Official Publication of the Buddhist Churches of America

buddhistchurchesofamerica.orgVOLUME 42 • ISSUE 7 JULY 2020

Wheel of Dharma

By Devon Matsumoto, President The Young Buddhist Editorial

Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple

Dear Dads and Moms; Aunties and Uncles; Jiichans and Baachans; Senseis and Rev-erends:

We are in a time of crisis. A global pandemic has locked many of us in our

homes in order to protect the most vulner-able in our community. Millions of Ameri-cans are losing their jobs and are struggling to survive. Disparities in access to health care in America have been brought to light again thanks to COVID-19 in which Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian people are being disproportionately affected by this disease.

And yet, nothing can compare to the virus that has plagued our nation since the first colonizers set foot on America: racism and anti-blackness. Black people have been survivors of enslavement, violence, Jim

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LIVING THROUGH A PANDEMIC

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By Jon Kawamoto, Editor Wheel of Dharma

The Buddhist Churches of America has joined the growing chorus of organizations, brands, religious institutions and individuals issuing public statements and messages on racism, inclusivity and inequality — and un-equivocal support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

In the wake of the tragic and brutal police killing of George Floyd in Minneap-olis on Memorial Day, the BCA Ministers Association and individual temples — such as the Berkeley Buddhist Temple and the Mountain View Buddhist Temple — have issued statements denouncing the recent police killings of African Americans. They have also called out systematic racism, ineq-uity and injustice in U.S. society and given

BCA Joins Calls Against Racism; for Inclusion, EqualityMinisters, Temples

Issue Statementsin Full Support of Black Lives MatterThe Minister’s Assistants of

the Twin Cities Buddhist Sangha in Minneapolis, Minnesota, par-ticipated in a June 2 silent march that was led by African American clergy as allies in solidarity with clergy of many faith traditions.

Chiemi Onikura-Bly, Gail Wong and Todd Tsuchiya walked with hundreds of participants following the lead of our brothers and sisters in the religious com-munity in a meaningful show of support.

The silent march culminated in messages and prayers at the site dedicated as the memorial to George Floyd. This was the site where he died on Memorial Day — outside the Cup Foods grocery store at East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis — while in police

Twin CitiesMAs Part ofSilent March

BISHOP’S MESSAGE

The Color of Pure GoldA Letter to My

Community

By Rev. Marvin Harada BCA Bishop

Our world today faces racial tension and racism

that tears at our humanity and society.

We watched in horror as George Floyd was choked to death by a policeman. People have marched in our cities — both large and small — throughout the world to protest racism, police brutality and injus-tice. It almost feels like we

haven’t made any progress since the 1960s and the days of the Civil Rights Movement.

It is my hope and wish that progress can be made, that there will be a day when we won’t have to pro-test for equality and justice.

Such an aspiration is at the heart of the Buddha,

as is expressed in the above quote, which is the third of the 48 vows in the Larger Sutra.

We don’t interpret this vow literally. It is not saying that we all have to have the same golden tan and color of skin. This vow is expressing what is at the heart of a Buddha, the heart of an Enlightened One that sees “beyond” the color of our skin, such that all beings reflect the “color of

“If, when I attain Buddhahood, humans and devas in my land should not all be the color of pure gold, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. — Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life

By Matt Tokeshi-Nitta Buddhist Church of Sacramento

Recently, the Black Lives Matter activist movement has been at the forefront of the na-tional media, with many people, companies, and religious groups speaking out in public support. As Asian Americans and Bud-

dhists, we may be wondering how we all fit into this move-ment and the outcry for change.

However, it has been inter-esting to see our Buddhist com-munity largely remaining silent on the issue, speaking out weeks later, or giving half-hearted and watered-down statements

Black Community Needs Support, Solidarity

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The Minister’s Assistants of the Twin Cities Buddhist Sangha took part in a June 2 silent march in solidarity with clergy of many different faiths. Below left, Twin Cities Chiemi Onikura-Bly, Gail Wong and Todd Tsuchiya attend the march. Below right, the George Floyd memorial site where Floyd was killed Memorial Day at a Minneapolis police officer. (Courtesy of Rev. Todd Tsuchiya)

Devon Matsumoto

Matt Tokeshi-Nitta poses with his wife, Jenna Tokeshi-Nitta. (Courtesy of Matt Tokeshi-Nitta)

PAGE 2 WHEEL OF DHARMA JULY 2020

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Editor:

Jon Kawamoto

Editor, Japanese Section:

Rev. Ryuta Furumoto

Print Production:

Jeffrey Kimoto

National Board Meeting Is Held Remotely Via Zoom

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By Dr. Kent Matsuda BCA President

For the first time ever, the BCA hosted a National Board meeting on Zoom on June 6.

With assistance and cooperation from the BCA Executive Committee and the meeting attendees, the effort was amazingly successful.

The meeting started with Steve Terusaki, BCA Vice President, giving an explana-tion of how to use the Zoom tools during the meeting. This was followed by a brief welcome message from Rev. Marvin Harada, Bishop of the BCA.

Rev. Harada acknowledged the minister shortage facing the BCA. He announced that Rev. Yugo Fujita of the Bud-dhist Temple of Salinas re-signed from the BCA and that Rev. Masanori Watanabe of the Oxnard Buddhist Temple took a leave of absence from the BCA.

Rev. Harry Bridge, Gicho, informed the attendees that there would be a Zoom meeting on June 20 dealing with reopening temples. The intended audience would be ministers, Minister’s Assis-tants, and temple representa-

tives involved with reopening their temples.

Gayle Noguchi, Director of Operations, reminded attendees that BCA Head-quarters and the Jodo Shinshu Center both remain closed. This year’s BCA directory would only be available on-line, saving the BCA needed funds and allowing for rapidly recording updates.

Kevin Arakaki, BCA Con-troller, indicated that BCA dues have been coming in at a rate that was just slightly lower than in previous years.

Rev. David Matsumoto,

President of the Institute for Buddhist Studies (IBS), noted that 37 students completed the spring semester. Eight new students would be enrolled in the fall. There are 10 BCA ministerial aspirants in IBS Master’s Degrees programs and 14 in the Shin Buddhist Studies Certificate Program, with many in the latter group hoping to become BCA min-isters.

In February, the IBS was granted Initial Accreditation for the next six years.

Charles Ozaki, Chair of the Endowment Foundation, indicated that the first quarter of 2020 was a financially diffi-

By Rev. Patricia Usuki San Fernando Valley Hongwanji

Buddhist Temple

This moment of farewell has crept up on me.

The COVID-19 situation is so disorienting. Though it’s only been a few months, it seems like we’re stuck in a perpetual holding pattern, not knowing what is to come next — as if we are supposed to know.

One life lesson that has already emerged from the crisis is that we don’t know much at all. Our plans are just that, made of our self-centered

hopes, wishes, assumptions and ambitions. We are such well-intentioned foolish be-ings.

Truth be told, it’s not easy for me to let go. Sixteen years with the BCA, all at San Fernando Valley Hongwanji, have flown by at an astonish-ing pace.

You can’t call it work when you love what you get to do. It’s been such a privilege and a joy to find myself immersed in this life; to have been invited to serve. The benefits have all accrued to me. We have walked this path together and I have learned, am still learn-ing, more than I could ever imagine about the boundless wisdom and compassion that permeates this thing I ignorantly call my life. To all,

without exception, my debt of gratitude is infinite and deep.

