correlation, between the depth of one’s spiritual faith
and the manner of one’s death.
Of course, we are always comforted if the passing of a
loved one is peaceful. However, I am sure that there are some
who have questioned the value of spiritual faith if it cannot
guarantee even such a small favor.
When I was serving briefly at one temple, I remember being confronted with a member who’s elderly mother passed
away after suffering great pain. She was very active with the
temple, as fujinkai member, and even honored with a 50 year
acknowledgement for serving as a dharma school teacher.
She deeply believed in Amida Buddha’s compassion and freely recited the nembutsu. However, because his mother died
such an agonizing death he was very angry at the temple and
Jodo Shinshu. He believed that her dedication to the dharma
and the temple should have spared her such an ordeal. While
this is an extreme example, it does highlight the question of
whether or not we can expect our nembutsu faith to smooth
our life, or our death, or provide any practical benefits at all.
Because of the discovery of Eshinni’s letters, we have the
record of how Kakushinni, who attended Shinran at his
death, wrote to her mother with concern about how her father had died. In that letter we learn that Kakushinni was
concerned about whether her father would indeed be born
into the Pure Land. Eshinni’s answer was to absolutely affirm that Shinran would be born into the Pure Land.
From that exchange it is interesting to speculate what did
Kakushinni see that made her doubt the spiritual destiny of
Chubutsu Report:
Fuyoku School
Festival 2009
By Henry Toryo Adams
For students at Chuo
Bukkyo Gakuin (Chubutsu),
the Hongwanji Seminary in
Kyoto, the arrival of autumn
is marked by our annual Fuyoku School Festival. This
year on October 31 and November 1 students and faculty came together to celebrate
our Chubutsu Sangha as we
Shinran. It could have been that he did not die a peaceful
death. It could have been that Kakushinni was expecting miraculous events to occur, as this was said to accompany the
death of accomplished spiritual teachers at that time, including Honen. We do not know what made Kakushinni question her father’s spiritual destiny. What we do have is Eshinni’s adamant declaration that Shinran would attain birth into
the Pure Land through the Vow of Amida and the nembutsu.
Shinran Shonin himself outlined ten benefits in the present life that one would gain through attaining shinjin.
1. The benefit of being protected and sustained by unseen powers.
2. The benefit of being possessed of supreme virtues.
3. The benefit of our karmic evil being transformed into
good.
4. The benefit of being protected and cared for by all the
Buddhas.
5. The benefit of being praised by all the Buddhas.
6. The benefit of being constantly protected by the light
of the Buddha’s heart.
7. The benefit of having great joy in our hearts.
8. The benefit of being aware of Amida’s benevolence
and of responding in gratitude to his virtue.
9. The benefit of constantly practicing great compassion.
10. The benefit of entering the stage of the truly settled.
(CWS, Vol. I, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, Kyoto, p.112)
For the everyday modern person these benefits may not
seem to be as attractive as promises of wealth, eternal youth,
or power and influence. Neither do they promise that our
lives will become suddenly easier or more successful. These
benefits were not made to enhance one’s life in this samsara
Continued on Page 6
Henry serving a bowl of
soup to the
runner-up
in the “Miss
Chubutsu”
beauty contest.
hosted alumni, friends, family, and residents of the neighborhood that surrounds the
campus.
Our guests enjoyed an
eclectic mix of performances
and activities, ranging from
Japanese arts such as traditional gagaku music, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and
Buddhist chanting to more
contemporary
entertain-
ments, including a low-budget film production inspired
by the Contemplation Sutra,
hip-hop dancing, a rock concert, and a “Miss Chubutsu”
beauty contest with a surprising twist. Each class was
responsible for managing a
food stall and helping out
with the bazaar, where we
learned practical skills that
we are sure to put to good
use in our ministries during
Obon festivities and other
temple events.
Continued on Page 6
FOLD
FOLD
California Nisei College Diploma
Project Seeks Honorees
SAN FRANCISCO—The Japa- quences of the Japanese American imnese Cultural and Community Center prisonment caused by Executive Order
of Northern California (JCCCNC) 9066. Working in collaboration with
systems, nuwill implement the California Nisei California state college
RegisteR online at
considering taking merous
the Jodo
jscc.cbe-bca.org and
community organizations
College Diploma Project Anyone
(California
Or
Correspondence Course should
ProjNisei Project), to provide Shinshu
support
for Union Bank, the CaliforniaByNisei
Mail
end their procrastination and apply to
Application forms available for download and
mail
to
the
following
address
ect
will
maximize
the
scope
of
the
comAssembly Bill 37, authoredenroll.
byI came
Assemup with two personal
JSCC Office
reasons to enroll in the course, i.e., to
and
locate
bly Member Warren Furutani,
that
be- munity outreach to identify
Jodo Shinshu
Center
learn more about Jodo Shinshu and to
2140 Durant Ave.
those
eligible
to
benefit
from
the
stows honorary degrees to
Japanese
reinforce my understanding. In the oneBerkeley, CA 94704 legishalf year since I’ve begun the course
American citizens, living or
deceased, lation.
application DeaDline
I believe I’ve managed to accomplish my
2010
Over 2,500 studentsFebruary
of 15,Japanese
who were forced to leave their
college
personal goals.
To say the course is inteltuition
stimulating is an understateancestry are estimated
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year ($720.00
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school
at
the
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payMent
into the history of Buddhism and Jodo
Personal Check | Credit Card | Paypal
Shinshu. What’s even more intriguing
is
second
generation
Japanese
Americans
War II.
The first installment
of $360.00
is due by February 15, 2010.
