REV. USUKI’S PAGE - westlosangelesbuddhisttemple.orgwestlosangelesbuddhisttemple.org/wp-content/... · REV. USUKI’S PAGE Obon, Ohigan, and Right Attitude I am having difficulty

Vol. 52, No. 9 September 2009

REV. USUKI’S PAGE

Obon, Ohigan, and Right Attitude

I am having difficulty findingthe proper frame of mind towrite this article for Septem-ber Ohigan, as we are stillcleaning up after a monsterObon Festival (July 25 & 26).It was the biggest gathering at

West LA (WLA) Temple any of us can rememberin recent times. They say we gave out about 550drink tickets to dancers on Saturday and Sun-day. The dancers this year exceeded past par-ticipation by about 150 people each day, whichwas obvious by the overflow of dancers wholined the street from end to end, moving inrhythmic beauty with joyful smiles.

The booth area also had a shoulder to shouldercapacity crowd. The food lines were so long thatmy mother, who had come early from Oxnard,was able (at her age) to buy only cha shu bao,which she enjoyed very much. Cha shu bao,corn, Chinese chicken salad, and tamales werenew (or returned) to our menu this year, andthe never-ending lines for imagawayaki, shaveice, udon, and won tons were also a sign of an-other great Obon season. Of course, this couldnot have been possible without weeks of prepa-ration and help from the temple organizations,assistance from their many friends and familymembers, and support from the communitypeople. They were there for the set-up, serving,and clean-up afterward. Many also sacrificeddancing and they could not leave their booths toenjoy the many wonderful foods. We had arecord number of visitors, but fewer red happicoat dancers representing WLA temple.

This is all an indication of the tremendous com-munity interest in WLA’s Obon Festival, whetherdue to religious affiliation or for other interests.For a small temple to support such a gatheringtruly taxes our infrastructure. People come toWLA despite our moderate space and location,and they squeeze in for fun and for the specialexperience. We often have difficulty providingadequate restrooms and finding parking spacesin the neighborhood and I’m sure this is no fun.Certainly, we are once again invigorated, en-couraged, and sincerely grateful for the atten-dance and participation. It is a diversion fromeveryday temple activities such as worryingabout aging membership and facilities, decidingon appropriate programs to serve our templemembers, and serving many people who inquireabout Jodo Shinshu and Buddhism. It has alsohelped to inspire our religious attitude as weprepare for the Fall Ohigan seminar and serviceon September 12 and 13.

As Jodo Shinshu Buddhists, we are very fortu-nate to have such a long history of festivals,seminars, services, and gatherings that markeach changing season and religious event.Whether we are aware of such fluctuations oftime and season or not, our attitudes need con-stant adjustment through reminders and guid-ance. Our daily and religious attitudes areextremely important to us since we deal witheveryday chores and responsibilities based onhow we wake up every morning. Religious lifedoes not mean that we can wake up to live aproblem-free life. Nembutsu life does not free usfrom grumpiness in the morning, so it is impor-tant to remember that our attitude determines

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Email: [email protected] Web: www.wlabt.org

West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple September 2009

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tant to remember that our attitude determineswhether we will be kind or unpleasant to others.Everyone has their winter, spring, summer, orfall attitudes, just like their wardrobes in thecloset. Each morning and evening can be pleas-ant, neutral, or unpleasant, depending on yourattitude, despite your physical and mental stateand despite whether you are tired or reacting toa good or bad encounter with someone at workor in a relationship. This tells us that we mustbe constantly vigilant and mindful of the flow ofchange inside us.

We often think that our first daily challenge iswith the people and situations we encounteroutside ourselves. We already have a plan ofwhom we want to meet, what we want to do,and where we want to be, but it doesn’t alwayswork out as anticipated. Whether we stay athome most of the day or go to work, we don’tplan to be with people we don’t like, do thingswe don’t want to do, or go to places we don’twant to go to. But despite our plans, we are

surprised by unpleasant encounters. However,depending on our attitude, our perspective, too,can change.

