OHANA TIMES. Calligraphy Class

Transcription

1 A MESSAGE FROM OUR MINISTER The Message from Rev. Sugawara Resident Minister of Hilo Nichiren Mission In this newsletter I have something to unveil to everyone. Our former temple president Mr. Kiyoshi Nakagawa expressed his desire to retire as president of the Hilo Nichiren temple last February of this year, and Ms. Maggie Elliot was elected our new temple president. Calligraphy Class 24 Makalika St. Hilo, Hawaii Please join us!! The 2nd & 4th Mon 10am- strat 10AM Calligraphy is an important step in the understanding of Japanese culture. Sometimes we can see some differences among their thoughts, and those differences are very lucky for us. In a situation where people have different ideas, try to stand in the Buddha s or Nichiren Shonin s shoes. If the Buddha or Nichiren Shonin was in the situation, how do you think they would feel, think and act? When we try to act like the Buddha or Nichiren Shonin, we remember that even a small drop of water becomes a large river, and the river can grow up to be a wilderness of sea. Show gratitude to the present surrounding we are given, and devote ceaseless effort to the temple for the Buddha and your ancestors. If you do this, I can assure you that true peaceful and happiness will come to your family and your loved ones. Where there is love there is life. Tue. Claras Residens Thurs. Liliuokalani S S A L AC TE J tea nese y mon cere apa Clara Koga (808) Hilo Nichiren Mission Open daily 7:30a.m. 6:30p.m. 8 Aloha. Konnichiwa. I am a new arrival here at the temple. I have intentions, heart, and my Buddhist practice but I have no history here. I haven t earned this position or your regard yet. I was invited to join Reverend Sugawara s efforts towards ensuring a vibrant temple community well into the future. I am stunned and honored at this opportunity to serve the Buddha and Hilo Nichiren Mission. Thank you very much Rev. Hosho Sugawara Daily Services: Morning Service 8:30 a.m. Evening Service 6:00 p.m. Special Services: Kito Blessing Service: First Sunday at 10 a.m. Ancestors Service: Third Sunday 10 a.m. The possibilities for adventure are endless! by Maggie Elliot This temple has been getting bigger and more powerful in the last couple of years. Thanks to the long time efforts of the old members, and fresh breezes and energy by the new members, this temple has been become more vigorous. Also a variety of views or opinions are appearing due to increase of the members. Hilo Nichiren Mission 24 Makalika St. Hilo, Hawaii t: hawaii@ hilo-nichiren.com Visit us at: and on Facebook, Hilo Nichiren Mission We welcome everyon to our daily services. Vol. 4 No. 2 April, 2013 Hilo Nichiren Mission News Letter My Thoughts as New President of Hilo Nichiren Mission Board When the former resident minister of this temple was absent for long times; Mr. Nakagawa and other members protected this temple until today. Mahatma Gandhi said: OHANA TIMES Conversations with Mr. Nakagawa We asked our retiring President for his thoughts. What are you most proud of accomplishing at Hilo Nichiren Mission? The biggest accomplishment was when we, Nichiren Mission of Hilo, started the Bon Service. This particular church was built in This hall was built in All these years from 1975 we never participated with the outside, other churches was the first Bon Dance over here, when Rev. Tsujimura came. Prior to that people of Hilo never knew we had a church over here. We were so remote from the other Buddhist temples. Mr. Nakagawa has been your dedicated representative for so many years and he deserves the title Emeritus for every contribution on behalf of this temple. You know him pretty well and have trusted him as President and Treasurer to work through what needed to be done to benefit this temple. You have trusted him also to preserve the focus on maintaining and improving this temple s ability to be a source of pride and honor in our hearts and homes, in the Hilo community and for the Nichiren-Shu headquarters in Honolulu and in Japan. As a lifetime Hawaii Island Nichiren-Shu member he is brimming with history and knowledge of this place most especially the mission s cherished history which we wish to dust off and celebrate again. I look forward to learning from him. Then 1990, the first Bon Dance we participated in, the people of Hilo realized that there is a church over here. The people of Hilo got to like our presentation of the Bon Dance so we used