I believe the student can go as deep as
comprising
the
largest
number
affectThe California Nisei heProject
will
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students.
or she chooses. The cadre of advisors
probably
certainly
AB 37 also allows a representative
provide critical outreach towouldaid
in appreciate
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welcome anyone wishing to do so.
process of obtaining an honorary
de- to accept an honorary degree on behalf
Nishiharaof
(Hawaii)
individuals who are deceased.
gree while also educating collegeRichard
stuAssembly member Warren Furutadents and surrounding communities
about the historical context and conseContinued on Page 4
Comments
”
(USPS 017-700)
Official Publication of the Buddhist Churches of America
Jodo Shinshu
CorreSpondenCe CourSe
Spring Enrollment 2010
REGISTER ONLINE AT:
JSCC.cbe-bca.org, or by mail
Registration deadline:
February 15, 2010
Jodo Shinshu Correspondence Course office
Buddhist Churches of America (BCA)
Jodo Shinshu Center
2140 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: 510-809-1441 | Fax: 510-809-1459
jscc@cbe-bca.org
Jodo Shinshu Correspondence Course office
Jodo Shinshu Center
FOLD
FOLD
JSCCbrochure200910.indd 1
On Sunday, November 1, 2009, Rev. Giko Yoshitaka
Abiko died at his home in Sebastopol, California. He was
100 years old. The BCA and Enmanji-sponsored funeral
took place on November 6, 2009.
Rev. Giko Abiko was born on September 16, 1909 in
the Shiga prefecture of Japan. He was a 1933 graduate of
Ryukoku University in Kyoto and obtained his tokudo ordination in the same year. The following year, he obtained his
kyoshi and kaikyoshi status.
In 1934, he came to the United States and served the
Buddhist Church of Stockton. In 1937, he returned to Japan to marry Hiroko Shibata. Later that year, he and his
wife came back to the United States. In 1938, he was assigned to the Los Angeles Betsuin. During his tenure in Los
Angeles, he also taught at the Huntington Beach Japanese
Language School and the Orange County Dharma and language schools.
In 1942, he and many other BCA ministers were interned in Lordsburg, New Mexico before he was transferred
to Santa Fe in 1943. He was subsequently interned in Tule
Lake before returning to Santa Fe in 1945. After the war, he
returned to Japan and was at the Hokkaido Sapporo Betsuin.
In 1954, he and his family came back to the United
States and he became the minister at the Buddhist Temple
of Alameda. From 1959 to 1962, he served as the Gicho of
the BCA Ministerial Association. In 1960, he was transferred to the Buddhist Church of Sacramento. He became
their Rinban in 1967. In 1970, he was assigned to Enmanji
Buddhist Temple. In 1979, when he retired, he was the
General Chair and Service Director of the BCA’s 75th Anniversary.
After retirement, he remained in Sebastopol. He and his
wife created an impressive garden at their rural home. Mrs.
Abiko became especially adept at making apple pies. He
continued to assist the Enmanji ministers until he became
physically unable to participate.
On September 20, 2009, the Enmanji community celebrated the 100th birthday for Rev. Abiko. Although Rev.
Abiko could not attend, Mrs. Abiko stood in for her husband. In attendance was the eldest son, Koki Abiko. Koki’s
son, Takashi, was present with his wife, Geneva, and their
son, Yadier Kazutaka. Koki’s wife, Eiko, remained with Rev.
Abiko at his home. Rev. Giko Abiko’s other son, Rev. Hiroshi Abiko (Rinban at Los Angeles Betsuin) was unable to attend, but Rev. Hiroshi Abiko’s wife, Misae, was in attendance with their children Kaori and Ryo.
A special luncheon, cake, and gifts were presented to the
Abiko family.
Wheel of Dharma
registration
“
DECEMBER 2009
10/2/2009 5:16:46 PM
1710 Octavia Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tel.: (415) 776-5600
Fax: (415) 771-6293
www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org or www.bcahq.org
Email: bcahq@pacbell.net
Wheel of Dharma (USPS 017-700) is published monthly by Buddhist Churches of America,
1710 Octavia St., San Francisco, CA 94109-4341. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WHEEL
OF DHARMA, 1710 Octavia St., San Francisco, CA 94109-4341.
Subscription free to BCA members; $12.00 annual subscription for nonmembers.
Submission Guidelines:
We recommend a length of approximately 800-1,000 words, typed, single-spaced. Longer
submissions will be rejected or, if accepted, split into multiple parts.
We prefer Microsoft Word documents in an 11-point Times New Roman font, as it translates
best for our graphic design department. If you do not have Word, a simple text file will work,
even pasted into the body of an e-mail message. In ALL cases, do not embed images in Word
document. Send as separate attachment. Please do not send text as PDF files.
Color prints or digital prints are acceptable. Color photocopies, inkjets, or third-party photo
sharing websites are not recommended.
Photo attachments should be sent at 300 dpi JPEG, TIFF or PDF format for best resolution.
Cell phone images are not recommended. Web-based images (72 dpi) do not produce quality
images for newsprint usage.
We reserve the right to crop photos and illustrations to conform with space and design
requirements.
Submission deadline: 20th of each month.
English Editor: Rev. Ron Kobata
Japanese Editor: Rev. Kodo Umezu
Print Production: Jeffrey Kimoto
DECEMBER 2009 Campaign BCA News
H
ere are some of
the wonderful
things happening at the Jodo Shinshu
Center and throughout
the BCA:
Institute of Buddhist
Studies: IBS started its Fall
2009 semester with 65 students, and there are currently 12 students on the ministerial track. All this would
not have been possible without the Jodo Shinshu Center
as IBS’ permanent campus.
There are also several endowments that have been
developed over the past sev- Robert Noguchi
eral years, including the Hojo/Tokunaga Chair, Rev. Russell Hamada Endowment and, most recently, the Hiroji and Yasuko Kariya Chair. There
has been much invested in these endowments, and BCA members have set
the standards for the growth and future of IBS.
Please Note: An endowment is money donated to an organization that
is placed in an account (the endowment) where the principle is not
touched, but the interest income can be used for everyday expenses.
Center for Buddhist Education: CBE, under the direction of Rev. Kodo
Umezu, continues to offer a wide range of education and training programs for ministers and over 60 certified minister’s assistants, as well as for
youth, lay leaders and interested individuals. The CBE also works with
Hongwanji on the Orientation program for new ministers coming to Canada, Hawaii and the BCA. The on-line Correspondence Course now has
over 100 students from around the world participating.
BCA Bookstore: The BCA Bookstore continues to grow and flourish in
its new location at the Center, offering in-store service six days a week and
24 hour on-line ordering.
For details on all this, and more, please refer to the October issue of
the Wheel of Dharma, celebrating the 3rd Anniversary of the Jodo Shinshu
Center. If you’d like to receive a copy, please contact me.
