Temple Reflections. Temple Reflections. A TSDBT Monthly Publication December Formula in Buddhism The 12 th & 13th Vows Part I. In this issue!

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1 Temple Reflections Temple Reflections In this issue! Rev. Fujii s message 1&4 Diana Sensei s thoughts 2 TSDBT Board Update 2 Japanese Article 3 Dharma School 5 Arigato Gozaimasu 5 BWA Memorial Serv. 6,7 Temple Offerings 8 from the Temple Office 9 Kohaku Uta Gassen 10 Temple Happenings 11 December Calendar 12 January Calendar 13 Mochi Order Form 14 volume XXXII A TSDBT Monthly Publication December 2012 Formula in Buddhism The 12 th & 13th Vows Part I Issue eleven You see the formula below. These are essential ones when we learn the Teaching of Buddha. It goes as follows: 1. To Learn Buddhism is to learn myself, 2. to learn myself is to learn Buddha s Compassion. 3. to learn Compassion is to forget myself, 4. and to forget myself is to throw me into Buddha s World. The 12 th & 13th Vows Each Vow appears to clarify what I am. These two vows are the vows related to Amida itself. Amida needs to be immeasurable in order to take care of me. These vows also means that I possess deep and wide ignorance which are beyond time and space. If the men and devas in my country, my light (space, place) is limited and does not illuminate at least a hundred thousand million nayutas of Buddha-countries, may I not achieve the Highest Enlightenment. 12 th Vow If the men and devas in my country, my life (time) is limited and does not last at least a hundred thousand million nayutas of kalpas, may I not achieve the Highest Enlightenment. 13 th Vow Nayuta: Unit of number. 10 to the 112 th power. Kalpa: Unit of time and year. One kalpa = 4.32 billion years. The word of Amida is made of the two Sanskrit words as follows: A (not) + Mida (measure) = Immeasurable. Thus, Amida is translated into English as Immeasurable Working of Wisdom and Compassion. But why does Amida mean working? It is because Immeasurable Working is not a concept, and because, when we use the two units of time and space to explain one thing, it means working. For example, I have the car. Of course, my car runs very well. Then, how can I tell you how my car is excellent? I surely use two units of time and space and say to you, My car runs on freeways, rough roads, hilly roads, and inside city without problem (place). It also has no problem in cold and icy winter, hot summer, rainy days, stormy days, and so on. It has no problem last 10 years!(time and life) So, when I explain about working of my car, I surely use the two units. Thus, Amida-Buddha means Immeasurable Working. But how can we recognize the Immeasurable Working? Amida is not a visible object like a car. In order for Amida to show its working, Immeasurable Working transformed to language, or the Name: Namo- Amida-Butsu. You will see why the working became the Name on page four (4) of this newsletter. In Gassho, Rev. Fujii December 2012 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples Page 1

2 Hello everyone! I wanted to write to express my sincere gratitude for having been given this opportunity to be the program coordinator and minister assistant here at Tri-State. I feel that things have been going very well. I have enjoyed meeting new (or new to me) sangha members and getting re-acquainted with old familiar faces. I would especially like to thank Rev. Fujii, Frank Miyazawa and Donna Inouye who have been there to guide me and answer my questions (of which there have been many) during these last couple of months. Of course, I would also like to thank the Sangha, the board members, and the BWA for all of their support both before and during my time here as an employee of the temple. As some of you may know, I will be going for my Kyoshi ordination from Nov. 29 th - Dec. 14 th. Completion of this ordination will earn me a teaching certificate with the Nishi Honganji organization, and will allow me to be officially assigned under the supervision of a minister within the BCA organization. The Kyoshi ordination process involves performing complicated rituals, attending high level academic lectures and being given a series of tests (kadai) both written and performed. It will begin with two days of final training at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, CA and will be followed by ten days at the Nishiyama Training Center in Kyoto, Japan. There are eight people including myself in the group I am going with, some of whom I attended the Tokudo ordination with. They are from Orange County, Walnut Grove and San Jose, CA, Spokane, WA, Arizona, and Alberta, Canada. I recently attended a three day training session at the Jodo Shinshu Center, which gave my group a little taste of what we were in for at the ordination. We are not required to memorize nearly as many things for this ordination