to draw a lot of people. Anyway that s all I can say, prior to joining the (Big Island) Buddhist Federation we never had exposure, never. That s the greatest accomplishment of mine. I am grateful beyond measure for help with upcoming Board endeavors from our wonderful and brilliant members Clara Koga, Dan Kelley and his beautiful 3-generation family, Katie Veihl and Mary Alice McRae. All of us are grateful to have the opportunity to become more acquainted with other members as well as to earn your regard. We hope Mr. Nakagawa will long continue to share his knowledge and memories of our beautiful temple in Hilo Hawaii. We are really pleased to share the history in this new redesigned newsletter. An early memory? I was born in Hilo in My father came from Japan as a Nichiren. I went to church in Kapapala right after the war. I was kind of young. I used to go with my dad to Kapapala but those days the cars were bad, the roads were bad. We used to stop right by Volcano. Instead of going to KMC (Kilauea Military Camp) there s a place by the side of the road to park. We d park there and have a snack and then go on to Kapapala. 1

2 RECENT EVENTS FOCUS ON SPECIAL PROJECTS UPDATE ON Kapapala Cemetery Buddha s Birthday Service Everyone knows that Japanese immigrants, a lot of our ancestors in faith of Hawaii Nichiren Buddhism, are sleeping in the cemetery in Kapapala. On Sunday April 7, we held our annual Buddha s Birthday service at Hilo Nichiren temple. At the beginning of this year, the land owner of the Kapapala cemetery, Mr. Olson Trust, offered to give us the cemetery s land without any charge. But Hilo Nichiren Mission doesn t have the authority to decide about the land, so the board of directors of Honolulu Betsuin is having discussions about this issue right now. About 25 members attended to chant the Lotus Sutra and the Odaimoku, also they poured sweet tea for the baby Buddha. Our baby Buddha was decorated with many beautiful leis offered by members. Especially unusual flower, blue jade lei were very pretty. After the service, we enjoyed homemade cookies that our members made. Particularly spectacular were Buddah cookies!! Unfortunately, Hilo church doesn t have any information or records about this cemetery. We just have a Kako-cho which is a written record of the deceased s Buddhist name, date of death, legal name and Seshu (sponsor or family). We started to keep a Kakocho when the Hilo church was built. However, the present Kakocho at our church is not what was used at the Nichiren church in Kapapala. Also the Honolulu Betsuin doesn t have any old records or Kako-cho from the age of Kapapala. When we, the Hawaii Nichiren shu gave the church in Kapapala to the Tibetan Buddhist monks, it is possible that the Nichiren shu did not take our Kakocho with us. But since the present Kako-cho of our temple has records of the late members who passed away when the Kapapala church still belonged to Nichiren Buddism, so we can see approximately how events happened through the Kako-cho. However, unfortunately, the Hilo church has no idea of which grave the deceased are sleeping in. Only the family and descendants of the deceased know where they are resting. In the hall at the Kapapala cemetery, 6 ihai and 1 tall stupa are left. Those look very old, but actually they re not that old. 6 ihai were written by Nun Myoyo Mizuno in the 1970 s. Three of them are dated December, 1972, but the other three have no date. The tall stupa was written and built by Rev. Tsujimura in January The Kapapala cemetery is receiving the most attention ever now that we have had our 110th anniversary. Sooner or later, we need to examine the history of the Kapapala cemetery, and must pass on the information to the next generation. I would like to express deep appreciation to Maggie for her great support. She researched this land and acquired information about the cemetery land for our temple. Thank you very much. Kumiko Sugawara Calligraphy and Kites Some Japanese style kite kits have arrived. They will help a great deal in our calligraphy practice. About this Kite Kit: Created by Japanese master kite artist, Mikio Toki, who specializes in making Edo kites, this rectangular kite is the shape most often associated with Edo, or Tokyo. It is 11 3/4 inches, and made of washi (Japanese paper), with bamboo spars from Japan. Decorate with markers, watercolor, ink, or collage; the shape also easily accommodates woodblock prints. Ohana Movie On Sunday April 12, our temple hosted a showing of the movie Departures. This film won a 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It follows Daigo, a young man who practices the art of nokanshi, acting as a gentle gatekeeper between the departed and their families. 