Kelowna Buddhist Temple

Transcription

1 November 19, 2018 Kelowna Buddhist Temple The New Dharma Express Special Points of Interest: PO. Box 22092, RPO Capri Centre Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 9N9 phone Web: Sat., Dec. 1, Mochi Tsuki 8am, Mochi Pick Up 12n ~ 2:30pm Wed., Dec. 5, Thur., Dec. 6,, Executive Meeting Fri., Dec. 7, Sun. Dec, 9, Dharma School 10am, Bodhi Day & Dharma Shotsuki Service 2pm Wed., Dec. 12 Thur., Dec. 13 Fri., Dec. 14 Wed., Dec. 19 Thur., Dec. 20 Fri., Dec. 21, December Monthly Memorial Mr. Yoshisaburo Nagasawa Miss Setsuko Nishi Mr. Shozo Takashita Mr. Chiyokichi Yamauchi Mr. Zintaro Hamazaki Mr. Zenichi Nakano Mr. Tatsuzo Higashida Mrs. Toku Nishi Mr. Kichiya Nishi Mrs. Yasue Nishi Mr. Suezo Tanemura Master Masami Ueda Mr. Harumatsu Nishi Mr. Rihachi Tomiye Mrs. Hatsuyo Kawano Mr. Yoshio Takenaka Mrs. Yasue Kitaura Mrs. Toshiko Terada Mrs. Fumiko Matsuda Mrs. Michiko Sugimoto Mrs. Mary Koga Mr. Yukio Tanemura Clean-up Altar Toban Ken/Shoko Yamada Isao Terai Jason/Keiko Kouchiyama Yoshiko Ueda Anne Stack Reg Tomiye Kaichi/Linda Uemoto Derek Mayeda Tammy Nishi Shirley Tanemura Naoko Nakamura Meiko Ewuk Shotsuki Memorial Li st Toban Group Service Chairperson Sensei Fujinkai (Women's Association) Donations continued from page 6 Executive Report Bodhi Day Editorial Calendar Donations UDON and MOCHI Sale Inside this issue: December 1, Pickup 12 noon 2 pm Mochi 400 gr (1 $5.00 (6-8 pieces) Udon 450 gr (1 $5.00 (2+ servings) When ordering please ensure you include your: Name, phone number & number of packages you would like of each item. To order please to kbtchowmein@gmail.com OR phone Deadline to order is Wednesday, November 28, & 3 Mr. Sumio Tahara Mr. Yoshiharu Terada December 9, 2pm Service Chairperson: Bodhi Day and Dharma Shotsuki The Kelowna Buddhist Temple Women s Association MANJU sale Pick-up is Saturday, December 1 st (same time as Udon and Mochi pick-up) Four kinds of Manju (Yaki, Mushi, Dorayaki and Mochi) frozen Sold by the Dozen Mixed or one kind $15.00 per Dozen. Place order to kbtchowmein@gmail.com OR phone (Manju only) It is first come, first served. Orders will be taken until November 28 th but no guarantee that Manju will be available until that time, so order early