as we were for the last one, but the chants and rituals are far more complicated. In fact, most of the training involved chanting very loudly for long stretches of time (particularly if we messed something up and had to repeat the chant). By the end of the three days, the octaves on many of the chants had gone down significantly due to our slowly losing our voices. Now that I know this, when I practice at Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples 1947 Lawrence Street Denver CO (303) FAX (303) dinouye@tsdbt.org Newsletter articles are due by the 10th of each month for publication in the next month s issue. For additional information, or to read the newsletter online, go to our website at A Few Words from Sensei Diana home, I will have to be much louder to try and train my voice to endure the ten days. I also know that I will have to buy ear plugs for my neighbors. Thank you all again for your support during this process and for welcoming me and my daughter Serenity back into this community. Sangha is an integral part of our tradition because it is the group that comes together to support each other along our spiritual paths. As ministers and ministerial candidates, we are told that no matter how long we work in our positions, we are students of the Dharma, continuing our educations throughout our lives. The classes that I have started have allowed me to continue on my own spiritual path by allowing me to study and keep myself up on the teachings and I find that I learn something new all the time. Because of all of these causes and conditions I have been able to work at a job that I really love in a community that I look forward to serving and working with for a long time to come. Update from the TSDBT Board Dear Sangha, Recently the Board received a generous donation from Sakura Square Management Corporation (separate from Tri-State Buddhist Apartments and Tami Tower.) The gift will cover all facility maintenance services and expenses at the Denver Temple such as plumbing repairs, appliance maintenance, custodial services, etc. until the end of The donation will not be used for capital expenditures such as roof replacement, emergency exit hardware for the doors and other items. The financial impact of this gift is that the Temple was able redirect other funds and hire Diana Thompson as our Education and Publications Associate. As part of this position Diana has offered a 4-part introduction to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism class which has been well received. In addition to this position, Diana has been assisting Rev. Fujii as a member of the MAP program. The Temple Board is deeply grateful to Sakura Square Management Corporation for their dedication to continued support of the Denver Temple. Calvin Kato and Wayne Berve have agreed to coordinate all regular facility maintenance for the Denver Temple. This is a never ending task and we deeply appreciate their time and effort. Again thank you for your continued support of our efforts on behalf of the Temple. Gassho, Joni Sakaguchi and Gail Ida TSDBT Co-Presidents

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4 Amida Buddha became the Name, but why? In order for the Immeasurable Working (Amida) to go beyond time and space Amida transformed into the language, or the Name of Namo-Amida-Butsu. Then, why and how can the Name go beyond time and space? When I talk with you face to face, words we speak or hear disappear moment by moment. How about Buddha s words? People listened to his words, and the words were written and became a sutra (Teaching). Then, the sutra is read or chanted, it becomes a language. In Gassho, Rev. Doei Fujii Formula in Buddhism The 12 th & 13th Vows Part II Amida took in the form of the Name (Namo-Amida-Butsu) The 12 th & 13th Vows The two vows below tells us what Amida is. If the men and devas in my country, my light (space, place) is limited and does not illuminate at least a hundred thousand million nayutas of Buddha-countries, may I not achieve the Highest Enlightenment. 12 th Vow If the men and devas in my country, my life (time) is limited and does not last at least a hundred thousand million nayutas of kalpas, may I not achieve the Highest Enlightenment. 13 th Vow Nayuta: Unit of number. 10 to the 112 th power. Kalpa: Unit of year. One kalpa = 4.32 billion years. Amida, in order to go beyond time and space, took in the form of the Name, Namo-Amida-Butsu. But why? We see the following 3 reasons in the first 3 phases of Jusei-Ge : 1. I have made vows, unrivalled in all the world; I shall certainly reach the unsurpassed Way. If these vows should not be fulfilled, May I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 2. If I should not become a great benefactor, In lives to come for immeasurable kalpas To save the poor and afflicted everywhere, May I not attain perfect Enlightenment. 3. When I attain Buddhahood, My Name shall be heard throughout the 10 directions; Should there be any place where it is not heard, May I not attain perfect Enlightenment. In summary of above, in order to fulfill the universal Wisdom & Compassion, Amida takes the way to show the Immeasurable Working to me: First, Amida became the Name; second the Name benefits all sentient beings; third, sentient beings are saved by the Name. Then, why did Amida become the Name? You will see more details related to the Name in the next Newsletter (Part III). In Gassho, Fujii Page 4 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples December 2012

