Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Dharma School News

Transcription

1 Happy New Year! Hi Dharma School Families, Happy 2015! I hope you enjoyed the holidays and the New Year has begun well. Our Dharma School year concluded with the collection of twenty holiday dinner baskets, donated to InnVision- Shelter Network s Haven Family House in Menlo Park. Thank you all for your generosity and assistance. We are looking forward to an active remainder of the school year. Of note, the 2015 Dharma School taiko program began this month (Jan). In addition to the amazing Mitchell Fukumoto, we have two new instructors! They are Ian Berve and Ken Yuzuriha. WELCOME and THANK YOU, Ian and Ken. Ian and Ken will assist Mitchell and enable us to have two classes (beginners and advanced) meet simultaneously. We are also able to accommodate more students and have opened our taiko program up to 3 rd graders. We now have 21 students enrolled in taiko. If your student is interested in learning taiko, is enrolled in Dharma School (attending class fairly regularly), and is in 3 rd grade or above, please contact me. We welcome any and all new students! The following are some dates and/or events to add to your 2015 family calendars: Feb 8 BWA luncheon with speaker Kristi Yamaguchi March (TBD) Annual Bowl-a-thon Fundraiser April 10 Hanamatsuri Dress Rehearsal 7 pm April 12 Hanamatsuri service and program May 3 Trip to San Mateo Buddhist Temple May 9 Hold the date: Dharma School Car Wash May 10 Dharma School to host Sangha After- Service refreshments May 31 Dinner Preparation for Maple Street Shelter residents June 14 Graduation Service On the first Sunday in May, we have received an invitation by the San Mateo BT Dharma School to visit. As the Temple is a 2 block walk from the Cal train station, we would like to travel by train. This should be a fun outing and great opportunity for families. More details will be communicated as the date approaches. Another activity being considered is a summer outing to AT&T Park to see the SF Giants play. Let me know if you are interested in going and/or helping to plan this. Lastly, our Happiness class enrollment has been declining. It would be wonderful to have new families join our Dharma School. If you have any friends, family, or acquaintances that may have an interest in our Temple Dharma School, please do mention to them that they are always welcome to visit. Thank you again for your membership in and support of Dharma School and especially for sharing your children with us! If you ever have any concern or suggestions, please feel free to contact us. In Gassho, Denise Montgomery and Kathy Obana, Co-Superintendents - 1 -

2 Halloween Party The annual Dharma School Halloween Party was held on October 26 th in a beautifully, if not hauntingly, decorated gym. The students showed up in their colorful and imaginative costumes to participate in the activities planned by the Lotus Class parents. After a service that featured a real pirate (well Rev Koyama dressed as a pirate), the students and their families transitioned to the gym. The party s activities began with the traditional parade of costumes followed by a delicious pizza lunch. Judging from the joyful noise of the children and the smiles on the faces in the crowd, the party was a big success. Thank you to all who helped out with the party. Bodhi Day The PABT annual Bodhi Day Service was held on Sunday December 7 th. The Bodhi Day Service marks the day when the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni Buddha) attained enlightenment. It is a day observed by all Buddhist regardless of sect. As in year past, the Dharma School students led the entire service. The Happiness Class provided offerings of fruit and treats. The Lotus Class provided offerings of flowers and light (via candles). The Truth s Disciple Class helped to prepare the Onaijin and initiated the service by ringing the temple bell. The Dana Class provided inspirational readings on the significance of Bodhi Day and chaired the service. The Satori Class led the chanting and provided sincere and poignant Dharma messages. The students look forward to this service every year and feel a sense of reverence and inclusiveness as they participate in the service. Bear Story Your Story? The PABT Dharma School is seeking new teachers. No experience is necessary and training will be provided. Being a teacher is an excellent way to learn the Dharma and is a very rewarding experience. Many of us have doubts of our Dharma knowledge and may be hesitant to take the leap into becoming a teacher. I know this because I had doubts myself. The following is a story written many years ago that conveys this feeling is it your story too? Once upon a time, in a forest far, far away, lived a couple of bears. The Bears had just been married and were enjoying life together as husband and wife. Mrs. Bear spent her days at a local cub school helping cubs too young to go to bear school to learn their colors, numbers and shapes. Mr. Bear worked for a large company and spent most of his days in front of the computer. The Bears lived a happy life, they took trips, bought a new house, and had many bear friends. As they grew older, pressure from their jobs caused much stress in their lives. Mrs. Bear would relieve her stress by talking with her sisters. Mr. Bear, being a guy, was not used to talking about his - 2 -

