WHEEL OF DHARMA Official Publication of the Buddhist Churches of America 1710 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 VOLUME 39 DECEMBER 2013 2013 IHOPE Gathering at the Jodo Shinshu Center A Season of Appreciation S By Rev. Kodo Umezu, BCA Bishop ince I took office as Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) in April, 2012, I have conducted the Affirmation Ceremony or Kieshiki* at 14 temples and churches. In an Affirmation Ceremony, a person receives a Buddhist name, or Homyo. I have conferred 204 Buddhist Names. It has been so great and encouraging to see many people expressing their desire to be identified as Buddhists. By receiving a Buddhist Name, they reaffirm their spiritual foundation and express their appreciation of the Dharma. As I visited various places and met with people, I saw more and more sangha members expressing their interest in Buddhism, especially in Shinran Shonin’s teaching. However, we must not just look at numbers. Many years ago when I was a minister at the Buddhist Church of Oakland, after one Sunday service that was poorly attended I said to my eldest daughter, Amy, “Not too many people came today.” I think my voice sounded really disappointed and negative. Right away Amy responded, “Daddy, I was there!” Her comment really struck me hard. I thought to myself, “Yes, she was there. What am I thinking?” As a minister I often think about how well services are attended. But am I really speaking to each person as a precious seeker? I was so shocked to see myself just looking at the numbers. I came to realize that no matter how many people are in attendance, I must conduct each service as my one and only opportunity to share my appreciation. I must treat each attendee with the highest respect and welcome all as fellow travelers. I know that each and every one of us is given this life to live, a life that we can live only once. We must listen to our own voice coming from deep inside, seeking the true and real fulfillment of our existence. Shinran Shonin was able to find the path to the true fulfillment by listening to the nembutsu teaching. My wish is not only to see more people receive their Buddhist names, but to see more people have opportunities to hear the nembutsu teaching and to receive its profound message. Continued on Page 6 President’s Message Members of the Lodi Buddhist Church with Rev. Kodo Umezu and Rev. Katsu Kusunoki standing in the background. D By Ron Murakami BCA President White River Buddhist Temple ISSUE 12 Translated from the Japanese article by Rev. Ryuta Furumoto T hirty-one ministers gathered Nov. 5 to Nov. 8, at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, California to spend four days learning together and sharing experiences at the 2013 International Hongwanji Overseas Propagation Exchange (IHOPE) Gathering. This was the second such gathering held for Hongwanji ministers actively serving in the four overseas districts of Canada, Hawaii, South America, and the BCA. This year’s gathering was also attended by several ministers from Japan, including aspiring overseas ministers in the International Ministerial Orientation Program (IMOP) and a representative from the Hongwanji International Department. Our conversations at the 2013 IHOPE Gathering focused on the role of Hongwanji ministers in providing spiritual care at the end-of-life, as well as the inspiration we find in Buddhist scriptures, such as the Amida Sutra. Participating ministers shared their practical experiences serving families in end-of-life situations and shared strategies for conveying traditional teachings using idiomatic English expressions. In order to take advantage of the gathering of ministers from the four districts as an opportunity to share the Dharma, an international panel of ministers addressed questions gathered from all the represented regions about Jodo Shinshu teachings and temple activities in a live broadcast on the USTREAM website. (A video archive of the conversation can be viewed by searching for “IHOPE Q&A” at http:// www.ustream.tv/). A video recording of the IHOPE participants chanting the beautiful Ojo Raisan liturgy has also been posted on YouTube.com (Search for “2013 IHOPE Raisan”—be sure to include the quotation marks in your search). These experiments with using online technology are part of a larger project to find ways of introducing the Jodo Shinshu teachings to wider audience as the Pure Land Buddhist tradition receives more attention in the landscape of American Buddhism. Head of the 2013 IHOPE Planning Committee Bishop Tatsuya Aoki of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada described the goal of the gathering in the following words: “As overseas ministers serving in these four districts, there are common challenges we all face in sharing the Dharma. We have each developed our own strategies for addressing those problems, so coming together to share ideas helps us to be more effective in our ministries. What’s more, when we gather together all of our individual abilities and perspectives, we discover a great strength that transcends all of our individualities. That strength greatly contributes to the spread of the Nembutsu teaching in our world.” One participating minister from Hawaii commented that he learned a great deal through meeting ministers from other overseas districts: “I normally don’t have an opportunity to meet ministers from other districts, so I found the conversations with colleagues from all over the world that I had at this gathering to be very stimulating. I look forward to putting the new things I have learned here into practice as soon as I get back to my temple.” The Best Temple in BCA ue to the timing of the December National Board Meeting, a report on the meeting will have to wait until the January issue of the Wheel of Dharma. However, we’ll have focused on and hopefully come to an understanding on changes required to respond to the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) with respect to health care insurance for ministers, and approval of the Fis- cal Year 2014/2015 BCA budget. For some among our BCA sangha, these may be two of the least interesting issues we face, but they can have significant impact on temples and sanghas. Temples with ministers are responsible for each minister’s health insurance while temples contribute about 63% of the total budget. In addition, many individuals are dealing with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act for their own health insurance so most people understand how complicated and contentious the issue has become. Don’t hesitate to ask your district representatives about these issues and if further information is needed, contact either the BCA headquarters administration or Executive Committee members. In late October, Karen and I journeyed to the Sacramento area to visit Northern California District temples. Thanks to the help of Rev. Bob and Patti Oshita, as well as the support