In June, I challenged the National Board to raise $300,000 by February, 2010, to bring the campaign to an even $18 million raised. Through a
lot of hard work, Coast District took this challenge very seriously and has
met and exceeded their goal of $44,275 – Congratulations to District President Joyce Iwasaki and the Monterey Peninsula, Mountain View, Salinas,
San Jose and Watsonville temples on a job well done!
The campaign is halfway through its sixth year, raising over $18,000,000
in gifts and pledges. This is a lifelong project and your continued support
is appreciated.
Your BCA leaders understand that fundraising at your local temple is a
top priority for many and encourages temples to take care of their local
needs, first. I also want to stress that the BCA needs to gain strength and
momentum, too. Remember, the future of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism starts
here! It’s due to your generous support that we have the Jodo Shinshu
Center and the new and expanded BCA programs to propagate the DharContinued on Page 4
Donate by Credit Card (See website)
My Gift to Campaign BCA—The 21st Century
c/o Campaign BCA-The 21st Century,
2140 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704
□ YES! I’m enclosing is my/our special gift of:
( ) $1,500, ( ) $3,000, ( ) $5,000*, ( ) $10,000,
( ) $_______ other amount to Campaign BCA - The 21st Century.
□ YES! I would like to pledge a total of:
( ) $1,500, ( ) $3,000, ( ) $5,000*, ( ) $10,000,
( ) $_______ other amount over a period of ________(1 to 5 years)
to Campaign BCA - The 21st Century.
Check enclosed, made payable to Campaign BCA - The 21st Century.
*A gift or pledge of $5,000 or more will permanently place your name on the donor wall,
located in the lobby of the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley.
Name Address
City
State
Zip
( )
_______________
Phone
Email
Temple
For more information, please contact your temple representative, your local minister, or
BCA Campaign Manager Robert Noguchi at the Jodo Shinshu Center at (510) 809-1453,
or e-mail info@bcacampaign.org.
WHEEL OF DHARMA
PAGE BCA/CBE to Hold Caregiving,
Memorial and Funeral Rituals Forum
B
CA Center for Buddhist Education presents “A Buddhist
Life Seminar: Caregiving,
Memorial and Funeral Rituals,” on
Saturday, March 27, 2010, from 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant Avenue in
Berkeley.
“So often, the nisei have raised
their sansei children not to worry
about them. So now, even when they
need help, it’s difficult to ask. Another frequent comment is that while
many of our BCA members - of all
generations -- have grown up Buddhist, we really don’t know the
meaning of our funeral and memorial rituals,” observed Yumi Hatta,
CBE Program Assistant.
These and other topics raised by
the CBE Golden Years Focus Group
will be the subject of the BCA Center for Buddhist Education (CBE)’s
first seminar on these issues. The
one-day educational event will feature guest speaker Rev. Dr. Matsumoto, and two interactive panels
with BCA resource ministers and
other counseling and family support
professionals.
Photo by Tom Nishikawa
The Golden Years Focus Group, from left to right:Tom Nishikawa, *Judy Kono, *Yumi Hatta,
*Rev. Umezu, Sumi Tanabe, Ken Tanimoto, Terry Hirahara, Kiyoshi Katsumoto, Lucy Hamai,
Marrie Yamashita, Aileen Kawasaki, Yuki Otake, and Emiko Katsumoto. *CBE staff
“We are so grateful to the Golden Age focus group volunteers for
sharing their experiences and spearheading this first Buddhist Life Seminar. Jodo Shinshu Buddhism offers
some unique insights on how suffering, loss and remembrance can deepen our appreciation for life itself. We
encourage adults of all ages to attend, so that we can build stronger
connections and mutual support
among the generations,” announced
Rev. Kodo Umezu, CBE Director.
The seminar will include an overview of Jodo Shinshu funeral rituals
by Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto
(Berkeley Buddhist Temple; and
Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies at IBS). An interactive
resource panel of BCA ministers will
also be available, consisting of Rev.
Carol Himaka (Enmanji); Rev. William Masuda (Palo Alto); and Rev.
Kodo Umezu (Director, Center for
Buddhist Education). In this session,
participants will have an opportunity
to ask their own questions and learn
about the range and variations of the
rituals in actual practice.
Continued on Page 4
BDK Pledges $500,000 to Support IBS Numata Studies
BERKELEY—The
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai
(BDK) America, Inc.,
Berkeley, informed the Institute of Buddhist Studies
(IBS), a graduate school
for Buddhist Ministry and
Research in Berkeley, a
pledge of $500,000 to further support the goals of
the professorial chair for
the Yehan Numata Professor of Buddhist Studies.
The Numata Chair was
initially established in July,
1986 by the late Rev. Dr.
Yehan Numata, founder of
the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, Society for the Promotion of Buddhism.
“Dr. Numata strongly
believed that the attainment of world peace is possible only by the perfection
of the human mind which
can be educated and benefited from the teachings of
the Buddha.
“One of his major endeavors was to place the
“Teaching of the Buddha”
in as many hotels as possible. He began this project
in 1965 by establishing the
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai in
Tokyo, Japan to promote a
wide range of activities and
projects in the hope of
contributing to world
peace and mutual understanding among humanity,” said Brian Nagata,
BDK America Director.
In 1984, Dr. Numata
founded the Numata Center in Berkeley for Buddhist translation and research. His goal was to
translate all of the Buddhist canons (Tripitakas).
In 1986, he founded
BDK America for the promotion of Buddhism. He
is the recipient of many
honors for his work.
“We are deeply grateful for the generosity of
Dr. Numata for his work
for the sake of the Buddha
–Dharma and BDK America for their support of the
IBS as a Buddhist educational institution,” said
Dr. Richard Payne, IBS
Dean.
BCA Center for
Buddhist Education
Program & Events
Calendar
Read more at our new web address: www.bcasites.net
Note: Older “wikispaces.net” web address
will automatically redirect to this.
Ph: (510) 809-1460 Email: director@cbe-bca.org
Unless stated otherwise, programs listed below take place at the
Jodo Shinshu Center – 2140 Durant Avenue, Berkeley
*December 16, 2009, (Fri) 12 noon
Inspired by Shinran Shonin Dharma-thon - Monthly Appreciation Day (Gomeinichi) – Informal service, chanting and
discussion, followed by ochazuke (rice, Japanese tea and
pickles). All welcome.
