Kelowna Buddhist Temple

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1 June 20, 2017 Special Points of Interest: Wed. July 5, Cemetery Cleanup 6pm Thurs. July 6, Executive Meeting Sat. July 8, Temple Yard Clean-up 8am Sun. July 9, Obon, Cemetery Service 1pm - Obon & Dharma Shotsuki Services (July & August) 3pm Sun. July 16, Kamloops Obon 3:30pm Sun. July 23, New Denver Obon 2pm Mon. July 24, Midway Obon 2pm Sun. August 27. Interior Shin Buddhist Temples AGM, Vernon 10am Sun. September 24, Dharma Shotsuki, Fall Ohigan & Eitaikyo Services 1pm Kelowna Buddhist Temple Obon Service Sunday, July 9, :00 PM Guest Minister: Reverend Orai Fujikawa Kelowna Buddhist Temple The New Dharma Express July PO. Box 22092, RPO Capri Centre Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 9N9 phone Mr. Tomijiro Tainaka Mrs. Tane Nishimura Mr. Suegoro Takamoto Mr. Yushichi Tominaga Mr. Kankichi Yamada Mr. Masahei Takenaka Mr. Tsunejiro Kitagawa Mr. Hikojiro Tahara Mrs. Masu Tainaka Mrs. Tamiye Hikida Miss Kinuyo Nishi Mrs. Ume Tahara Mrs. Kazu Mori Mrs. Mitsuye Tainaka Mrs. Haruye Tomiye Master Tsutomu Uyeyama Mr. Masatsuki Butch Ueda Mrs. Suteo Yamaoka Mrs. Sakae Nishi August Monthly Memorial Master Jiro Yamaoka Mr. Eisaburo Sato Mrs. Ritsuko Musuda Mr. Eijiro Shishido Mr. Kuichi Jiyobu Mrs. Kayo Terada Mr. Kinosuke Hayashi Mr. Kameji Iwasaki Mrs. Tome Ueda Mr. Iwamatsu Yamaoka July M/M Alan Yamaoka Ms. Lisa Yamaoka Ms. Carrie Yamaoka Mr. Brian Yamaoka Mr. Jim Nishi M/M Teruo Ogi M/M Pat Yetman M/M Jack Hatanaka Mr. Anderson Arujo Mr. Michael Martin Ms. Genevra Cavanaugh M/M Kent MacCarl August continued Mr. Riyomon Teramura Mr. Shotaro Yamaoka Mr. Kiyomatsu Yamaoka Mr. Rick Wakano Mr. Shigeteru Tahara September Mrs. Masao Yamaoka Mr. Yonetaro Tainaka Mr. Tomekichi Hikida Mrs. Hatsu Koga Master Eugene Shiosaki Mr. Takeru Tanemura Mrs. Tomo Kitamura Mrs. Yuki Nishi Mr. Koichi Hayashi Mrs. Tomiye Yokota Mr. Joseph Hattori Mrs. Terry Masuda Mr. Nobuo Yamaoka Mrs. Matsuye Terada Clean-up & Altar Toban August / September M/M Herb Tanaka Mrs. Tomoye Yamaoka M/M Jay Hunter M/M Jerry Takeda Ms. Cindy Anderson M/M Don Favell M/M Joe Uyeyama M/M Mark Gilbert Mrs. Gail Brown Mr. Adrian Hasler M/M Randy Caruso Mrs. Marilyn MacLean Inside this issue: From Sensei 2 Executive Report & message 3 Calendars 4 & 5 BCJSBTF 2017 Convention 6 Japanese Calendar 7 Misc. Information 8 July 1 - David Nishi July 8 - Kent MacCarl Lawn Mowing July 15 - Alec Pelletier July 22 - Herb Tanaka July 29 - Bob Koga August 5 - Jack Yamaoka August 12 - Randy Caruso August 19 - Brian Yamaoka August 26 - Anderson Araujo September 2 - Derek Mayeda September 9 - Don Favell September 16 - Mark Gilbert September 23 - Herb Tanaka September 30 - Alan Yamaoka