of temple presidents, ministers, and minister’s assistants, we were able to visit six out of seven temples and to meet with members from all the temples. It was a rare opportunity and privilege for us; it’s unlikely we’ll ever have this opportunity again and it led to many useful discussions and sharing of ideas. Continued on Page 6 PAGE 2 WHEEL OF DHARMA GUADALUPE BUDDHIST CHURCH One of the earliest churches founded in America, this church celebrated its 100th Year Anniversary in 2009. With the dwindling number of members, the small core group, which has not changed for thirteen years, has kept the obon and other activities going by sheer rote and tenacity. Always relying on the Amida Buddha for lessons learned and for compassion, we exist. Namo Amida Butsu. Note: This series introducing BCA temples correlates to the 2013 BCA Calendar. Guadalupe Buddhist Church 1072 Olivera St. Guadalupe, CA 93434 (805) 343-1053 www.guadalupebuddhistchurch.org A Fork in the Road and Gassho By Rev. Ron Miyamura, Midwest Buddhist Temple W hen I am asked about Buddhism and Shin Buddhism, there are so many ways to respond, but one of my favorite ways to explain Buddhism is to share stories. For how one might understand Buddhism, I share the story of “A Fork in the Road” which goes like this: “There is a man sitting on a rock in the forest along a path where the path divides, to the left of the rock and to the right of the rock. One day, the man sees a little girl being chased by a wild man swinging a machete. The little girl disappears into the forest, and then suddenly is running towards the man and cries out, ‘there is a wild man chasing me’ and the little girl runs to the left. A moment later, the wild man comes running up and says, ‘I am going to kill that girl, which way did she go?”…..end of story. How would you answer the wild man? Is it more important to always tell the truth? Or if you mis-directed the wild man, would he come back and kill you? In short, there is no “right” answer. The important part is that one has to take responsibility for whatever response you gave the wild man. One always has to be responsible for one’s thoughts, words and actions. Buddhism is like your response. There is no right or wrong answer, the important lesson is to be responsible. In a similar way, Buddhism does not give you the answer, it only provides some guidelines. For how one might understand Shin Buddhism, I often relate this perspective. We all like to think that we should not kill, yet, we all have to kill. Whenever we eat, we have to kill plants and animals; or if we don’t eat, we would be starving ourselves which would be to kill myself. Thus, no matter what we do, we have to kill. There is no logical way to resolve this dilemma. Certainly we can all rationalize why we kill, but that seems hollow somehow. So, the religious and spiritual question is how do we understand and accept that I have to kill. Either, I kill plants and animals or I kill myself. Perhaps the way to resolve this question is to put my hands together in Gassho (palms and thumbs together and bow) and to humbly acknowledge the sacrifices of others. Among the many characteristics of Shin Buddhism is humility, and the gesture of humility is Gassho. Putting our palms together is symbolically using the left hand which is the human hand, and the right hand which is the Buddha hand. Putting the palms together is the gesture of Oneness (two separate parts coming together as one). Then the gesture is to bow one’s head, the gesture of humility. To bow one’s head has so many results, among them is to lower one’s eyes which allows one to “listen” more. If one were a Japanese Buddhist, one would say “itadakimasu” which might be translated from Monshu Ohtani, Lady Ohtani or other officials of the Hongwanji for various occasions, requesting guest lecturers from Japan, and arranging for tours of the Hongwanji or accommodations at the Hongwanji for BCA members who visit Japan. As a liaison with the Hongwanji, Michael also oversees coordination of the Hongwanji sponsored Young Buddhist International Cultural Study Exchange (YBICSE) Program and the annual student exchange program between the BCA Federation of Buddhist Women’s Associations and the Japan Buddhist Women’s Federation. One very meaningful responsibility Michael has is a weekly visit to the BCA memorial monument at Colma Cemetery to clean the monument and offer flowers. Michael is a Buddhist Church of Oakland Board member and Minister’s Assistant, as well as being a past president. He received tokudo ordination in 2002 and kyoshi certification in 2007 at Hongwanji. Yumi Hatta began her job as CBE Program Assistant in 2008, working with the CBE staff and volunteers at the Jodo Shinshu Center (JSC) to strengthen BCA’s array of educational programs, special initiatives and resource development projects. Since April 2012 she has been based at BCA National Headquarters, assisting with CBE program coordination within the Office of the Bishop. However, she still spends time at the JSC, especially when CBE programs are in session. DECEMBER 2013 BCA NATIONAL BOARD 2013 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Ron Murakami, President Dr. Kent Matsuda, President-elect Susan Bottari, Vice President Ken Tanimoto, Vice President Pauline Sakuma, Secretary Treasurer, TBA Rev. Kodo Umezu, Bishop Rev. Jerry Hirano, Chair, Ministers Association BAY - DISTRICT 1 Susan Bottari, Karen Suyama, Jon Takagaki CENTRAL CALIFORNIA - DISTRICT 2 Todd Fukuda, Ellen Tanimoto, Gary Mukai COAST - DISTRICT 3 Gary Omori, Ken Tanimoto, Janice Doi EASTERN - DISTRICT 4 Dr. Erick Ishii, Dr. Linda Engstrom, Nancy T. Okada MOUNTAIN STATES - DISTRICT 5 Kirk Yamashita, Dot Richeda, Joni Sakaguchi/Gail Ida NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - DISTRICT 6 Tad Shibata, Cathy Fujimori, Mary Ann Miyao NORTHWEST - DISTRICT 7 Pauline K. Sakuma, Mark Achterman, Paul Mori SOUTHERN - DISTRICT 8 Barbara Fukuji, Mick Kubota, James Okazaki DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE Dr. Kent Matsuda (2014) Tom Nishikawa (2014) Ellen Tanimoto (2014) Calvin Doi (2015) Richard Endo (2015) Steven Terusaki (2015) Charlene Grinolds (2016) Jeffery Matsuoka (2016) Richard Stambul (2016) May Peace and Tranquility Prevail Throughout the World Continued on Page 6 Secretary to the Office of the Bishop and CBE Program Assistant T By Ron Murakami his article highlights the Secretary to the Office of the Bishop, Michael Endo, and the Center for Buddhist Education (CBE) Program Assistant, Julie Yumi Hatta as part of a short series introducing our Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) staff members. Michael Endo joined the BCA staff in May of 1996, and works out of the BCA National Headquarters in San Francisco. As Secretary to the Office of the Bishop, Michael’s duties include maintaining and coordinating the day-today schedule of the Bishop and also involve preparing letters, reports, and other