2 Thanks to those who brought popcorn and chips, cookies and iced tea. Many members were impressed by this movie and watching it inspired all of us to think about life. Rev. Sugawara will decide what calligraphy we will inscribe on the washi paper. Among the ideas are the names of past mission priests and priestesses, the names of venerable mission families, and ancient characters for Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Once the designs are added, we will assemble the kites from all the separate pieces according to some online instructional videos. There are bamboo rods to attach, reinforcing for tension points to be glued and finally strings to be tied. All should be ready to fly and some may adorn the hondo. Hilo has healthy trade winds to encourage us to fly more kites. Maggie Elliot 7

3 HONORED MEMBERS Betty Nakamura, Heirloom Member! We spoke with Betty at her beautiful home in Mountain View, the same town where she grew up in a large Nichiren family. Seiji and Kikuyo Nakamura had 5 sons and 5 daughters. Seiji was a devout Nichiren follower while Betty s mother, Kikuyo, was raised by Odaisan parents. Mountain View neighbors and fellow Nichiren members, the Yanabu family ran a bus to the temple in Kapapala. Betty went with her mother whenever there was a special service. These two families along with Kiyoshi Nakagawa, the Ota family, and Aoyagi family were the total membership, less than a dozen. The war began in 1941; the priests, Rev. Mochizuki and his wife, were sent to mainland camps. Kapapala church membership dried up as workers moved to Oahu for jobs. Of those left, most went to Hongwanji. It was at this time that the Nichiren church moved to Hilo. The early church in Hilo was in a small regular house. Members took turns cleaning and making up the bed in the house for the priest from Maui, Rev. Shinkai, who would spend the night there once a month. Betty s mother would serve the Reverend dinner on his way home. (Rev. Shinkai served at the Kapapala Mission from March 1954 to March 1957 when he was appointed to the Puunene Mission on Maui) Betty worked in the Post Exchange at KMC (Kilauea Military Camp) as well as at the family grocery store in Mountain View. The store closed around She learned to drive as a teenager and took her father to Hilo regularly as he was considered an alien and not allowed to drive. She started chanting when she took her mother to the Hilo temple beginning in She expressed her great gratitude that Rev. Shinkai came outside of his scheduled times when she connected with him about her mother s death. With so many years without one, Betty affirmed there was nothing like a resident priest. When notified of the arrival of a new priest there really were barely a handful of people to tell the exciting news to in Hilo and Mountain View. Maybe 15 years ago Betty went to Japan. She visited the Kuonji temple at Mt. Minobu and climbed to the summit of Mt. Shichimen. The members from Hilo who joined Rev. Matsumoto were Betty, her sister Janice, Clara Koga, Mr. Ishimoto as well as some Honolulu members. It was a very rainy climb, resting and drinking tea many times, and climbing many hours. She remembered it well. Betty and her sister Janice have taken over the ancestors alter from their parents, including the Odaisan objects from her mother s parents. There are nephews and nieces to hold this history. We are so fortunate to have prayed at her family altar and to have shared a cup of tea with Betty and her memories of this wonderful religion in her life. Maggie Elliot 3