Who can fathom the way it all comes together, to turn a quintessential Canadian, raised Christian, into a Jodo Shinshu minister? My parents encouraged me to seek my own way, to open the heart and mind in order to hear what should be heard. The path wound through disparate settings before arriving here. Life experiences, more than conventions and plans, may keep us moving forward, even through the unthinkable and the unknown.

To the myriad facets of this life — the stories of ancestors, of internment camps, of toils and sacrifices; the beauty of growing up with every race and language and culture; the

freedom to be welcomed as a person, and not as a label — I bow my head.

Through the power of in-finite lives with their infinite experiences, to be enabled to rise up, and still higher up — to be brought to wonder years ago: With these skills I had received, was I part of the problem?

To write convincing Cabi-net briefs about the need for an offshore oil rig, or a presti-gious space arm, when equally astounding were the pollution and poverty that cried out for compassion — who did this benefit? Human compassion, my compassion, is achingly limited.

I understand why this is a

By Rev. Dr. Mutsumi Wondra Orange County Buddhist Church

Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona, had a predominantly Caucasian student population in the early 1900s.

The principal was also Caucasian. Around 1936, the high school song was adopted when anti-Japanese sentiment was still smoldering. It in-cluded the words, “Carry on;

Oh, Namo Amida Butsu.” Yamamoto Bukkotsu

sensei’s talk on YouTube told the story of “Carry on, Oh, Namo Amida Butsu.” I have never met Yamamoto sensei, but read his books and always wished to hear his talk. I was lucky to have found his video.

Yamamoto sensei was born in Kanazawa prefecture in 1910, taught Shinran Shonin’s teaching in Ryukoku Univer-sity, and became a top scholar of Hongwanji, even though he did not go past elementary school because of poverty.

His family, including his father, brother, sister, and finally, mother, passed away from the Spanish flu when he was a child. He was adopted by a temple family and studied in the Gyoshinkyoko to learn Buddhism and Jodoshins-hu-Shin Buddhism.

Later, when Yamamoto sensei came to the United States, he visited several Shin Buddhist temples, and heard about the story of “Carry on, Oh, Namo Amida Butsu” from the resident minister in the New York Buddhist Temple who was formerly at the Arizona Buddhist Temple.

I started wondering who the minister could be. I thought it may be Rev. Hozen Seki. So, I contacted my friend Hoshina Seki, a daugh-ter of Rev. Seki. Sure enough, Hoshina emailed me back say-ing that it was her father. She told me to take a look at “A Spark of Dharma,” page 34. Sure enough, the story was on that page.

Rev. Seki often visited Mesa in his missionary work, and he met Kurataro Ishikawa, who had come 25 years earlier

from Hiroshima city and had succeeded in farming.

His only son, Jiro, was a senior at Mesa High School. Jiro had great scholastic ability and was the captain of the soccer team. He was an outstanding model student.

However, he was in a gun accident and the bullet went through his chest, fatally injuring him. In those days, Mesa was still a country town. Jiro’s father instinctively knew that it was useless to call a doctor.

He repeatedly told his son, “There’s nothing to worry about. You will go to Amida Buddha’s realm.” Jiro responded with the words, “Carry on; Namo Amida Butsu.” Jiro repeated these words, continuously until he

Truth Be Told, It’s Not Easy for Me to Let Go

Let’s Remember to Keep the Spirit, Legacy of ‘Carry on’

“Our degrees in education, the titles we have earned, the things we have achieved – we must detach ourselves from the concerns about all of it. When we return to our ordinary selves, we give birth to an insight to the self in its simple beauty with all its foolishness intact. At that point we glean an insight into the self as interconnected with life in all its complexity.”

— Zenmon Koshin Ohtani, “The Buddha’s Call to Awaken: Shin Buddhist Views on the Crumbling of True Spiritual Values,”

Page 104

BCA Receives Nearly $300K in PPP LoansFrom U.S. Government During COVID-19

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JULY 2020 WHEEL OF DHARMA PAGE 3

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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By Darlene Bagshaw Buddhist Church of Stockton

The 2020 Nitta Scholarship is being presented to two very deserving young Buddhists by the Federation of Dhar-ma School Teachers League — Ms. Shelby Morikawa of the Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple and Ms. Kayla Hamamoto of the Buddhist Church of Stockton.

Established by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Nitta of Watsonville, the award honors and gives recognition to outstanding Bud-dhist youth. This month, Ms. Morikawa is featured.

Shelby Morikawa currently serves as the Central Califor-nia Jr. YBA District President. Her many activities include planning the CCYBA Conference, assisting at Vintage Gar-dens, working with the Special Olympics to playing on or managing her Bullard High School sports teams.

Shelby has also achieved the Bronze and Silver awards during her many years of Scouting.

She has accomplished all of this despite multiple dis-abling injuries. Shelby continues to help wherever possible — always with Amida’s guiding light supporting her — to achieve her goals, keep family and friends close at heart and acquire numerous scholastic and scholarship honors.

“Jodo Shinshu is the teaching of awareness, and awareness has not just taught me about my life, but has also shown me that life is more than what is on a phone screen,” she said. “With all this new technology in my generation, us kids need

By Dr. Kent Matsuda BCA President

On June 20, the BCA will host a webinar (actually a Zoom meeting) dealing with reopening our temples. At the time that I am writing this, the event has not yet taken place.

This webinar will deal with the current guidelines for opening places of worship. We realize that temples in dif-ferent parts of the country are

in different phases of opening their economies. We will go through the ways that some temples are opening their offices and how to prepare for services. We are differentiat-ing how we open the temples for funeral and memorial services and how we open for general Sunday services.

Until we have effective treatments and a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, we will need to follow the guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus. We currently have treatments that seem to be effective.

However, supplies of the treatments may become limit-ed. Also, just because we have a vaccine does not mean that everyone will get the vaccine immediately. Everyone in the world will want this vaccine. It may take many months

before everyone in the United States gets vaccinated.

The BCA is advocating temples reopening when they feel that they are ready to protect those coming to the temple and the ministers and staff at the temple. For some temples, that point of readiness may not come this calendar year. Almost all of our temples have a significant portion of members who are in high-risk groups. We need to do whatever we can to protect them and to protect the minister and temple staffs from getting the virus. We have so many resources on the internet that many of our members have more oppor-tunities to hear the Dharma than they ever had before. We should take advantage of these resources during the time we cannot be physically

at our temples We have to be careful with

how we open our Dharma Schools. The Federation of Dharma School Teachers, led by Koichi Sayano, is working on this problem.

In addition to COVID-19, the country is now dealing with social injustice. As many of you know, the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has sparked a worldwide re-sponse to racism. The death of George Floyd was wrong. For people in the Black community, they have had to deal with racism when dealing with housing, education, jobs, health care, and interactions with the police. It appears that George Floyd’s death may now lead to wholesale changes in how the police deal with the Black community. Let’s hope that both sides come out of

this with a satisfactory course of action.

Many of our BCA (and Hawaiian) ministers have put out remarkable videos on their thoughts about racism against the Black community. Rev. Matt Hamasaki from the Buddhist Church of Sacra-mento and Rev. Blayne Higa from the Hilo Betsuin are two ministers who have given us their thoughts about the Black Lives Matter movement.