The core of the Buddhist teaching is to look atour constantly changing attitude, throughmindfulness and reflection, to see where ourmind and body are at all times. Our senses arethe first clue as to what we see and feel, andthey change with each moment. As everyoneand everything are in a constant state ofchange, we must be careful of each changingseason in our own mind and heart and actaccordingly. Let us be careful not to engageothers without these careful considerations. Aswe turn our minds to Fall Ohigan, it is anotheropportunity to be able to examine our religiousawareness so that we can take a balancedapproach on the ever important path of JodoShinshu life.

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki

Shinshu Corner

Ohigan

(source: www.wlabt.org/services/services_ohigan_spring.html

Higan (彼岸) is observed in Japan for a period ofone week in the spring from March 18 or 19 andagain in the autumn from September 20 or 21.Higan-e is one of the few religious holidayswhich do not originate with Sakyamuni Buddhaor a founder. It appears to be a distinct Japa-nese holiday originating in the early Heian Pe-riod (794-1190) and was presumably observedfrom the time of Prince Shotoku.

The word Higan comes from the Sanskrit wordParamita, which is translated as “other shore.”It is an abbreviation of Tohigan (“to arrive”).Tohigan means “to arrive at the Other Shore.”The “Other Shore” is Enlightenment or Nirvana,that is, the Pure Land. We are able to arrive ator reach the Other Shore when we transcendthe life of birth-and-death, crossing over the seaof worldly passions arising from illusion.

How can we cross this wide sea and arrive atthe Other Shore of Nirvana? The Six Paramitaserve as a bridge spanning across this wide sea,and by practicing Charity, Morality, Patience,Right Effort, Right Meditation, and Right Wis-dom, we can reach the Other Shore.

These Six Paramita teach us the essential Bud-dhist way of life which every Buddhist shouldfollow every day. Applying the Six Paramita inour daily lives is the Shinshu way of expressingour gratitude and thanksgiving for our uncon-ditional salvation. It is not necessary for us towait until Higan to practice the Six Paramita;rather, let us proceed to do so from today, fortomorrow may never come. Higan is a time forus to simply express our gratitude to AmidaBuddha for awakening us to his boundlessCompassion-Wisdom.

© 2009 West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple Online


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REFLECTION Jeff Wilson

Shinran often uses thephrase “true and real” torefer to important aspectsof the tradition, such asthe nembutsu and thePrimal Vow. We should becareful to understand the

intention of this idea of being “true,” as thereare various types of truth in Japanese and theirdifferent inflections are lost in the single Englishword “true.” This is especially the case in thereligious realm, where competing “truth claims”even within single denominations have led togreat conflict, even violence, to say nothing ofdifferences between religions.

In Shinran’s usage, true does not mean “fac-tually correct.” Rather, it means “correspondingfaithfully to the essence.” For example, this isthe intention of the term Jodo Shinshu: theTrue Pure Land School. It does not mean “TheFactually Correct Pure Land School.” The otherschools of Pure Land of Shinran’s time alsoused the same motifs of Amida being a formerking, the Pure Land being far away in the West,and so on, which were common to all Pure Landtraditions. Thus Shinran was not trying to implythat others were factually incorrect while histeaching alone was accurate. Rather, Jodo Shin-shu means “The School that Faithfully Corre-sponds to the Essential Point of the Pure LandTeaching.” This is the root of Shinran’s criticismof the other forms of Pure Land. While other dis-ciples offered the same teachings as Honen, onthe whole they did not express the essential in-sight that underlies the entire Pure Land stream,as Shinran saw it: they did not teach thatliberation is through the working of Other Poweralone, with no working on the part of the reci-pient.

For Shinran, everything, even the nembutsuthat one utters in gratitude, comes from OtherPower. So important was this teaching, whichhe felt was embodied by the Primal Vow, that hedeclared that this alone was the true reason forShakyamuni Buddha appearing in the world.Again, here we see the distinction between being“factually correct” and being “true and real” asShinran understood it: factually, Shakyamunitaught many different things and had a wideinfluence on world culture, well beyond just theteachings attributed to him about the PrimalVow—but in the view of the true essence of histeachings, it all boils down to power-beyond-selfas the source of the false-self’s emancipation.