2 Page 2 From Sensei It is already summer, and Obon is just around the corner. At Obon we rejoice in the awakening awareness of the interconnectedness of all beings, past, present and future. It is an opportunity for us to express our gratitude, not only to our ancestors, but to all who have contributed to life and who have passed on to the Pure Land. Within the next two months, Obon will be celebrated in five communities within the BC Interior. Some will travel long distances to attend the Obon Service in the more remote communities. An additional source of enjoyment for us is the chance to experience the scenery of the beautiful BC Interior. Driving through some of the smaller communities, we are also fortunate to see many kinds of wildlife, such as bears, moose, foxes, coyotes, and all kinds of birds, like eagles, and osprey. All those living beings are regarded as brothers and sisters in the First Nations stories and fables. We living beings are all inter-related and all have important roles in the great drama of life. When I see the diversity of wildlife, I am reminded that all are inter-related and inter-connected in nature. Not long ago, I saw the well-known film The Power of Nature which describes the intricate ecosystem within Yellowstone National Park. Did you know that in the 1930 s all the wolves, who were at the top of the food chain, were killed off by hunters to try to increase the number of other animals that the wolves preyed upon. This disturbed the delicate balance of nature within the ecosystem, and a chain of events began to occur. With the wolves gone, the elk and deer populations flourished. The elk were not pressured to move around in winter, and browsed heavily on the willows. This created a crisis for the beavers who needed the willows to survive the winter. As a result, there were pools of stagnant water. Over time, the fish gradually disappeared, the trees didn t grow, and the migratory birds were gone. The bears had no berries to eat, and their numbers dropped dramatically they too disappeared. In 1995, wolves were re-introduced into Yellowstone park. The changes that began to happen were amazing. The wolves began preying on the elk and deer in the valley whose numbers had built up over the years. The deer began avoiding the valleys, where they could become trapped by the wolves. The vegetation, which had previously been grazed away to almost nothing, began to grow again. Over time, the valley became refurbished by trees. Some growing to 5 times their previous size. The Web of Life Migratory birds gradually became attracted to the trees. Beaver colonies began to increase, and again beavers built beaver dams. There were lots of amphibians, and the otters and small mammals slowly returned. The wolves were active and they killed not only deer and elk, but also coyotes. This resulted in more rabbits, mice and small animals. These were also sought for food by the eagles and ravens, who feasted on the carrion. There were more berries on the flourishing bushes, and these provided food for the bears. The wolves killed deer, but they also brought about several significant changes in the environment. Rivers began to show less soil erosion and less meandering. With the introduction of the wolves to the ecosystem in 1995, Yellowstone Park gradually became transformed. Amazingly, the wolves not only transformed the ecosystem, but also indirectly transformed the river system. All in all, the presence of wolves triggered a cascade of effects among animals and plants that is still continuing to unfold. Indeed, in our world, all living beings are interrelated, and we have a responsibility towards all living beings, our plants, birds, insects, and animals. Shinran Shonin once said, in one of his letters Amida Buddha fulfills the purpose of making us know the significance of nature Also, I am reminded of the famous speech of the great Aboriginal leader, Chief Seattle, who spoke these words, Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. As Obon celebrations begin, within our communities, let us be mindful of the lives of all living beings. We are all a part of earth s existence. Each one of us plays a truly unique role in the great web of life. Let us be forever grateful and humble to be a part of this intricate world. In Gassho, Rev. Yasuhiro Miyakawa Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.