In this issue of the Wheel of Dharma, Matt Nitta from the Sacramento Betsuin and Devon Matsumoto of the Se-attle Betsuin offer their views on the Black Lives Matter movement and what we can do to promote this cause. They, like many of our younger BCA members, have shown us that

On Reopening BCA Temples and George Floyd

Two Young Buddhists Receive Nitta ScholarshipFresno’s Shelby Morikawa Credits Jodo

Shinshu With Guiding, Shaping Her Life

By Ian and Charlene Temple Palo Alto Buddhist Temple

Shortly after news broke that we could no longer gather in groups of 10 or more here in Silicon Valley — but before formal shelter-in-place orders were announced — news of COVID-19 affecting people’s livelihood and ability to feed their families started airing on TV.

One story that broke our hearts was an interview with Leslie Bacho, president of Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley.

During the interview, Ba-cho estimated “after the 2008 financial meltdown, it took families one to two years to regain their footing.”

And Bacho said Second Harvest would end up feeding families for four to five years — after the coronavirus pandemic ends. Her comment floored us!

Food and housing insecu-rity are a terrible problem in normal times in Silicon Val-ley, which is one of the most

expensive areas in the United States. Add a pandemic and the challenge of feeding one’s family becomes too much for so many.

We knew something need-ed to be done to help. So we decided we would donate to Second Harvest, only to realize

our individual gift would be inadequate given the enormity of the need to feed families right now.

COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives and especially our temples. Since we are not able to hold services, many temples have experienced a downturn in donations and may find that they are in need of assistance in order to maintain temple facilities and or programs.

The BCA Social Welfare Committee, with approval from the National Board, has established a temporary loan program to assist temples that are experiencing financial difficulties.

The program offers a loan of $5,000 for five years at 1 percent interest. The interest will be forgiven if the loan is paid on or before the maturi-ty date.

Please make use of this program if it will help your temple. Remember, our temples’ goals are ultimately the same as the purpose of the Social Welfare Commit-tee: to aid those suffering from deprivations of basic human needs, with the goal to help sustain or attain a way of life which promotes

mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

A simple one-page ap-plication and more details are available at buddhist-churchesofamerica.org/socialwelfarefund.

In addition, our regular grant program is still avail-able. Information and grant applications are available on the BCA website under the Donate tab. Please contact Celeste Sterrett with ques-tions regarding the grant or the loan program at dcster-rett@yahoo.com.

$5,000 Loan Program for Temples Available

Palo Alto Sangha Donates to Fight Hunger

FYITo donate to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, which works to alleviate hunger, go to: https://give.shfb.org/donate-now

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Shelby Morikawa of the Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple is one of two youngBuddhists who received the 2020 Nitta Scholarship. The other recipient isKayla Hamamoto of the Buddhist Church of Stockton. (Courtesy of Shelby Morikawa)

Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Sangha members Ian and Charlene Temple approached Rev. Dean Koyama and the PABT Sangha about donating to Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley during the pandemic. (Courtesy of Ian and Charlene Temple)

PAGE 4 WHEEL OF DHARMA JULY 2020

seeming to not want to take a stand one way or another. In the past weeks, I find myself hoping to see more compas-sion and understanding from the BCA, temples, and Sangha members.

I understand too that it may be hard for many to fully understand the injustice and systemic racism that has been inherent in our country since its origin. My hope is that this article can help start conversations within the community and our own families, motivate us all to do our own research, and think about things in a slightly different way. This is by no means about influencing any-one’s political beliefs, but to discuss human rights and civil liberties.

We, as Buddhists, are taught that we are all inter-connected, and that we are on the journey to enlightenment together. Because of this, we cannot be truly happy and well if others are not also. Now the Black community is crying out for change, a cry that has been going on for far too long. Because of my priv-ilege as an Asian American, I admit to not listening closely to this cry for most of my life.

Our teachings of inter-dependence might make the quote “all lives matter” seem intuitive; however, “all lives matter” has become a counter argument to the Black Lives Matter movement and has taken on a negative connota-tion by those that refuse to want to listen to or help aide in the Black community’s demand for equality.

This phrase is dangerous

and ignorant and I hope that we can start to recognize that. Even though as Buddhists, we want all lives to matter, we cannot achieve this until Black lives matter, because they are the ones hurting right now, and the names of those murdered by acts of rac-ism and police brutality have continued to pile up, with some of the most recent being George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

The Civil Rights Move-ment that we read about in our history classes is still taking

place to this day. Therefore, it seems our responsibility to act and take a strong stance against structures that put down others, specifically our greater sangha of Black broth-ers and sisters.

Making mistakes, having implicit bias, doing or think-ing out of lack of education/knowledge does not make us bad or racists. Just like our Buddhist teachings promote, we are imperfect beings that are always learning and striv-ing to be better despite our greed and ignorance.

Being aware and anti-racist is a lifestyle that we must all commit to. We can constantly be reflecting on how our ac-tions and words affect others and what subtle ways we could be putting others down in favor of our own comfort.

My hope is that we feel gratitude for the many things we have been given by others and by systems and that we

would want to give back in some way. Right now, the Black community needs our support and solidarity.

Black Lives Matter is a movement to bring awareness to the systemic issues that plague our nation, issues that we have the privilege to ignore. We cannot sensation-alize the minority riots and forget the bigger cause for upset: pleading for justice and equality and condemning murder and death because of skin color.

We must listen to those

around us speaking up for the BLM movement, and espe-cially those who feel that they have not been represented or heard. When someone says something that makes you feel confused or uncomfortable, instead of becoming defen-sive, ask yourself deeply why it is making you feel that way.

So, how can we help? The most publicized ways are through donating to businesses and organizations that support Black equality or protesting in your local com-munity. Another is humbly listening and learning.

Good conversations can come from people with differ-ent views or experiences than our own. My hope is that we all, myself included, continue to challenge our own biases and open our hearts to find the compassion to openly lis-ten, just as we try to do each week with the teachings of the Dharma.

Even though as Buddhists, we want all lives to matter, we cannot achieve this until

Black lives matter ...

Phase 2: Falling Off the Ship

Introduction: This is the continuation of the article from the June issue, a second in a series of seven segments.

By Rev. Dr. Kenneth Kenshin Tanaka Professor Emeritus, Musashino University, Tokyo Former BCA minister and IBS Associate Professor

Without warn-ing, the ship tilts violently, and the sailor and his two friends are thrown overboard. No one on the ship has noticed, so the ship continues on its course. The sailor finds himself trying frantically to stay afloat in the extremely choppy and chilly water. He looks around, but his buddies are nowhere to be seen.

Falling off the ship is analogous to our personal encounter with dukkha. Prior to awakening, Prince Siddhartha, the Buddha-to-be, is said to have encountered suffering on his sojourn from his sheltered life within the royal castle, when he saw a decrepit elderly person, a sick person, and a deceased person. Shinran, too, had his life changed by an awareness of suffering, when, in his twenties, he was beset by a gnawing sense of the unsatisfacto-riness of life and fear of his own death.

Our human life, of course, presents its shares of joy and fulfillment, symbolized in this story by the sailors marveling at the magnificent sunset. But unexpected upsets and difficulties can appear at any time. The Buddha outlined eight kinds of suffering; in the case of our sailor, suffering takes the form of “encountering a situation that one hates.”

For me personally, my eyes were first opened to life’s suf-fering as a result of the decision by my American-born parents to leave a comfortable life in Japan to return to America. For a 10-year-old who could not speak any English and was unfa-miliar with American culture and custom, the sudden change and the challenges of making a new life in a strange country came as a psychological shock. This was compounded by my parents’ inability to get along. Like the sailor, I felt as though I had been “thrown overboard.”