4 NEW MEMBERS THE MISSION LEADER PROJECT The Leader Project A Message from Rev. Sugawara In our last newsletter there were some pictures of orange cloth that I had dyed. I sewed the cloth and finally competed a wonderful Buddhist Kesa (surplice) last month. Level 1 Purify your body We will clean-up main hall and outside. Level 2 Purify your soul We will chant the Odaimoku and Lotus Sutra, also copy the Lotus Sutra. Level 3 Rev. Sugawara Appoints New Member Ohana Times Editor Purify your soul and body We will go out to perform a holy prayer walk together. Sandy Hardy moved from New York to the Big Island in September 2012 and soon began to attend temple with her friends from Kalapana. She writes that she found new friends, common interests and beliefs among members of Hilo Nichiren temple. She joins them to learn a new path through complicated and stressful times. Level 4 Practice the Bodhisattva We will prepare for the Sunday service and learn the manners of the Buddhist service. A graphic designer in publishing and performing arts, she took great interest in helping Rev. Sugawara design the temple s newsletter. Rev. Sugawara appointed our new member as chief editor of OHANA TIMES. Her professional support should make our newsletter more beautiful. Welcome Joel, Diana, and Ariana Kelley When the student is ready, the master will appear. Buddha This statement is one most of us have heard, yet few know its source, and even fewer understand the reality of the words. Yet it is here, in my experience that Buddhism has become such a key element in my life. I have been blesses with a number of great teachers in my life, very few of whom were Buddhist, yet all of them have helped me walk the road to where I am today. Each of them were exactly the teachers I needed at exactly the time I needed them, and all of them are speaking through me as I write this. Their teachings, no matter the subject have led me to Buddhism and down to this moment. Buddhism is not a destination.one does not awaken one morning and proclaim I have arrived, I am a Buddhist. Rather, it is a journey, and a long one. In walking the journey, one must cultivate a beginner s mind, and remain mindful of the idea that one will likely never know when one has attained enlightenment. Thus we all continue to work for the betterment of all sentient beings, as well as ourselves, and we must be mindful that our efforts build our inner temples as well as our outer temples. As we join the community of this mission, I believe we have engaged at an auspicious time; our community is growing, our outer temple is becoming revitalized and filled with 4 new and beneficial energy, and our stewardship of the Kapapala cemetery is connecting us to the lineage that reaches back to Nichiren Shonin. Many of the newer members have been called to serve the community as board members or in other capacities. They look to a century of heritage here in Hawaii, and further to the rich heritage of this lineage to prepare them for the future of our mission and community. As our family looks to our Nichiren Buddhist community, we bring the teachings of our prior mentor, Gyosen Sawada Shonin, of Nipponzan Myohoji into our shared experience of the three treasures. We bring our beginner s mind to our practice, and seek to cultivate readiness to be the doctor and the medicine for all sick beings in the world. Level 5 Raise awareness We will make own Buddhist Kesa (surplice). A lot of Buddhist priests or believers who saw the hand-made Kesa had much interest in the Hilo Nichiren temple. The member who completes the 5 levels will be recognized as a top leader. That individual will be permitted to bring up a new leader. This year I want to raise leaders here, in the Hilo Nichiren temple. This Leader Project is designed to strengthen Nichiren Buddhism in the Big Island and also to disseminate the activities of Nichiren Buddhism around the world. The leader will be indispensable in supporting and growing the temple. Let s be disciples, and spread the Odaimoku and the Lotus Sutra all over the world in order to achieve peaceful communities. The basis of those activities is prayer. The prayer is what any person or any race may do for someone or some situation. It would be difficult for a small temple to spread the prayer from this Big Island to the world. However, if there are responsible leaders, our goal would be more achievable. Thank you for your consideration of this important information. Please let me know if you have questions about The Leader Project. I m looking forward to receiving your application. For that, the leader must be dedicated to prayer, and lead other lay members or non-followers to have stronger faith in the Nichiren Buddhism. This is the leader s mission. The leader s role is to keep and grow the Hilo Nichiren temple. Leader candidates must complete several practices to be leaders. Joel, Diana, and Ariana Kelley The practice of the sect, Nichiren Shu, is really hard. All priests in Japan know how hard the practice of the Nichiren Shu really is. But in our project, the practices of the leader candidates will not be as hard. They will learn, to take care of and develop the temple. For our new members, thanks to the Buddha. As the instructor, I will acknowledge someone who is a member of the Hilo Nichiren temple and has also mastered practices of the following 5 levels: Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. 5

