BUDDHIST CHURCH OF PARLIER P.O. Box Newmark Avenue Parlier, California Phone: (559)

Transcription

1 BUDDHIST CHURCH OF PARLIER P.O. Box Newmark Avenue Parlier, California Phone: (559) LIVE A REAL LIFE February 2016 NIRVĀNA DAY February 15 is Nirvāna Day. On this day Śākya-muni Buddha, surrounded by many followers and friends, passed on peacefully at the age of 80 years. His famous final words to those gathered around him were, After I am gone, the Dharma will be your guide. First, be true and real to yourself. Those who practice the Dharma and live in the Dharma are always by me, close to me. But even though one is beside me, if he/she does not practice the Dharma, he/she is not near me. All things and all lives are constantly changing, passing from one state to another. All are subject to this universal law of change. I am no exception; my final day is here. Since all things change it does not make any difference if my physical body passes away. This body is not the Buddha; the truth-reality is the Buddha itself. This is the important point. Do not concern yourselves with my passing away but concern yourselves with your own truth-reality. We are all one in the Dharma. Make yourselves your own light. Maha-parinibbana Sutta Around the 15 th day of February, Buddhists throughout the world will have a memorial service in observance of Nirvana Day. Our Central California District Temples will observe Nirvāna Day on Feb. 13 th in Visalia, Feb. 14 th in Fresno, Feb. 21 st in both Parlier and Reedley and Feb. 28 th in Fowler. We rededicate ourselves to follow the footsteps of Śākya-muni Buddha and be reminded of his true intent for sharing the Dharma to all living beings. In Buddhism, any item, thing or phenomena deserves our attention as teaching material. Buddha s death itself, when we sincerely look into it, propagates his message. Śākyamuni Buddha s death was so peaceful under the twin Sāla trees in the vicinity of Kusinagara on a becalmed silver moon night, surrounded by many disciples, friends and even animals. This scene of his last moment became well-known all over Asia by the drawing called NEHAN(Nirvāna)-ZU(scene). And this Nirvana scene offers what is Buddhistic. If I may borrow the expression of D. T. Suzuki, a main motif of drawing will be horizontal that symbolizes peacefulnessnaturalness and total equality. This is the reason why the figure of animals is given a significant role on the drawing. I think many of us are enjoying our life with our pets, such as a dog, cat, bird, fish or other unique animals. I am sure that they are a part of our family. And most of us have personal memories of our pets who had given us wonderful love and happiness. We are reminded about the importance of life through their existence. It is natural for Buddhists to honor our beloved pets who were our family members, best friends and sometimes a good Dharma-teacher. I am convinced that the Pet memorial service will become a good chance for learning Buddhas truth, equality of life. There is a reason why some BCA temples, such as Fresno Betsuin, observe the Pet memorial service that is combined with the Nirvāna service. On this occasion, we should be reminded that Buddha was very clear in his teachings against any form of cruelty to any living being: One day the Buddha saw a man preparing to make an animal sacrifice. On being asked why he was going to kill innocent animals, the man replied that it was because it would please the gods. The Buddha then offered Himself as the sacrifice, saying that if the life of an animal would please the gods then the life of a human being, more valuable, would please the gods even more. Avadāna-śataka I think that if we believe that animals were created by someone for men, it should be followed that men were also created for animals since some animals eat human flesh for their survival. Looking at the present day, human civilization destroy animals and deprive them of their natural rights so that we can expend our environments for our own convenience and we already realized for paying the price for this selfish act. Our environment is changed and if we do not take care of other animals for their own survival, our own life in this place may not be guaranteed. Namo amitabhaḥ (na-mɔɚ-mītɚ-ba), -How immeasurable is the wisdom that flows from the buddhahood! [That is why I could never abandon each and every one, everywhere.]- Reverend Kakei Nakagawa 1