Next: Phase 3: Swimming by StrivingEditor’s note: This article originally appeared in the quarterly

magazine Tricycle: The Buddhist Review in its Spring 2019 issue. The illustrations were drawn specifically for the Wheel of Dharma

NittaContinued from Page 1

SEVEN PHASES OF A DROWNING SAILOR: A SHIN BUDDHIST PATH

eventually passed away. “Carry on” are words that

suggest the connection of the life of a human being with eternal life (Amida Buddha). This expression reflects the spirit of the words in Buddhist scripture, “I will tirelessly practice the Way and will never regret it.” The Way is the reciting of the Buddha’s name, “Namo Amida Butsu.”

The way this young man died was talked about at the school and touched the hearts of many people. The school principal, Harvey L. Taylor, described Jiro’s death to all the students and mourned him by holding an unprecedented school-sponsored funeral.

That same year, a contest was held for a school motto, and “Carry on” was chosen. It was posted on the side of the school building in large letters. The reason was said to be that “these words truly symbolized the improvement, progress, and happiness of humankind.”

Therefore, the words, “Carry on” were incorporated as part of the school song.

It is a beautiful story. The book says that Rev. Seki was not sure that Ishikawa father and son were such deep be-lievers at the time, but I want to thank Rev. Seki for his propagation effort to share the value of hearing the Dharma.

I assume the Ishikawa family were probably the Shin Buddhists who immi-grated from Hiroshima, and Kurataro and Jiro must have attended the Sunday services, listened to Rev. Seki’s Dharma messages, and treasured the Amida Buddha’s deep wish delivered to everyone equally.

What a relief for Jiro, who was severely injured and held by his father, to hear, “There’s no worry. You will enter the Amida Buddha’s realm.” Then Jiro repeated saying, “Carry on, Namo Amida But-su.” There must have been a sudden light showing the direction that welcomed Jiro near his death.

Considering the current uneasy and challenging situa-tion, why not have the spirit

of “Carry on”? Building our spiritual health and resilience can enable us to encounter difficulties more effectively. Spiritual resilience supported by the Buddha’s deep wish to us leads us to fulfillment, hope and nourishment. We can learn how to cope with our new lifestyle and temple life.

Going back to the story, Rev. Hozen Seki was one of the most influential BCA min-isters. He tirelessly worked on Shin propagation at the Los Angeles Betsuin, and built the Arizona Buddhist Temple and New York Buddhist Temple. He also established the Amer-ican Buddhist Study Center in New York as a Buddhist research center.

He is one of the chapters in my dissertation. If you are interested in his book, you can contact Hoshina Seki, President of American Bud-dhist Study Center, at info@ambuddhist.org. May all beings be happy and well. Let us keep the spirit of “Carry on”!

Namo Amida Butsu

Rev. Dr. WondraContinued from Page 2

Rev. UsukiContinued from Page 2

calling and not a job. A voice deep inside pulled me away to Japan. I didn’t even know what I was looking for, but thankfully, it grasped me, completely unawares. I only wanted to study the Nembut-su for my own benefit because it clarified this patchwork life to me. Inconceivable causes and conditions and innumerable beings led me to work at Honzan and study at Chubutsu, and on the way, to meet my husband.

I hadn’t planned to be-come a minister, but someone asked me how I could keep this life-changing teaching all to myself. I hadn’t planned to move to America and leave

my family forever, but it has been a mostly joyful journey. Change occurs constantly — to me, to you, to the BCA,

to this country, to our fragile planet.

Zenmon-sama says, “Re-ligion can make us aware of our self being moved within the current of the times.”

This pandemic has torn away the mask of systemic greed, hatred and delusion that muddy the waters of great life. There is much to be addressed, and there are many other dimensions to our complex lives to appreciate as well. I don’t know where tomorrow may lead, but I am certain about the assuring light of Namo Amida Butsu that comforts and calls. Be-yond our reach, our newborn grandson cries.

Courtesy of Hiroshi Tarui

JULY 2020 WHEEL OF DHARMA PAGE 5

to take breaks from all the technology. Awareness has taught me that — some time away from phones and other technology and surrounding myself with the people I love — betters everything about my life.

“The Eightfold Noble Path has taught me so many things about my life,” she continued. “I feel right now in my life that right effort is the most relatable to me.

“In the last three years, I tore my ACL twice, tore my meniscus twice and fractured my femur once. For me, high school was supposed to be fun and hanging out with friends. I had to keep the right view because at times it

got really hard for me men-tally and emotionally.

“I had to keep right ef-fort because going to school was hard for me,” she said. “Throughout the day, I would need to keep right mind-fulness because sometimes I would lose sight of what I was even fighting for. I was fighting to stay strong and healthy, and throughout my journey, I felt like the Bud-dha was there to guide me. I know this happened to me for a reason and I just need to keep my head up and have the right intentions for my life. Without the Eightfold Noble Path, I don’t know where I would be today.

“My life today has been shaped so much by Jodo Shinshu and I wouldn’t want it to be any other way. It has taught me to be respectful

to every living thing and has shown me that Buddhism is the teaching of awareness. Without my friends and family, I wouldn’t be where I am today and Jodo Shinshu is what brought us all togeth-er.”

Presentation of her schol-arship award by Rev. Kakei Nakagawa, Rinban, will be broadcast during Fresno Bet-suin’s virtual internet Obon/Hatsubon Service and Obon Odori on July 11.

Shelby will further her studies at Clovis Community College, pursuing a degree in kinesiology with the goal of a career in physical therapy.

As a physical therapist, she hopes not only to help people regain quality of life but also help her patients realize they are not alone in the journey to better health.

LetterContinued from Page 1

Crow, segregation, and much, much more horrific events. But still over 400 years later, they are still victims of white supremacy that threatens their lives every second, every min-ute, every hour, and every day.

Your voices were stolen from you back in World War II. Incarceration in concen-tration camps and martial law sent fear into the hearts of our community. A fear so strong, it has silenced us for genera-tions to come.

But through the stories that you have shared with me, through your triumphs that we have all witnessed, and through your hardship that we have all felt, that fear has been eradicated from my body.

You have all given me the strength to speak and act even if that is not what you want me to do. Everything I have and everything I am is because of you. Okagesamade. Your love, your comfort, your strength, and yes, your anger are all inside me. And even with all that you have done for me to make me who I am today I must ask a few more things of you.

I ask that we further educate ourselves on Asian American history because to know our history is to know ourselves.

I ask that we dismantle the model minority myth and reject white adjacency because not only does it harm us, it harms black and indigenous and people of color.

I ask that we engage in difficult conversations about race and ethnicity because we can no longer ignore it.

I ask that we educate ourselves on Black history not only because it is a part of our history, but because we must address anti-blackness that exists within our community.

And finally I ask that we move forward with uncondi-tional, unwavering, and unan-

imous support of our Black Sangha members, the larger Black community, and to af-firm that Black Lives Matter.

As we learn about our history and our oppression as Japanese/Asian Buddhists, young people have begun to speak out and demand to be heard in our community. We are saying that it is our respon-sibility to stand in solidarity with the black community and to help them fight for social justice and civil rights because it is the right thing to do.

To fight for social justice is not only the human thing to do, but also the Buddhist thing to do. We are not “pas-sive-ists” — we are activists.

As Buddhists we are taught to walk the middle path. To be “neutral.” But Buddhism can

never be neutral in the face of injustice. When we stay silent, we fall into the River of Fire, burning ourselves because our silence is violence.