5 NEW MEMBERS THE MISSION LEADER PROJECT The Leader Project A Message from Rev. Sugawara In our last newsletter there were some pictures of orange cloth that I had dyed. I sewed the cloth and finally competed a wonderful Buddhist Kesa (surplice) last month. Level 1 Purify your body We will clean-up main hall and outside. Level 2 Purify your soul We will chant the Odaimoku and Lotus Sutra, also copy the Lotus Sutra. Level 3 Rev. Sugawara Appoints New Member Ohana Times Editor Purify your soul and body We will go out to perform a holy prayer walk together. Sandy Hardy moved from New York to the Big Island in September 2012 and soon began to attend temple with her friends from Kalapana. She writes that she found new friends, common interests and beliefs among members of Hilo Nichiren temple. She joins them to learn a new path through complicated and stressful times. Level 4 Practice the Bodhisattva We will prepare for the Sunday service and learn the manners of the Buddhist service. A graphic designer in publishing and performing arts, she took great interest in helping Rev. Sugawara design the temple s newsletter. Rev. Sugawara appointed our new member as chief editor of OHANA TIMES. Her professional support should make our newsletter more beautiful. Welcome Joel, Diana, and Ariana Kelley When the student is ready, the master will appear. Buddha This statement is one most of us have heard, yet few know its source, and even fewer understand the reality of the words. Yet it is here, in my experience that Buddhism has become such a key element in my life. I have been blesses with a number of great teachers in my life, very few of whom were Buddhist, yet all of them have helped me walk the road to where I am today. Each of them were exactly the teachers I needed at exactly the time I needed them, and all of them are speaking through me as I write this. Their teachings, no matter the subject have led me to Buddhism and down to this moment. Buddhism is not a destination.one does not awaken one morning and proclaim I have arrived, I am a Buddhist. Rather, it is a journey, and a long one. In walking the journey, one must cultivate a beginner s mind, and remain mindful of the idea that one will likely never know when one has attained enlightenment. Thus we all continue to work for the betterment of all sentient beings, as well as ourselves, and we must be mindful that our efforts build our inner temples as well as our outer temples. As we join the community of this mission, I believe we have engaged at an auspicious time; our community is growing, our outer temple is becoming revitalized and filled with 4 new and beneficial energy, and our stewardship of the Kapapala cemetery is connecting us to the lineage that reaches back to Nichiren Shonin. Many of the newer members have been called to serve the community as board members or in other capacities. They look to a century of heritage here in Hawaii, and further to the rich heritage of this lineage to prepare them for the future of our mission and community. As our family looks to our Nichiren Buddhist community, we bring the teachings of our prior mentor, Gyosen Sawada Shonin, of Nipponzan Myohoji into our shared experience of the three treasures. We bring our beginner s mind to our practice, and seek to cultivate readiness to be the doctor and the medicine for all sick beings in the world. Level 5 Raise awareness We will make own Buddhist Kesa (surplice). A lot of Buddhist priests or believers who saw the hand-made Kesa had much interest in the Hilo Nichiren temple. The member who completes the 5 levels will be recognized as a top leader. That individual will be permitted to bring up a new leader. This year I want to raise leaders here, in the Hilo Nichiren temple. This Leader Project is designed to strengthen Nichiren Buddhism in the Big Island and also to disseminate the activities of Nichiren Buddhism around the world. The leader will be indispensable in supporting and growing the temple. Let s be disciples, and spread the Odaimoku and the Lotus Sutra all over the world in order to achieve peaceful communities. The