5 Dharma School Dharma School Superintendents Dennis Flodeen Michelle Asakawa As I write this, preparations for Turkey Bingo are well underway. As you read this, Turkey Bingo will be but a happy memory hopefully VERY happy for some of you, who won turkeys, cash prizes, or wonderful raffle items during our annual Dharma School fundraiser. We ll be thanking everyone who contributed to the day s success in next month s newsletter, so suffice it to say (for now) that we really appreciated the sanga s help in raising money for the school. As Dennis Flodeen mentioned in an earlier newsletter article, we are looking to purchase a laptop for the classes to share, and possibly a TV or other modern technological conveniences that will Thank you to the following crew members who helped fold, stuff and seal last month s newsletter: Ed Nakagawa, Roy Hashimura, Ruby Tanaka, Steve Koga, Dora Shibata, Judy Smith and Herb & Dot Inouye. Thank you to Lesli Hirokawa for stamping the Eitaikyo special offering envelopes. Thank you to the many who returned those envelopes to the Temple with donations enclosed. Last month, Thom Sakata Sensei offered gratitude to those who supported the 17 th Annual Albert Tagawa Memorial Shiai. He would like to add Dr. & Mrs. Joe Ozaki and Family to that list thank you very much. Thank you to Cal Kato for cleaning, scraping and repainting the tiled roof gutters in the front courtyard. Thank you for also customizing and re-installing the down spout gutters. Along with the Bonsai Club s new plants and scheduled clean ups, the front courtyard is looking spiffy, indeed has been a year of numerous events and changes; in conjunction with this being the final newsletter of the year 2012, there are many words of gratitude to be expressed (and repeated). Please know that by virtue of being a TSBT Sangha member [whether in Denver, Brighton, Ft. Lupton, Greeley, LaJara/Alamosa, Sedgwick, Scottsbluff or Albuquerque], you are deeply appreciated. Thank you to the following people and groups for your ongoing efforts and support of Temple life; I have not Arigato Gozaimasu!! contribute to their Buddhist education. We always appreciate hearing your ideas concerning how to help our students and encourage their continued participation in Dharma School. Please remember to register your children in Dharma School if they are attending regularly or even if they come sporadically, as it helps us to have contact info in case of emergencies, weather cancellations, and the like. And be sure to enjoy our weekly bake sales, hosted by the various Dharma School classes. We are trying to include more vegetarian items and to identify items with nuts or that are gluten-free. Small bills and correct change are appreciated (most items are 50 cents, so it s difficult to break all those twenties we all have from the ATM!). We look forward to a fun and festive December, with Bodhi Day (Dec. 9), mochi-tsuki (Dec. 29), and the New Year s Eve service adding to students enjoyment and awareness. In gassho, Michelle Asakawa, co-superintendent of Dharma School written out specific tasks because I don t want this turning into an encyclopedic article, but I am hoping the listing of names will provide valuable insight into the many components necessary for the smooth operation of our organization. Okagesame de: Rev. & Mrs. Fujii Joni & Gail Cal Kato & Wayne Berve Frank Miyazawa April Okubo Merrily Stewart Dat Nguyen Glenn Asakawa Anonymous Bill & Ann Murphy Lesli Hirokawa Tom Urano Shirley Tsuchimoto JoAnne Adair Lorraine Hisamoto Mike Shibata Phillips Family and Richard Yoshida Dharma School teachers and staff Diana Thompson Sensei (and Serenity) Wendy and Keiko & CBF volunteers Cynthia Kiyotake and Sam Davis Kanya Okamoto, Minister Emeritus Uta Gassen volunteers, participants and attendees DBT Judo Dojo, DBT Aikido, Volleyball, Wednesday Night Bball, Ikebana, Kayo, DBT Bonsai, DBT Craft Class and Minyo Denver Taiko Jr. Denver Taiko DBT Bookstore volunteers BWA members and officers DBT YBA advisors and members Sakura Square personnel and management TSDBT Board Members Tamai Tower staff and tenants December 2012 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples Page 5