When we turn a blind eye, we drown in the River of Water, choking on our ignorance. To speak truth to power and advocate for social justice and civil rights is to walk the middle path being pushed by Shakyamuni Buddha and being called to by Amida Buddha. Because Siddhartha could not close his eyes to the realities of this world neither can we. We are not “passive-ists” — we are activists.

I write this letter to you as a desperate cry for all of us to listen, learn, and grow in order to ensure that no more Black people are killed in this country.

I couldn’t see, I couldn’t hear, and I couldn’t breathe. Tear gas, pepper spray, and concussion grenades were used against me at a peaceful protest by the police, in the midst of a global pandemic where the virus targets the lungs, all on national TV. Me, a “model” community member and social worker. So, can you imagine what they are doing to Black people off screen?

As protests erupt through-out the nation and around the world, history will ask what our community did to help.

We don’t all have to stand on the frontlines at protests, but we can donate to Black organizations and Black busi-nesses. We can stream Black content if we do not have the money to donate. But what we all can do is educate ourselves and our community to dis-mantle the prejudice we hold within.

There are people out there in our community willing and wanting to have these conversations. A group of us are initiating these conversa-tions in our community and I hope that you will join us. We must start listening to them. Change will not happen overnight or in a month or in a year. It is a continual process we must all commit to in or-der to create a safer and more peaceful world.

You can learn more about these discussions and sign up for these workshops through this link which will be held every weekend in July and throughout the summer: youngbuddhisteditorial.com/workshops

With Palms Together With the Utmost Love and Appre-ciation,

Devon Matsumoto Namo Amida Butsu

Editor’s note: Devon Matsu-moto is a former CYBA co-pres-ident and a Minister’s Assistant at the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple.

Twin CitiesContinued from Page 1

custody. The site carries strong emotion for the entire community.

“It is a space that allows for the memory of George Floyd and the countless oth-ers who have suffered in this history of racism,” Chiemi Onikura-Bly, Gail Wong and Todd Tsuchiya said in a joint statement. “It is a location that transcends space and time. This is a place for the community to gather, for meaningful reflection and for healing.

“It was an emotional ex-perience to march together in oneness with hundreds from all different faiths,” the three MAs said. “  As the crowd knelt on one knee in prayer, it was a moment to begin the healing, for a community that is in such pain.”

The Twin Cities Buddhist Sangha was founded in 1946 by Japanese American incar-ceration camp survivors and Military Intelligence Service veterans from Fort Snelling. It is a Jodo Shinshu group based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, affiliated with the Buddhist Churches of America.

—Chiemi Onikura-Bly, Gail Wong and Todd Tsuchi-ya, Minister’s Assistants for the Twin Cities Buddhist Sangha

National BoardContinued from Page 2

cult one, but that some of the funds actually made a profit during April. Nonetheless, for the first four months of 2020, the Growth A fund lost 9.3 percent, the Growth B fund lost 9.2 percent, the Growth and Income Fund lost 6.7 percent, and the In-come Fund lost 0.9 percent.

Jeff Matsuoka, BCA Trea-surer, told the attendees that the BCA participated in the Payment Protection Program (PPP) Loan Program and received more than $296,000 from the federal government. If the BCA applies for for-giveness, the first 24 weeks of funds used could be forgiven. Of the money BCA uses, 60 percent must be used for sal-aries. Asking for forgiveness may not be an easy process. More than $100,000 was raised through the Dana Pro-gram over the past fiscal year for Buddhist education.

Because of the PPP loan and other cost-cutting ma-neuvers, Matsuoka identified more than $100,000 in savings in the 2020-2021 budget. Once the BCA gets part of the PPP loan forgiven, this would translate into the BCA dues being cut by more than $22 per member. And, the BCA may be able to gen-erate additional revenue by renting out space in the BCA headquarters building and the bishop’s parsonage.

Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara announced that the Jodo Shinshu International Office received 501(c)(3) status from the federal government. The office is now waiting for the same status from the state of California. The International Ministerial Orientation Program (IMOP) and the Staff of Hongwanji Advanced Research and Ed-ucation (SHARE) Programs were canceled for this year.

Erick Ishii, president of the Eastern District, told the attendees that the Seabrook Buddhist Temple held a park-ing lot service officiated by Minister’s Assistant Tammy Wetzel.

Steve Terusaki, Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Development, informed the attendees that the committee was identifying lead donors for the Dharma Forward Campaign. There are now 90 participants in the 1000 X $1000 X 4 program. All of the money raised will be used to pay the debt on the Jodo Shinshu Center.

Celeste Sterrett, Chair of the BCA Social Welfare Committee, announced that a $2,400 grant to the Watson-ville Buddhist Temple to help prepare meals for the Salva-tion Army and a $5,000 grant to Buddhist Global Relief for a women’s vocational school in Sri Lanka were approved by the committee. The National Board ratified the vote.

The Social Welfare Committee also announced that temples could apply for a $5,000 loan that could be paid back over five years with a 1 percent annual interest (which would be forgiven if the loan was paid back before five years) and then would cost 5 percent yearly after the fifth year. This emergency loan program was approved by the National Board for the rest of this year and for any expenses except BCA dues.

Judy Kono, Chair of the Communications Committee, told the attendees that the Committee would form a “BCA Tech Squad” to help temples with IT issues.

A new Ad Hoc Commit-tee on Financial Viability and Business Planning, chaired by John Arima, was going to look at BCA’s expenses and revenues and see what changes would be needed to help keep BCA going as an ongoing business.

ScholarshipContinued from Page 3

FYIFor more information about workshops on race relations being held throughout the summer by The Young Buddhist Editorial, go to: youngbuddhisteditorial.com/workshops

The June 2 silent march culminated in messages and prayers at the site dedicated to the memorial for George Floyd. (Courtesy of Rev. Todd Tsuchiya)

PAGE 6 WHEEL OF DHARMA JULY 2020

social issues are important to our younger members and they would like us to be more vocal and aware of the issues facing our com-munity.

Although the BCA started as a Japanese American organization, by now, we should be a more

diverse community. When I last visited the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, I was impressed by the diversity of their Sangha. But for many of our temples, we see so few Black or Brown faces. Why is this? Shin-ran Shonin’s teachings are meant for all, but we still see Japanese American faces in most Sanghas. Do the teachings not resonate in the Black or Brown com-munity? Or, are we racist?

BLMContinued from Page 1

their full backing to Black Lives Matter.

“Today we find ourselves in a time of deep unrest and pain,” the BCA Ministers Association statement began. “There is no justification for the killing of George Floyd, of Ahmaud Ar-bery, of Breonna Taylor. These and other countless racially mo-tivated misuses of force against Black people are a travesty that must not continue. The pain and anguish of the Black community is resounding throughout the United States and the world, and is touching the hearts of many more people, including our own ministers and members.

“Amida Buddha is said to have the ‘Wisdom of Non-Dis-crimination,’ ” the statement, which was posted on the BCA website on June 9, continued. “This is manifested in the Great Compassion that embraces ALL beings. Amida Buddha does not reject anyone based on age, gender, class, race, or any other basis. Although it is difficult for us as unenlightened beings to manifest this ‘Wisdom of Non-Discrimination,’ this radical equality is an ideal in our tradition. Although it is difficult for us as foolish beings to manifest the all-embracing Great Compassion, this kindness and caring is our model to strive for. However, this equality will never be reached until Black Lives Matter.”

