September 2018 Volume 9

Transcription

1 Page 1 ONENESS Volume 9 September 2018 Volume 9 When sentient beings think on Amida, Just as a child thinks of its mother, They indeed see the Tathagata who is never distant Both in the present and in the future. 1 Before 2003, September always marked the beginning of the new school year following a well-needed summer break. It was the time of year when the nights were finally feeling cooler and more comfortable compared to the sweltering heat of the summer months before it. However, fifteen years ago, September became a month of great loss as my siblings and I lost our mother and my father lost his wife. As Buddhists, we talk about countless conditions of our lives that have such a deep impact on our day-to-day existence. Looking back on the loss and grief I experienced regarding my mother s passing, I often wonder if I would have became a minster if my mother was still alive. Would I still be a case manager at the Regional Center in Stockton? Would I have pursued my first master s degree in counseling psychology to support others with their own grief? I cannot answer for certain one way or another, but the question still remains. Did my mother have to die for me to become a minister? What I can comment on is the impact that her life and death made on my life as her daughter. My mother, Jackie, was a kind and welcoming woman. She constantly thought about others, sometimes even at the cost of her own night s sleep. She was the type of mother who opened the doors of our home to our friends while growing up, as she knew we were safe at our home instead of out and about in Stockton. Her personality was fun and sassy just like her short and spiky hairstyle, but also gentle and loving when you needed comforting and support. Her delicious cooking filled our tummies and our hearts. The touch of her hand to your cheek made you feel loved and secure like a child no matter how old I was. Through her passing, I have learned that a mother s love for her children is never severed even after her death. I have realized that grief has a powerful way of turning deep sorrow into profound love and appreciation for her. I now understand the suffering that we my face as we say good-bye when a loved one passes away. It is through my own suffering that allows me to authentically be with another during the most trying times of their lives. It still saddens me to think of her not physically being with us today, on my wedding day, or to witness the birth of my child hopefully in the future. But, I am certain that she remains with me like Shinran Shonin noted in the above hymn, similar to the Buddha who is never distant, both in the present and in the future. In Gassho, Rev. Candice Shibata 1 Collected Works of Shinran, 357.

2 Page 2 ONENESS Volume 9

3 BUDDHIST CHURCH OF FLORIN FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL SERVICES Funerals In the event of a death in the family, please follow these guidelines. For Makuragyo service, contact the Buddhist Church of Florin s resident minister, Reverend Candice Shibata, at (916) during business hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If the church office is closed, contact Reverend Shibata at (209) For the funeral service, contact Reverend Candice Shibata to determine the service date. The Buddhist Church of Florin s Funeral Committee is available to assist the family with the preparation of the general arrangements for the funeral. Please call the funeral committee chairpersons, Ron Okimura at (916) or (916) (cell) or Walter Menda at (916) or (916) (cell) for assistance. Orei guidelines: -Orei to Reverend Candice Shibata -Orei to Buddhist Church of Florin (Please refer to the Donation Guidelines in the Buddhist Church of Florin s Funeral and Memorial Service Guidelines) Family Memorial Services (i.e. 49 th day, 1 st year, 3 rd year, 7 th year, etc.) In the event of a family memorial service, please follow these guidelines. To schedule a service date, please contact the Buddhist Church of Florin s resident minister, Reverend Candice Shibata, at (916) during business hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Family brings homyo to service. Family provides the altar flowers and osonae (manju) for the service. It is helpful if the family provides to the minister: -Background information on deceased (spouse, children, relatives) -Date of birth/date of death; Cause of death Orei guidelines: -Orei to Reverend Candice Shibata -Orei to Buddhist Church of Florin (Please refer to the Donation Guidelines in the Buddhist Church of Florin s Funeral and Memorial Service Guidelines)

4 Buddhist Church of Florin Dharma School Events September 2018 September 2: September 30: Dharma School Registration Begins Undokai Festival This year s Undokai Festival will be held on Sunday, September 30 th. It is a great annual event that brings our DS students, families, and Sangha members together for some team activities and friendly competition. The games, such as tamaire (bean bag toss into baskets) and bowling, are enjoyable for participants and spectators alike please save the date and join us! Buddhist Church of Florin LOTUS Club August 2018 When driving up to the Temple, you must have noticed the beautiful landscape surrounding the Church. One primary reason is that Wendell Sonoda of Wendell F. Sonoda Nursery has, over several years, generously donated many of the trees, shrubbery and other nursery items adorning our Temple grounds. Thank you, Wendell for your decades of support to our church! Congratulations to Wendell on his retirement from the nursery business. We wish Wendell and his wife, Wanda, many happy years of retirement in their new home in Lathrop, California. Thank you, LOTUS Club members for your continuing dedication and hard work not only keeping the landscape tidy but other required work keeping our Temple clean, tidy and sanitary. One example is, Ben Kusaka was seen playing with the water hose! Hmmm, actually, he put on rubber boots and sprayed and scrubbed the outside kitchen floors that have not been cleaned in several years! Thank you to all LOTUS Club members; Harvey Kadoya, Mike Kakutani, George Miyao, Ron Shimizu, Jan Takeuchi, Ben Kusaka, Tomio Ito, Lloyd Okimura, Walter Menda, and all-around man and leader, Gary Okamoto. Thank you to the ladies who prepare delicious lunches every week for LOTUS Club members enjoyment and sustenance. They are Myrna Hitomi, JoAnn Kusaka, Judy Shimizu, Jean Okamoto, Janet Kuroda. Janet Sonoda is planning chicken casserole for next week s lunch. Thank you, Janet. Thank you all for your dedication to Florin Temple; despite the 100+ degree weather lately, everyone still come to make our Temple the best ever!!