basis of those activities is prayer. The prayer is what any person or any race may do for someone or some situation. It would be difficult for a small temple to spread the prayer from this Big Island to the world. However, if there are responsible leaders, our goal would be more achievable. Thank you for your consideration of this important information. Please let me know if you have questions about The Leader Project. I m looking forward to receiving your application. For that, the leader must be dedicated to prayer, and lead other lay members or non-followers to have stronger faith in the Nichiren Buddhism. This is the leader s mission. The leader s role is to keep and grow the Hilo Nichiren temple. Leader candidates must complete several practices to be leaders. Joel, Diana, and Ariana Kelley The practice of the sect, Nichiren Shu, is really hard. All priests in Japan know how hard the practice of the Nichiren Shu really is. But in our project, the practices of the leader candidates will not be as hard. They will learn, to take care of and develop the temple. For our new members, thanks to the Buddha. As the instructor, I will acknowledge someone who is a member of the Hilo Nichiren temple and has also mastered practices of the following 5 levels: Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. 5

6 CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL MAY JUNE APRIL 2013 Monday, April 15: Calligraphy & Japanese language class Sunday, April 21: Monthly Ancestors Service Sunday, April 28: Nichiren Proclaims Namu Myoho Renge Kyo; The celebration of Nichiren Shonin s establishment of Nichiren Buddhism when he first chanted Namu Myoho MAY 2013 Sunday, May 5: Monthly Kito Blessing & Children s day service. The reverend might prepare something special for kids. Monday, May 13: Calligraphy & Japanese language class Saturday, May 18: Birthday of Nichiren Buddhism in Hawaii; The dedication ceremony of the first Nichiren temple in Kapapala by Rev. Gyoun Takagi was held on May 18, 1902, and this date has been regarded as the birthday of Nichiren Buddhism in Hawaii. Sunday, May 26: Monthly Ancestors Service & the celebration of the birthday of Nichiren Buddhism in Hawaii. Also we are planning cookie contest. Please let us share your specialty cookies, and show the recipe. We will try to make the No.1 Renge Kyo to the rising sun at Mount Kiyosumi in Chiba Pref. on April 28, He was 32 years old. cookies by its recipe later, and try to sell them at the farmers market as our fund-raise. Thursday, May 23: Hilo Tsunami Memorial Day; The big Tsunami attacked Hilo town and 61 victims included 2our temple s members on May 23, This year has been 53years memorial anniversary of the Tsunami. We are holding memorial holy walk for the victims on this day of every year. Monday, May 27: Calligraphy & Japanese language class JUNE 2013 Sunday, June 2: Monthly Kito Blessing Service Monday, June 10: Calligraphy & Japanese language class Sunday, June 16: Monthly Ancestors Service Monday, June 24: Calligraphy & Japanese language class Uchiwa-daiko Drumming Instruction Reverend Sugawara asked Dan Kelley to write instructions on how to beat a drum during the service. Following this instruction will help us achieve nicer beating. A printout of these instructions will be presented during services. Please use the hand drum (uchiwa daiko) and follow these instructions to help chant the Odaimoku: 6

7 RECENT EVENTS FOCUS ON SPECIAL PROJECTS UPDATE ON Kapapala Cemetery Buddha s Birthday Service Everyone knows that Japanese immigrants, a lot of our ancestors in faith of Hawaii Nichiren Buddhism, are sleeping in the cemetery in Kapapala. On Sunday April 7, we held our annual Buddha s Birthday service at Hilo Nichiren temple. At the beginning of this year, the land owner of the Kapapala cemetery, Mr. Olson Trust, offered to give us the cemetery s land without any charge. But Hilo Nichiren Mission doesn t have the authority to decide about the land, so the board of directors of Honolulu Betsuin is having discussions about this issue right now. About 25 members attended to chant the Lotus Sutra and the Odaimoku, also they poured sweet tea for the baby Buddha. Our baby Buddha was decorated with many beautiful leis offered by members. Especially unusual flower, blue jade lei were very pretty. After the service, we enjoyed homemade cookies that our members made. Particularly spectacular were Buddah cookies!! Unfortunately, Hilo