BCA Bishop Rev. Marvin Harada has also issued a mes-sage, posted June 7 on the BCA website and the BCA Facebook page, titled, “The Color of Pure Gold,” in which he stated that, “Our world today faces racial tension and racism that tears at our humanity and society.

“It almost feels like we hav-en’t made any progress since the 1960s and the days of the Civil Rights Movement,” he wrote.

Rev. Harada mentioned the third of the 48 vows in the Larger Sutra for his title, “The Color of Gold,” and said the vow is “expressing what is at the heart of a Buddha, the heart of an Enlightened One that sees ‘beyond’ the color of our skin, such that all beings reflect the ‘color of gold.’

“May we strive to create a so-ciety and world that is based on that kind of aspiration, a world of oneness, an interdependent world that is made up of all sentient beings, a world beyond discrimination and distinctions, a world in which all beings

reflect the color of gold,” he stated.

In addition, many individual ministers, including Rev. Harry Bridge of the Buddhist Church of Oakland and Rev. Matthew Hamasaki of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, have posted videos on Facebook and YouTube, voicing their strong criticism of systemic racism and support for Black Lives Matter.

“When George Floyd was killed by someone who was sup-posed to hold up the law, when Breonna Taylor was killed for just sleeping in her own home, when Armond Arbery was killed for jogging in his neighborhood, when Oscar Grant is shot in the back and killed at Fruitvale Station on a stop on BART that I used to ride almost everyday, when this is happening in our cities, in our country, to say ‘All Lives Matter’ is a bold-faced lie,” Rev. Hamasaki said in his YouTube video on June 2. “In fact, saying ‘All Lives Matter’ is not only a lie, but is taking away the tools necessary to combat oppression.”

Rev. Hamasaki said “it is also the moral obligation as Bud-dhists” to help others who have suffered from racism, injustice and inequality.

“Ultimately, from their point of view and from my point of view, from the Buddhist point of view, all lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter,” he concluded.

Many other BCA ministers from throughout the country have discussed racism, discrim-ination and Black Lives Matter in their Dharma talks.

Rev. Hamasaki, Rev. Jerry Hirano of the Salt Lake Bud-dhist Temple and Rev. Gregory Gibbs of the Pasadena Buddhist Temple pointed out that Shin-ran Shonin, the founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism more than 800 years ago, questioned au-thority, injustice and advocated

inclusion during a time when Japan was under the feudal system.

In 1207, the leadership of the Pure Land movement led by Honen Shonin — the teacher of Shinran Shonin — was exiled from Kyoto, the national capital and center of Buddhism. Shin-ran Shonin was himself exiled and sent to the Echigo coastal area of Northern Japan.

The exile was the result of persecution by other monks on Mount Hiei and in Nara, who were jealous and fearful of the growing popularity of Honen’s Nembutsu teaching.

Shinran Shonin wrote of his outrage toward the government officials and the emperor — and the mere act of criticizing and questioning the emperor took exceptional courage, especially for someone in 13th century Ja-pan. Shinran, Honen and other disciples were pardoned four years later by the government.

“Jodo Shinshu arose as a grassroots movement,” Rev. Hamasaki said. “They gave a voice, an alternative path to people who were marginalized. With this history. I believe it is imperative that we recognize how necessary it is for us to take action along with Black Lives Matter.”

In his Facebook Live study session on June 10, Rev. Hirano described Shinran Shonin as “a huge radical in the face of insti-tutionalized religion. That’s why he was exiled. He was a political revolutionary who was exiled.”

Rev. Hirano — who ap-peared in the study session with his wife, Rev. Dr. Carmela Javellana Hirano — noted that Rennyo Shonin is credited with destroying the feudal state in Japan “because once people saw that they are equal — that there isn’t this stratified society with these people better — they real-ized that equality is a goal worth fighting for.”

We approached Rev. Dean Koyama, as we knew his heart, and that of our PABT Sangha, would surely be bigger than ours!

Boy were we right! Not only did Rev. Koyama support the idea, he lovingly challenged all of us in the Sangha to give what we could to support Second Harvest.

Rev. Koyama and PABT President Tracy Okamoto appealed for Second Harvest donations to the Sangha in an April 15 letter.

“Although we may not be able to gather at the temple for services, perhaps through this one action, we can still practice the Buddhist ideal of Dana or selfless giving and recite the Nembutsu in gratitude,” the letter stated.

And — wow — did our

Sangha respond to the call of Dana: As of this writing, our Sangha — combined with a match of $2,500 by the PABT board and Google — has donat-ed more than $14,500.

The collective kindness of Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, our board, our Sangha, Google and our small contribution caringly underscores the words of Ryu-nosuke Satoro: “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

Palo AltoContinued from Page 3

President’s MessageContinued from Page 3

gold.”May we strive to create

a society and world that is based on that kind of aspira-

tion, a world of oneness, an interdependent world that is made up of all sentient beings, a world beyond discrimination and distinc-tions, a world in which all beings reflect the color of gold.

Bishop’s MessageContinued from Page 1

Rev. Matthew Hamasaki of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento delivers his address on Black Lives Matter on YouTube. (Courtesy of Jon Kawamoto)

SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 24, 202010 am to 12 pm

Dharma in Your LifePresented via Zoom

Presenters: Rev. Marvin Harada, Bishop, Buddhist Churches of America, Rev. Maribeth “Smitty” Smith, Minister’s Assistant San Diego Buddhist Temple, Rev. Jon Turner, Resident Minister,

Orange County Buddhist ChurchOnline registration will open August 1st.