2 MESSAGE FROM REV. ALAN SAKAMOTO 1 Percent The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together Dave Brailsford (2012) In 2010, Dave Brailsford had a very tough job as the new General Manager and Performance Director for Great Britain s professional cycling team. He was asked to lead the British cycling team to win the Tour de France. A feat, no British team had ever accomplished. He instituted a training program that he referred to as the aggregation of marginal gains. He explained it as the 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do. They began by organizing the things you might expect: riders nutrition, weekly training program, ergonomics of the bike, and the weight of the tires. He could have stopped right there, but didn t. He searched for that 1 percent improvement in other areas: discovering the pillow that offered the best sleep and taking it with them to their hotels, testing for the most effective massage gel, even teaching the best way to wash hands to avoid infection. The team sought that 1 percent improvement everywhere, everyday, and in everything. He believed that the team could win the Tour de France in 5 years. He was wrong. They did it in 3 years. In 2012, Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to ever win the Tour de France. That same year, the British cycling Olympic team dominated the competition by winning 70 percent of the gold medals available. Their domination was so complete that others accused the British of cheating. In 2013, a British rider won the Tour de France again. Many began to refer to this amazing run by the British cycling teams as the most successful run in modern cycling history. It s quite easy for us to look from the outside, complement and be amazed at the cycling teams accomplishments, but the success is found in the details of all the hard work, effort, and sweat, and perhaps most importantly, the value of making better decisions on a daily basis. How one performs is the result of many small decisions over time, some good and some bad. We think that we only have to change one thing and great change will occur. Improving by 1 percent may not seem like much, but over time the effort accumulates and the change and successes begin to snowball, and then we see tremendous results. This attention to detail, like how you wash your hands, may seem rather trivial to you, but it struck a warm and special place in my heart. You see, my favorite basketball coach of all time, John Wooden, used to conduct the very first part of his very first practice of each season in the locker room. He taught his players how to put on their socks, and how to tie their shoes. Can you imagine that? These players had played hundreds of games, and spent thousands of hours in the gym practicing and working out, only for their college basketball coach to teach them how to put on their socks and shoes. It s this attention to detail that marks the difference between the good and the great. You re thinking that these are great stories, and maybe interesting enough to make a change in your own life, but what has that have to do with Buddhism. Well, we attend church or other events and lectures and hear many different messages on how to become a better person. How do we become better people embodying the lessons heard at church and read in our sutras and books? It begins with a little bit of effort, one day at a time, perhaps 1 percent, and a little reminder each and every day. I saw a recent product marketed to help you achieve your goals in 100 days, and the key was a journal where you write everyday your goals and how you are doing as you work towards those goals. This daily reminder is there to jog the memory and to keep your focus. Pema Chodron, a famous Tibetan Buddhist Nun and Teacher, uses daily sayings or slogans to help keep that focus. Examples are all activities should be done with one intention, don t be jealous, and my favorite, be grateful to everyone. These sayings are repeated throughout the day to remind us of what we should make a habit in our lives. The Dalai Lama also uses something similar as each and every morning he recites the following Bodhisattva Vows: May I be a guard for those who need protection A guide for those on the path A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood May I be a lamp in the darkness A resting place for the weary A healing medicine for all who are sick A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles And for the boundless multitudes of living beings May I bring sustenance and awakening Enduring like the earth and sky Until all beings are freed from sorrow And all are awakened After reading these Vows, I can understand how he maintains his focus and goals each and everyday of his life. For us, we can make great changes too. A little bit at a time, each and every day, and perhaps we can use our own sayings or slogans to remind us how and what we need to do to become a better person. I go to the Buddha for guidance. I go to the Dharma for guidance. I go to the Sangha for guidance. 2