5

6 Japan Tour Oregon Buddhist Temple and Buddhist Church of Florin The Korinji Temple Opens Time Capsule after 30 Years with Help of Wakasan Written by Randall Ishida In June 2018, Reverend Yuki Sugahara led a tour group to Japan with members from the Oregon Buddhist Temple and Buddhist Church of Florin. The group toured Hokkaido, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Tokyo and Shimane prefecture. One of the highlights of the tour was the opening of the Korinji Temple s 30-year old time capsule. Korinji Temple is located in Oda City, Shimane prefecture. This is Reverend Yuki Sugahara s family temple and is currently served by Reverend Yuki s father, Reverend Toshiki Sugahara. Reverend Yuki Sugahara is a 15th generation Buddhist priest and received his Tokudo at age 16 years old. The Korinji Temple members referred to him as Wakasan, meaning younger priest, when he assisted his father at the Temple. In 1988, members of the Korinji Temple buried a time capsule on the temple grounds to commemorate its 350 Year Anniversary and the visit by Gomonshu Koshin Ohtani. Since then, after 30 years, on June 23, 2018, Oregon Buddhist Temple and Florin Temple members along with Korinji Temple members shared the honor of the time capsule opening along with a brief ceremony and family memorial service. Inside the time capsule was a letter Reverend Yuki Sugahara had written when he was 8 years old. The letter revealed memories of him being hungry and eating a big meal at the time, and a reminder from his mother that he is growing older. There were other letters from Korinji Temple members as well. It is something to reflect upon the past and reveal the present. Many of the other highlights on the Japan tour included attending one of the morning services at the Nishi Hongwanji, in Kyoto. It was where members sat on the tatami floor for about an hour and recited the Nembutsu. Visits to Mount Hiei and Otani Hombyo were reverent and sacred places where one can renew their joy of encountering Shinran Shonin s teachings of the Nembutsu. On this trip to Japan many friendships were made and acquaintances renewed. It was a rewarding experience especially as members of both Temples became closer together. Together, we established a relationship from our first greetings to the farewells and it was a bond that kept us through thick and thin, such as the earthquake in Osaka (we were safe in Hokkaido at the time). The tour group started in Japan as Tour Bus #1 and Tour Bus #2 but ended up as BFF Buddha's Friends & Family. We learned more of the Japanese heritage, culture, values, and the teachings of the Buddha and of each other. The sights, sounds of Japan and the teachings of the Buddha always will be within our hearts. Many thanks go out to Reverend Yuki Sugahara, Ken and Peggy Okabayashi, tour guides, Miyoko Wada and Mariko Nishimaki for guiding us the way. Also, thank you to Reverend Candice Shibata for providing us healthy snacks for the 5:45 AM early morning bus ride from the Buddhist Church of Florin to the San Francisco International Airport and greeted our sleepy heads upon our return from Japan with pizza and cold drinks.

7 Oregon Buddhist Temple and Buddhist Church of Florin members at dinner. Buddhist Church of Florin members at the Korinji Temple. (note-photo with about 42 people) Oregon Buddhist Temple members at the Korinji Temple. (note-photo with 17 people)