written communications such as letters of congratulations, condolence, commendation, and greetings for members, temples and affiliated organizations of the BCA. Many temples directly experience the results of Michael’s work since he oversees the preparation and distribution of the Certificates of Congratulations for graduating high school and college/university students as well as scouting and Dharma School certificates, and the processing of Kieshiki Affirmation Ceremony applications. Michael also serves as a liaison between the Office of the Bishop and the Hongwanji headquarters in Kyoto. This responsibility involves communication and coordination with the Hongwanji International Department and other departments on a variety of matters including ministerial assignments, requesting special messages BCA Bookstore News By Gayle Noguchi Now available: Quiet Mind – A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation compiled and edited by Susan Piver, hardcover, $14. In 2014, do you hope to reduce stress, improve your health, and increase your sense of well-being? Scientific and medical research has shown that these are some of the benefits of regularly meditating. If you would like to meditate, but don’t know quite where to begin, this book is for you. Quiet Mind offers six different meditation practices presented by six renowned Buddhist teachers. The book also includes suggestions for creating a daily practice, frequently asked questions, and a CD of guided instruction. Although meditation is not practiced by Shin Buddhists as a vehicle for awakening, this book helps you enjoy the positive impact meditating can have on your daily life. To order, go to www.bcabookstore.com or sales@bcabookstore.com/510-809-1435. The BCA Bookstore is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Like us on Facebook. Continued on Page 6 Wheel of Dharma (USPS 017-700) Official Publication of the Buddhist Churches of America BCA National Headquarters 1710 Octavia Street San Francisco, CA 94109 Tel: (415) 776-5600 Fax: (415) 771-6293 Email: info@bcahq.org (NEW! Old emails will be forwarded) www.BuddhistChurchesofAmerica.org Email: WODeditor@bcahq.org Wheel of Dharma (USPS 017-700) is published monthly by Buddhist Churches of America, 1710 Octavia St., San Francisco, CA 94109-4341. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WHEEL OF DHARMA, 1710 Octavia St., San Francisco, CA 94109-4341. Subscription free to BCA members; $12.00 annual subscription for nonmembers. Submission Guidelines: We recommend a length of approximately 800-1,000 words, typed, single-spaced. Longer submissions will be rejected or, if accepted, split into multiple parts. We prefer Microsoft Word documents in an 11-point Times New Roman font, as it translates best for our graphic design department. If you do not have Word, a simple text file will work, even pasted into the body of an e-mail message. In ALL cases, do not embed images in Word document. Send as separate attachment. Please do not send text as PDF files. Color prints or digital prints are acceptable. Color photocopies, inkjets, or third-party photo sharing websites are not recommended. Photo attachments should be sent at 300 dpi JPEG, TIFF or PDF format for best resolution. Cell phone images are not recommended. Web-based images (72 dpi) do not produce quality images for newsprint usage. We reserve the right to crop photos and illustrations to conform with space and design requirements. Submission deadline: 20th of each month. WHEEL OF DHARMA POLICY HARDCOPY PUBLICATION LICENSE: Authors who submit articles for publication in the Wheel of Dharma (“WOD”) thereby grant WOD a royalty-free non-exclusive paid up license, worldwide, in perpetuity and in all media (the “License”) to use, edit and republish the article(s) and to grant sublicenses to any 3rd party to do so on the same terms. WOD grants 3rd parties an identical License to republish its articles so long as the article(s) is republished in its entirety, without edit, providing credit to the WOD and the Buddhist Churches of America. ONLINE PUBLICATION LICENSE: Authors who submit articles for publication in the Wheel of Dharma online (“WOD”) thereby grant WOD a royalty-free non-exclusive paid up license, worldwide, in perpetuity and in all media (the “License”) to use, edit and republish the article(s) and to grant sublicenses to any 3rd party to do so on the same terms. WOD grants 3rd parties an identical License to republish only the first three paragraphs of any article, without edit, providing credit to the WOD and the Buddhist Churches of America including a hyperlink to the article in the WOD. English Editor: Rev. Ron Kobata Japanese Editor: Rev. Ryuta Furumoto Print Production: Jeffrey Kimoto DECEMBER 2013 WHEEL OF DHARMA PAGE 3 News and Highlights・December 2013 IMOP Training Concludes On November 22, the closing service and awarding of certificates to the 2013 International Ministerial Orientation Program (IMOP) was held. Several BCA ministers and Jodo Shinshu Center staff members participated in the chanting of Ojoraisan as this year’s program came to a close. IMOP, initiated by the Hongwanji in 2008, trains Japanese ministers to become Kaikyoshi in the mainland U.S.A., Hawaii, and Canada. They take a wide variety of classes, from Buddhism in America, to hospice and end of life care, to temple management. Other activities include delivering Dharma messages in English and participating in a short internship at a temple to complete their training. CBE Co-Director’s Message by Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara There is a saying, “There is no ‘I’ in the word ‘BUDDHA’.” This may imply that the core essence of Buddha’s teaching is to be released from a self-centered and egoistic viewpoint; or it might suggest how difficult it is for us, who exclaim “me, me, me” in our daily life, to become a Buddha. But in spite of this, CBE has two programs with “I” in their acronyms. One is the International Hongwanji Overseas Propagation Exchange, or IHOPE for short. It was held at the Jodo Shinshu Center from November 5-8, 2013. Thirty ministers from BCA, Hawaii, Canada, South America, and Japan voluntarily participated. As the title shows, this event aims at the exchange of knowledge and experiences among ministers. We had active discussions on designated topics. We not only learned a lot from each other, we also established and enjoyed friendship with ministers from other overseas districts. I would like to note that the Hongwanji, ministers, and sangha members made generous donations to financially support this event. I hope that we can provide something of value in return, and that we can have another IHOPE gathering in the future. (Please also read the front page article on IHOPE.) Ministers from four overseas districts participate in chanting at the IHOPE gathering last November. IMOP activities: A visit to Seattle Buddhist Church, Betsuin (above) for a talk with