6 BWA Memorial Talk; as written for the November 4th Service by Diana Thompson Sensei Lacking even small love and small compassion, I cannot hope to benefit sentient beings. Were it not for the ship of Amida s Vow, how could I cross the ocean of painful existence? (Gutoku s Hymns of Lament and Reflection from Hymns of the Dharma Ages, CWS, 422) Good morning everyone! Today s service is dedicated to all of the members of the Buddhist Women s Association or Fujinkai, past, present, and future. The Fujinkai has dedicated itself to the principle of Dana, or selfless giving, through promotion of Buddhist women s programs, support of the Buddhist youth, and contributing to the welfare of our community. This organization forms the backbone not only of our temple, but the BCA at large. (In fact, I have always told our new ministers who come over from Japan that the one group that they need to get on with is the BWA.) Like sweet Sujata, who nourished Shakyamuni back to health when he almost died from his severe ascetic practice, the BWA has nourished our organization and kept it running for over one hundred years. Jodo Shinshu has a long tradition of devoted women leaders. Shinran s wife, Eshinni, was the mother of Jodo Shinshu. She was deeply devoted to Shinran and his teachings. Her letters, which were found in the Hongwanji archives in 1922, give clear and personal testimony regarding her own deep faith as well as her husband s. The Jodo Shinshu organization itself was begun when Shinran s youngest daughter, Kakushinni established Shinran s gravesite as a pilgrimage site for Shinran s followers to come and pay reverence to the teachings. She was the first caretaker of the site, a position which has been handed down through generations of Kakushinni s bloodline. These two women were instrumental in keeping the teachings of Shinran alive and as a result we are able to hear and receive them today. This spirit is continued today through our Buddhist Women s Association. Spring ahead many years from Eshinni and Kakushinni, we pay reverence to Lady Takeko Kujo, the founder of the Buddhist Women s Association. She was the daughter of the 21 st caretaker of the Hongwanji, Otani Koson. She founded the organization in 1904 during the Russo- Japanese War, sending care packages to the soldiers at the front and taking care of families who had lost their sons in the war. She sponsored many humanitarian efforts after the Kanto earthquake of 1923 including opening the Asoka Hospital, one of the first modern medical facilities in Japan. She was a prolific writer and published many volumes of poetry and a stage play entitled Rakuhoku. Sadly, she died of sepsis in 1928, which she contracted during her work with victims of the earthquake, she was 41. As I mentioned above, the spirit of the Buddhist Women s Association is that of Dana. Dana is the first of the Six Perfections (Paramitas) and means selfless giving. This giving is meant to be pure and without calculation, which can be a very difficult thing to accomplish. I opened with a quote from Shinran s Hymns of Lament and Reflection which, as the title suggests, were his own personal reflections on himself. Shinran Shonin thought of himself incapable of true acts of Dana, seeing every attempt as tainted with calculation. And yet, this did not discourage him from continuing to spread the dharma to others. He believed very strongly that the light of Amida was always shining upon him no matter how foolish he himself was, which is what propelled him on no matter how often he questioned his own abilities. I, like Shinran, often question my own ability to do truly good acts. Even when I feel that I have done something out of the goodness of my heart, it may be motivated by some need for recognition. I may feel hurt or angry when I think that my act of kindness was not recognized or returned. In particular, I am often worried about whether what I did was the right thing to have done. Knowing that I do not possess the wisdom of the Buddha, I too lament my foolishness. And yet, there are acts of kindness that occur all the time that we do that can mean so much. Though they are done with calculation, with the thought that what has been done was the right thing to do, it does not mean that they are not good, kind acts. When my daughter and I moved out here from Berkeley, CA, we packed everything into my car and a Dodge Caravan that I had rented. My car was a 1996 Geo Metro, famous amongst my friends and colleagues in California because it was not in the best shape (missing door handle and window crank, squeaky doors, engine light perpetually on). I believe that it ran on Other Power. No one thought that it would make the trip back, but I refused to believe that it wouldn t. I had owned it for seven years and it had made several out of state trips including the move from Colorado to California. We made