church doesn t have any information or records about this cemetery. We just have a Kako-cho which is a written record of the deceased s Buddhist name, date of death, legal name and Seshu (sponsor or family). We started to keep a Kakocho when the Hilo church was built. However, the present Kakocho at our church is not what was used at the Nichiren church in Kapapala. Also the Honolulu Betsuin doesn t have any old records or Kako-cho from the age of Kapapala. When we, the Hawaii Nichiren shu gave the church in Kapapala to the Tibetan Buddhist monks, it is possible that the Nichiren shu did not take our Kakocho with us. But since the present Kako-cho of our temple has records of the late members who passed away when the Kapapala church still belonged to Nichiren Buddism, so we can see approximately how events happened through the Kako-cho. However, unfortunately, the Hilo church has no idea of which grave the deceased are sleeping in. Only the family and descendants of the deceased know where they are resting. In the hall at the Kapapala cemetery, 6 ihai and 1 tall stupa are left. Those look very old, but actually they re not that old. 6 ihai were written by Nun Myoyo Mizuno in the 1970 s. Three of them are dated December, 1972, but the other three have no date. The tall stupa was written and built by Rev. Tsujimura in January The Kapapala cemetery is receiving the most attention ever now that we have had our 110th anniversary. Sooner or later, we need to examine the history of the Kapapala cemetery, and must pass on the information to the next generation. I would like to express deep appreciation to Maggie for her great support. She researched this land and acquired information about the cemetery land for our temple. Thank you very much. Kumiko Sugawara Calligraphy and Kites Some Japanese style kite kits have arrived. They will help a great deal in our calligraphy practice. About this Kite Kit: Created by Japanese master kite artist, Mikio Toki, who specializes in making Edo kites, this rectangular kite is the shape most often associated with Edo, or Tokyo. It is 11 3/4 inches, and made of washi (Japanese paper), with bamboo spars from Japan. Decorate with markers, watercolor, ink, or collage; the shape also easily accommodates woodblock prints. Ohana Movie On Sunday April 12, our temple hosted a showing of the movie Departures. This film won a 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It follows Daigo, a young man who practices the art of nokanshi, acting as a gentle gatekeeper between the departed and their families. 2 Thanks to those who brought popcorn and chips, cookies and iced tea. Many members were impressed by this movie and watching it inspired all of us to think about life. Rev. Sugawara will decide what calligraphy we will inscribe on the washi paper. Among the ideas are the names of past mission priests and priestesses, the names of venerable mission families, and ancient characters for Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Once the designs are added, we will assemble the kites from all the separate pieces according to some online instructional videos. There are bamboo rods to attach, reinforcing for tension points to be glued and finally strings to be tied. All should be ready to fly and some may adorn the hondo. Hilo has healthy trade winds to encourage us to fly more kites. Maggie Elliot 7

8 A MESSAGE FROM OUR MINISTER The Message from Rev. Sugawara Resident Minister of Hilo Nichiren Mission In this newsletter I have something to unveil to everyone. Our former temple president Mr. Kiyoshi Nakagawa expressed his desire to retire as president of the Hilo Nichiren temple last February of this year, and Ms. Maggie Elliot was elected our new temple president. Calligraphy Class 24 Makalika St. Hilo, Hawaii Please join us!! The 2nd & 4th Mon 10am- strat 10AM Calligraphy is an important step in the understanding of Japanese culture. Sometimes we can see some differences among their thoughts, and those differences are very lucky for us. In a situation where people have different ideas, try to stand in the Buddha s or Nichiren Shonin s shoes. If the Buddha or Nichiren Shonin was in the situation, how do you think they would feel, think and act? When we try to act like the Buddha or Nichiren Shonin, we remember that even a small drop of water becomes a large river, and the river can grow up to be a wilderness of sea. Show gratitude to the present surrounding we are given, and