Rev. Donald Castro. From left to right are Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara, IMOP Coordinator, Rev. Ryuhei Endo, Rev. Jo Takeuchi and Rev. Yoshinari Inohara from Tsukiji Hongwanji in Tokyo, Rev. Castro, Rev. Yuko Kubo, Rev. Miho Sekiya, and Rev. Daido Baba. (Center:) The reverends received their completion certificates from Rev. Kodo Umezu, BCA Bishop (at far right). (Below:) The ministers enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal at their farewell gathering on November 22. MINISTERS’ WORDS OF APPRECIATION TO BCA: I received many treasures from this IMOP program. I had many encounters with numerous people. I won’t forget your smiles and kindness. I’m looking forward to seeing you as a kaikyoshi minister. Thank you very, very much for everything. In Gassho, Rev. Daido Baba I had many wonderful experiences. I was very moved that ministers of the past tried to spread the Nembutsu at the risk of their lives. I hope I can be a BCA minister and do my best. I’ll never forget Ogui sensei’s words: “Don’t be afraid to grope in the dark.” Rev. Yuko Kubo IMOP was like a jack-inthe-box for me, filled with surprises every day. After all, I realized that the box was filled with smiles, warmth and insights from people who had good wishes for us ministers-in-training. Thank you so much all of you for your support in sharing the teachings and the Dharma community here in America. I am grateful for all that I received. With these experiences, I look forward to serving BCA with you in the coming future. Gassho, Miho Sekiya I am grateful to have participated in this IMOP program. I can’t express how much I appreciate this opportunity you gave us. We IMOP students received lectures in English and visited many temples in various areas, so I could experience practical Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu in the U.S. During this time I met and talked to so many great kaikyoshi senseis and wonderful people. I really think I have advanced on my Nembutsu path. I will try to improve myself in order to come back to the U.S. Again, thank you very much. Rev. Ryuhei Endo The other program with “I” is IMOP, the International Ministerial Orientation Program. IMOP is effective in that Japanese ministers who are foreign to Jodo Shinshu in the U.S. can actually be immersed in it for a period of three months. On their arrival at the San Francisco International Airport I saw their anxious faces, probably due to the prospect of living in a foreign county and studying in English. However, at the 2013 IMOP closing service, they were all smiles. The fulfillment from what they learned and experienced appeared on their smiling faces and were expressed in their words of appreciation. As the IMOP coordinator, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all who directly and indirectly supported this program. I hope that the four ministers will become truly appreciative of the Nembutsu teaching and enthusiastically share it with others during their missionary activities. Gassho. THE INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES & BCA CENTER FOR BUDDHIST EDUCATION PRESENT PACIFIC SEMINAR - 21ST CENTURY - SPRING SESSION “The Benefits of a Life of Shinjin” Guest Speaker: Prof. Nobuhiro Sencho Fukagawa Department of Shin Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Letters Ryukoku University, Kyoto, Japan Resident Minister, Sainen-ji Temple, Yamaguchi Prefecture Saturday, March 22, 2014 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Gardena Buddhist Church 1517 W. 166th Street, Gardena, CA 90247 Visit : www.BuddhistChurchesofAmerica.org Click on CBE Hosted by the BCA Southern District Ministers Association & Buddhist Education Committee PACIFIC SEMINAR - 21ST CENTURY - SUMMER SESSION “Sea of Suffering, Ocean of Compassion” Keynote Speakers: Rev.Tetsuo Unno & Prof. Mark Unno Honored Guests: Rev. Dr. Taitetsu Unno & Mrs. Alice Unno Friday – Sunday, July 4-6, 2014 Special Venue: Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA More information coming soon at www.BuddhistChurchesofAmerica.org Hoonko Service - Thursday, January 16 @ 5 pm at the Jodo Shinshu Center. Free and open to the public. Please join us! Domo Arigato! Thank you! CBE Volunteers BCA CBE Vehicle Donors CBE 500 Club Members, and All CBE Supporters! The CBE email address is now cbe@bcahq.org Center for Buddhist Education 2140 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704 www.BuddhistChurchesofAmerica.org E-mail: cbe@bcahq.org Phone: 510.809.1460 PAGE 4 WHEEL OF DHARMA Monpo – Listen to the Dharma By Rev. Kaz Nakata Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple A t our LA “Nishi” Betsuin, we recite the Three Treasures every Sunday. It reads, “Hard is it to be born into human life. Now we are living it. Difficult is it to hear the teaching of the Buddha. Now we hear it…” We are taught that monpo is fundamental in our Jodo Shinshu tradition. If it is so important, some of you may wonder that why the Three Treasures tells us that it is “difficult.” Our ministers and guest speakers deliver Dharma talks both in English and Japanese. Some of you may even view Dharma talks on the internet. So, there are many opportunities to listen to the Dharma. I would like to take this opportunity to write about the essence of monpo. I am sure that most of you, particularly the Dharma school students, may know the individual who is known as the “Master of Monpo” (the best listener) in the Buddhist tradition. His name is Ananda who was one of Shakyamuni Buddha’s ten disciples. Ananda took great efforts to listen to as many of Shakyamuni’s Dharma talks as possible. In reading the Jodo Shinshu sutras, one may notice that these sutras begin with, “Thus I heard…” Many of the other Buddhist sutras also begin with the same, “Thus I heard...” Many Buddhist scholars believe that the “I” referred to in the sutras to be Ananda. Although Ananda had listened to and memorized most of Shakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma talks over the course of 25 years until the Buddha’s death, Ananda did not attain enlightenment. His approach to Buddhism was an intellectual understanding. Ananda only understood/memorized the teachings that the Buddha expounded, but did not consider it as his life’s lessons. So, is the way of one’s approach a critical factor for enlightenment? In Buddhism, the phrase “listen to the Dharma” is traditionally known as “monpo”. The kanji character of monpo is 聞法. The first character 聞 (mon) means “listen/hear”. The second character 法 (po) means “Dharma”. Why would we need to know what the kanji characters are as English speakers? It is my belief that the kanji characters will help us to effectively view Buddhism more meaningfully. The kanji character 聞consists of two components. One is an outer component, 門, and the other is an inner component, 耳. The outer component is read, mon, meaning “gate”. It looks like the swinging saloon doors in the western