3 feelings and so need another outlet. One day Mr. Bear decided to attend church at the local temple of the Bear Churches of America. There he found a calming atmosphere for him to unwind and forget about the pressures of work. Mr. Bear would attend church every Sunday and used it as a reset button to get his life back on track. The service provided him with spiritual nutrition that he could not find anywhere else. They would do bear chants like the Bear Butsu Ge, sing bear gathas like Asa no Uma, and listen to bear sermons from Reverend Bearyama. One day, Mr. & Mrs. Bear had a baby they named Patch. As they saw with most of their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bear s lives would be changed forever. Patch filled their lives with a joy they had never experienced before. Mr. Bear stopped going to church as he found playing with Patch relieved his stress. Patch grew quickly and started going to bear school. Mr. Bear decided it was time to take Patch to church to attend bearma school. Patch enjoyed bearma school. There he found many other bear friends who also enjoyed bearemon cards like him. They would trade bearemon cards with pictures of Pikabear, Beartle, Bulbabear, and Bearmander. Everyone wanted the coveted holofoil Bearizard card. Patch also enjoyed his class at Bearma school. There he learned about the Teachings of Bearda, sang in the choir and played the bearko. Mr. Bear began to pay more attention to the Bearma. He found that all those years away from the church had built a spiritual void in his life. He wanted to learn more about the Teachings of the Bearda. Listening to bear sermons provided some of what he needed, but he felt he needed more. So Mr. Bear became a Bearma School teacher. At first, Mr. Bear found it difficult to be a Bearma School teacher. He felt like he needed to have all the answers to all the questions the students would ask. He wanted so much to make the cubs learn the Teachings of the Bearda. With the assistance and support of his fellow teachers, Mr. Bear learned that it was very difficult if not impossible to know everything about the Teachings of the Bearda. Being a Bearma school teacher allowed Mr. Bear to learn much more about the Bearma as he had to stay one step ahead of his students. Mr. Bear found that being a teacher gave him the opportunity to apply the Teachings to everyday life as he tried to set an example for his students. Some of the Teachings of the Bearma made such a difference in his life. Living a life of gratitude by being thankful and not taking anything for granted. Realizing the impermanent nature of things and knowing that sometime its better to let things go. Knowing the other power, Amida Bearda, was always there to allow him to see things as they truly are. Mr. Bear still had many days of stress, he would get upset at the computer at work, he would yell at Patch at home, and he had days of frustration as he tried to control things that were uncontrollable. But Mr. Bear learned that these bumps in his life were normal and necessary. He learned to embrace the good parts of his life as well as the bad and bring them with him to the classroom at Bearma school. As a Bearma School teacher, Mr. Bear found that he needed to bring all aspects of his life to fully express the Teachings of the Bearda. Today Mr. Bear still enjoys teaching at the Bearma school. He wishes that all could have the same rewarding experiences that he has had being a teacher. It is never too late for all the Mr. and Mrs. Bears out there in the forest to come and become a Bearma school teacher. Is this your story? teacher and find out. Become a Dharma School - 3 -

4 Dharma School Faculty and Staff Happiness Preschool-K (Rooms 1 and 2) Ruth Shiroyama Leslie Hokama Lori O Connell Lotus 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd JoAnn Mclennan (Room 7) Laura Norimoto Kathy Obana Truth s 4 th, 5 th Denise Montgomery Disciple Ron Matsuura (Room 6) Magali Yoshida Dana 6 th, 7 th, 8 th Wayne Montgomery (Rooms 3 and 4) Tyler Montgomery Satori 9 th, 10 th, 11 th, 12 th Landon Yamaoka (Issei Hall) Mark O Connell Music Chair Media Chair Amy Yoshida Carl Yanari Things Happening at the Temple BWA Luncheon will be held on Sunday February 8 th from 12:30 to 3:30 PM in the temple gym. This year the guest speaker will be Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi who had attended the Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church in her youth. All are invited to attend, please see a BWA member for tickets. Nirvana Day and Pet Memorial Service will be held on Sunday February 15 th. Nirvana Day marks the day that Shakyamuni Buddha left this earthly realm and passed into Nirvana. This service will also serve as a memorial for pets. If you wish, you may bring a photo or memento of a pet that has passed on to be placed before the altar during service. Dharma School Bowal-a-thon will be held sometime in March. Stay tuned for a date. Hanamatsuri will be held on April 10 th at 10:00 AM. This service is held to commemorate the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha. Following the service, the Dharma School students will perform on stage in their annual Horaku Program. Rehearsal for Hanamatsuri will take place on Friday April 8 th at 7:00 PM. There will be a Field Trip to the San Mateo Buddhist Temple on Sunday May 3 rd. San Mateo is our neighboring temple to the north and we will be visiting their Dharma School. Details on transportation and time will follow. PABT Dharma School escrip Did you know that PABT Dharma School has an escrip account? Most of you are familiar with the escrip program from school programs. Participating merchants contribute each time your families make a purchase using their registered cards. There are no receipts to collect, no vouchers or certificates to buy, no hassles for you and every purchase counts. Parents, friends, and families are encouraged to enroll in escrip identifying Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Dharma School as an organization you would like to support. Each member of escrip can support up to three (3) organizations. Please sign- up and register all grocery club cards and existing credit/debit cards. Our Dharma School will financially benefit each month from purchases made at escrip merchants! Thank you in advance for your financial support! Below is the organization name we are registered under and our group ID number. Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Dharma School escrip Group ID

5 Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Dharma School News Sunday January 25, 2015 Vol XV No. 2 Halloween Party October 26,

6 Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Dharma School News Sunday January 25, 2015 Vol XV No. 2 Bodhi Day December 7,