it all the way to the Western edge of Wyoming when I heard a terrible bang in my engine. Pulling over to the side of the road, I saw that I had left a trail of oil and that there was a slowly growing puddle underneath the car. We got towed into Rawlings, WY and the mechanic that we were towed to told me that the car had thrown a rod. The car had almost 200,000 miles and was still bleeding fluid down the back of the tow truck. I was devastated. Despite its overall condition, I was very attached to the car and had hoped that there was something that could be done. There was nothing. This was bad enough, but the more pressing problem was how to get everything back into Colorado. The Geo was packed full with just enough (continued on page 7) Page 6 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples December 2012

7 room for me and my daughter. The Dodge was packed even more full, with just enough room for my mom. We were faced with the problem of how to get three people and all of our things into Colorado. Rawlings is a small town. There are no rental car companies and no train stations. My mom and I were discussing the possibility of renting a storage unit when one of the mechanics, who had overheard our discussion, came over and said that he had just rented a storage unit and that it was completely empty. He said that if we needed to, we could store the overflow in the unit until we could get back to retrieve it. I couldn t believe it. I was overjoyed and then, being a city girl, I started pulling out all of my available forms of ID asking if he needed copies. He looked at me like I was crazy, waved me off, and stuck his hand out telling me that his name was Rick and he was just happy to be able help. He gave the address of the storage unit to the tow truck driver who took us to the unit at no extra charge and even helped us to unload the cars. My car was towed to a wrecking yard and even there, I was greeted with more kindness and understanding. I had forgotten that my dad s name was on the car title and they needed both signatures in order to take the car. Again, I start to pull out all forms of ID, promising to bring the signed title back the next day when we came to get my things out of the storage unit. Once again, I was waved off and told that I could get the title signed and send it back to them whenever. Moving is said to be one of the most stressful of human experiences and moving away from a place that had been my home and life for four years had been very hard already and the death of my car didn t help my feelings of great loss. When I got into the Caravan and began heading into Colorado I started weeping. Some of the tears were tears I hadn t cried when I left Berkeley, some were tears for the loss of my car, but some of them were tears of unbelieving gratitude. Three perfect strangers had been so kind and waved off my repeated thank yous saying that it was no big deal. BWA Memorial Talk - Conclusion (from page 6) only thing he could do for us. I have seen this same spirit of selfless giving in the BWA. The women in this organization not only attend temple every week, but they assist the ministers and members with services and other temple activities. They help to provide funds for scholarships for high school students heading off to college and, speaking for myself, helped to provide funds for my ministerial training. Because of their kind help, I was able to study and enjoy a rich life in Berkeley where I made many friends and connections that will last forever. The BWA provides assistance to those in need outside of the sangha, doing projects such as making caps for the homeless. They visit members in care homes and hospitals, providing them with companionship and comfort. They are all volunteers and provide this help simply because it is just what they do. When we do memorial services in our temples, we do not do them as ancestor worship. We do memorial services to remember and reflect on the contributions that the person or persons have made in our lives. So today, as we celebrate the BWA memorial service, we are celebrating the contributions of countless women who have come before us who have served the temples and our communities with loving Dana. In our reflections, it is my hope that all of us can not only appreciate what the BWA has done and will continue to do for our organization, but also to encourage other women to join and participate in the organization to continue the hard work maintained by so many generations of women. We are all fellow travelers carried by the ship of Amida s Vow of great wisdom and compassion and even if we may feel that our contributions are small or that we lack the wisdom and compassion of a Buddha, it should not deter us from joining with others to do the best we can. No matter how small we may think we are, our actions may provide great