cowboy movies that I have seen. The inner component, we read as mimi, means “ear.” So, the complete kanji character 聞reads as “an ear in the gate.” Can you figure out why the monpo kanji means “an ear in the gate?” Physically, our ears are opened for business 24/7. This is why we can wake up when we hear the alarm sound in the morning. Although our ears “open” 24/7, we sometimes hear but we don’t listen. Why does that happen? This is because the ears in the gate were closed. We do not listen with intent in our minds. Our minds are not set to listen even though our ears can physically take in sound vibrations. Fortunately or unfortunately, our ears respond well to worthwhile information but do not respond well to seemingly meaningless information. Our mind intentionally opens and closes the gates of our ears. This is why the Three Treasures reminds us that it is difficult to listen to the Dharma because our ears open and close through our own biases. The Three Treasures, however, goes on to read, “now we hear it.” The Hongwanji Eighth Monshu, Rennyo Shonin’s deciple, Junsei, recorded Rennyo’s daily sayings “Rennyo Shonin Goichidai Kikigaki.” In the book, Junsei wrote Rennyo Shonin’s explanation of monpo. Rennyo explains, “There are many people who memorize the Dharma to gain knowledge or for intellectual understanding. There are few people who listen to the Dharma (monpo) to reflect upon their own Continued on Page 6 Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple Honors Six New Eagle Scouts from Troop 252 By Joan Nakano, Seattle Buddhist Church Betsuin E arning the rank of Eagle Scout is a performance based achievement whose standards have been well maintained over the years. A scout must successfully complete both a service project that benefits his community and requirements in citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness before his eighteenth birthday. Brandon is the son of Nelson and Myong Harano of Maltby, is a 2013 graduate of Monroe High School, and served as President of the Seattle Betsuin Young Buddhist Association. This fall, Brandon will be attending the University of California-San Diego to pursue a degree in Communications. Carter is the son of Dennis and Pam Shigaya of Bellevue, is a 2013 graduate of Newport High Eagle Court of Honor – July 31, 2013 From left to right: Brandon Harano, Keanu Keltner, Carter Shigaya, Drew Tosaya, Evan Ko, Curtis Yokoyama in Bellevue. He is attending Western Washington University to pursue a degree in Environmental Sciences with a minor in Engineering Technology or Marine Sciences. Evan is the son of Jeff and Tina Ko of Issaquah, graduated from Issaquah High school. Evan is enrolled at the University of Washington. Keanu is the son of Marc and Jan Keltner of Kent, graduated from Kentlake High School. He is attending Central Washington University to pursue a degree in Business Administration. Curtis is the son of Kevin and Kari Ann Yokoyama of Sammamish, graduated from Overlake High School in Redmond. He is an active member of the Seattle Betsuin Young Buddhist Association, and a recipient of the Seattle Betsuin Tsujihara Memorial Scholarship, Curtis is enrolled in the honors program at Notre Dame de Namur (NDNU) University in Belmont California where he is pursuing a degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering. Drew is the son of Gary and Julianne Tosaya of Kenmore, graduated from Inglemoor High School. Drew is a recipient of the Seattle Betsuin Tsujihara Memorial Scholarship. He is attending the Rochester Institute of Technology to pursue a degree in Computer Engineering. Since 1951, the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple sponsored Troop 252 has been giving boys the knowledge, skills and life lessons that will help them mature and succeed as they become adults. Brandon, Carter, Evan, Keanu, Curtis and Drew become the Troop’s 101st thru 106th Eagle Scouts. Walk to Feed the Hungry Held in San Francisco I By Jean Fukunaga, Buddhist Church of San Francisco t was a beautiful Oct. 19 day for this fourth annual walk fundraiser coordinated by the Buddhist Global Relief organization. The Buddhist Global Relief’s mission is to combat chronic hunger and malnutrition and sponsors projects that promote hunger relief for poor communities around the world. BGR was initiated by Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, founder of the Karuna Buddhist Vihara. The four-mile pilgrimage to various Buddhist centers in San Francisco began at 1 p.m. There were approximately 100 walkers including 35 girls from the Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue Girl’s School of the City of 10,000 Buddhas, another 10-15 students from the Vietnamese Educational Cultural Association, Reverend Ronald Kobata, Julie Yumi Hatta, Jean Fukunaga and Jack Dairiki from the Buddhist Church of San Francisco, and Kevin Cheung, the official photographer. We met at the beautiful Buddha room in the Gold Mountain Monastery on Sacramento Street Photo by Kevin Cheung in Chinatown. After checking in and getting our refreshments and snacks, a Gold Mountain Monastery member welcomed us and gave a brief presentation of its history and current services. After a group photo was taken, we started our walk at 1 p.m. up steep Sacramento Street, a stop at Continued on Page 6 DECEMBER 2013 Bay District Buddhist Women’s League District Conference at Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church By Karen Suyama, Bay District BWL President, Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church The Bay District Buddhist Women’s League held their district conference on Nov. 9, at Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church. The theme was “Caring for Our Sangha,” which described Sangha as everyone from our family to the community, everyone who touches our lives. Guest speakers included Rev. Ronald Nakasone, Ph.D, whose intriguing presentation was titled “Anticipating the Past, Remembering the Future.” He said, our parents and grandparents no doubt foresaw the present Sangha: non-Japanese speaking and ethnically diverse, just as we “see” in our children and grandchildren what the future Sangha will likely be; even more ethnically diverse and culturally diffused, and wired in real-time to the furthest reaches of the world. He wanted us to think about what we want this Sangha to be in 20 years or 50 years. Another thing to think about was, how do we preserve our rich Japanese traditions in light of increasing ethnic and cultural diversity. Our second guest speaker, Nancy Hikoyeda, Dr.PH, MPH talked in great detail about “Family Caregiving for Older Adults.” What are the types of caregiving, and how many of us are caregivers. Can you guess how many billions (yes, billions) of hours we provide as unpaid caregivers of our parents/ grandparents? How many of us know how to really help them and be able to do what’s best for them. What common health problems do we see in the