devote ceaseless effort to the temple for the Buddha and your ancestors. If you do this, I can assure you that true peaceful and happiness will come to your family and your loved ones. Where there is love there is life. Tue. Claras Residens Thurs. Liliuokalani S S A L AC TE J tea nese y mon cere apa Clara Koga (808) Hilo Nichiren Mission Open daily 7:30a.m. 6:30p.m. 8 Aloha. Konnichiwa. I am a new arrival here at the temple. I have intentions, heart, and my Buddhist practice but I have no history here. I haven t earned this position or your regard yet. I was invited to join Reverend Sugawara s efforts towards ensuring a vibrant temple community well into the future. I am stunned and honored at this opportunity to serve the Buddha and Hilo Nichiren Mission. Thank you very much Rev. Hosho Sugawara Daily Services: Morning Service 8:30 a.m. Evening Service 6:00 p.m. Special Services: Kito Blessing Service: First Sunday at 10 a.m. Ancestors Service: Third Sunday 10 a.m. The possibilities for adventure are endless! by Maggie Elliot This temple has been getting bigger and more powerful in the last couple of years. Thanks to the long time efforts of the old members, and fresh breezes and energy by the new members, this temple has been become more vigorous. Also a variety of views or opinions are appearing due to increase of the members. Hilo Nichiren Mission 24 Makalika St. Hilo, Hawaii t: hawaii@ hilo-nichiren.com Visit us at: and on Facebook, Hilo Nichiren Mission We welcome everyon to our daily services. Vol. 4 No. 2 April, 2013 Hilo Nichiren Mission News Letter My Thoughts as New President of Hilo Nichiren Mission Board When the former resident minister of this temple was absent for long times; Mr. Nakagawa and other members protected this temple until today. Mahatma Gandhi said: OHANA TIMES Conversations with Mr. Nakagawa We asked our retiring President for his thoughts. What are you most proud of accomplishing at Hilo Nichiren Mission? The biggest accomplishment was when we, Nichiren Mission of Hilo, started the Bon Service. This particular church was built in This hall was built in All these years from 1975 we never participated with the outside, other churches was the first Bon Dance over here, when Rev. Tsujimura came. Prior to that people of Hilo never knew we had a church over here. We were so remote from the other Buddhist temples. Mr. Nakagawa has been your dedicated representative for so many years and he deserves the title Emeritus for every contribution on behalf of this temple. You know him pretty well and have trusted him as President and Treasurer to work through what needed to be done to benefit this temple. You have trusted him also to preserve the focus on maintaining and improving this temple s ability to be a source of pride and honor in our hearts and homes, in the Hilo community and for the Nichiren-Shu headquarters in Honolulu and in Japan. As a lifetime Hawaii Island Nichiren-Shu member he is brimming with history and knowledge of this place most especially the mission s cherished history which we wish to dust off and celebrate again. I look forward to learning from him. Then 1990, the first Bon Dance we participated in, the people of Hilo realized that there is a church over here. The people of Hilo got to like our presentation of the Bon Dance so we used to draw a lot of people. Anyway that s all I can say, prior to joining the (Big Island) Buddhist Federation we never had exposure, never. That s the greatest accomplishment of mine. I am grateful beyond measure for help with upcoming Board endeavors from our wonderful and brilliant members Clara Koga, Dan Kelley and his beautiful 3-generation family, Katie Veihl and Mary Alice McRae. All of us are grateful to have the opportunity to become more acquainted with other members as well as to earn your regard. We hope Mr. Nakagawa will long continue to share his knowledge and memories of our beautiful temple in Hilo Hawaii. We are really pleased to share the history in this new redesigned newsletter. An early memory? I was born in Hilo in My father came from Japan as a Nichiren. I went to church in Kapapala right after the war. I was kind of young. I used to go with my dad to Kapapala but those days the cars were bad, the roads were bad. We used to stop right by Volcano. Instead of going to KMC (Kilauea Military Camp) there s a place by the side of the road to park. We d park there and have a snack and then go on to Kapapala. 1