3 MESSAGE FROM REV. MATT HAMASAKI I would like to introduce this month some teachings from the Master Honen Shonin. Being Jodo Shinshu Buddhists, we don t hear too much about him, but he was the one who introduced the nembutsu path and was revered by Shinran. Heralded all over Japan during his time for being an amazing scholar and unparalleled debater, he must have been a great speaker. This following quote is from the memory of one of his disciples: To live this life means to create the conditions in which one is able to recite nembutsu in a natural way. Anything that impedes the practice of nembutsu should be abhorred and abandoned. If one cannot practice nembutsu as a monk one should take a wife and recite nembutsu. On the contrary, if one cannot practice nembutsu with a wife, one should recite nembutsu as a monk. If staying in one place makes nembutsu impossible, go on a pilgrimage and practice nembutsu. Conversely, if nembutsu is difficult on a pilgrimage, stay in one place and recite nembutsu. If poverty hampers nembutsu, seek support and recite nembutsu. If the practice of nembtusu is impossible in spite of support, depend on one s own resources to repeat nembutsu. If the practice of nembutsu in seclusion is impossible, practice it with other nembutu devotees. Conversely, if practice with other devotees is impossible, recite in seclusion. Food, clothing, and housing are considered to be supporting elements for nembutsu. In summary, if all acts and conditions mentioned above truly promote the attainment of birth with a tranquil heart in the Pure Land through nembutsu they are regarded as the supporting elements for nembutsu. If you - who is destined to return to the three lower realms of hell beings, staring spirits, and animals in your future life - think tenderly of yourself, then you nurture yourself. It goes without saying that if you recite nembutsu to attain birth in the Pure Land, you should nurture and take care of yourself that much more. If you do not regard your lifestyle as supporting element and you cling to your lifestyle out of mere stubbornness, this will be the cause of your fall into the three lower realms. Hence, to achieve birth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and to design your lifestyle in order to meet that goal - these indeed become the supporting conditions for birth in the Pure Land. Everything should be understood in this manner. To me, this touches upon one of the most radical and important points of Jodo Shinshu: it doesn t matter what your lifestyle is, everyone is capable of receiving the benefits of the nembutsu path. And, in fact, it is up to each of us individually to really look at ourselves and figure out what it is that will help us live a life of mindfulness and gratitude. It is not up to us to judge how others live their lives; rather it is up to us to make sure we are living as authentically as we can ourselves. ***Contact Denise to sign-up for a shift. PARLIER BWA YARD SALE Drop-off: Sunday, Feb :00pm-2:00pm YARD SALE Saturday, March 5th 8:00am-11:00am 3

4 THOUGHTS FROM THE SANGHA Curtis Koga, Chairman HoOnko Service HoOnko Service Rev. Koyo Kubose was our guest speaker. His wife Adriene joined us also. We all enjoyed a lunch prepared by Sho and Kari. Dessert was our traditional zenzai. We had special guests join us, Aaron, Kelly and Ramsey. 4

5 TEMPLE Ms. Shari Kimoto Mr. & Mrs. Tad Kozuki Mr. Tom Hayashi Mr. & Mrs. Laurence Kimura Mr. & Mrs. Royce Kimura Ms Joanne Kimura Ms. Ellen Okada Mrs. Alice Umeda Mr. Tom Hayashi Mr. & Mrs. Hajime Yonemitsu Mrs. Tokiye Inouye Mr. & Mrs. Tatsumi Arakawa ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Buddhist Church of Parlier would like to extend our appreciation to the following for their generous donations Memorial for Kenichi, Shinayo, Ralph, &...$ Akiko Kimoto 33rd year memorial for Chuichi Kozuki...$ Monthly memorial for Jusuke Hayashi...$25.00 Special donation...$ In appreciation for the newsletter...$ Monthly memorial for Tak Kimura...$20.00 Monthly memorial for Peggy Okada...$25.00 Ho-onko...$25.00 Ho-onko...$25.00 In appreciation for the newsletter...$ In appreciation for the newsletter...$20.00 New Year s service...$20.00 Donations Sangha Gathering... $ MEMBERSHIP DUES: Mr. & Mrs. Tatsumi Arakawa Mr. & Mrs. Gary Kozuki Mrs. Miyo Ohara Mr. & Mrs. Donald Ikemiya Mrs. Denise Kusunoki Mrs. Matsuko Suehiro Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Ikuta Arthur Mihara/Barbara Goto Mrs. May Takata Mrs. Hiroko Kimoto BWA DONATIONS Mr. & Mrs. Hajime Yonemitsu Mr. & Mrs. Hajime Yonemitsu Special donation...$ Special donation, Gift Card to U-Save Market...$25.00 DONATIONS for MONTHLY MEMORIAL SERVICE: Mrs. Kimiyo Doi $20.00 Mrs. Teruko Tsuji $20.00 Mrs. Hiroko Kimoto $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Darryl Wong-Sing $50.00 Mr. & Mrs. Gary Kozuki $25.00 Mr. Robert Yano $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. Yuki Mori $25.00 Ms. Akiko Yorizane $50.00 Mrs. Toshi Nakamichi $20.00 Mrs. Ruby Yukawa $20.00 Mrs. Matsuko Suehiro $20.00 HO-ONKO DONATIONS: Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Chiamori $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. Yuki Mori $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Doi $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Fred Nagare $25.00 Mrs. Flora Doi $20.00 Mrs. Toshi Nakamichi $20.00 Mrs. Sumiko Ebisuda $20.00 Ms. Lynn Sasai $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. James Goishi $25.00 Dr. & Mrs. Steven Sasai $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Henry Guerra $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Shimizu $20.00 Ms. Gail Hachiya $15.00 Mrs. Matsuko Suehiro $20.00 Mrs. Kikuye Hirakawa $20.00 Mr. Fred Takata $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. Donald Ikemiya $20.00 Mrs. May Takata $20.00 Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Ikuta $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Nob Takasaki $20.00 Mrs. Takako Kanemoto $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. Darryl Wong-Sing $30.00 Mrs. Hiroko Kimoto $25.00 Mr. Robert Yano $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. Shiz Kimura $25.00 Ms. Akiko Yorizane $30.00 Mr. Ben Koga/Jan Koga $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Yoshimoto $25.00 Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Koga $25.00 Ms. Setsuko Yotori $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. Tom Koga $20.00 Mrs. Ruby Yukawa $20.00 Mr. & Mrs. Gary Kozuki $25.00 cash donations $35.00 Mr. & Mrs. Tad Kozuki $