*January 15-16, 2010 (Fri. - Sat.)
HOONKO SERVICES AT THE JODO SHINSHU CENTER –
FRI, 1/15, 7pm: O-TAIYA SERVICE – A Music Service; with
Revs. Marvin Harada, Yufuko Kurioka and lay speakers.
SAT, 1/16, 6:30 am: O-JINJO SERVICE – Chanting of Nembutsu Shoshinge; with Revs. Z. Taniguchi and K. Umezu.
SAT, 1/16, 10 AM - O-NICCHU SERVICE – Chanting of
Shoshinge (Gyofu); with Rev. Gerald Sakamoto.
Details online. Call director@cbe-bca.org or (510) 8091460.
* February 19-21, 2010 (Fri – Sun)
International Conference: NEW DIRECTIONS IN BUDDHIST
PSYCHOLOGY. More details to follow.
* March 27, 2010 (Saturday)
CAREGIVING, FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL RITUALS. See article and information online.
PAGE WHEEL OF DHARMA
Carol of the Bells
By Rev. J.K. Hirano
Salt Lake Buddhist Temple
I
love holidays and December is
a month filled with holidays
from a variety of religious traditions. What is your favorite holiday? I believe the best of holidays
allow us to touch and listen to our
spirituality. Holidays provide a
means to connect our spirituality to
the world around us, especially our
family and friends. Without question, my favorite holiday is Christmas.
There are some who believe
Christmas is a Christian holiday so
although we as Buddhists can recognize it, it shouldn’t necessarily be
celebrated. One of my early memories of attending the Salt Lake Buddhist temple as a child was one particular Bodhi Day. As it was, Bodhi
Day was probably my favorite Buddhist holiday. There are more important Buddhist holidays such as
Hanamatsuri or Hoonko. However, I felt Hoonko was just boring.
Sensei would chant that long
Shoshinge and Hanamatsuri required that all the kids have to dress
up in silly costumes and perform
some ridiculous dance or play for
the adults in the program after service. I liked Bodhi day because we
just went to regular service, maybe
had a guest minister that spoke
Nisei Students
Continued from Page 2
ni asserts, “AB 37 seeks to
complete the unfinished
business of properly honoring those individuals whose
lives were unjustly interrupted because of our country’s
misguided wartime policy.”
In support of efforts to both
honor the individuals and
educate the public, he continues, “This was a time of
considerable discrimination,
and while the acts may be in
the past, they should not be
forgotten.”
Effective Oct. 11, AB 37
requires that the Trustees of
the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges
grant
honorary degrees to all peo-
Campaign Report
Continued from Page 3
ma.
I’d like to thank my new assistant in the Campaign Office,
Mrs. Helen Tagawa of Berkeley,
who has already contributed a
Caregiver Forum
Continued from Page 3
In addition to a stronger
spiritual grounding, the
workshop will feature a resource panel presentation.
Caregiver support issues will
be discussed by Wes Mukoyama, LCSW, recently re-
English I could understand and
then we would get a candy bar. In
my mind, it was a warm up for
Christmas, just a couple of weeks
away.
This particular Bodhi Day,
when I got to the temple, there was
a Christmas tree sitting in the naijin (altar area). At first I thought,
“Great, were going to start celebrating Christmas at the temple, maybe
we’re going to get more than just a
candy bar!” As the service began,
they announced that the Christmas
tree sitting there was the Bodhi
tree. Even at the age of seven or so,
I thought to myself, “That’s ridiculous! How stupid do you think I
am? That’s a Christmas tree you
were too lazy to put lights and ornaments on!” I was probably just as
upset of the realization there
wouldn’t be any Buddhist Christmas presents to go with the Buddhist Christmas tree. I haven’t
changed my opinion that much, I
like Christmas way more than Bodhi day.
Let me explain, Bodhi day is a
very important holiday in which we
celebrate Siddhartha Gautama’s
awakening to become Shakyamuni
Buddha. Yet it is important to understand a very important difference between spirituality and religion. Siddhartha Gautama had a
DECEMBER 2009
To awaken beings everywhere to great
compassion, is truly to respond in gratitude to
Buddha’s benevolence.
Zendo CWS pg.120
profound, world changing spiritual
experience on Bodhi Day. His
awakening allowed him to experience the mystery of life and death.
Buddhism as we know it as religion
is the explanation of that spiritual
reality Siddartha Gautama awoke
to and how we too may awaken to
that reality within ourselves. Buddhism and all religions are the finger pointing to the moon (spiritual
reality i.e. Amida Buddha). We
should use every means available to
awaken to the moon and not get
stuck on the finger. The carol of
the bells of Christmas awaken me
to the sound of enlightenment, the
sound of the nembutsu.
Everything we in the western
world call “the spirit of Christmas”
is the essence of Buddhism. Christmas is a time of selfless giving, self
reflection (Have you been a good
boy or good girl this year?), sharing
of good cheer, gratitude. In the
western world where I live, Christmas is as if our entire Society, not
just Buddhists are celebrating these
important spiritual lessons of life.
Christmas music is also my favorite
type of music; it puts me in touch
with all these very Buddhist (Human) feelings. When I have heard
Gagaku (classical court music) at a
service I feel that way. I just can’t
say the same for our regular Gathas.
For myself, the closest we have to
Christmas music in Dharma School
is the recitation of “The Golden
Chain.” But that’s a whole ‘nother
article or talk.
To deny Christmas under the
heading of Buddhist belief is unthinkable and just plain stupid.
One of the common questions I
hear whenever I am involved with a
panel in one of our BCA temples is,
“How do we teach Buddhism to
our children.” The answer is “BY
EXAMPLE!” The motto of many
of our Dharma Schools has been a
quote by Zendo, one of our seven
patriarchs of Jodo Shinshu. The
quote is “Jin shin kyo nin shin” and
is usually translated as “To realize
shinjin oneself and to guide others
to shinjin.” The problem I have felt
with this as the motto is that they
left out the next line, which can be
read “Is among difficult things yet
even more difficult.” The lines that
follow are the lines I began this article with, “To awaken beings everywhere to great compassion, is
truly to respond in gratitude to
Buddha’s benevolence.” I feel that
what Zendo is saying is that to conscientiously try to teach or guide
others to our faith or Buddhism as
in the spiritual reality Gautama
awoke to is extremely difficult. The
first thing one must do is to discov-
ple whose education was interrupted because of their incarceration during World
War II.