recipients, and how does it affect their daily life. She gave us information on the impact of caregiving, what it does to a caregiver’s personal and mental health, and how it affects their work and social/leisure activities. She provided us with good recommendations and wonderful resources to help the caregiver. Please know that there is a lot of information out there. Our third guest speaker, Allan Hikoyeda, J.D. talked about the “Legal Considerations in Caring for Our Sangha.” His discussions covered estate planning and management, caregiving and related considerations, and how to be a good consumer of services. He reviewed some forms with us and why you may need an Advance Health Care Directive form, a Power of Attorney, and why you would talk to the care recipient about any specific wishes in the event of death. He also provided some very good resources to get more information about the above forms, and how to research something to be a responsible and good consumer. Also quickly covered was how to select an attorney, accountant, financial advisor or fiduciary; and why to be prepared for any professional consultations. It was a very good day. DECEMBER 2013 WHEEL OF DHARMA PAGE 5 CHSR Symposium Dr. Richard Payne, Institute of Buddhist Studies Dean, and Rev. Dr. Daijaku Kinst, IBS Chaplaincy Program Director, participated in the Ryukoku University International Symposium 2013, on Sept. 26-27, at the Omiya Campus, Kyoto, Japan. The program was sponsored by the International Center for Humanities, Science, and Religion (CHSR). The theme of the symposium was “Practical Ministry and Chaplaincy: Buddhist Compassion in Response to Human Distress.” Professor Tomoyasu Naito, Head of the Department of Shin Buddhist Studies and Practical Shin Buddhist Studies, spoke on the importance of peace of mind in his address, “Meeting Together at One Place and the Meaning of Peace of Mind in the Jodo Shinshu Tradition.” Dr. Payne’s paper was titled, “To Whom Does Kisagotami Speak? Audience Reception, Interpretation, and Therapeutic Action?” He spoke on the importance of tailoring ones response to the specific person and circumstances one encounters. Dr. Kisnst discussed the IBS chaplaincy program models for pastoral care based directly on Buddhist teachings in her papers “What Makes Buddhist Chaplaincy Buddhist? Developing an Educational Foundation for Buddhist Chaplains in a Multi-Tradition and Multi-Faith Setting.” Responses were made by Professor Nobuhiro Fukagawa and Professor Akio Tatsudani for Dr. Kinst and Dr. Payne’s papers respectively. Professor Naoki Nabeshima, Director of CHSR, joined in on the discussion following the presentations. “The conference provided the exploration of different aspects of Buddhist practical ministry and chaplaincy and the important ways we can learn from one another, stated Dr. Kinst. Exciting News from the Institute of Buddhist Studies By Rev. Seigen Yamaoka A topic that often comes up in conversation when BCA ministers find themselves at a gathering is that the cost of the educational package necessary to become a BCA minister is an increasing obstacle for our ministerial aspirants. The Board of Trustees of the Institute of Buddhist Studies approved on Nov. 8, the start of the “Friends of IBS” annual giving program, for the purpose of raising supplemental funds for the “IBS Ministerial Scholarship Fund.” The “Friends of IBS” plan is to reach out to friends and affiliates, past and present, to ask for their help in financially assisting the ministerial education of those students who desire to serve the Buddhist Churches of America as ministers. We are asking everyone to consider what can be comfortably donated annually, for if we pool our resources, small amounts become significant. Details for the “Friends of IBS” annual program will be forthcoming; however, we are grateful to those who have only heard of the initiation of the program, and have submitted their gifts. Personally, I find this an exciting indication that there are some people who were just waiting for IBS to initiate this kind of program to aid ministerial aspirants. We ask that you consider how you can help. In Gassho By Michael Pappas, Executive Director SF Interfaith Council “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” The San Francisco Interfaith Council’s 9th Interfaith Thanksgiving Service hosted on Nov. 28 at the Buddhist Church of San Francisco. A truly beautiful gathering of traditions in celebration and giving thanks on this special day! (Photo by Nat Snow) Photo courtesy of Kevin Uyemura Annual Baby Boomers’ Seminar at JSC By Joanne C. Makishima Mountain View Buddhist Temple “Eat well and play well.” That was one of several quotable moments experienced on Nov. 2 by the attendees of the 7th Annual Baby Boomers’ Seminar at the Jodo Shinshu Center. Nearly 60 participants were inspired, challenged, and entertained by Reverend Mas Kodani, whose irreverent and irrepressible style encouraged us to be “bakatares” and to be aware of how our egos permeate our daily lives. Reverend Kodani, recently retired BCA Minister Emeritus and formerly of Senshin Buddhist Temple, captured the Seminar theme, “Wake Up and Be Alive,” by focusing on the realities of death. As Sensei explained, “Death is the only issue after birth.” “If you don’t think about death, you’re not living—only existing.” With that, the tone for the day was set. During the session on Jodo Shinshu Funeral Rituals and Meanings, we became familiar with the items on the Onaijin and gained an understanding of various symbols. The burning of incense represents both life and death; for when it begins to burn, it begins to die. Kodani Sensei explained how offering one pinch of incense versus the traditional three pinches is a tribute to the time in camp when incense was scarce. We also learned that although the practice of giving koden is now a widely accepted practice throughout the Japanese American community, it is actually of Buddhist origin because “ko” refers to incense, and “den” refers to the chanting of sutras. Speaking of chanting, Sensei asserted that chanting is the definition of oneness—everyone going in the same direction but with different pitches. Finally, that the purpose of the funeral service should be to mourn rather than celebrate the passing of someone was a pervasive theme of this session. Therefore, offering the sentiment “sabishiku narimasu” (“You’re going to be very lonely”) is a true and appropriate acknowledgement of the changing of one’s life. We were next guided through a history of Bon Odori from Buddhist, Japanese, and Japanese-American perspectives. “Bon Odori is a dance of sheer joy—without calculation, without embarrassment, without flaunting. It is not a ‘look at me’ dance. It is a dance of connection, not solo performance. When one is made to ‘just dance’, he remembers the dead as a present reality rather than a disembodied spirit to be placated or avoided. Joy is being connected; happiness