6 MONTHLY BOARD MEETING JANUARY 11, 2016 By Sho Higuchi, Co-Secretary Meeting was called to order at 7:15pm. Gassho was led by Toshie. Quorum was established. Those in attendance: Calvin Doi, Sho Higuchi, Dennis Ikuta, Toshie Mori, Glenn Yoshimoto, Steve Sasai, Tad Kozuki, Kaye Kozuki, Curtis Koga, Cheryl Koga, Clyde Yoshikawa. MINUTES - Minutes from December 14, 2015 meeting read. Corrections: Clyde moved to accept minutes as corrected, seconded by Kaye. Motion carried. Thank you to the 2015 Executive team! TREASURER S REPORT - As of December 2015, finances looked good. Clyde moved to accept report, seconded by Kaye. Motion carried. COMMITTEE REPORTS Maintenance Need someone to help James. Dennis suggested we just ask people to help and allow James to supervise. Need to make a universal list of maintenance issues. - Facia boards - Floors were polished - Dennis bought new dust mop, please do not moisten - Dennis paid for waxing of the floors - Locks of kitchen and main hall doors need to be changed - Front door knob needs to be changed - Water coming off the roof, heater? - Termites (talk to James) - Weeds across the street BWA Thank you to Carol Guerra for tonight s Board refreshments. For the Joya E service, thanks to Cheryl K. and Gail H. for providing refreshments. January 16 th cleanup Group 1 headed by Gail H. January 17 th Hoonko service. February 20 th cleanup Group 2 headed by Denise K. Nirvana/Shotsuki/Keiro Kai Sunday, February 21 st, luncheon and BINGO Lynne Y. and Joyce S are planning. Publication Nothing to report Finance Dennis reported that even though the market has had its ups and downs, 2016 was an ok year, the portfolios are in good shape. V & P Combined service on Super Bowl Sunday in Reedley at 10a. A brainstorming session was held on Saturday, 1/9. Need to publicize upcoming, out of town speakers, so temple members from all the towns are aware. 85 th Anniversary Meeting 1/12. Mrs. Tokumoto will play the koto with Aaron Fukuda and Brooke Ikuta will sing. OLD BUSINESS Services Kaye noted that the MAs did a fantastic job officiating the Joye-E and New Year s Day Services. Can we get more members and friends to attend these services? Property Sales Talked about the ability to split up the land for sale. Solar May not be worth doing. Tabled until there is more information about the church s energy consumption. Food Bazaar Planning meeting on February 2 nd, 7:00. Boneless chicken thighs a consideration National Council registration Will cost $500, 2 delegates to the meeting, includes some meals. Delete Submit expenses for Bonenkai. CCDC calendars to be sent to Steve S, will hopefully be distributed at Hoonko service. Need to report on the CCDC meeting. Rinban wants a mission statement, must coordinate with the ministers, What kind of temple do you want? Social Welfare committee has changed, the directors at-large will now be the committee members. If there is an organization that could use help, not a church, please talk to Calvin to see if there is a good match for donation from this committee. Vintage Garden suggested. 10 th anniversary celebration of the JSC. Installation for CCDC was held on January 23 rd in Reedley. CCJrYBA Superbowl party at FDC on Super Bowl Sunday after the combined service in Reedley. Sound system for the church, ask John Scanlan. 2 mics, mics by the ministers, wireless, new speakers, amp. NEW BUSINESS Services: Combined Service Fresno Choir will be there. Nikkei Foundation benefit flyer Joyce Service / Activities Calendar Cheryl K. is in the process of finalizing the activities calendar. Discuss speakers for Fall Ohigan. Adjourn - Clyde moved to adjourn, Steve seconded. Motion passes. Gassho NEXT MEETING Monday, February 8, 7:00 6