「「浄浄土土真真宗宗門門徒徒ととししててどどううああるるべべききかか」」

ガーデナ仏教会

開教使

庵原

ジョン

八代宗主

である蓮

如上人が

「浄土真

宗門徒と

してどう

あるべき

か」とい

う質問を『領解文』で四点をもって答えています。

最初に「もろもろの雑行雑修自力のこころをふり

すてて、一心に阿弥陀如来、われらが今度の一大

事の後生、御たすけ候へとたのみまうして候ふ」

と述べています。つまり、他力回向の信心を述べ

ています。この信心とは浄土に往生するための正

因であります（『領解文』ではこの点は「往生一

定」と表現しています）。『領解文』には直接書

かれていませんが、浄土に往生すると成仏して、

阿弥陀如来と全く平等となります。その次に、お

念仏を感謝の気持ちをもって称えるべきであると

述べています。そして第三点として、親鸞聖人を

はじめお念仏に出合わせてくれた人々に感謝の気

持ちを述べるべきであるとあります。最後に、上

に述べた三点を一生涯守るべきであるとおしゃっ

ています。

『領解文』は今でも浄土真宗を伝えるために大き

な力を持っていますが、批判する人もいます。特

に批判されるところは社会性がないというところ

にあるようです。本願のいわれを聞き、信心に歓

喜して、報恩感謝するためのお念仏を称えるだけ

では現実生活にあまり関わりがないと言われてい

ます。

『領解文』を理解するには信心が浄土真宗の要で

あるということを常に心に入れなければならない

と思います。例えば、ご宗祖である親鸞聖人が御

本典、『教行信証』の信巻の終わりのほうに『涅

槃経』の文章を多く引用しています。その引用し

ている言葉のなかには釈尊と阿闍世王との会話が

あります。阿闍世王は命が尽きる、臨終を迎える

時には自分の父を殺した後悔を感じていました。

その後悔の表れとしてとても醜い、臭い痛みとな

り、全身に瘡ができてしまいます。それでその苦

しみから逃れる為に釈尊を呼ぶ前に何人もの臣の

言葉を聞きました。彼らは様々な言い訳に過ぎな

いような言葉を王に返しました。「昔にも、王子

と同じように父を殺した人もいたが、彼らはひど

い目に全く会っていないから王子も会うはずがな

い」とか、「倫理的に問題があるかもしれないが、

犯罪ではないから罪ではない」等というような理

屈を述べ続けたのです。

しかし、ただ責任を無視する理屈だけでは王子の

痛みを除くことができませんでした。そして、そ

の後釈尊が呼ばれました。彼は前の臣達と違って、

責任を取らなくてもいいようにどう考えたらよい

のか、という方法を教えるのではなく、ただ「阿

闍世王のために」法を説きました。そして阿闍世

王自身が一切衆生とどのように関係しているかと

いうことも述べました。釈尊との対話の後に、阿

闍世王が次のように宣言しました。

「世尊、もしわれあきらかによく衆生のもろもろ

の悪心を破壊せば、われつねに阿鼻地獄にありて、

無量劫のうちにもろもろの衆生のために苦悩を受

けしむとも、もつて苦とせず」等。

このように阿闍世王は初めて自分の苦しみは他人

のせいであるとせずに、さらに自分の行為を正当

化しなくても済むようになりました。そのかわり、

自分が起こしてしまったことを理解し、自分だけ

ではなく他人を考えるようになったので何をした

いかがはっきりと分かったのでした。しかし、こ

のようにいわれてもその具体的な説明はありませ

ん。

人間として生き抜くことは簡単ではありません。

過去、現在、未来に亘ってその事実に変わりはな

いでしょう。そのためでしょうか、釈尊が初転法

輪の時に「一切皆苦」とまず最初に述べたのかも

しれません。人生を生きることは難しいから「説

明書」ようなものが欲しくなります。しかし、残

念ながら浄土真宗のみ教えはそのような説明書で

はありません。こうすべきと言ってもそれは聴聞、

信心、報恩のための称名念仏をしましょうとしか

言われません。付け加えると、信心は浄土に往生

する正因であり、浄土に往生すると成仏ができる

と説明します。このように説明されても苦しみを

無くせるほどの現実性はなさそうです。

しかしながら、この現実性がなさそうな姿こそが

浄土真宗は人間にどれぐらい自信を持っているの

か、どれぐらい信じているかを述べているところ

でもあると思います。これは阿闍世王を通して人

間がどれぐらいの闇と悪意を持てる心があるかと

いうことが示されています。そしてまた阿闍世王

と同じように私たちは阿弥陀如来の本願力によっ

て、自分だけではなく他人をも考えるようになる

と思います。それができるからこそ感謝の心も現

れると思います。私たちみんなが感謝のできるよ

うな、他人を考えるような人間になれると阿弥陀

如来が信じていると思います。そのように私たち

と私たちの人間性を信じているから、私たちが聴

聞し、信心し、念仏を称え、浄土に往生して成仏

しなければ仏位を失くしてもいいと約束ができる

のではないでしょうか。阿闍世王と釈尊の対話に

示されている信心の話がそのまま社会性を持って

いると思います。しかし、蓮如上人または別の偉

い人が「信じなさい」と言われるから、または信

心を得たから自分の方が正しいという気持ちをも

たらすような信心ではなく、ただ私は本願に摂取

し捨てられることのない安心をもつ信心でなけれ

ばなりません。阿弥陀如来の智慧の光は私たち皆

の命は大切であり、かけがえのない存在であり、

美しいものである事を示してくださっています。

自分だけではなく、他人にも尊い、美しい、有り

難い人生に出会ってほしいと思わせるほどの信心

であります。念仏成仏のできる人生に出会ってほ

しい信心であります。蓮如上人は『領解文』でこ

の信心に導こうとしていたのではないでしょうか。

ああみみだだ様様のの願願いいとと私私たたちちのの願願いい

～抗議パレードに参加して～

ツインシティ仏教会

ブライ鬼倉

知永美

五月二十五日、ミネソタ州、ミネアポリス市内

で、黒人が白人警察官に殺害されるという痛まし

い事件があり、その後全米各地で、またアメリカ

国外でも、人種差別と政治権力に対する抗議活動

が広まっています。現地で行われた様々な宗教の

聖職者グ

ループ、

コミュニ

ティーと

一緒に抗

議パレー

ドに参加

しました。

近くの教

会に集合

し、ジョー

ジフロイ

ドさんが

殺害され

た現場ま

で約５ブ

ロックほ

ど静かに

歩きまし

た。「人

間が平等で、権力に怯えることのない社会であっ

て欲しい。」これが私たちの願いです。しかしこ

のような惨事が後をたたないのはなぜでしょうか。

阿弥陀様は、私たち人間を全て、分け隔てなく

救ってくださることを約束してくださっていいま

す。それが阿弥陀様の願いです。しかし、私たち

人間は日々、様々

な雑念に惑わされ、

煩悩や偏見なしに

はものごとを見る

ことができません。

貧欲、瞋恚、愚痴

の三毒に覆われた

まなこを外すこと

ができない存在で

す。傷つけあい、

そのことにも気が

つかない。そんな

私たちに、阿弥陀

様はいつも呼びか

けてくださってい

ます。

「人種差別や偏

見、暴力は許されない」という強い信念のもと行

われたサイレントウォークの最中、沿道に集まっ

た人々から、たくさんの感謝の拍手が送られてい

ました。その拍手の音が、阿弥陀様の呼び声なの

かもしれません。

念仏者として、生かされていることへの感謝の

気持ちを忘れずに、私たちに今できることが何か

を考え続けていきたいと思います。

合掌

ダイヤルザダルマに

日本語法話

コロナウイルスの世界的な感染拡大を受けて

数ヶ月に渡って外出が制限されている中、ＢＣ

Ａでは電話をすれば５分間の法話を聞くことが

できる「ダイヤルザダルマ」プログラムがはじ

められている。コンピューターをあまり使わな

い門信徒の方から好評を得ているこのプログラ

ムに、５月から日本語の法話が加えられた。

（８００）８１７―７９１８に電話すると、原

田総長の声で英語の方は１を日本語の方は２を

押すように促される。２を押すと約５分間の日

本語の法話を聞くことができる

法話は２週間

ごとに更新される予定。

法 輪 2020年7月

Rev. John Iwohara

TwinCitiesSangha

joinsasilentm

arch

総長メッセージ

悉悉皆皆金金色色のの願願

米国仏教団

総長

原田