care or comfort to someone else. I returned to Rawlings the next day and went back to the mechanic shop to let Rick know that I had gotten all of my things out of the unit and to thank him again for letting me use it. He said that he had worried all night, hoping that we had gotten back ok. I offered to pay him for the use of the unit and he shook his head at me and said that he just did what he thought was right and asked me to try and pay the favor forward the next time someone needed help. I hugged him, I couldn t help myself, thanked him again and drove away. I sent a thank you note to this bodhisattva of Rawlings though it still seemed inadequate and when I think of him now, I hope that he is well. This was Dana. Rick wasn t sure if his actions were right, but he did them anyway because he felt that it was the PROUD TO SERVE Rafu Shimpo Publishing and the Japanese American Living Legacy organization have joined together to create a keepsake book, Proud to Serve. With over 400 pages, the book contains names of 20,000 Nisei men and women who served during World War II from the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, 1399th Battalion, Women Army Corps and other Units. The book is available for Holiday gifts from the Japanese American Resource Center of Colorado. Cost is $ Contact Carolyn Takeshita, ctak2@comcast.net or , or Joni Sakaguchi; jsakaguchi@interfold.com or to purchase a copy. December 2012 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples Page 7

8 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples gratefully acknowledges donations and offerings received from October 1, October 31, 2012: Tamai Sensei Memorial Service Glenn & Michelle Asakawa Sadao & Shizue Asano Michiko Chikuma Frances Furukawa Mabel Googins Alice Hara Kay Hatanaka Fumiko Hattori Frank Higa Frank & Gladys Hiraoka Sawaye Hirokawa Sachiko Hisamoto Amy Horiuchi Kirk Horiuchi Gail & Robert Ida Kim Inouye Ken & Amy Inouye Herb & Dot Inouye Chiko Inouye Eddie & Jennie Ito Beulah & Tsutomu Kagiyama Charles Kagiyama Ruth Kamibayashi Pauline Kamite Mary Kawata Harue Kelly Ayako Kimura Manabu & Junko Kimura Jack & Alice Kimura Dale, Diane & Lauren Kiyota Randy & Faye Koto Art & Tamiko Koyano Mihoko Lamb Tatsuo Matsuda Mabel Miyasaki Lillian & Phil Miyazawa Frank Miyazawa DD & Chizuko Momii Kim Morehouse Ed Nakagawa Henry Nakata Chiyo Nakayama Eddie & Jeanne Nozawa Takeshi & Kumiko Ohtake Ted Okuno Mary Omoto Kiyoko & George Omoto Charles & Teri Ozaki Dolly Sato Hank & Irene Shibao Rose Shibao Steven Shigaya James Shimada Yuriko Shimoda Sharon Shin Lily Shin William & Teruko Shoji May Shuto Utako Swarts Sachiko Takaki Brit & Jean Takara Hiroshi Takeda Doris & Norio Taniguchi Michio & Hisae Taniwaki Shirley Tsuchimoto Youko Yamasaki Gary & Debbie Yamashita Betty Yamashita M. Yonekura Sandra Yoshida Richard & Michiko Yoshida In memory of Amy Tsumura 7 th yr Phil & Lil Miyazawa Sakamoto Family Randy & Jeri Tagawa & family Yuji & Aiko Tagawa & family Ken & June Tagawa Yoshi Tagawa & Annabel Kurt & Kanae Tsumura Ted & Elaine Tsumura In memory of Helen Tokunaga 7 th yr Tokunaga Family Desiree & Chris Rosch William & Ann Murphy... Thomas Taggart... Kathleen & Eugene Watada... Sushi Den... Betty Inamasu... Jean Okubo... Ine Hanatani... Anonymous... Donation Kelsey Barnes Roy Hirabayashi Kathy Kuge Anonymous Eitaikyo Service France Furukawa Fumiko Hattori George Tagawa Youko Yamasaki Alice Yasumura Facilities Usage DBT Craft Class Okinawan Dance Class Autumnal Ohigan Alice Hara Kim Morehouse Osaisen 2 nd Grade Dharma Class 3 rd Grade Dharma Class 4 th Grade Dharma Class Anonymous Ben & Kay Horita Jr. YBA Dharma Class Yoko Mooney Preschool Dharma Class In memory of Shizuyo Sue Koshio Bessie & Tom Boone Michiko Chikuma Bernice & James Fox Ayako Kimura Junko & Manabu Kimura Gladys & Frank Konishi Tom Koshio Family Janice Koshio Jan Messervey Grayce Nakagawa & Family Jeanne & Eddie Nozawa Rev. Harold & Kyoko Oda Michi & Richard Yoshida Fall Festival Tamai Sensei Seminar in memory of Rose Inouye house blessing in memory of Ann Nakata in memory of Bill Okubo 3 rd yr in memory of John Hanatani 17 th yr in memory of Shaku ni Jun Ryo Page 8 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples December 2012