7 BUDDHIST WOMEN S ASSOCIATION By Kaye Kozuki, BWA Newsletter Writer Happy Valentine s Day Everyone! At the age most of us are, no one says that to us anymore except Grandchildren. But that s ok. I m sure most of us have heard it many times in our life time. This is the month we will be observing Keirokai, when we honor members over 70 yrs. There will be a Nirvana Day/Keirokai/Monthly Memorial Service on Feb. 21. Please come and enjoy a delightful morning of Dharma teachings and friendship shared during a nice luncheon. An obento lunch will be free for those 70 yrs and over. Tobans will be contacting members for a count. Do you have oven racks that need to be cleaned? I only have the racks to clean by hand since I have a self cleaning oven. The racks are a pain to clean with all that baked on gunk. I sprayed the racks with Easy Off outside doors and let stand for 1 hr. It didn t clean the racks very well. Went to the internet and found a solution. It said put racks into the bath tub, cover with hot, hot water and sprinkle with laundry detergent overnight. I didn t want to dirty my tub nor use all that hot water so I did it in my biggest sink and covered racks with light towel on to which I poured boiling water. Sprinkled detergent into the water and let it soak for 15 mins. Poured more boiling water over the towel. With a little scrubbing, it came as clean as I ve ever seen it!! Maybe the Easy Off helped also. But, enough for cleaning. Dennis Ikuta had the tile floors waxed in December. Dennis has been financing some of the cost for every waxing. We thank him for his generosity. They look so shiny!! Let s keep them that way for a while. Thank you to the crew who puts our newsletter out each month. They have been doing this for years. Headed by Curtis K., they include; Karen S., Kiku K., Taka K., Ruby Y., James G., Cheryl, and Akiko Y. The Joye-E was attended by 17 members and family. Each attendee got to ring the Kansho 6-7 times which was a treat for some of the first time ringers. After, City Tobans, Cheryl K. & Toshie M. provided cup of soup for everyone to enjoy while socializing. All of the Parlier Ministers Assistants conducted the service. Toshie gave the Dharma talk on Letting go of Attachments. The first service of the year was the New Year s Day Service held the morning of Jan. 1, It was led by the MAs with Curtis giving a short Dharma talk about, depending on how you say Happy New Year, how it is interpreted by the listener. This was a short and very nice service to start Group I headed by Gail Hachiya cleaned the church before the Hoonko/Monthly Memorial Service officiated by Reverend Nakagawa with guest Reverend Koyo Kubose of Coarsegold who spoke to the congregation. A delicious lunch of short ribs & mashed potatoes was prepared by Sho & Kari Higuchi and Kenny Ikemiya. This was enjoyed by over 60 attendees. This luncheon was generously donated by Sho, Kari, and Kenny. BWA thanks them for their donation and work in preparing the fest. Thank you also to Gail H. Irene K., Lynne Y. and all others who helped serve. For February, Group 2 headed by Denise K. will clean the church on Feb. 20. Please help if you can. Andrea Arakawa sells some of the items from the BWA yard sale on Ebay. She has, to date, sold $290 that was put into the BWA account. Thank you, Andrea for doing this for BWA. There was a CCBWL meeting held on Jan 21, in Fowler. Parlier was represented by Co-Pres. Cheryl K. Parlier is well represented with Julie D. who is serving as President and Janette WS. as Sec. 7