On July 16, 2009, the
Regents of the University of
California
unanimously
agreed to suspend the University’s moratorium on
granting honorary degrees,
thereby allowing all students
whose education was interrupted by being sent to concentration camps to have the
honor bestowed upon them.
As a result of Assembly
Bill 781, authored by former
Assembly member Sally Lieber, over 415 honorary high
school diplomas were disseminated from over 80
schools throughout California, between 2004 and 2005,
in recognition of Japanese
Americans whose high school
years were interrupted due to
the forced removal and incarceration during World
War II. Important connections between the schools,
district and county offices
and the Japanese American
communities have been
forged through the California Nisei High School Diploma Project and many
people were inspired by the
participants’ courage and resilience, touching them by
sharing the experience.
“We are honored to have
this opportunity to witness
the reclaiming of one’s youth
and the restoring of hope in
the nation’s future that history does not repeat its past
injustices,” quotes Paul Osaki, the Executive Director of
the JCCCNC.
The California Nisei
College Diploma Project
seeks to identify Japanese
Americans, or family representatives, who are eligible to
benefit from Assembly Bill
37. If you know someone
who may be eligible to receive an honorary degree, or
to find out if any efforts have
begun in your region, please
contact the Project Coordinator, Aya Ino, at (415) 5675505 or by e-mail at
caniseiproject@jcccnc.org
The project is made possible with support of the California Civil Liberties Public
Education Program (CCLPEP) and Union Bank. Application forms will soon be
available at selected Union
Bank branches and community organizations in the
State of California, including the JCCCNC.
great deal since being hired in
July. Also, many thanks to the
two volunteers who come to
the Jodo Shinshu Center weekly and lend a hand: Chizuko
Kakiuchi of San Francisco and
Joyce Iwasaki of San Jose. A
special thanks to the Campaign
Committee, chaired by Dr. Kent
Matsuda of Enmanji along with
Rev. Gerald Sakamoto (San
Jose), Dianne Belli (Venice),
Koichi Sayano (LA Betsuin) and
Billy Saeki (Venice). Finally, I’d
like to thank newly retired Rev.
Dr. Seigen Yamaoka for his pa-
tience and guidance.
Have a Happy Holiday and
New Year!
tired executive director of
Yu-Ai Kai Japanese Senior
Services in San Jose; and
John Simmons, RN/PHN.
Issues of hospice care and related concerns will be presented by Rev. Susan Scott,
the Decedent Care Chaplain
at Stanford Hospital and
Clinic.
The panel will be moderated by long-time community volunteer and BCA activist, Sumi Tanabe of San Jose.
Please view fuller bios and
access registration forms online. Visit the CBE website
via www.BuddhistChurchesofAmerica.org.
Registration, which in-
cludes lunch and resource
materials, is $25 for BCA
members and $30 General.
The deadline for registration
is February 13, 2010. Details
are online. Visit the CBE
website via www.BuddhistChurchesofAmerica.org or
phone (510) 809-1460 or
email: director@cbe-bca.org.
Gassho,
Robert Noguchi
robert@bcacampaign.org
(510) 809-1453
er that reality for ourselves and then
to share this with others is not to
purposely guide others, it can’t be
done. But we should strive to live a
life of gratitude; this is how you
share your faith.
This time of year, as I walk into
stores or along the streets of many
cities, I see and hear the bell ringers
from the Salvation Army. As I walk
into the shops I hear the song “Carol of the Bells” playing in the background. These Christmas bells remind me of the call of Amida
Buddha. It is the sound of enlightenment, the sound of the Nembutsu. As often as possible, I stop to
give thanks by putting some money
into the bucket. If my children are
with me I make sure we do it. It is
like burning incense before the service. Christmas is my favorite time
of year. How wonderful that during this time of year, I hear the
sound of the Nembutsu all around
me.
As I have explained to my kids,
even Santa is reminding me to listen to the teachings. He is always
saying “Ho Ho Ho” which means
“Dharma Dharma Dharma.” I wish
you all a very Merry Christmas and
as Tiny Tim would say, “Namo
Amida Butsu Everyone.”
College Conference
2009
By Marisa Sanwo
Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple
E
very October for the past three years, I have
looked forward to flying up to the Jodo Shinshu
Center in Berkeley to attend College Conference,
hosted annually by College YBA. This year, the three
day-long conference themed “Man in the Mirror” focused on self-improvement and, to quote the Michael
Jackson song, encouraged us to “take a look at yourself and then make a change.”
In between services by Youth Ministers Assistants,
attendees enjoyed participating in a fun-filled picture
scavenger hunt, insightful workshops led by Keith
Sawada and CYBA members, and a talk by the keynote
speaker of the weekend, Reverend Kobata. Another
highlight has been my personal favorite part of every
College Conference—cooking a delicious dinner from
scratch on Saturday night.
In only a short time, College Conference seems
to have become one of the most popular events catered towards college-aged members of the BCA. This
year, it drew about 40 attendees from schools in both
Southern and Northern California, as well as a few
high school seniors looking to join groups for Buddhist
college students such as CYBA and Sr. YBA next year.
I had a wonderful time seeing old friends again and
meeting many new ones, and I already can’t wait to do
it again next year!
DECEMBER 2009 By Kimi Yonemura
Hisatsune
Buddhist Church of San Francisco
J
ohn Stuart Mill declared
in Of Liberty, “No one can
be a great thinker who does
not recognize that as a thinker it is his first duty to follow
his intellect to whatever conclusions it may lead.” Even if
one has no wish to become a
great thinker, one should recognize that as a citizen of a
democratic society where one
has the freedom to think, it is
a duty and responsibility to
exercise one’s mind in order
maintain a just and flexible
society. Furthermore, when
one is allowed a free choice
of religion, it would, indeed,
be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity to reflect on one’s own beliefs and
to re-examine them from
time to time
Too many of us take certain Buddhist concepts for
granted, whether from mental laziness or false indoctrination. The Jodo Shinshu
(sect) supposedly teaches a
“true” doctrine. It may be
looked upon as mere sectarian dogma. But whether dogma or not, it can never become a living faith if one
ceases or refuses to think
Shinran Shonin
750th Memorial
Commemorative Gifts
These limited time items are for the upcoming 750th
Memorial Observance for Shinran Shonin, to be held
Feb. 27-28, 2010 in San Jose.