9 Wow! Can you believe another year is drawing to an end? It only goes to prove yet another of my Grandma s axioms of life: the older you get, the faster time goes. Which is ironic (the axiom, not my grandmother) because it seems the older you get, the more patience you have... only there s no waiting for anything there s only tardy realization that something happened and is over. Another Grandma-ism was the reply, How do, whenever she was greeted with, Hi, how are you doing? I always took this to be a shortened way to say, Hello, thank you, I m fine, and you? [She would have been a great texter!] In her later years, she replaced this how do with Life is suffering... She would also follow up with,... this is the main of Buddha s teaching. because, of course, this thought was not a Grandma original it is actually the first of the Four Noble Truths. About four years ago I began a new friendship; early on in one of our conversations my friend responded with, Life is dukkha (suffering). I m certain I was grousing about something because it would have been just about when my son graduated from college and was moving to Japan and, simultaneously, my daughter graduated from high school and was moving to Boulder, CO. Anyway, his words instantly conjured up memories of my grandmother. She had died ten years previous but I found myself thinking about her and how her words (which really weren t her s) keep finding their way back into my life. [Incidentally, I found myself using this phrase with my own children mostly in response to a dramatic re-telling of their day one that consisted of some horrible injustice such as not getting to stay up as late as their classmates, or too much homework, or any number of childhood indignities.] I remember how I was initially off put by (my perceived) negativity of this statement. Was Grandma lamenting her failing health and lessening ability to participate in life? My grandmother had always been a physically active woman but, in her last years, was slowed and confined to places she could easily navigate with the aid of a walker. A Word From the Temple Office by Donna Inouye Perhaps the statement was a resignation to how/ what her life had become. Was she not happy about how things had turned out? Did she think her current miseries were inevitable? [I remember my response to her was always something like, But you re fine now, aren t you? ] Slowly, and in reflective spurts I began to realize that a statement of what is (life is suffering) does not automatically or necessarily connote negativity (like unhappiness or dissatisfaction). And I ve also found that Life is suffering can be an all-inclusive statement used to convey, How do, or There, there everything will be alright, or Yes, that s awful, now get over it. So another year has come, and is about to go. Another year that I haven t learned to speak a second language or run a marathon. Another year that I ve been fortunate enough to have a job. Another year where my daughter has moved even further away than Boulder, CO. Another year that my tree blossomed in the Spring and turned a brilliant, beautiful red in the Fall. Ahh, another year where life is suffering. Happy Holidays - see you in 2013! JODO SHINSHU CORRESPONDENCE COURSE Term: 2-year on-line International Program Tuition: $ per year Application Deadline: February 15, 2013 Annual Starting Date: March 1, 2013 Subjects: Origin & Development of Buddhism Shinran Shonin s Life and His Taching Sutras & Masters of the Pure Land Tradition History of Jodo Shinshu Visit: jscc.cbe-bca.org Jodo Shinshu Correspondence Course Office 2140 Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA Phone: FAX: jscc@cbe-bca.org December 2012 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples Page 9

10 38 th Denver Kohaku Uta Gassen by John Kanegaye As advertised in the last month s newsletter, the 38 th Denver Kohaku Uta Gassen will be held on January 26,2013, Saturday, at the auditorium of Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple. This is one of the most entertaining event for the Japanese community in Denver area. The following is provided for your information: 1. Co sponsored By: Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple (T-S/DBT) Japanese American Association of Colorado ( JAAC) Kohaku Uta Gassen Executive Committee 2. Doors Open: 11:00 am 3. Competition Starts: 12:00 pm 4. Admission: $8.00 per person (15 & under and 75 & older are Free) 5. Obento (Japanese Box Lunch): Will be prepared and sold by Buddhist Women s Association (BWA) at a cost of $10.00 each. Omochi will also be sold. 6. Chairperson of the Executive Committee: Seiji Tanaka 7. Master of Ceremonies: Mako Beecken 8. Team Captains: Red Team Captain - Shizue Johns White Team Captain - Satoru Takase 9. Singers: There will be approximately 15 singers from each team. 10. Special Attractions: There are many attractions being negotiated, e.g. Dances; Chorus by the students of Colorado Japanese School; Mamasan s Chorus Group; Ukulele ensemble; etc. 11. DVD Sales: Orders will be taken on Uta Gassen Day. The cost is being negotiated. Will be mailed within approximately 3 to 5 weeks. 12. Door Prizes: There will be many door prizes at the end of Uta Gassen. 13. Any questions? Please contact one of the following personnel: Seiji Tanaka: (303) Susumu Yoshikawa: (303) John Kanegaye: (719) Your attendance will be greatly appreciated. All proceeds from the Uta Gassen will be donated to TS/DBT. Page 10 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples December 2012