3 Page 3 From the Temple Executive Well I hope everyone has managed to make it through this unusual spring with it s cool and wet weather, causing high runoffs and lake levels. Hopefully we are over the worst of it, now the clean up! Thank you to all who came out to support our Temple s participation during Asian Heritage Month. On all accounts it was a very successful event showing off parts of our Japanese heritage. Our committee of Shirley Tanemura, Barb Yamaoka, Genevra Cavanaugh, Junko Charpentier and myself met to wrap up the event and thought we would participate next year but in a different format. Stay tuned for more details. In the mean time, if Temple members would like to donate kimonos, yukatas and Japanese housewares for this event, please contact one of the committee members. Our Temple picnic held on June 4, although lacking in numbers was a lot of fun. It was a great afternoon at Beasley Park; no flooding, no mosquitos and no rain! The pot luck lunch was delicious, the musical entertainment provided by Michael Martin and Genevra Cavanaugh was much appreciated, the games (blindfolded watermelon break, water balloon toss, sack race, three legged race, 4 person ski race, bingo), were enjoyed by young and old. Thank you to the Dharma School for providing the water, juice and pop! Also a big thank you to Barb and Alan Yamaoka for helping organize this event. I know this is a busy time of year for everyone but it would be nice to see more people out next year! If any of you have any great ideas for social activities or concerns about the running of the Temple please feel free to contact any member of the board. We are always looking for ways to increase our member s participation in the Temple. A reminder that Obon service and activities are happening on Wednesday, July 5: cemetery cleanup, Saturday, July 8 for Temple grounds cleanup and Sunday, July 9 for service, pot luck dinner and dancing!!! In Gassho, Jack Yamaoka Message from the Editor Summer has arrived and we are about to take a little break from publishing the newsletter for a couple months. Recently, we had the good fortune to travel to the Grand Canyon. During our three hour visit, we were thrilled to see three California Condors soaring high above the canyon. I never dreamed that I d ever have the opportunity to see one these huge birds, let alone three, as they were teetering on the verge of extinction. As recently as 1987, there were only 27 left in the world. They were all captured and through careful management, a breeding program began. As of 2015, there were 435 and the birds remain classified as critically endangered. They have all been fitted with radio transmitters and numbered for easy tracking and identification. Much like Sensei s message about the wolves in Yellowstone Park, the decline in the Condor population is attributed to human interference. Their existence threatened by poaching, consuming lead bullets in the carrion they eat and habitat destruction. For a species of bird that normally has a lifespan of up to 60 years to reach the point of disappearing forever, it is easy to see how our activities are interconnected with everything around us. We cannot lord over nature because we lack the foresight to see the end results. I believe mother earth would suffer irreparably if ants or bees were to disappear but she would flourish without human beings. We must tread softy as we move forward or we may find ourselves on the same list as the Condors and 1000 s of other species. I hope to see everyone at our annual Obon celebration on July 9th. If not, have a wonderful, safe summer! In Gassho, Herb Photo taken on May 13, South Rim of The Grand Canyon Kelowna Buddhist Temple Golf Social We are changing the date of the golf social to early September. Hopefully more people will be able to make it at this time of year. We are also changing the location to one of the full length 18 hole golf courses. Bring a few friends and enjoy a round of golf in the Okanagan Autumn sunshine!! Please contact Barb phone: or bayamaoka@gmail.com or phone: or laurie.takeda@gmail.com The actual location, date and time will be announced at a later date. The deadline for sign up is July 31.

4 Page 4 JULY, 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 David Nishi Obon Odori Practice, Cemetery Clean up 6pm Temple Executive Meeting, Taiko, Temple Yard Clean up, 8am, Kent MacCarl Cemetery Service, 1pm - Obon & Dharma Shotstuki Services, 3pm (July & August) Alec Pelletier Kamloops Obon, 3:30pm Herb Tanaka New Denver Obon, 2pm Midway Obon, 2pm Bob Koga Taiko Practice

5 August, 2017 Page 5 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Jack Yamaoka Taiko, Randy Caruso Brian Yamaoka Anderson Araujo 27 Interior Shin Buddhist Temples AGM-Vernon, 10am September, 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Derek Mayeda Temple Executive Meeting, 8 9 Don Favell Mark Gilbert Herb Tanaka Dharma Shotsuki, Fall Ohigan & Eitaikyo Services, 1pm Alan Yamaoka

6 Page 6 The BCJSBTF 2017 Convention September at the Coast Hotel and Convention Centre in Langley, B.C. with Reverend James Martin The Four Gates Finding the Buddhist Path The Four Gates symbolizes the human condition illness, aging and death being the three obvious sorrowful states. In the time of the historical Buddha he used the Fourth Gate to try to find answers, first by following a monk s life which seemed to have some answers. In our time, we face the same illness, aging and death, but the illness, aging and death symbols are considerably more complicated. As our population ages and health care seems to increase human life span we find that aging has its own unique problems. One of the current most frightening is mental deterioration.. Alzheimer's and dementia. The brain ages just as our physical body ages, the brain becomes unhealthy just as our bodies become unhealthy. Medical research has worked wonders healing or at least treating physical problems but we are sorely lacking information to treat similar cognitive disintegration of our brain activity. Many of us have first hand experience with friends or relatives who have suffered the difficulties of dementia early onset or aging dementia. What we would like to offer at this convention is a different, more positive look at dealing with this problem. This is our Fourth Gate. The positive experiences available through temple activities give purpose and meaning to help both caregivers and those living with decreased mental acuity. Many of us as caregivers need to learn to fear less by learning more about the disease. Music, art and the nonverbal ways we can communicate with those who now find it difficult to express themselves. Coming to Temple, volunteering, working in a group, studying in a group, accepting with gratitude when a loved one passes away, gratitude for their lives, gratitude to all who touched us and became part of each and everyone of us. The Obon festival with its cleaning and beautifying of graves, remembering those who are no longer with us and of course Obon dancing. From Jeff Wilson s book Buddhism of the Heart we quote: For Jodo Shinshu, the holiday s significance is that it is a period of remembrance of those who have gone before us and gratitude toward them and all that have supported us. In America, the focus is especially on the dancing. Obon dancing is a group activity with everyone gathered in a big circle dancing the same steps in time to the music. Many of the dances actually depict little stories about the lives of common people Buddhism can be found in temples and in books. It can be found in hard meditation and in easy chanting. But for me, there is nothing more wonderful than Buddhist dancing. When you are there in that great gathering of all people you understand what the stories have been pointing at. And you don t need to meditate or study the scriptures, or even chant to experience that deepest truth. All you have to do is let faith and thanksgiving well up all by themselves, pick up your feet and move. For more information or to register, contact Lucy Yoshioka - yoshioka_lucy@hotmail.com Picnic