8 The Sangha Gathering Corner Sangha Gathering in January Shinran Shonin Dennis Ikuta was the speaker, Elyse Ikemiya was the chairperson and colored the picture, Janette and Jackie taught the kids. We had a special quest at the adult session. Aaron was a former student of Toshie who was interest in Buddhism. Dharma school children led the Sangha with Sunday school songs. 8

9 MONTHLY MEMORIAL SERVICE The February Shotsuki Service will be on Sunday, February 21, Families, as well as all members and friends are encouraged to attend. FEBRUARY SHOTSUKI DECEASED MOURNER Mr. Akiko Kimoto 54 yrs. Mrs. Hiroko Kimoto Mr. Masakichi Mihara 50 yrs. Mr. Arthur Mihara Mr. Bunsuke Okino 90 yrs. Mr. Neil Okino Mr. Ruriko Masuda 49 yrs. Mrs. Ellen Tsudama Mr. Terry Ogami 50 yrs. Mr. Fred Nagare Mr. Wataro Yorizane 79 yrs. Ms. Akiko Yorizane Mr. Aido Nakamichi 44 yrs. Mrs. Toshiye Nakamichi Mrs. Miyono Furumoto 43 yrs. Mr. Roy J. Furumoto Mr. Nobuichi Kimura 40 yrs. Mr. Shizuyo Kimura Mrs. Tsuma Sasai 31 yrs. Dr. Steven Sasai Mr. Juntaro Kagawa 65 yrs. Mrs. Naomi Tamura Mrs. Shige Kagawa 40 yrs. Mrs. Naomi Tamura Mrs. Orio Yamanaka 22 yrs. Mr. Thomas Yamanaka Mr. Chiyosuke Yoshizaki 54 yrs. Mrs. Takako Kanemoto Mrs. Hisaye Kozuki 20 yrs. Mr. Tadashi Kozuki Mrs. Sen Iseki 20yrs. Mrs. Betty Iseki Mrs. Yuki Hayashi 20 yrs. Mr. Tommy Hayashi Mrs. Toshiko Yotori 15 yrs. Ms. Setsuko Yotori Mr. Marcel Ray Takata 14 yrs. Mr. Fred Takata Mr. Ed Nakamura 11 yrs. Ms. Gail Nakamura Mrs. Carol Sakamoto Mrs. Satoye Sasai 9 yrs. Dr. Steven Sasai Mr. Gerald Kenneth Kobashi 8 yrs. Mrs. Jean Kobashi Mrs. Harumi Irene Yoshimoto 5 yrs. Mr. Glenn Yoshimoto Kiyo Yagi 4 yrs. Theodora Jung 2016 is the Memorial year for those deceased in One year Memorial th year Memorial rd year Memorial th year Memorial th year Memorial rd year Memorial th year Memorial th year Memorial 9

10 NOTES FROM KAYE Church Dues for 2016 are Payable The amount is again $275 per person and $550 for couples. You can send them to: Glenn Yoshimoto th Avenue Kingsburg, CA If you do not pay your dues, the BCA dues of $113 per member is still payable by the church. Scrip Program Janette Wong-Sing has started a Scrip Program for our Church. You can order gift cards from her to give away or use them to spend on your everyday purchases. As you buy the gift cards, a percentage of your purchase is given to the Church by the Scrip Program. Contact Bowlersr@aol.com or call her if you would like more information. You can also find a complete list of all cards available at shopwithscrip.com. SaveMart S.H.A.R.E. Program Have you been using your SaveMart SHARE card when grocery shopping? I forget sometimes but there are many of you who have been using the card. We just found out our income from the last quarter was $294.54! The total amount for this year is $ !! Isn t that great!! This is free money to the church just by buying your groceries at SaveMart. If you need a card, we have some available. Contact any Church or BWA Board member for cards. 10

11 Parlier Buddhist Church Wish List We have received the following donations for the Wish List: 1. Mark/Erin Takemoto (Chiamori) have donated $100 to be used as needed. 2. Mrs. Myrtle Haru Masumoto of Sacramento donated for the purchase of an eight foot table for the social hall. 3. Rick & Fusa Ishimaru have donated for two eight foot tables. We very much appreciate the donations to update the temple and needed items for our activities. Thank You! A few items that would be helpful at the Church are: 1. New sound system for the Hondo. The present one isn t reliable and sometimes goes in and out during a Dharma talk or Service. 2. Donations for a big screen TV which would be used in the social hall for presentations, as an aide for guest speakers, movie day, and funerals. Any amount would be accepted and when the total amount is collected, then the big screen TV would be purchased. About $1000 would be needed to buy the TV. 3. Man power for updating our Temple. A donation in full or in part can be allotted for a specific item of your choosing. If anyone has suggestions or questions, please contact any Board member. 11