マービン

たとひわれ仏を得た

らんに、国中の人天、

ことごとく真金色な

らずは、正覚を取ら

じ。（大無量寿経）

現在私たちは人種差別の問題に直面し、社会が分断されてい

る状況で、私たちの人間性が問われています。

ジョージ・フロイドさんが警官に押さえつけられて死亡した

事件を受けて、人種差別、警察の暴力と不正義に抗議する行進

やデモが世界各地で行われています。それを見ると１９６０年

代のアフリカ系アメリカ人公民権運動が行われた時からあまり

人種差別問題が改善されていないように思えます。

私は差別問題が解決し、人々が平等や正義を訴えるために抗

議をすることがなくなる日が来ることを切に念じています。

この念いは大無量寿経にある阿弥陀如来の四十八願のうちの

第三願、悉皆金色（しっかいこんじき）の願に通じるものがあ

ります。

このメッセージの冒頭にありますように、この願にはお浄土

に生まれる全ての者は体が黄金色になるとお示しくださってい

ます。この願いには仏心や悟りの境地が表現されていて、肌の

色の違いを超えて全ての者は尊いということを、金色に輝いて

いると言い表されているのではないでしょうか。

そういった全ての者が金色に輝くようにという仏の願いや、

差別や区別を超えた一如平等という悟りの世界からの見方、ま

た、この世は衆生同士が縁って起つことによって成り立ってい

ること、に基づいて築かれる社会になるようつとめていまいり

ましょう。

南無阿弥陀仏

ブブララッッククラライイブブズズママタターーおおよよびび

人人種種差差別別主主義義反反対対へへのの支支持持表表明明

現在、私たちは深い不安と痛みの中にあります。

ジョージ・

フロイドさん、アーマッド・アーベリーさん、ベロナ・テイラー

さんが殺害されたことは正当性がなく、彼らや他の数えきれな

いほど多くの黒人の方々に対して差別的に用いられた権力は誤

用であり続けられるべきではありません。黒人コミュニティの

方々の痛みや苦悩は全米、そして世界中に伝わり、私たちＢＣ

Ａの開教使や門信徒を含め、多くの人々の心に届いています。

阿弥陀如来は無差別平等をさとった「平等覚の智慧」を持ち、

それがすべての衆生をつつみこむ大慈悲のはたらきとなります。

阿弥陀如来は年齢、性別、階級、人種の違いや偏見に基づく

区別を超えて、すべての者を受け入れてくださるのです。凡夫

の私たちにはそのような平等覚の智慧を持つことは難しいこと

ですが、この徹底的な平等の精神を私たちの理想としてきまし

た。また、凡夫の私たちにはすべての衆生を包みこむ大慈悲は

ありませんが、仏のような優しさや思いやりを持つことを理想

としてきました。この平等の精神や思いやりは黒人の方々にも

向けられるべきで「黒人の命は大切」なのです。

仏教徒が人種差別主義の影響を受けないということはありま

せん。人種差別は私たちの知らない間にさまざまなところから

私たちの心に入ってきて影響を及ぼすのです。浄土真宗の念仏

者として私たちは自己反省をし、私たちの中にある差別の心や

お寺で起こりうる差別を見つめ、取り組んでいくことが大切で

す。仏

法を拠り所とし、人種差別を存続させるような社会構造を

解体し、また私たちや私たちの組織、コミュニティーの中にあ

る差別をなくしていくようつとめていきましょう。

ハリー・楽橋・ブリッヂ開教使

米国仏教団開教使会を代表して

南無阿弥陀仏

本願寺の機関紙

「本願寺新報」にＢ

ＣＡメンバーのイン

タビューが掲載され

た。昨年９月に開催

された世界仏教婦人

会大会の際、同紙記

者がベイエリア在住

の門信徒にインタビューをしていた。インタビュー記事は、ど

のように米国人にお念仏が伝わっているかを知ることのできる

貴重な資料だと好評を得ている。本願寺新報関係者は「たくさ

んの方からお話を聞き、念仏の教えが海を越えて伝わっている

ことを知り、感激しました。紙面の都合で全員のインタビュー

を掲載することができないのが心残りですが、ご協力いただい

た皆さま、ありがとうございました。」と感謝されていた。以

下は第一回掲載、パロアルト仏教会メンバー、グレン・カメダ

さんのインタビュー。

§

昨年９月１日、米国カリフォルニア州・サンフランシスコ市

にある北米開教区の開教本部内に、海外伝道復興のためにと宗

派が新たに設置した浄土真宗インターナショナルオフィスの開

所式を取材した。この日は、ちょうど同開教区の１２０年の佳

節となる日でもあった。戦中の苦難の時代を支えた人たち、そ

して「今」を支える人など同開教区のメンバー（門信徒）13人

と会うことができた。その人たちの話を聞き、そこに共通して

いたのは「お念仏を喜ぶ声」であった。今号から７回にわたり、

「「米米国国にに響響くくおお念念仏仏のの声声」」を連載する。

太平洋戦争開戦翌年の１９４２（昭和17）年２月19日、ルー

ズベルト大統領は、軍管理の特定地域から人々を立ち退かせる

ことのできる大統領令９０６６号に署名、発令した。これによ

り、サンフランシスコなど西海岸に居住していた日本人（日系

人）約12万人は立ち退きを

迫られ、内陸部に強制移住

させられた。その大多数は、

カリフォルニア州北東の参

観地域、ユタ州、アリゾナ

州などの強制収容所（キャ

ンプ）に入れられた。また、

仏教会の僧侶（開教使）は

日本人社会の指導的立場に

いる人物と見られ、その多

くがＦＢＩに連行、拘束さ

れ、西海岸の仏教会は閉鎖

された。

農業やクリーニング業、造園業などを営み、異国での厳しい

生活の中で浄土真宗の教えを心の支えにしていたメンバーら。

自分が持てるだけの荷物しか持つことを許されず、強制移住の

前のわずかな時間に、自宅の仏壇を内陸部の友人のもとに預け

た人、また梱包して地中に隠す人もあったという。

昨年８月末までカリフォルニア州バークレー市にある北米開

教区の人材養成・教育機関である浄土真宗センターの施設長を

つとめた日経２世のグレン・カメダさん（84）は、一家で親戚

の住むコロラド州に移った。すみ慣れた家を離れる前、広島県

出身の父は、庭に掘った穴の中に、ラジオ、カメラなどの貴重

品とともに、小さな仏壇を丁寧に納めた。「父のあの姿を今も

覚えている」と、話す。

移住先では、アメリカ人は、カメダさんら〝敵性外国人〟と

の接触を避け、店では何も売ってはくれなかった。学校ではク

ラスメートから石を投げつけられた。そんなつらい日々を送る

中で、「唯一安らぐ場がお寺だった。」近くには、Ⅰ世らが建

てた仏教会があり、日本人、日系人は頻繁にここに集った。

遠く離れたデンバーから車で５時間ほどかけて僧侶がやって来

ることもあったが、普段は、カメダさんの父らメンバーだけで

おつとめし、交代で感話をしていた。僧侶が来た時には１００

人ほどが集まり、法話に耳を傾けたという。

「強制的に移住させられた日本人が仏教会に集まってみんな

でおつとめをして、友達と話をする時間は本当に心安らぐ時間

だった。仏教会は安心できる居場所だった。」

しみじみと70年以上前の苦難の日々に思いを寄せたカメダさん

は、「子供だったので当時はよくわからなかったが、今、思い

返すと阿弥陀さまがみんなをつないでくれていたのだと感じる。

感謝の思いでいっぱい」と振り返った。

父が地中に隠した仏壇はカメダ家のもとに戻ることはなかった。

（年齢は取材時）

北米開教の始まり

アメリカに意味としてわたった青年男子が仏教青年会を結成

し、１８９８（明治22）年に83人が連名で、アメリカ布教部設

置を求める請願書を本山本願寺に提出。これを受けて本山は１

８９９（明治23）年に薗田宗恵、西島覚了を初代開教使として

派遣した。薗田、西島両開教使がアメリカ・サンフランシスコ

に到着した同年９月１日を北米開教の最初としている。

法 輪 2020年7月

2020年7月号

発行所米国仏教団

Buddhist Churches of America1710 Octavia Street

San Francisco, CA 94109電話(415)776-5600FAX(415)771-6293

Email:info@bcahq.orgforWOD:WODeditor@bcahq.org

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dharma

二〇二〇年度教化標語

Bishop Rev. Marvin Harada

Mr.G

lenKam

eda