All items are manufactured in Japan from our Buddhist merchandise suppliers—except for the black
onyx and crystal wrist onenju, which is made in the
U.S. by Hoseki Designs.
Onenju with “Annon”
or 750th logo engraved
Cell phone/purse charms
Hoseki Designs
onyx or crystal
onenju, using 750th
logo colors
BCA Bookstore
NEW Jewelry, Past President Pins,
and Contemporary Onenju now available.
NEW Gift Cards Available—Any Denomination
For all your church and personal Shin Buddhist needs.
(510) 809-1435
www.bcabookstore.com
PAGE YBICSE 2009
Search for Truth
about it. Buddhist teachings
must grow with the times as
Shakyamuni Buddha instructed and as Shinran Shonin expanded his teachings
with superior effort and insight to the very end.
Mental and moral stature, however, does not come
about by a complete overthrow of traditional beliefs.
One must keep and practice
those concepts and precepts
that have been tested by time
and experience and expand
upward or outward from
them. To hold a sense of reverence for the wisdom of the
past will help to suppress
one’s intellectual snobbishness.
In Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, the Buddha
speaks the following words
to a young aspirant called
Siddhartha who had decided
to seek the truth on his own:
“You are clever, O Samana ...
you know how to speak cleverly, my friend. Be on your
guard against too much cleverness.” Buddha is trying to
point out to him that intellectualism is not enough to
attain the peace of Nirvana.
Nevertheless, with guidance
from good teachers, one
must raise such questions as:
“What is Pure Land?” Is
Amida Buddha a sort of
God?” “What is karma?” if
we want our religion to become a vital part of American life -- and what is of
greater importance -- of ourselves.
Gassho
WHEEL OF DHARMA
By Lesli Hamamoto
Fresno Betsuin
Buddhist Temple
G
rowing up as a Japanese
American
and Jodo Shinshu
Buddhist, I’ve become accustomed to a particular
culture – filled with weekly
Sunday services, Dharma
classes, YBA events, food
bazaars, and Obon – where
the religious, cultural, and
social aspects often blur.
Participation in the YBICSE program to Japan this
past summer has given me a
new perspective of these
practices. I had a unique opportunity to see first-hand
how other Shin Buddhists
from around the world practice the Teachings – in ways
both similar and unique.
In Japan, not only did I
have the privilege to practice our sect of Buddhism at
the Hongwanji and historical sites of Shinran’s life, I
was also able to share this
experience with a very diverse group of people.
Young adults from Hawaii,
Canada, Brazil, and our own
eclectic mix of Americans
came together in Japan for
the same ten-day experience. At first I was nervous
since it was my first time
out of the country and
didn’t know anyone, but I
soon found comfort in the
fact that many others were
YBICSE participants in the renovated Goeido at the Hongwanji temple in Kyoto, Japan.
having the same apprehensions. I also realized that we
all essentially came together
as followers of the Nembutsu. Despite some differences, we all shared common
values that made the entire
experience a fun and interesting one. For example, everyone was proud to represent
their
respective
countries and it was fun to
hear the variety of languages
used. Official explanations
were always translated three
times – from Japanese to
English to Portuguese – so
President’s Message
Continued from Front Page
IBS as the Ryukoku Visiting Professor.
This program would allow the Visiting
Professor to be onsite in Berkeley to
teach courses over one or two semesters
and to participate in public lectures
during their residency.
The IBS faculty and staff continue
to support various publications including The Pure Land, Pacific World, and
the Contemporary Issues in Buddhist
Studies series. The Pure Land has been
accepted for online distribution as part
of the American Theological Library
Association Serials collection which is
one of the primary means for electronically distributing journal articles. This
online distribution will provide easier
access and broader distribution of The
Pure Land. Articles for Pacific World are
being gathered to commemorate the
60th anniversary of the Institute of
Buddhist Studies (the IBS 60th anniversary issue).
IBS activities include direct support
to BCA through its Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies (CCSBS). Rev. David Matsumoto (Director
of CCSBS) is supporting the BCA’s
Shinran Shonin 750th Commemoration Symposium and Service to be held
that everyone could understand the same concept.
There were also variations
of English, yet everyone was
able to understand each other while keeping pride in
their individual identities.
Despite unique experiences
and practices, we’re all able
to come together in a way I
had never before appreciated.
Communication proved
to be more of an obstacle
during my three-day home
stay. Everyone in the program was divided into part-
February 27-28, 2010 in San Jose, California. Rev. Matsumoto represents IBS
on the BCA Ministerial Training and
Development Committee which is responsible for policies to facilitate the
development of BCA ministers. CCSBS is also supporting the BCA Center
for Buddhist Education with the Hongwanji Correspondence Course and the
International Ministerial Orientation
Program (IMOP).
Looking to the future, Dr. Payne
and Rev. Matsumoto are developing a
vision for IBS. Their vision is grounded
in IBS’ historically unique identity: an
identity as the only school outside of Japan specializing in Shin Buddhism and
providing education for BCA ministers,
and an identity as the oldest Buddhist
institution of higher education in the
United States. Their focus areas are a)
Maintaining and Strengthening Shin
and Pure Land Education and b) Maintaining and Strengthening Buddhist
Education. To address these focus areas, they have identified initial objectives for (1) Staffing, (2) Curriculum,
(3) Research and Publication, and (4) a
Doctoral Program.
Since 2006 the offices of the Institute of Buddhist Studies have been located in the BCA Jodo Shinshu Center
in downtown Berkeley, California. IBS
We gratefully acknowledge
contributions to the Wheel of Dharma
by the following donors:
BCA FBWA .................................................................. $200
Joanne Tohei ................................................................ $25
nerships to stay with temple
families near Kobe. I was
very kindly welcomed into
the home of a family in Kakogawa. It was fun to experience their typical day, of
which Buddhism played a
central part. Practicing with
them and observing their
customs made me more
aware of my own. They appeared as intrigued by our
American practices as I was
of theirs - everything from
the service books to the service format. Explaining to
the family (communication
primarily done through broken phrases and hand motions because of the language barrier) made me
reflect on things I have done
my whole life. This wasn’t
limited to Buddhism, but
included everything from
our pop culture interests to
the way we use the restroom. We truly learned a lot
from each other and I can’t
thank the family enough for
their generous hospitality.