This idea of “true” as corresponding to essence,rather than as mere historical fact or literalness,is what led him to proclaim his spiritual lineagein the Seven Pure Land Masters. All other formsof Buddhism use a biological metaphor, and tryto prove that they are true by stating that theirteachings directly trace back in an unbrokenchain of face-to-face contact between mastersand disciples that supposedly goes all the wayback to the Buddha. This is a kind of factual orliteral truth claim. But Shinran alone goesanother route. He claims a lineage of adherenceto the inner truth of the Buddha’s teaching. Hechooses seven masters from different continentsand time periods, almost none of whom evenmet one another. What distinguishes them, forShinran, is that they each provided innovationsto the Pure Land tradition that nonethelesscorresponded to the essence of the Pure Landway: being rooted in the universal liberationthrough Other Power. It is hard for us, so re-moved in time and place from Shinran, to real-ize how profoundly radical this shift in the con-cept of true lineage was. And of course it was anecessary step for Shinran, since he too was aninnovator who changed the traditional readingsof the scriptures and made extensive modifica-tions to the forms and expressions he received,yet fundamentally he wished to elaborate by,paradoxically, bringing forth the original intentof the stories and practices of the Pure Landtradition.

Thus when Shinran says that the nembutsualone is true and real, he doesn’t mean thateverything else in the world is fake and illusory:if you think it is, just try putting your headthrough a wall—you’ll soon discover that boththe wall and your head are truly quite real.Shinran means something much deeper. Hemeans that the nembutsu corresponds faithfullyto the essence of the Dharma, because it is theexpression and practice of Other Power. It istruly Shin Buddhism—i.e., “True on the DeepestLevel”—that he provided to us.

These distinctions between types of truth arenot just academic. They have consequences forus who follow in Shinran’s wake. If we obsesstoo much about truth as factual or literal, thenwe create an opening for needless anxiety andfear to arise. After all, how many of us know allthe facts about Buddhism (does anyone?), oreven about Jodo Shinshu? What if we don’tknow some crucial fact, and don’t even knowthat we don’t know it? Or what if, as often hap-pens in religion, evidence appears that shows

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(REFLECTION cont’d from page 3)

that some fact we believed was untrue, such asa scripture being written under different cir-cumstances than we believed, or a minister wetrusted turning out to be a scoundrel? Doesthat invalidate the truth of the teachings wetrusted in?

Shinran’s “true and real” allows us to relax inthe face of these anxieties. There is no need toknow all the facts about Shin Buddhism, solong as our heart rests in power-beyond-self.That is the true essence of Shinran’s teaching.

The heart that relies on Other Power corre-sponds faithfully to the deepest intent of theBuddha-dharma, so that even if it were revealedthat every single Sutra was made-up, or eventhat Shinran himself was a fabrication, it wouldnot matter. Our liberation is true and real on alevel more profound and enduring than merefact or truth in any conventional sense, becauseit is produced by Amida, the spontaneous na-ture of reality itself reaching out to embrace usamidst all our delusions and misconceptions.

Namu Amida Butsu

JEFF WILSON’S PH.D THESIS PUBLISHED

(Editor’s Note: Oxford University Press recently published Jeff Wilson’s book titledMourning the Unborn Dead, A Buddhist Ritual Comes to America. It is adapted from Jeff’sPh.D thesis at University of North Carolina written during the time he was associated withWLABT. Much of the research, especially in the first chapter, was carried out at temples inLos Angeles. Reprinted below is the publisher’s description.)

Only book to cover Buddhist post-abortion rituals in America

Many Western visitors to Japan have been struck by the numerous

cemeteries for aborted fetuses, which are characterized by throngs of

images of the Bodhisattva Jizo, usually dressed in red baby aprons or

other baby garments, and each dedicated to an individual fetus. Abortion

is common in Japan and as a consequence one of the frequently

performed rituals in Japanese Buddhism is mizuko-kuyo, a ceremony for

aborted and miscarried fetuses. Over the past forty years, mizuko-kuyo has

gradually come to America, where it has been appropriated by non-

Buddhists as well as Buddhist practitioners.

