GOLDEN CHAIN. Resident Minister: Rev. Carol Myokei Himaka January 2017

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1 GOLDEN CHAIN Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church Alvarado Niles Road Union City, CA Church Office: (510) Reverend s Cell Phone: (510) Reverend s revhimaka@gmail.com Website: Resident Minister: Rev. Carol Myokei Himaka January 2017 I am a link in the Buddha s golden chain of love that stretches around the world. I must keep my link bright and strong. I will try to be kind and gentle to every living thing and protect all who are weaker than myself. I will try to think pure and beautiful thoughts, to say pure and beautiful words, and to do pure and beautiful deeds, knowing that on what I do now depends not only my happiness or unhappiness, but also that of others. May every link in the Buddha s golden chain of love become bright and strong,and may we all attain perfect peace. New Year Day For celebrating New Year s I ve grown accustomed to spending the time quietly at home. Lately, I don t even want to watch TV New Year events. In Japan, New Year s Eve is a very quiet occasion. If you step outside all you hear is the faint sound of a temple bell ringing in the distance. That lonely sound, almost makes the coming of a New Year seem sad, as if one were mourning a death or some other deep loss. At midnight, the temple bell rings out 108 times. When I looked for a reason as to why this is done, I could find no historical Buddhist reason. Apparently this is a strictly Japanese tradition. A kind of blend of Shinto purification and Buddhist meditation awareness. The number 108 has many different explanations but usually stands for the number of hinderances caused by our existence within a physical body. The number is derived usually from counting the 6 senses, multiplied by the 6 sensations created by contact of these sense organs with sense objects of the world. This number (36) is then multiplied by 3, indicating that all possible sense experiences can be categorized as either Pleasant, Unpleasant, or Neutral. The Japanese Buddhists ring the bell 108 times to symbolically banish these hinderances, so we can enter the new year clean, pure and free from such obstacles. Even the ringing of the bell can become a distraction though. Especially if one becomes attached to the ritual. I was leading a group at a public event in ringing the bell once, and to make it fair, everyone had to be given a number, so they could ring the bell. A woman came up to ring the bell and she had number 83. She excitedly asked me "What is the hinderance associated with 83?" I was surprised and told her that as far as I know, there are no direct associations linked with specific numbers. She was disappointed. However, her question prompted me to search if there were such a list of "hinderances" associated with the symbolic 108. I looked but could not find any such list. There exist many lists. especially in Theravada tradition, but they usually list various states of Mind, which are meant to focus one's practice of meditation, but no 108 hinderances. I'm left to conclude that this is a Japanese Buddhist tradition.

2 Actually it's more important to for us to focus on the silence that exists before and after each ring of the bell because it is the silence that is the greater sustaining reality not the sound of the bell. A noted modern spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, writes: Silence is helpful, but you don t need it in order to find stillness. Even when there is noise, you can be aware of the stillness underneath the noise, of the space in which noise arises. That is the inner space of pure awareness, consciousness itself. You can become aware of awareness as the background to all your sense perceptions, all your thinking. Becoming aware of awareness is the arising of inner stillness. The practice he advocates is learning how to focus your attention on the Now. This advice is justified because the Future is not yet real and the Past is already gone, so the only moment of True Reality is the Now. Now is the only place or time when we can actually do something of any consequence. Now is also the only place we will discover the peace of inner stillness discovered by the buddhas of long ago. As we welcome this new year, let us strive to keep our attention on the Now moments in our lives. Not the Now moments of anyone else, but the Now of our own lives. If world peace can be found at all, it can only begin from within, in our own moments of reflection on the Now. If we listen really hard, we may be able to hear within those peaceful moments of Now, Namo Amida Butsu. ******************************************************************************************* 2017 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING January 15 th, :15 am immediately following Ho-On-Ko Service Each year, we hold a general meeting of our entire membership to conduct required on-going business such as approving our 2017 Budget. We need a quorum to convene this meeting so please either plan on attending or if you cannot attend, send in a proxy. Proxy forms have been sent out in the year end packet and are also available at our office. I don t anticipate any major agenda issues but please make an effort to attend as this annual meeting is a great opportunity to get better informed about our church activities and plans. In Gassho, Ken Suyama Board President **************************************************************************** 2017 BCA CALENDARS The 2017 BCA calendars are here! They are available in the Hondo lobby or church office. Please, 1 calendar per member household.