After ten days in Japan
practicing Jodo Shinshu
Buddhism in an array of settings, I have a new appreciation for its universal concepts and have become more
culturally aware. The entire
experience was a truly memorable one. I’d sincerely like
to thank everyone that made
the program possible, including the BCA and Hongwanji.
utilizes the classrooms, conference
rooms and other resources of the JSC.
IBS also owns a dormitory that houses
its students; the dormitory is on Haste
Street, a short distance from the JSC.
The JSC’s location is ideal for IBS; it is
within walking distance to the IBS
dormitory, GTU and UCB (University
of California at Berkeley).
The IBS trustees are comprised of
BCA lay members and BCA ministers.
Applications to become a trustee are accepted each year and elections are held
at their quarterly meeting following the
BCA National Council meeting. As the
Bishop of BCA, Socho Koshin Ogui is
the IBS President; and Mr. Tom Yuki
is currently the Chairperson of the IBS
Board of Trustees.
The Institute of Buddhist Studies is our Buddhist seminary and graduate school. IBS plays a central role in
the training and education of our ministers. IBS’ many accomplishments contribute significantly to the BCA goal of
realizing Jodo Shinshu Buddhism as a
major religious tradition in the United
States. IBS deserves our gratitude and
our support.
Respectfully in Gassho
May Peace and
Tranquility
Prevail
Throughout
the World
PAGE WHEEL OF DHARMA
Personally Speaking
By Rev. Dr. Seigen Yamaoka
A
friend of mine recently
commented that whenever I speak of the Jodo
Shinshu Center (JSC), I am
always so passionate. He couldn’t
understand my passion for “just
a building”. In response to him,
and to you, the reader, I will put
my foot in my mouth once again
for the sake of the Dharma. Yes,
it would be shallow to be so
committed to a building,
however beautiful, new, and state
of the art. My excitement is
about what happens within. I
feel that the programs at the JSC
truly brighten the future of Jodo
Shinshu in America. The
interrelated programs at the JSC
will benefit all of us in the near
future. The reasons are clear.
First, the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS), at the JSC
campus, has seen a tremendous
growth in student enrollment.
Individuals who wish to become
professional ministers (Kaikyoshi) can now satisfy their
required studies here in Berkeley,
at the IBS. With the retiring of
many veteran ministers in the
next five years, The IBS is
playing a vital role in assuring
that temples will have ministers
750th Symposium
Continued from Front Page
p.m. participants will be able to experience a number of activities.
They will include a Shinran Shonin
video/slide show, a book reading
and signing by Dr. Rev. Tanaka,
Prof. Dobbins and Ms. Kramer, an
display of Jodo Shinshu groups and
websites from around the world,
exhibits displaying some BCA tem-
Chubutsu Report
Continued from Page 2
My personal contribution to
the event consisted of peeling and
chopping my weight in potatoes,
carrots, and onions for the pork
and vegetable soup in a miso broth
that was being sold at the food stall
run by my class. As a returning
member of the Ritual and Chanting Club, this was my second year
taking part in the Commemorative
Service conducted in the Tendai
style that traces its roots back over a
thousand years to Tang Dynasty
China. I also did my part to ensure
the solvency of the other food stalls
by consuming plenty of battered
octopus, chicken skewers, stir-fried
noodles, and off-brand soft-drinks.
As we began our preparations
for the festival upon returning from
our summer holidays in September, one of our instructors Rev.
available to serve them.
Second, the Center for
Buddhist Education (CBE)
conducts many seminars for ministerial aspirants, adult leaders,
youth leaders, Dharma School
Teachers, and the general public.
The CBE programs and the
enthusiasm of the participants
have provided a renewed vitality
to the activities at the local
temples, and, hopefully, to our
organization at the national
level, as well.
Third, the Hongwanji
English Correspondence Course
at the JSC is growing at a fast
rate. We are making many
friends outside of BCA who want
to study Jodo Shinshu. I was told
that a professor from the
University of Mississippi has
recently become a student. There
are students from all over the
world taking the course. This
speaks well for the growth of the
Jodo Shinshu.
Fourth, the Ryukoku University Berkeley Center (RUBEC) at
the JSC brings students from
Japan to learn English. The
exchange students are helped to
understand Jodo Shinshu with
the help of the IBS Exchange
Students from Ryukoku and the
International Ministers’ Overseas
Program (IMOP) students. As
they return to Japan, they leave
with knowledge of Jodo Shinshu
Buddhism obtained from the
combined resources of all of the
organizations who teach under
the roof of the JSC.
Fifth, the BCA 21st Century
Campaign Office is at the JSC.
The campaign has reached
$18,000,000 in just over six
ple activities and programs that
promote peace and tranquility, a
display of selected Dharma School
art posters and twelve “Life of Shinran” oil painting panels.
The February 27, 2010 Shinran
Shonin 750th Memorial Symposium will offer something for everyone interested in learning how
his life and teachings guide us to
true peace and tranquility. We
hope to see you there.
Masao Oyagi gave us the following
words of guidance: “Think of participation in this festival as part of
your ministerial training. As each
of you puts forth your best effort to
plan and host an event of this scale,
unexpected difficulties and conflicting views are bound to arise. It
will be incumbent upon you to
look beyond your individual differences and draw upon your collective wisdom to overcome these
challenges.”
In our daily interactions with
the people around us, we tend to
approach one another head-on, and
in doing so often wind up seeing
past each other in opposite directions. This difference in perspective can give rise to unintended
feelings of opposition. However,
when we are together able to face in
the same direction, our differences
become much less prominent as we
share a common perspective. When
years which is phenomenal. Fund
raising is a tremendous and
difficult undertaking in our
current economy, but the success
of the campaign means we can
sustain and further develop all
that I have described earlier. I
am deeply grateful to our BCA
members who have generously
donated to the Campaign. Many
have met their original pledges
and continue to give every year.