is the ego-self getting its way. Joy connects, happiness flaunts.” From this standpoint, we were encouraged to “just dance” together in a circle around the Kodo to “Bon Odori no Uta.” As a NorCal native, I never knew there was a SoCal version of the dance, which has a few more steps than the one we traditionally do up North. And so we each, in our own way, did our own thing and just danced, as an expression of sheer joy, of course! Our final session was a history and demonstration of Gagaku, an ancient form of Asian music which dates back to the pre-Nara period. Sensei himself described the music as “cacophonous and shrieking” due to the uniqueness of the Continued on Page 6 Hearing the Dharma at Seattle’s Women in Buddhism Conference By Edythe Vassall, Berkeley Buddhist Temple To entrust oneself to the Wisdom and Compassion of Amida Buddha is to become one with Amida Buddha. All benefits come from Amida Buddha, not from us. These words were spoken at the Women in Buddhism Conference on Oct. 19 at the Seattle Buddhist Church Betsuin. The conference theme was Rita no Kokoro in Japanese; in English, “The Heart and Mind that Benefits Others.” There were about 90 attendees, including several men. The three guest speakers were Rev. Patricia Usuki, Resident Minister of the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in California; Rev. Mariko Nishiyama, Resident Minister of the Pearl City Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Hawaii; and Naomi Kasumi, Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Seattle University. Each spoke at individual sessions, then all three sat on a panel and answered questions from the audience. Midori Takagi, Associate Professor Photo courtesy of Seattle Betsuin BWA of History at Fairhaven College, Western Washington University, gave the opening address and facilitated the panel discussion. The program began with a brief service led by Rev. Don Castro, Rimban of Seattle Betsuin. After the introduction of the speakers, Ms. Takagi gave a fascinating, in-depth history of the life of Lady Takeko Kujo (1887-1928). Lady Kujo was the daughter of the twenty-first monshu (head of the Nishi Hongwanji Temple in Kyoto, Japan). She was well-educated and privileged, but not free from sorrow. Ms. Takagi vividly described the suffering in Lady Kujo’s life; the loneliness of being raised separate from other children, the loss of her closest companion at a young age, the ten-year separation from her husband. Dedicating her life to Jodo Shinshu, Lady Kujo grounded herself in the Nembutsu and turned her suffering into compassionate, humanitarian action for others. She composed poetry, prose, and gathas (songs) about the Nembutsu teaching. She wrote: Loneliness will not call on us unexpectedly when we know our limits. And when we become aware of a strength greater than ours, we can manifest greater strength in our individual efforts. Lady Kujo founded the Buddhist Women’s Associa- tion (BWA) in the early 1900s in order to unite Jodo Shinshu women in Japan and in the sanghas that were beginning to form worldwide. When the Great Kanto Earthquake struck in 1923, she committed her energy and resources to help those affected. Later she founded Asoka Hospital, one of Japan’s first modern hospitals. Lady Kujo dedicated herself to charitable work. In the course of helping poor people in the slums of Tokyo she contracted blood poisoning, and died at the young age of 41. Lady Kujo’s life was an expression of rita no kokoro, the heart and mind that benefits others. Rev. Patti Usuki discussed the meaning of several of the short texts in Lady Kujo’s book Muyuge: Flower Without Suffering, relating them to present-day life. Here are a few examples of Rev. Usuki’s interpretations (with the original texts’ titles in parentheses): The truth of suffering allows us to empathize with others. (Anxiety) Reflecting on our true nature Continued on Page 6 PAGE 6 WHEEL OF DHARMA Rev. Umezu Continued from Front Page As we turn the last pages on the year 2013, let us once again pay attention to our own life and reaffirm our religious and spiritual foundation so that the years to come will be fully satisfying and meaningful. Please enjoy this season of appreciation. I wish you the best for the year Rev. Miyamura Continued from Page 4 as “humbly receive” meaning to gratefully receive the life forms placed before me that nourish and sustain my body. This word has many meanings and more a word to acknowledge all the causes and conditions which brought about this food to be placed before me. It is a word that expresses gratitude and acknowledges the sacrifices of others. For me, the only way to resolve the dilemma of killing in order to eat is a Boomers Continued from Page 5 traditional instruments and pentatonic scale used. The music was at first as described; but as our ears adjusted, the beauty of its historical significance emerged. Performing along with Kodani Sensei were David Nishijima, Dii Lewis, Pam Matsuoka, Ron Harrison, all of whom are currently members of either the Kinnara or the Northern California/ Berkeley Gagaku groups. We President’s Message Continued from Front Page It gave me the chance to hear about concerns, issues, and successes from dedicated people who help make up the core leadership of their temples. We were treated very well and will be forever indebted for the hospitality and friendship we received. We were impressed by the pride shown for individual temples and for the first time heard people say their temple is the best in BCA. We witnessed friendly rivalries that are inspiring the temples to work harder out of a sense of togetherness and local pride. It was wonderful to experience the fondness these members have for their temples when BCA Staff Continued from Page 2 Yumi maintains the CBE News wikisite (bcasites.net) publicizing events, resources and other educational news. She also emails the CBE ENews to the BCA community and the public. Part of her focus at CBE has been to fa- 2014. *Kieshiki – In this Jodo Shinshu Buddhist ceremony, one takes the important step of affirming one’s reverence for the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and one’s determination to walk the path to Buddhahood. The Affirmation Ceremony is performed by the BCA Bishop before the altar of Amida Buddha, the embodiment of Infinite Wisdom and Compassion. When conducted by the Monshu, spiritual head of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha denomination, the ceremony is referred to as the Confirmation Ceremony. In the Kieshiki, one receives a Buddhist name (Homyo). A homyo has three parts: the word Shaku, followed by two Buddhist terms. Shaku comes from Shakyamuni. It signifies that the person is a follower of Shakyamuni Buddha and a member of the sangha; a community that transcends race or nationality. spiritual understanding of humbly acknowledging the sacrifices of others. It is also a reminder of the interdependence of the