2 Page 2 From Sensei Our Fleeting Life Human life is thus fleeting and uncertain. We should all quickly take to heart the matter of greatest importance of the afterlife, entrust ourselves deeply to Amida Buddha, and recite the Nembutsu ( White Ashes) It is now almost December, and we are coming close to the end of The temperatures have been dropping, the wind is bitterly cold, and we have already had our first snowfall. However, winter is also a beautiful season with celebrations and feelings of warmth and goodwill towards others. During this season, we try to share our kindness and generosity to others. As the end of the calendar year approaches, I am reminded of my age, and feel a sense of time moving on. Looking back over the year, we remember the spring, summer and fall. However, time flies by so quickly. The year has given us many good memories. Yet offsetting these are the feelings of loss that we have also experienced over the past year with the loss of Dharma friends within our Buddhist community. With our experiences of the loss of friends or family members, we come to realize that all we have ever known is that life is in a state of constant change. How then can we deny or disregard the inevitability that some day we will ultimately face this ourselves. In the Heart Sutra we hear the words, what we call life is an illusion, and what we call death is a dream. However, we live in a world in which it is very hard for us to fully understand this. Nevertheless, our physical form is constantly changing and never fully remains the same. Every culture has its own way of describing life and death. In our culture we tend to look at life as though it were a straight line. The longer the line, the more we imagine we have lived, the more whole we suppose ourselves to be, and the less dreaded we imagine the finality to be. The death of someone young is deeply disquieting and shakes our entire world. There is a famous Buddhist story which describes a poor woman who lived at the time of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha. This woman could not face the sudden death of her infant son and she had come to the Buddha to seek his counsel. The Buddha s advice to her was for her to try to bring him some mustard seed so that he could make some medicine that might possibly revive her child. He emphasized that the seeds must come from a family that had not known death. By the time that the woman visited the last home in the village, she came to recognize that all people suffer loss and death. As she travelled door to door, the villagers in her community were willing to listen to her sadness, and this gave her a deeper recognition and understanding about her child s death and how death affects all of us. There are some cultures, for example the North American Aboriginal culture, who view life as a circular, and not a linear process. From their perspective, the person is regarded as complete around the time of adolescence, and this is celebrated with rites of passage. From that time on, the person s life is seen as having a maturity and wholeness that continues to expand outwardly. Once the circle has formed, regardless of the time one dies, one is believed to have died in wholeness. This belief can be seen in the words of the historical North American aboriginal leader, Crazy Horse as he prepared himself to face the cavalry of General Custer in the final battle of the Indian Wars during the late 19 th century. He walked through a hail of bullets from the cavalry of General Custer, saying: Today is a good day to die, for all the things of my life are present. In the American Indian culture, wholeness is seen not as the duration one has lived but, rather the fullness with which one has lived. Throughout the world, the death of a loved one brings the members of the family or community together to mourn their loss, and to acknowledge the life of the departed loved one. During these rituals, which are usually observed within a deeply spiritual context, the death of a loved one compels us to have a profound experience in relation to our own true nature. It can open the door to our deep inner spirituality. Death forces us to look at the priorities in our lives, to better see the illusions within our lives, to see life as it really is, and to open our hearts to the empathy and caring from all of those around us. I have known many families, whose pain and fear had so closed them that they could not say goodbye to the person that they loved most. Although understandable, this leaves so much unfinished business, and deprives everyone of the opportunity to have a deep and meaningful experience. Let us recognize and accept the fact that every moment of our lives is special and precious. In Gassho, Rev. Y. Miyakawa Best wishes to everyone. I would like to wish all of you a wonderful Holiday Season. what we call life is an illusion, and what we call death is a dream. Statue of Shiran Shonin Located in front of Nishi Hongwanji International Centre, Kyoto

3 Page 3 Kelowna Buddhist Women's Association The Women s Association has been busy preparing lunches for the various fund raising activities (Farmer s Market, Apple Pie making and Chow Mein sales). I m sure that some of the volunteers help out just to have the delicious lunches that are prepared. Thanks to those who made the lunches. Also, a big thank you to those who donated numerous baking items, vegetables and fruit for the Farmer s Market. Anko was made in preparation for manju making on November 17th. Thanks to those who helped to manually press the liquid from the beans. We received notification again of the 16th World Buddhist Women s Convention in San Francisco, August 30 to September 1, Registration for the convention and hotel is $850 US. Information on how to register will be coming. To find out more about the conference please look at their website, The conference gives us the opportunity to learn and share our common interests in the Dharma. The Monto Shikisho (pictured) for the conference is available for purchase before the conference. For more information contact Maureen before November 30, Just one last reminder for Women Association members to cast their ballots for Directors by November 25, In Gassho, Maureen Hatanaka Donations continued from page 6 Shirley Tanemura 1 med Chocolate Zucchini Loaf, 6 half loaves Chocolate Zucchini, 7 Green Tomato Cake, 12 containers Konnyaku. Yosh Ueda 6 large Apple Pies, 4 Coronation Grape/Blueberry Pies, 6 small Apple Pies, 8 trays mini Cherry & Keylime Tarts, 2 Cinnamon Swirl Loaves, 7 trays Tropical Squares, 4 trays Chocolate Mincemeat Squares, 7 trays Harvest Apple Streusel Muffins, 6 trays Lemon White Chocolate Bars, 3 trays Christmas Morning Muffins, 3 trays Blueberry Orange Muffins, 5 trays Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies. Linda Uemoto 5 large Apple Pies, 4 small Pineapple Zucchini Loaves Tomoye Yamaoka 1 Banana Cream Pie, 24 Blueberry Tarts, 24 Biscotti, 36 Manju. Farmer s Market Shinran Shonin, in front of Otani Hombyo, Kyoto Nishi Hongwanji with Reverend Tomofumi Fujii Obutsudans over the British Columbia and Canada niches at Otani Hombyo, Kyoto Obutsudans over the British Columbia and Canada niches at Otani Hombyo, Kyoto Favell, Joyce 14 house plants Hahar, Narinder (Arash Orchards) 4 boxes Ambrosia, 4 boxes Spartans, 5 boxes MacIntosh, 6 boxes Fuji, 15 boxes MactIntosh pie apples Ogi, Teruo & Mutsuko Sugie, Sam Tanaka, Naomi Tanemura, Shirley Anonymous Yamaoka, Alan Yamaoka, Jack 237 lb Hakusai, 72 lb Beets, 55 lb Mixed colored Peppers, 68 lb Daikon, 134 lb Early Cabbage, 120 lb Cabbage Roll Cabbage, 145 lb Late Cabbage, 30 lb Broccoli, 65 lb Large Carrots, 65 lb Medium Carrots, 60 lb Small Carrots, 80 lb Celery, 38 lb Cauliflower, 25 lb Tomatoes 60 lb Kabocha 6 Pkg Dill Seed, 6 Bundles Money Plant 2 house plants 7 boxes Auroras, 8 boxes Ambrosia, 3 boxes Spartans, 17 boxes Jonagold 5 boxes Granny Smith, 3 boxes Gala, 10 boxes Flemish Pear, 2 boxes D anjou Pear, 2 boxes Korean Pear, 29 lb Gobo, 18 Bulbs Garlic 17.5 lb Matsutake THANK-YOU!