This is perhaps the part where I
put both feet in my mouth for
the sake of the Dharma, but
what many members do not
understand is that the need to
fundraise in behalf of the
Campaign, which pays the bills
for our programs and development, is ongoing. To build our
BCA legacy we must look upon
our present effort as our gift to
the future just as our Issei
pioneers did for us. We must
continue to build upon the
foundation that they gave to us.
This will, unfortunately, require
additional fundraising; however,
our future is bright. Our legacy
is the JSC. Some may think that
the JSC is a liability; however
with the programs being created
and conducted under its roof, it
is, without question, our asset
for the future. In time, you and
I, our children, grandchildren,
and generations to come, will all
benefit from this great effort.
Personally, I will continue to
passionately support the JSC, its
programs, Campaign BCA, and
you, even if this requires placing
both feet in my mouth for the
sake of the Dharma. I hope you
will join me in this endeavor.
Spiritual Destiny
Continued from Page 2
world, and if we practice nembutsu
for such mundane purposes as
worldly benefit we misunderstand
the value of dharma in our lives
completely. So what does nembutsu promise? To answer that we
need to review the Shakyamuni
Buddha’s original purpose for
seeking enlightenment.
Prince Siddhartha originally set
out to find the answer to the problem of duhkha, or human suffering. After spending six years practicing according to the traditional
path of spiritual development for
his age, he did not find his answer.
At a moment when he almost killed
himself through his ascetic practices, he realized that he would not
find his answer if he continued in
the same way. He then decided to
seek his answer within, through
meditation and the application of
his keen intellect. After carefully
considering the conditions that
lead up to the condition of human
suffering, the Prince attained the
insight that made him ‘Buddha,’
The Awakened One.
Tradition tells us that the Buddha uttered a verse, known as the
Victory Verse. It sums up the realization the Buddha experienced at
that moment.
“I sought the builder of this
house of suffering, but I was unable to find him. The wheel of
samsara turned around and around,
and I repeated lives of suffering
again and again. But you the builder of the house, I see you now. You
will not build the house again. All
the rafters are broken, and the
ridgepole is destroyed. My mind
takes leave of craving and attains
nirvana.” (Buddha-Dharma, Rev.
2nd Ed., Numata Center, p. 20)
Who was the ‘builder of this
house of suffering’? Why was
Prince Siddhartha unable to find
him? Who is the Prince addressing
when he says, “you the builder of
the house, I see you now.”? The
answer to everything is in the last
Takemoto
Continued from Front Page
Piper Toyama
together we hear the call of the
Buddha in the words “Namo Amida Butsu,” our differences fade into
the background as we direct our
lives toward the realm of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion.
This is the spirit of camaraderie
that was fostered in the thirteenth
century by Shinran, the founder of
our school of Buddhism, and those
who joined him in celebrating the
Pure Land teaching. The great
Buddhist leader Rennyo revived
this spirit in fifteenth century to
sustain the Sangha of nembutsu
practicers in the face of great challenges. Our Sangha continues to
face challenges today as we endeavor to carry the nembutsu teaching
forth into the twenty-first century,
but when we recognize our common destination, we find great support in our fellow travelers.
In gassho
in 1987. Reverend Art retired as
our full-time minister 1990 and
passed away in 2007.
Today North County San Diego residents are fortunate to be
able to practice Jodo Shinshu
Buddhism, study dharma, and
cultivate Buddhist education in
our Vista temple facility. We owe
a debt of gratitude to Reverend
Art and sincerely wish to pay tribute to him with a permanent memorial in the lobby of the Vista
Buddhist Temple. The memorial will include a
modest plaque and an image of
Reverend Art, as well as a Book
Of Remembrances which will include stories and pictures of how
Reverend Art influenced and inspired us. Reverend Art meant so
much to so many throughout his
many years of service and friendship. We are therefore reaching out
to current and former members of
Vista Buddhist Temple, other
members of the BCA, and active
and retired ministers to share
their stories and photographs
which may be included in the
DECEMBER 2009
line.
The builder of the house is
one’s own Mind that is caught in
the cycle of craving. Prince Siddhartha was unable to find him,
because he searched ‘outside’ of
himself to find something beyond
that was somehow in control of his
life and its suffering. It is a natural
response and part of why immature people look to blame others,
even god, for their own misfortune, rather than examine their
own actions. The focus of the
Buddha’s teaching always lay in
looking into one’s own Mind. It is
there that our world of suffering
begins and ends.
Craving is the result of the
stimulation of the six senses of the
body and Mind. It is the endless
desire of craving that prompts us to
continue to build our houses of
pain and suffering. And through
our building of these houses of suffering we continue to cycle through
the birth-and-death of this world
of samsara. The answer of how to
end this is first to see the builder,
to know that it is nothing else but
one’s own Mind filled with cravings and desires. Then one can address the real reason for human
suffering.
Nembutsu is part of the original Buddha’s search for relief from
human suffering. It does not
promise success in this world, or
even an easy life free from obstructions. What it does promise is that
our life, no matter how it plays out
or how it ends, is embraced, transformed illuminated with meaning,
and ultimately valued as part of the
evolutionary advancement of this
universe.
My wish is that those who have
attained Birth may follow their
predecessors, thus following one
after another endlessly and uninterruptedly until the boundless sea
of Birth-and-Death is exhausted.
(Kyo Gyo Shin Sho, Ryukoku Translation Series, p. 212.)
namoamidabutsu.
Book of Remembrances to accompany Reverend Art’s memorial at Vista Buddhist Temple..
If you have stories, memories,
and accompanying photographs
that you would be willing to share
for possible inclusion in our project, please send them to Vista
Buddhist Temple at 150B Cedar
Rd, Vista, Ca. 92083, or email to
vbt@vbtemple.org, subject line
Reverend Art.
We will acknowledge the contributors of stories and photos in
the Book of Remembrances. Photos and documents received for
this project will not be unable to
be returned, except under special
circumstances. We are also gratefully accepting donations to our $150,000
“Building For The Future” capital campaign which will fund the
Rev Art Memorial, underwrite
needed facility repairs, pay off existing loans from the construction
of the temple, and expand our
Buddhist education programs. Thank you for helping us honor and remember Reverend Art
Takemoto, our first full time minister, inspirational leader, and
friend.