In this book, Jeff Wilson examines how and why Americans of different

backgrounds have brought knowledge and performance of this Japanese

ceremony to the United States. Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork in

Japan and the U.S., as well as the literature in both Japanese and

English, Wilson shows that the meaning and purpose of the ritual have

changed greatly in the American context. In Japan, mizuko-kuyo is

performed to placate the potentially dangerous spirit of the angry fetus. In

America, however, it has come to be seen as a way for the mother to

mourn and receive solace for her loss. Many American women who learn

about mizuko-kuyo are struck by the lack of such a ceremony and see it as

filling a very important need. Ceremonies are now performed even for

losses that took place many years ago. Wilson’s well-written study not only

contributes to the growing literature on American Buddhism, but sheds

light on a range of significant issues in Buddhist studies, interreligious

contact, women’s studies, and even bioethics.

Author: Jeff Wilson, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and East

Asian Studies, Renison College, University of Waterloo


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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Rick Stambul

Summer is nearly over and most of us are still recovering from

the hard work we all devoted to our July 2009 Obon Odori and

Festival. Thank you to all who took time from their busy sched-

ules to pitch in for this annual celebration which is so important

to our temple sangha. The carnival was a huge success. Some es-

timated we had more than 2,500 people on Saturday alone and I

can say with some certainty that there were more than 550 danc-

ers celebrating life along La Grange Avenue on that same Saturday evening.

Now we return to more mundane matters like maintaining our temple facilities

and institutions and safeguarding its financial future.

I am making an open invitation to all our temple members to attend our LongRange Planning Committee meetings (our next meeting is Tuesday, August 25at 7:30 p.m.). These meetings are more important than ever as we are begin-ning to confront some significant challenges facing the near and long-term fu-ture of our temple sangha. Will you join us in these deliberations for the futureof our temple and our children?

We are actively discussing the possibility of a major change in how we manageour temple finances. Should we convert from the decentralized committee sys-tem that our temple has used for most of its almost 60 years to a more ac-countable and manageable budget system? Some suggest that a centralizedbudget system would allow us to keep track of what we earn and spend eachmonth (which we currently do with decentralized committees). The purpose isto create a practical method of understanding precisely what we have availableto spend at the beginning of each year, to ensure we don’t run out of funds,and to keep a lid on current spending. I invite all members to offer their com-ments as to whether or not we should change to a centralized budgetary finan-cial system. I urge all members to join us by participating in our Long RangePlanning Committee meetings to discuss this critical matter.

We are also beginning to discuss changes necessary to our monthly Bulletinbrought about by the retirement of our Editor, Sei Shohara, in January 2011.Our Bulletin is highly valued by all of us and, in my opinion, rates as one ofBCA’s most exceptional temple “newspapers.” Thus this transfer of editorshipwill require great care and consideration to ensure we maintain its high level ofaccessibility and overall excellence. All members are urged to join us in dis-cussing this significant change for our temple at our Long Range PlanningCommittee meetings.

September also brings with it our Fall Ohigan Seminar on Saturday, Septem-ber 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. when Rev. Usuki will present another ofhis informative presentations (in English), while Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara(from the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley) and Rev. Yuki Sugahara (a candi-date of the International Ministerial Overseas Program) will be making a jointpresentation in Japanese. Our Fall Ohigan Service will begin at 10 a.m. onSunday, September 13, with Rev. Kuwahara as English guest speaker and Rev.Sugahara as Japanese guest speaker. Please join us.

Contact me anytime at [email protected] or at (310) 284-8003.

Gassho,Rick StambulWLABT President


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SEPTEMBER SHOTSUKI HOYO, 10:00 a.m., September 5, 2009

Guest Speaker: Rev. Shoki Mohri in Japanese

Aita, NobukoArita, KanetoFukuhara, UmeFukumoto, JimmyHada, WasanoIshii, SadakoIshioka, MasakoIwasaki, KarlKamibayashi, YoshikoKato, KeiKazumura, ShizueKazumura, Yoshio

Kojima, HatsuKojima, HisashiKondo, FrankKoshiyama, HarryKoshiyama, HisanoKurokawa, FusaeMaeda, YoneoMatsumi, ShoMataga, TameichiMayeda, TsutayeMayetani, SadaichiMiyahara, Karo

Mochizuki, ShinsakuMori, HachijiroMurata, TakeoNagatome, SeikichiNakagawa, MichikoNakamura, TakanoNakashima, ChimaNicho, EiOhnoki, PatOkubo, NobuichiSakahara, MatsukichiSakurai, Matasaku