4 Page 4 From the Temple Executive It seems to me that the Kelowna Buddhist Temple is so much more than a building. It is a community united by culture, friendship, history, and faith. And, I think that as a community, it also has a purpose: to transmit the cultural awareness, well-being, refuge, and sense of belonging that the historical and familial ties of the community can impart, to succeeding generations of its heritage families. What an amazing opportunity for these younger generations! Your participation in the Temple can add a powerful dimension to preserving your family s history for your own children to learn and benefit from. During October, many Temple members and friends gather to participate in the fundraising programs at the Temple: chow mein dinner, apple pie making, and farmers market. Soon in November, there will be more fundraising with Mochi, Manju, and Udon making. These fundraisers keep the Temple afloat year by year and the board and the Temple community are grateful for the sustained efforts and great generosity of our members and friends who contribute so much. In Gassho, Genevra Bodhi Day Bodhi Day (Jodo-e) December 8 This is the day to commemorate Śakyamuni Buddha s attainment of Awakening. According to legend, the historic event took place on December 8, as the first faint light of day began to glow in the eastern sky. By his example, Śakyamuni demonstrated that it was possible for man to become a Buddha a fully Awakened Person. All human beings, therefore, are in possession of this potentiality Buddha-Nature which, when awakened and cultivated, enables them to achieve supreme wisdom and compassion. This day signifies the dawn of humanity s universal emancipation from suffering and unawareness. From The Editor My family and I enjoyed a wonderful trip to our ancestral homeland in October. We were able to take advantage of modern technology by way of a pocket wifi, we rented at Narita Airport upon our arrival in Japan. This enabled us to be connected during our visit to Toyko, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Kelowna s sister city, Kasugai. During our travels, Reverend Shigenobu Watanabe, our former Minister and currently serving in Sidney, Australia, monitored our progress via Facebook and Messenger. Upon learning that we were planning to visit Nishi Hongwanji, he asked if we had arranged to have an English speaking tour. We had not! Watanabe Sensei then offered to try to have a person made available for us. To our surprise, Reverend Tomofumi Fujii (a former Canadian Minister) volunteered to guide us through the massive facility. He took us to areas restricted from view by the general public and offered us his expert knowledge of our beautiful Mother Temple. During our time with Fujii Sensei, I asked him where the cremated remains of my parents would be located. They had been taken to Kyoto by a family friend in He explained that they would be across the city at Otani Hombyo, the Temple at which, Shinran Shonin s remains are enshrined. The next day while on our way to visit Kiyomizu Temple, we accidentally found ourselves at Otani Hombyo. The grounds were a beehive of activity as they were setting up for a Ho-onko service. We were granted permission to enter the grounds to explore. Suddenly. I heard someone calling my name and wondered who would be calling me in Kyoto? To my delight, Fujii Sensei appeared from the crowd of volunteers preparing for the celebration. He asked if I had arranged for a memorial service to be conducted in honour of my parents. I explained that we had arrived at Otani Hombyo by accident and had not made any plans to have a memorial service. He quickly went off and returned to inform us that he would take us to the location in the enormous columbarium where the remains of Canadian Jodo Shinshu followers were enshrined. He opened up the two Obutsudans and invited us to perform Oshoko in memory of my parents. The acts of kindness extended to us by Watanabe Sensei and Fujii Sensei, made this, my forth visit to Kyoto, the most memorable and meaningful of all. My advice to anyone with even a remote desire to visit Japan is to GO! You will never regret your decision. The pocket wifi technology opened up vast horizons that were not available in the past. It allowed us to utilize the various forms of public transit, save money and open up time to explore the beautiful country and meet some wonderful people. Namo Amida Butsu ありがとうございました Arigatou gozaimashita In Gassho, Herb