3 JANUARY SHOTSUKI HOYO Family, relatives and friends are invited to attend the monthly memorial service for the following on Sunday January 8, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Deceased Family 1937 Chizuko Sekigahama Sekigahama Family 1958 Sakue Kamiji Mrs. Sachi Fudenna & Mrs. Michi Handa 1960 Tsuru Nomura Nomura Family 1965 Hichizo Ota Mrs. Hajime Ota 1966 Ruriko Kataoka Kataoka Family 1968 Koyuri Shibata Shibata Family 1976 Moto Tsurui Tsurui Family 1978 Haruyo Kawaguchi Mr. & Mrs. Yoshimi Nakamura 1986 Taijuu Kato Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Sakuda 1993 Tsuyuko Suzuki Mrs. Yukie Kawase 2000 Dennis James Hatakeda Mr. Harold Hatakeda 2002 Toshiharu Okada Mr. & Mrs. Hideo Okada 2003 Katsunori Hatsushi Mrs. Kyoko Hatsushi 2005 Tsugio Nishimura Mr. & Mrs. Fujio Yamamoto 2006 Yoshiko Kawaguchi Kawaguchi Family 2006 John Nagata Mrs. Jamie Nagata 2007 Marie Payne Mrs. Nancy Camacho 2007 Hosshi Shingetsu Akahoshi Mr. Hiro Akahoshi 2008 Ken Okubo Mrs. Keiko Okubo 2011 June Okino Okino Family 2011 Yuka Matoba Mrs. Haru Hamamoto 2011 Jon Nakamoto Mr. & Mrs. Seiji Nakamoto 2014 Moss Fujii Ms. Naoko Fujii & Ms. Chieko Fujii 2014 Molly Kitajima Mr. & Mrs. Bob Kitajima Yoshimitsu Ushijima Mr. & Mrs. Yasushi Yamada Chiyemi Sakuda Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Sakuda Christopher Takayama Mr. & Mrs. Michael Takayama Ichitaro Yamasaki Mr. Kyle Yamasaki Matsue Yamasaki Mr. Kyle Yamasaki Kathleen Marie Dupler Mr. Ron Dupler Machi Doami Doami Family Marcus Susumu Hishinuma Mr. & Mrs. Sabu Hishinuma Richard Sakakida Sakakida Family Tsugiko Hayashi Mr. Richard Hayashi Edward Cuccia Ms. Ann Cuccia NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU NAMO AMIDA BUTSU Memorial Service 2017 Memorial year for those who passed away in: year year year year year year year year year If this is a special service year for a departed relative, please contact Rev. Carol Myokei Himaka at (510) to schedule a memorial service.

4 Happy New Year! Welcome 2017 Year of the Rooster January 1, Shusho- E Service Sunday, 10 A.M. Let us welcome 2017 with Rev. Carol Himaka Kagami mochi will adorn the altar. A sake toast will offer wishes for good will and good health. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ January 8, 2017 Shot suki Hoyo 10 A.M. At this monthly memorial service, we honor those loved ones who passed away in the month of January. Dharma School to follow service. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ January 1 5, Ho- On- Ko Service 10 A.M. This is the memorial service for Shinran Shonin, founder of the Jodo Shinshu Sect. The SACBC Board of Directors will be installed. The General Meeting will be held. A quorum is needed so please attend or sign a proxy. Ho-On-Ko Otoki will follow the meeting. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ January 2 2, Family Service 10 A.M. Dharma School will chair this service. Dharma School to follow service. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ January 2 9, 2017 Family Service 10 A.M. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

5 BWA NEWS by Nancy Minamide Happy New Year! Best wishes for a happy and healthy We had a wonderful Year End celebration. Our thanks to Karen Suyama for the donations of recycle bags for our raffle. Edythe Vassal was our guest speaker. She gave an enlightening dharma message. Sorry about the mix-up concerning check payments. As you have heard, our church mailbox was broken into by vandals. If you are able please send a replacement check to those who attended and told me their payment was in the mail. Please set aside January 27 for our BWA bingo night. We need volunteers to sell Flash cards as well as help in the kitchen. Toban leaders will call you for donations of cakes, pies and cookies. You can begin to bring donations for our rummage sale on March 4 and 5. Place your items on the bazaar food line counter behind the gym. REMEMBER: NO FURNITURE OR CHILDREN CAR SEATS. ****************************************************************************** NOTICE: MAILBOX THEFT Recently, the church mailbox was broken into. Several envelopes, possibly containing checks, were stolen. If you sent a check to the church in the past couple of weeks please contact our treasurer, Larry Gissible, our membership treasurer, Yvette Hornig, or the appropriate organization treasurer to see if they received your check. If necessary, you may have to call your bank and put a stop payment on the check. We have installed a lock mailbox to try and prevent such occurrences from happening again. Many thanks to Bob Kitajima for purchasing and installing the new mailbox. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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11 2017 SACBC Board of Directors 2017 Officers President VP Operations VP Religious Activities Recording Secretary Treasurer Membership Treasurer Equipment Treasurer Corresponding Secretary General Counsel Past President Ken Suyama John Arai Karen Fujii Karen Suyama Larry Gissible Yvette Hornig Iris Yakuma Pat Takemoto Garret Murai Ken Suyama Honorary Advisor Dr Walter Hashimoto 2017 Elected Board Members Dave Abe John Arai Nancy Dodd Karen Fujii Reina Fujii Larry Gissible Yvette Hornig Palitha Jayaweera Noel Lowe Curtis Mark Jamie Nagata Paul Nakao Ben Norling Hideo Okada Neil Okamura Dean Osaki JoAnn Rogers Mark Shimomura Karen Suyama Pat Takemoto Ermina Teramura Judy Tokubo Tet Uemura Katherine Velasco Iris Yakuma Kyle Yamasaki Organization Representatives BWA Dharma School Jr YBA AA Koto Buki No Kai Cub/Boy Scout O Nami Taiko Japanese Language School Kendo Bingo Nancy Minamide Cathleen Yoshida & Cindy Sakihara Noreen Osaki Ken Matsubayashi TBD Christine Tanizawa Bob Kitajima Garret Murai Dr. Walter Hashimoto George Nakamura

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