Sasaki, TakeoSasaki, TatsuoShimomaye, WataruShintaku, SadakoSoda, StevenTakemoto, MamoruTakenoshita, ShintaroTanaka, GeorgeTotani, WakanoUeno, ShotaroYabuta, RobertYuzuki, Minoru

CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES OF:

Peggy Hisako YoshimotoSeptember 20, 1923 - May 25, 2009

Noboru YoshimotoJune 29, 1918 - May 27, 2009

Harry Kojuro FujinoMarch 15, 1915 - June 14, 2009

Akira YamadaOctober 28, 1928 - June 23, 2009

Jean Hatsumi OgataDecember 28, 1922 - July 16, 2009


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FALL OHIGAN SEMINAR秋季お彼岸セミナー

土曜日 2009 年 9 月 12 日午前 9 時半 - 午後 1 時半

(ランチ午後 12 時半)

ウエストロスアンゼルス仏教会

日本語のセミナー

桑原浄信浄土真宗英語通信教育主任

国際伝道者養成プログラム主任

菅原祐軌国際伝道者養成プログラム受講生

講題「西本願寺の歴史」

Saturday, September 12, 20099:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

(Lunch at 12:30 p.m.)

West Los Angeles Buddhist TempleSeminar in English and Japanese

Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara (J)Director, Jodo Shinshu Correspondence

Course andDirector, International Ministerial Overseas

Program (IMOP)

and

Rev. Yuki Sugahara (J)Ministerial Candidate, IMOPShimane Prefecture, Japan

Speaking onThe History of Nishi Hongwanji

• • •

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki (E)WLA Buddhist Temple

Speaking onHow to Read Buddhist Writings

会費は一人＄10をお願い致します、

この中にはこの日の昼食代が含まれています。

We are requesting $10/person, whichhelps defray costs and includes lunch.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WLABT Ohigan Seminar (9/12/09) Registration deadline: Friday, 9/4/2009

Name Phone number e-mail address 日本語 Eng

( ) -( ) -( ) -

Please enclose $10/person. Please write separate checks for your Ohigan Service donation andyour Ohigan Seminar registration.


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BWA NEWS Connie Yahata

BWA held their monthlymeeting on Sunday, July 5. Asix-month treasurer’s report(Jan - June 2009) was distrib-uted by Lori Nakama.President Haru Matsumuneexpressed appreciation to all

members who helped at the Yard Sale, toShirley Ito and Yasuko Shohara for makingsalads for Father's Day/Graduation service andto Shirley, Kayo Ohkawahira, and BeverlyYahata for serving refreshments at the firstObon practice. Shirley Ito and Judy Yee, withthe assistance of Toban 3, prepared the usualdelicious lunch for the booth constructionvolunteers on July 19. Toban 1 helped withnewsletter folding in August.

September 1 marks the renewal date for RalphsCommunity Contribution Program.

I am taking a departure this month from myusual exchange with other BWA groups andhave opted to write about our involvement withObon.

Not everyone is a fan of sushi … however, whereWLA's sushi is concerned, it's a different story.EVERYONE LOVES IT! That is why the ladies ofBWA gathered at the temple bright and early onSaturday July 25 and Sunday July 26 toprepare a bounty of makizushi and chirashi.Needless to say, it was delicious. AND didn't welook snazzy in our new WLA red aprons? Theywere printed by Audrey Yamada, owner ofCyco-Tees. Great job, Audrey! If anyone isinterested in purchasing one for him- or herself,please contact me, CONNIE YAHATA, [email protected], or you can callme at 310-473-3019.

Speaking of great jobs, once again, the crowd atObon was captivated by the performance givenby WLA Taiko. BWA members Beverly Yahata,Connie Yahata, and Kay Kafka, who alsobelong to WLA Taiko, gave it their all andthoroughly enjoyed themselves. Awesome!

Now that Obon 2009 is history, we can all sitback and get some much needed rest. Aseveryone is aware, the work required to preparefor the Obon is a massive undertaking. It takescoordinating and organizing, but mostimportantly, it takes manpower. We wish toextend a heartfelt “THANK YOU” to all BWAladies and all other volunteers who came out tohelp, making this annual event a tremendoussuccess! Hope to see you next year.