5 Page 5 December, 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Udon Making 6pm Mochi Tsuki 8:00am, Mochi, Udon & Manju Pick Up 12n ~ 2pm , Executive Meeting Taiko Dharma School, 10am Bodhi Day & Dharma Shotsuki Service 2pm 10am ~ 12:30pm, Taiko am ~ 12:30pm, Taiko New Year s Day Service, pm 10am ~ 12:30pm 10am ~ 12:30pm 10am ~ 12:30pm

6 Page 6 With Gratitude the Temple and all of its Affiliated Organizations Acknowledge Your Generous Contribution Apologies for any Errors or Omissions. Dharma Shotsuki Kurahashi, Shigeko In memory of Yukio Kurahashi $30. Takeda, Laurie In memory of Jerry Takeda $100. Suzuki, Rick & Tanaka, Peggy In memory of Mid Mori $25. Ostapchuk, Rae In memory of Roy Tanaka $40. Minato, Nancy In memory of Linda Terai $25. Huntley, Susan In memory of Jerry Takeda $30. Crosbie, Linda In memory of Fujie & George Ueda $100. Suzuki, Rick & Tanaka, Peggy In memory of Roy Tanaka $75. Suzuki, Rick & Tanaka, Peggy In memory of Emiko Nishi $25. Suzuki, Rick & Tanaka, Peggy In memory of Shig Tanaka $25. Hokazono, Lloyd & Temesy, Ali In memory of Mary & Aiji Hokazono $200. Kondo, Tad & Elaine In memory of Shig Tanaka $100. Matsuyama, M/M David In memory of Shig Tanaka $100. Collins, Pat & Wendy In memory of Shig Tanaka $100. Tanaka, Chiyoko In memory of Shig Tanaka $100. Tanaka, Naomi In memory of Shig Tanaka $100. Nishi, Geri In memory of Emiko Nishi $200. Uyeyama, Pegi Hayashi In memory of Rob Eikenaar $10. Hokazono, M/M Ken In memory of Mary & Aiji Hokazono $150. Sugie, Sam & Irene In memory of Tahei Tatebe $25. Tanaka, Herb & Cheryl In memory of Roy Tanaka $30. Mori, Julie In memory of Mid Mori $50. Mori, Min In memory of Emiko Nishi $30. General Martin, Michael (October) $50. Fujikawa, Rev Orai $100. Nguyen, Loc $50. Hayashi, Shizue Chow Mein $100. Yamaoka, Alan & Barb Chow Mein $100. Hatanaka, Dan $28. Anonymous $12.50 Anonymous $4.50 Conroy, Rita l $5. Anonymous $43.50 Anonymous $18.50 Anonymous $11.25 Anonymous $9.60 Stack, Anne $50. Araujo, Anderson $20. Martin, Michael (November) $50. Anonymous $3. Anonymous $13. JSBTC Day Yamaoka, Alan & Barb $30. Suzuki, Rick & Tanaka, Peggy $25. Memorial Tanaka, Chiyoko 1 Year Memorial - Shig Tanaka $200. Newsletter Hayashi, Shizue $100. Mori, Min $40. Fujinkai Mori, Mr. Min - in memory of Midori Mori $50. Membership & Sustaining Anonymous $170. Farmer s Market Bake Sale Meiko Ewuk 2 Apple Pies, 30 Lemon Blueberry Muffins. Joyce Favell 4 Apple pies, 2 Cherry pies, 2 Strawberry/Rhubarb pies, 1 Peach pie, 1 Gluten Free Cherry Pie, 2 pints Tomato Salsa, 2 pints Jam, 2 half pints Grape Jelly, 1 quarter pint Peach Cardemon Jam, 1 quarter pint Peach Pepper relish. Maureen Hatanaka 4 Lazy Daisy Cakes, 4 Sour Cream Cakes, 40 pcs Apricot Squares, 22 Apple Muffins, 24 pcs No Bake Chocolate Cookies. Suma Hunter 1 Lemon Pie, 1 doz. Peanut Butter Cookies. Carol Koga 3 Lemon Loaves. Linda Matsuyama 18 pcs Raspberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars, 35 pcs Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, 35 pcs Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies, 21 pcs Mars Bars. Cynthia Mayeda 3 Lemon Pound Cakes, 7 doz. Chocolate Chip Cookies, 7 doz. Sea Salt Caramel Chip Chocolate Cookies, 6 doz. Pecan Tarts, 4 Infinity Scarves. Peggy Tanaka 45 pcs Apple Bacon Cheese Biscuits, 43 Puff Wheat Squares, 12 bags of Snack Mix, 24 quarter pints Raspberry Jam. Legislation enacted by the Provincial Government restricts organizations from divulging personal information without the approval of the individuals affected. The donations generously made by Temple members and friends fall under the realm of personal information. Therefore, if you object to your donations being published in the Temple Newsletter, please let us know and we will cease doing so (Mail or your wish to be omitted from the published list). In Gassho, Temple Board of Directors