11 Religious Services SUN Dec 2 8:30 am Nihongo service 9:30 DBT Dharma services TUES Dec 4 6 pm Sedgwick FRI Dec 7 11 am Shinran s Day service SAT Dec 8 4 pm Hoji SUN Dec 9 9:30 DBT Bodhi Day services 1 pm Ft. Lupton 3:00 pm Brighton Sangha SAT SUN SUN SUN MON Dec am Hoji 1 pm Greeley Dec 16 8:30 am Nihongo service 9:30 am DBT Dharma services Dec 23 NO Services Dec 30 NO Services Dec 31 7 pm Year End Service Special Events Isle of Capri Casino Trip Sunday, December 2nd YBA Breakfast Sunday, December 16th, 8:00 a.m. Funeral Planning Workshop Sunday, December 16th, 11:00 a.m. YBA Mochi Tsuki Saturday, December 29th, beginning at 7 a.m. Mochi Pick Up on Sunday, Dec 30th 10 am - 2 pm Tamai Tower / Sakura Square th Street, Denver, CO Accepting applications now for low income residents. Studio apartments can be funded up to $430 per month with our Section 8 contract, if you qualify. One bedroom apartments are $578/month at market rate, which includes all utilities, i.e. water, electricity, trash, and limited cable channels. Parking and telephone/ internet services are additional. For an appointment or more information, please call Mabel at Office hours are 8:00 a.m. noon and 1:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Gym Schedule SUNDAY Beginning Mah Jongg Classes are scheduled to start Sunday January 13, 2013 ************* We are looking for gently used card tables! If you have one and would like to donate your card table, Please contact: Dora Shibata OR Peggy Bungo MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 6-7:30 pm Aikido 6:30-8 pm Judo 7 pm Volleyball 7:30 pm Basketball 6-7:30 pm Aikido 6:30-8 pm Judo 6-7:30 pm Family Aikido December 2012 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples Page 11

12 December 2012 SEE: Updated calendar on website - Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday NO Service 10 am - 2 pm Mochi Pick Up 7 pm Year End Service am Shinran s Day Service & Potluck 8:30 Nihongo Service 9:30 DBT Dharma Services 4 pm Hoji 7 pm TSDBT Board mtg 6 pm Sedgwick Page 12 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples December am Hoji 12-5 pm Kayo; aud article submission deadline for January 2013 newsletter Bodhi Day 9:30 DBT Dharma services 1 pm Greeley 1 pm Ft. Lupton YBA Breakfast 8:30 Nihongo Service 9:30 DBT Dharma services 12 noon - 7 pm Family Reunion 11 am Funeral Workshop am YBA Mochi Tsuki Office CLOSED Office CLOSED NO Service

13 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday am New Year s Day Service January NO Shinran s Day article submission deadline for February 2013 newsletter 8:30 Nihongo Service 9:30 DS Service 6-9 pm Uta Gassen practice 7 pm JACGP meeting 6 pm Sedgwick December 2012 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples Page 13 9:30 DBT Services 1 pm Greeley 1 pm Sr Ctr visitors 1-5 pm UtaGassen practice 5 pm Hoji 6-9 pm Uta Gassen practice 5 pm LaJara/Alamosa 1 pm Ft. Lupton w/hoji 3 pm Brighton Sangha am Uta Gassen 8:30 Nihongo Service 9:30 DBT Dharma services HoOnko/New Year community luncheon 6-9 pm Uta Gassen set up 6-9 pm Uta Gassen practice 11:30 TSDBT Board mtg :30 am DBT services

14 Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples 1947 Lawrence Street Denver, CO Address Service Requested NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID DENVER, COLO. PERMIT NO Mochi Order Form The YBA is currently taking orders for our delicious, handmade mochi. This year, Mochitsuki will take place on Saturday, Dec. 29 th starting at 7:00 a.m and continuing into the early afternoon. As always, the YBA appreciates any and all volunteers who would like to help make mochi with us. Pre-order prices are $5 per pound for regular and $4 per pound for seniors. Okasane sets are $4 each. Your order must be received by Sunday, Dec. 16 th and paid for in advance. Extra mochi may be available for walk-up orders, however, quantities will be limited and prices will increase to $6 per pound for regular and $5 per pound for seniors. Last year we sold out, so be sure to get your orders in before the deadline. Mochi can be picked up in the temple gym on Sunday, Dec. 30 th from 10 am to 2 pm or at the New Year s Eve service on Dec. 31 st. YBA will hand deliver your mochi order if you live in Tamai Towers! To place an order, please fill out the form below and mail with a check payable to TSDBT YBA to 1947 Lawrence St., Denver, CO 80202, or stop by the mochi ordering table at bake sale on Sundays. Questions? Please contact Evan Shigaya Name: Phone Number: Address: Check this box for Tamai Towers delivery. Apartment Number: Mochi Type Number of pounds/sets Price Subtotal Regular $5.00 Seniors $4.00 Okasane (sets) $4.00 Page 14 Total Pounds: Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Amt Temples Enclosed: December 2012