Future BWA meeting dates: Sep 20 @ 12:00, Oct4 @ 12:00 (later, if Venice visits our service),Nov 1 @ 12:00, Dec 13 @ 10:00

80 PLUS YARD SALE

It was the wonderful group effort and hard workthat made this another successful yard sale. Weappreciate all the help from various organiza-tions and friends, and the help from MotherNature who gave us the good weather.

Thank you for your generous donations. Theyare treasures for our customers who began toline up outside the gate two hours before thestart of the sale. They look forward to our saleeach year because of the “bargains.” We are veryfortunate to have such loyal customers.

Masako Ishioka & Chiyo NittaYard Sale Committee Co-Chairpersons

JUNE GRADUATES

For some reason we do not understand, theannouncement of June graduates provided byDharma School Superintendent GraceMizushima did not get into our July-AugustBulletin. We apologize to the graduates andeveryone else concerned.

There were eight graduates this year, two fromElementary School and six from Middle Schoolas follows:

Elementary (5th) Justin MizushimaSho Murphey

Middle School (8th) Amanda BangEmily HoyJacqueline LinKylie MizushimaKaylie NishimotoNathan Ohkawahira

Let us join together and congratulate ourgraduates, and wish them continued success asthey prepare to take their next BIG step intoMiddle School and High School.

Friday

September

18

7:30 p.m.


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DHARMA SCHOOL NEWS Grace Mizushima

Obon Odori

Have you recovered yet? I hope that everyonehad fun again this year. I would like to thank allthe people that came out to dance at our WLAObon again this year. This is just my personalopinion, but I think we had a great turnout ofdancers especially on Saturday night. It’s been awhile since I have seen that many people join inthe dancing. Of course, all of this would not bepossible without the help of all of the volunteerswho come out to help me teach the dances tothe public. I would like to take this opportunityto once again thank each and every one of the

teachers that helped me again this year (pleasesee them listed below). I would also like tothank:

Mrs. Kayo Ohkawahira for always keepingour lines formed and even on both sides

The audio equipment staff, Greg Mizushima,Russell Tagawa, and Vance Nishimoto

And of course our MC, Dr. Jack Fujimoto

Thank you all for another successful ObonDancing season. See you next year!!

Front Row l to r: Diane Ohkawahira, Jacqueline Pierce, Denice Hoy, Emily Hoy, StephanyYamasaki, Katie Hoy, Grace Fujimoto, Head Instructor Grace Mizushima. Back Row:Amanda Bang, Joko Tamura-Pedersen, Laraine Miyata, Kylie Mizushima, Kaylie Nishimoto,Yuki Sakurai, Stan Raposa, Richard Stambul. Missing: Crystal Fujimoto, Haru Matsumune,Lyslie Nakamura, Kathy Nishimoto, Kiku Ohkawahira, Nathan Ohkawahira, Beverly Yahata.

L.A.B.C.C Summer Camp

In August, WLA sent 5 children this year to theL.A.B.C.C. camp held at Camp Morningstar in theSan Bernadino Mountains. In the photo l to r:Kellie Arita (Sangha Teens), Kaylie Nishimoto(Dharma School/Sangha Teens), Jacquelin Lin(Dharma School/Sangha Teens―that’s her dad,George Lin, in the background), and Amanda(Dharma School/Sangha Teens) & Derek Bang(Dharma School). They left on Sunday August 2from Nishi Hongwanji. Hope they have fun and wecan’t wait to hear back from them!!

2009 WLA OBON ODORI TEACHERS


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NEW DHARMA SCHOOL STUDENTS

As September is the month when new school yearsstart, we are late in getting this item into theBulletin. Apologies to everyone, especially the twochildren in the photo below. They are JamesonAkira and Akari Rei Johnston. Perhaps you havealready noticed them attending our services.

In a way, you may have known their father longbefore this, for he is the columnist for the RafuShimpo, George Toshio Johnston.

Let’s greet them all with warm welcomes.

WHAT IS IT?

This unusual photo was submitted by a memberwho received it from Deborah Stambul, who tookthe photo at Orange County Buddhist Church.