7 Page 7 With Gratitude the Temple and all of its Affiliated Organizations Acknowledge Your Generous Contribution Apologies for any Errors or Omissions. The donation list is unavailable at the time of this publication. The full donor list will be published in the next edition of the New Dharma Express. Please accept our apologies for not providing it at this time. Your generous donations are greatly appreciated. Namu Amida Butsu 行事案内 7 月 4 日 ( 火 ) 午後 7 時盆踊り稽古 5 日 ( 水 ) 午後 6 時お墓掃除 8 日 ( 土 ) 午前 8 時お寺境内掃除 9 日 ( 日 ) 午後 1 時お墓参り 3 時お盆会 7 8 月祥月法要 16 日 ( 日 ) 午後 3 時半キャムループスお盆会 23 日 ( 日 ) 午後 2 時ニュウデンバーお盆会 24 日 ( 月 ) 午後 2 時ミッドウェイお盆会 8 月 27 日 ( 日 ) 午前 10 時於 バーノンオカナガン教区定期会議 9 月 24 日 ( 日 ) 午後 1 時日曜学校 秋の彼岸会 永代経法要 # お盆法要には法名をお忘れなくご持参下さい # お盆が済みますと お寺も秋の彼岸法要まで夏休みに入ります 皆様 お元気で 楽しい夏をお過ごし下さい

8 Page 8 British Columbia Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples Federation 2017 Post Secondary Scholarships The British Columbia Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples Federation awards two Post Secondary Scholarships annually. These scholarships are open to any resident of BC who: Is a full-time student attending a recognized post-secondary institution and enrolled for this coming fall semester in a program leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate; and Participates in religious/spiritual events and activities through a church, temple, or other recognized religious group. For more information, or to have an application ed to you, please contact Lori at scholarships.bcjsbtf@gmail.com Deadline for applications is August 15, 2017 Thank You For Your Support At the recent JSBTC Annual General Meeting hosted in Toronto, the Women s Federation made a very sizable donation of $120,000 to the Ministers Retirement Fund. The funds were proceeds raised through the very successful World Buddhist Women s Convention held in Calgary in Also at the AGM, the Toronto Buddhist Church made a generous donation towards the Ministers Retirement Fund. Both of these donations were due in part of the ongoing efforts of the JSBTC to promote the importance of providing long term security for our dedicated ministers who have spent a lifetime spreading the Nembutsu teachings at temples across Canada. On behalf of the Ministerial Association as well as those ministers who are already beginning to receive the benefits from the Ministers Retirement Fund, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Women s Federation, to the Toronto Buddhist Church, to the JSBTC and to all the individuals who have contributed to this fund. Your contribution and ongoing effort is truly appreciated by all of the ministers, both those who are currently serving our national organization and those who have already retired. In Gassho, Rev. Grant Ikuta, Chairperson, JSBTC Ministerial Association No Host Dinner with Reverend Orai & Mrs. Minako Fujikawa July 6:00 PM 88 Grand Buffet 2339 Hwy 97 N, Kelowna, BC V1X 4H9 (Dilworth Center) Come out and welcome Sensei and Okusan home to Kelowna! If you wish to attend, please contact Laurie Takeda at laurie.takeda@gmail.com or call , by June 30th.