8 Youth Retreat at Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley When Rev. Shibata initially introduced the Youth Retreat, I was ecstatic. I was under the impression that both of my siblings were attending too. This was not the case. Neither of them would or could come. After I learned this, I immediately tried to back out. I was not going to a new place with all new people without someone I knew and could talk to. Unfortunately for me (or so it seemed at the time) my mother made me complete the form and apply. Not without me being a difficult child and dragging it out as long as possible to hopefully prevent my attendance. As if it wasn t enough pressure to be the only one from my family, no one from the YBA signed up either. Great. I was alone. Rev. Shibata graciously allowed me to ride with her to the Jodo Shinshu Center. As I walked through the door, I realized something that made me want to cry. I might be the only black person there. Something I have struggled with for a long time. Being the only black person in a room is hard for me. I was quickly introduced to everyone and heard many names I searched faces. I didn t see a single black person. Now I was all alone. I quickly put on my best smile and resolved the being the kid who sat alone. I tried throwing myself into conversations with the other teens. I think that might have helped me a bit. I dreaded lunch when I didn t have a buddy to sit beside. Just strangers. After the first lesson, I was told I should have a dharma talk. Something I did not do for lack of reading thoroughly. I set to work on it immediately. And immediately encountered a writer's block. What to write about? Surely not the topic of my race. I knew I d be in tears before I was halfway through. As the date of my speech drew nearer, I began to panic. When asked I said I would talk about my race, but could I really do it? When the time for my dharma talk finally came, I just launched into it. I wrote down bullet point topics to prevent myself from tumbling over my words. I told the gathered teens and adults about my past. About growing up in an Asian setting made me want to be Asian, leaving my friends in Japan to be alone in Korea, having trouble being myself in America. And of course, coming to a Buddhist church and being part of the only black family there. Throughout my life, I have desperately searched for someone like me. To no avail of course. I constantly changed things like the way I dressed, wrote and acted to fit the people I wanted to be. As you can imagine, this caused me great levels of stress and isolation of myself from others. I talked about something I had never before said aloud, or to myself for that matter. I began to cry. and feel some of the weight lift from my being. I was able to bring the teaching of the Buddha into my talk and explain my struggle and my solution. The Buddha s teachings helped me to accept myself. The other teens there were extremely understanding and sympathetic. They helped me put aside the color of my skin and realize the content of my character. Which is far more important. Although I listen in service, the Youth Retreat was really a way for me to learn to apply teachings to my everyday life. The guest speakers really helped me realize that it was okay to struggle, as long as you were working to improve yourself and help others. They helped me see that I was not alone. That I can never truly be alone if I carry the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. In closing, I would like to share a song lyric that has both haunted and helped me throughout my struggle with myself. Ehipassiko come and see you ll know. The Teaching of peace the teaching of love. The teachings of the Buddha is for all who want to be free forever more In Gassho, Shaniya Weaver

9 Please note: The Master Calendar is subject to change. Contact BCF to confirm dates/events.

10

11

12 Buddhist Church of Florin Church Fundraisers SUMMER is Here! Purchase Scrip GIFT CARDS and Shop on AMAZONSMILE Scrip Gift Cards and AmazonSmile Please help support the Church every time you shop at stores and/or online when shopping on Amazon. The Church receives a portion of the sales from the Scrip Gift Cards and from Amazon. These fundraisers help pay for the Church s annual operating expenses such as ministerial expenses, utilities, janitorial, repairs, supplies, etc. Scrip Gift Cards Scrip Gift Cards are another way to pay for your everyday purchases in place of cash, checks and credit cards. The Church receives a portion of the Scrip Gift Card sales. Scrip Gift Cards are available from over 780 stores and businesses such as grocery stores, department stores, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. To purchase scrip gift cards, please contact Ann Tsukamoto at (916) or Walter Menda at (916) You can also order scrip gift cards online. AmazonSmile AmazonSmile is a new program offered by Amazon that is an easy way to support the Church every time you shop. Amazon donates a percentage of your purchases to the Church. Please purchase Scrip Gift Cards from the Buddhist Church of Florin and shop on AmazonSmile THANK YOU for your support.

13 BUDDHIST CHURCH OF FLORIN 7235 Pritchard Road, P.O. Box , Sacramento, CA (916) Project: Support the 100 th Anniversary Church Preservation Order a Commemorative Brick or Bench Plaque Today! ORDER AND DONOR FORM: Become a permanent part of the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Buddhist Church of Florin as we continue "Honoring Our Past, Celebrating Our Future. Your pledge or donation will help fund the renovation of our temple, kitchen, and multipurpose room. Don't delay! The brick pavers and bench plaques will be available for purchase until February 28, I wish to pledge or donate $2,500 to order a brick paver. See cover page for example. Please print carefully! Clearly write the text that will be engraved on the brick paver. Messages can be up to 23 characters per line (punctuation and space count as a character). Maximum of four lines. 2. I wish to pledge or donate $5,000 to order a bench plaque. The bench plaque size is being finalized. To reserve a bench plaque please call Ron Okimura ( or at rokimura@comcast.net 3. I wish to pledge or donate $ payable by February 28, 2018 Please make checks payable to: Buddhist Church of Florin Please send checks and order form to: Buddhist Church of Florin, 100th Anniversary Project, P.O. Box , Sacramento, CA Name: Address: Phone Number:

14

15

16