Strange? It is one of the oldest citrus fruits, andgets its name from the resemblance to hands ingassho.

Botanical name: Citrus var: sarcodactylus

YOU CAN NEVER TELL WHEN PATHS MAY MEET

Many of you know Ted Tanaka, but many of youdon’t, so we begin our story here with a shortsynopsis of his life.

Ted was born and raised in WLA.His father was one of the tenpioneer founders of our Temple,and his photo is among the pioneer“gallery” in the hallway outside theTemple Office.

In his young adulthood, he wasvery active in Buddhist circles andSouthern District YBL, and servedas WYBL President in 1962-63.

After a Business Administrationdegree from CSU Northridge, hewas employed by Accenture, the world's largestinternational management consulting firm, for11-years.

His business life grew into his currentoccupation as a self-employed internationalmanagement consultant introducing his majorNorth American biotechnology clients to createstrategic business alliances with the largestpharmaceutical corporations in Japan, Koreaand China.

It seems Ted is gone most of the time travellingsomewhere in Asia. When in Tokyo, Ted says he

often goes to Inakaya East in Roppongi, hisfavorite robata-yaki restaurant. He says it isloud and boisterous, seven days a week, and

open until 5:00 a.m.!

In one visit there, who would sitright next to him but Yoko Onowith 35-year old Sean Lennon, oneof her sons. Sean is popular inJapan, sometimes seen in TV ads,and speaks basic Japanese with noaccent.

Yoko’s mother descended from oneof Japan’s wealthiest bankingfamilies, and her father is adescendent of the Emperor of

Japan. She was admitted to the PhilosophyDepartment of Gakushuin University, auniversity originally only for descendents of theImperial Family. Yoko quit after a year.

Ted says Yoko and Sean were delightfully openand very polite and thoughtful, and quite easyto chat back and forth with, like old friends.Later the robata-yaki manager told Ted Yokohad been bringing Sean there for 25 years,about the same period Ted had been patronizingit.

Thank you to Ted for a wonderful story.


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OBON 2009 Tosh Ishioka

Thanks to all the capable and hardworkingpeople, we had another VERY SUCCESSFULOBON FESTIVAL!

Hui Aikane's Chicken Salad, WLA JACL’sChashu Bao and Corn on the Cob, WLA YouthClub’s Won Ton, and Buddhist Men’s Tamaleswere delicious new additions to existing popularfood offerings. Imagawayaki booth addedchocolate chip to their existing blueberryoffering, plus ice cream, all of which were verymuch in demand. The children enjoyed two newgame booths by Taiko and WLA Youth Club.The Jump House manned by the JapaneseSchool staff is always a big hit with children.

The Bonsai and Flower Arrangement displayswere very beautiful again this year. The Taikoperformances by Kinnara Taiko and WLA Taikowere very energetic, and colorful Obon dancersand dancing were enjoyed by all.

Special thanks to the hard workers who stayedSunday evening to put away the tables/chairsand take down the four large tents.

We appreciate and thank the banks andbusinesses for their support of the Raffle Booth.

Last but not least, a BIG THANK YOU to thecommunity and visitors from Southern Districttemples who make this such a joyous event.

Tosh IshiokaObon Committee Chair

KOI-NOBORI

No doubt all of you saw the festive koi-nobori(paper carp streamers) flying above our Obonbooths, or perhaps you noticed them on earlieroccasions recently. These were donated by Mrs.Hisako Nakagawa, for which the Temple is verygrateful.

The koi-nobori came into use during the Anyeiera (1772-1780), originally to celebrate Boy’sDay on May 5. The carp is said to swim easilyup rapid streams that stop other fish, thusbeing an example of courage, and the will toachieve high aims, for young boys to emulate.

SATURDAY STUDY CLASS ANNOUNCED

Rev. Usuki announces that he will be holding aregular Saturday Buddhism Class starting inJanuary 2010. It will be a formally structuredclass that will include: Early Buddhism, Devel-opment of Buddhism Outside India, BuddhismToday, and Jodo Shinshu.

The early target dates are Jan 16, Jan 30, Feb13, Feb 20, Mar 6, Mar 20 … The time will be10:00 a.m. to noon, unless otherwise noted.This is a preliminary notice for your planningpurposes, and this and other details will befirmed up later.