12 12

13 13

14 14

15 Saturday, February 20, pm to 7pm Fresno Betsuin FAMILY DHARMA CENTER 2690 E. Alluvial, Fresno DINE-IN ONLY HOURLY RAFFLE DRAWING BE A LUCKY WINNER! PURCHASE A RAFFLE TICKET TO WIN A JAPANESE FUTON BROWSE THE FBBWA COUNTRY STORE THE FBBWA THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! PRE-SALE ONLY! Tickets : $45 each for adults Tickets available from any FBBWA Toban-cho and at the Fresno Betsuin Office 1340 Kern Street, Fresno (559) Make checks payable to: FRESNO BUDDHIST TEMPLE memo: FBBWA Crab Feed 15

16 16

17 DIRECTORY OF OFFICIERS Minister Rinban Kakei Nakagawa Rev. Alan Sakamoto Rev. Matt Hamasaki Church President Curtis Koga Vice-President Toshie Mori Secretary Sho/Kari Higuchi Treasurer Glenn Yoshimoto Maintenance James Goishi Fujinkai Presidents Cheryl Koga Joyce Sasai Newletter Editors Curtis Koga Julie Doi Karen Shimizu Webmaster Glenn Nakamichi UPCOMING MARCH EVENTS 1-6 (Tue-S) National Council Meeting... 5 (Sat) Parlier BWA Yardsale...8:00am 6 (Sun) Sangha Gathering...10:00am 7 (Mon) BEC Lecturer Series, Fowler...7:00pm 13 (Sun) CCBWl Conference, Visalia... 9:00am 14 (Mon) Board Meeting...7:00pm 16 (Wed) Buddhist Discussion Group...7:00pm 20 (Sun) Parlier Food Bazaar (Mon) Shoshinge Service...7:00pm 26 (Sat) Q & A Rev. Patty Usuki...4:00pm 26 (Sat) Church Cleanup, Group 3...8:00am 27 (Sun) Ohigan Service & Shotsuki...10:00am FEBRUARY BUDDHIST RADIO BROADCAST KFIB (AM900) SATURDAY 7:20AM FEBRUARY MARCH Japanese Japanese 6 Rev. Kakei Nakagawa 5 Rev. Midori Nakagawa, MA 13 Rev. Kakei Nakagawa 12 Rev. Midori Nakagawa, MA 20 Rev. Yuki Mori, MA 19 Rev. Kakei Nakagawa 27 Rev. Yuki Mori, MA 26 Rev. Kakei Nakagawa Nirvana Day, Keirokai and February Shotsuki Service Sunday, February 21, 2016 at 10:00 a.m Rev. Matt Hamasaki, Speaker NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S POSTAGE PARLIER, CA PERMIT #23 BUDDHIST CHURCH OF PARLIER P.O. Box 547 Parlier, CA Address Service Requested

18 FEBRUARY Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday V & P Combined Super Bowl Service in Reedley 10:00am Jr. YBA Super Bowl Fundraiser Party at FDC following Sangha Gathering 10:00am Nirvana Day, Feb. Shotsuki, Keirokai, & Luncheon 10:00am BEC Lecturer Series with Elaine Donlin at FDC 7:00pm Parlier Board Meeting 7:00pm Parlier Class Taichi 8:00am (see below) Parlier Food Bazaar Meeting 7:00pm Parlier Class Taichi 8:00am Curtis Discussion Class 7:00pm Welcome Center 9:15am- 11:30am Parlier Class Taichi (see above) 28 Shoshinge Service w/ Mori s in Parlier 7:00pm V & P Meeting in Fowler 7:00pm CCDC Meeting in Fowler 7:00pm Parlier Class Taichi 8:00am 29 YBA Meeting at FDC 7:00pm Welcome Center 9:15am- 11:30am BWA Yard Sale Drop Off 12:00pm- 2:00pm BCA CALENDAR THEME; LIVE A REAL LIFE