The Thursday Study Class will continue to beheld in its present format.

Pooped out from Obon. (Q: Who is this?)

REMINDER:

After a 6-week rest, the Thursday StudyClass will resume on September 3.


12

Pedersens bake Imagawayaki

WLABT OBON FESTIVAL, JULY 25-26, 2009

With the possible exception of Joko Tamura-Pedersen’s photo (bottom row, second from left), all photos were takenby Peter Babida. He took many more photos that are posted on WLABT’s photo website:

http://wlabt.smugmug.com/gallery/9096719_kR5X8

BWA holy rollers Udon chefs (left) and dashi brewer Asoka hot stuff (chili rice, that is)

YBA Beef Teri. Hey, where’s Jim? Chief Hara intros Nisei Week Queens

The 3rd Annual Baby Boomers Seminar

Our Path to Wholeness

BCA Center for Buddhist Education presents:

Saturday,

November 14, 2009

8:30 am—9:30 pm

Jodo Shinshu Center

2140 Durant Ave. Berkeley, CA. 94704

Guest Speakers:

Rev. Marvin Harada

Dr. Nobuo Haneda

Baby Boomers: Those born between 1946-1964, the post-World War II years.

Do you fall into this category? While most Baby Boomers may be leading

comfortable lives as we approach the twilight years, can we honestly say our lives,

dreams and wishes have been fulfilled? Are we on the right track? Is something

missing? Could it be an uncertainty about our religious path? What does the life of

Nembutsu mean? How can it be a part of my life? Can the Nembutsu lead me to

happiness? This could be the most important seminar you’ll ever attend!

Deadline: October 15, 2009

For more information: Call: 510 809-1460 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.bcacbenews.wikispaces.net

Registration:

General $100

BCA Members $75


17


18

West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple

19

September 2009Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Bulletin foldingtoban:

Jr. YBA

1

Rev. Usuki off

2 3

1 pm Study Class (E)

4

Rev. Usuki off

5

10 am Shotsuki hoyoRev. Shoki Mohri (J)

SD Jr YBA confer-ence, Senshin

6

Temple closed

7 [Labor Day] 8

10:30 am SDMA mtgat Betsuin

7:30 pm board mtg

9 10


7 pm B-Men mtg7:30 pm taiko

11

7 pm SD Councilsvc/mtg

12

9:30 am Fall Ohiganseminar

Rev. K. Kuwahara (J)Rev. F. Usuki (E)

13

10 am Fall Ohiganservice

Rev. F. Usuki (DS)Rev. K. Kuwahara (E)Rev. Y. Sugahara (J)

lunch

14

Rev. Usuki off

15

1 pm BCA Bylawscommittee mtg

Rev. Usuki off

16 17


7:30 pm taiko

18

7:30 pm Bingo

19

20

9:30 am Service/Study Class (E)

12 noon BWA mtg

21

Rev. Usuki off

22

Rev. Usuki off

23

7:30 pm Asokasvc/mtg

24


7:30 pm taiko

25 26

27

9:30 am Service/Study Class (E)

28

12 noon 80+ lunch

29

Rev. Usuki off

30Office hours: 10 am - 4 pm

Phone: 310-477-7274E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.wlabt.org

West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple

20

WEST LOS ANGELES BUDDHIST TEMPLE2003 Corinth AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90025

Return Service Requested

Major Religious Events for September 2009(See Calendar page for schedules of regular services)

September 2009

Saturday, September 12

9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (12:30 lunch)

Fall Ohigan Seminar

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki (E)

Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara and

Rev. Yuki Sugahara (J)

Sunday, September 13

10:00 a.m. - Fall Ohigan Service

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki (DS)

Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara (E)

Rev. Yuki Sugahara (J)

Lunch follows

Non-Profit Org.U. S. Postage

PAIDLos Angeles, CAPermit No. 20953

Documents

REV. USUKI’S PAGE - westlosangelesbuddhisttemple.orgwestlosangelesbuddhisttemple.org/wp-content/... · REV. USUKI’S PAGE Obon, Ohigan, and Right Attitude I am having difficulty