universe. This is another way of realizing that it is my ego that thinks, “I am the center of the universe.” It is Shin Buddhism that is telling us the reality is that I am a part of the universe, and not the center of the universe. Buddhism is a religion of discovery, like Siddharta Gautama discovering Enlightenment. Enlightenment was always there, but it took Siddharta to discover it. Shin Buddhism continues the idea of discovery thru gratitude and humility. The gesture of Gassho captures so much of what Shin Buddhism is trying to teach us. Just like when we Gassho when we eat, we accept the sacrifices of plants and animals which gives us nourishment. Gassho acknowledges gratitude, and when we bow our heads, we express our humbleness. The added benefit of Gassho is to bow our heads so we are less likely to talk, and much more likely to listen, and that can be the start of Listening to the Dharma. ended the day with a delicious dinner of mizutaki, which was cooked family style, followed by a rousing game of “Battle of the Sexes,” with the winners (the men) being first in line for dessert. Returning to the opening quote, we ate (and drank) well throughout the day, thanks to the planning and hard work by the kitchen crew—Judy Kono, Yuki Otake, Mieko Nakano, and Vic Iwamura. The Planning Committee met once a month for a year to make sure this seminar was relevant and memorable. Many thanks to Reverend Kiyo Kuwahara, Maya Lawrence, Ken Tanimoto, Judy Kono, Yumi Hatta, Edythe Vassall, Ken Nakano, Dennis Tsukagawa, Judy Tokubo, Sam Sanada, and the late Sensei Tom Okamoto for enabling us to play well and to “Wake Up and Be Alive.” And finally, our appreciation to Reverend Mas Kodani, who showed us ourselves and gave us transformative food for thought. “What you are is what you come in contact with in life.” they expressed how their temple is the best. What a great feeling; it speaks well for the whole district. The temples are very fortunate to have such dedicated members. From our travels these past two years, we’ve heard comments and recommendations on many different issues. I’ve taken to heart what each person has had to say and we’re working to convey their messages to others. One distinct starting place has been to work with committee chairs to emphasize projects that can directly respond to temple needs and to encourage a budget that provides for the essential needs of our national organization while also trying to minimize the financial burden on our temples and churches. The nearing of winter and the quickly approaching end of the calendar year has come as a surprise this year. The past eleven months have been both busy and special, and December is a unique month that encourages us to reflect on the past year to help put our life into perspective. While this is a time of year commonly dedicated to changing and directing our focus, I hope people will be able to appreciate today just as it is. This year may or may not be much different than previous ones; however, despite the difficulties we’ve faced, I’m sure each person has much for which they can be grateful. cilitate joint activities among BCA groups such as IBS, BCA districts, and temples for programs like Pacific Seminar 21st Century, special projects such as Rev. Sonam Bhutia’s tour in June 2012, and other collaborations within the Buddhist and broader community. This past year, Yumi helped facilitate BCA fundraising and production sup- port to the independent film documentary production, “Streams of Light - Shin Buddhism in America” by Rev. Kentaro Sugao and Ebisu Filmes, which is available at the BCA Bookstore. Yumi is a Buddhist Church of San Francisco Board member and Co-President of the Buddhist Women’s Association. In Gassho Seattle BWA Continued from Page 5 allows us to be humble. (Introspection of Evil) Seeing our limitations allows us to be grateful. (Awakening) We are empowered, but our own strength is limited. We are empowered by all life—all the beings that help us survive. (The Expenditure of Strength) Every moment is new. (Dawn) Persevere in your work and you will succeed. (In the Shadow of a Rock) There is not a moment to waste. (Introspection) Rev. Usuki also presented interesting quotes from BCA women she interviewed for her own book Currents of Change: American Buddhist Women Speak Out on Jodo Shinshu. We briefly discussed the purpose and the future of the BWA—then it was time for the next session. Rev. Mariko Nishiyama spoke about the need to bring Buddhism to people who are suffering in today’s world. We can find ourselves Walk Continued from Page 4 Grace Cathedral on California Street, followed by a stop at the American Buddhist Cultural Association and Buddha’s Light International Association on Van Ness Avenue for refreshments and snacks. We were welcomed by the members of this organization who gave a brief presentation about their organization, services and upcoming events. Our next stop was the Buddhist Church of San Francisco on Pine Street, where Reverend Kobata gave a presentation of the church history and services. Susan Carson, board member of the What If? organization, an affiliate of the Buddhist Global Relief, gave a presentation about their program. The What If organization is a non-profit that partners with the Ti Plas Kazo community in Haiti to bring much needed food and educational opportunities to impoverished children. We took turns in Rev. Nakata Continued from Page 4 life as their life lessons. So, there are only a few people who rarely encounter the life of awakening through the Dharma (56)” Shinran Shonin made reference to “listening” in his book, Study of Single Recitation and Multiple Recitation (Ichinen Tanen Moni). He wrote, “[In Jodo Shinshu)] you will know you have truly listened when after listening to the teachings of Amida’s primal vows, there is no doubt in your mind. Also, listening is the Dharma to symbolize Shinjin.” DECEMBER 2013 overwhelmed by the sad events that happen daily. Likewise, there was much suffering in the time of Shinran Shonin. We can do our best, but our limited love and compassion cannot save others. Shinran Shonin realized this. He believed that nurturing minds and sharing the benefits of the Nembutsu with others was only the way to help. But in today’s world, can we simply tell a person who is suffering, “Just say the Nembutsu”? Not really. Can we ignore a person who is suffering? As Buddhists we try not to, yet we cannot save anyone from suffering by ourselves. While we do what we can, we should realize, as Shinran Shonin and as Lady Kujo did, that the working of Amida Buddha is behind the small good deeds that we do. Naomi Kasumi presented a slide show of her artwork in her session. Her MEM: memory • memorial project is a series of art installations which she has shown in India, Japan, and the United States. She explained the ritualistic process she employs to create her artwork. The creative process became a method of healing from her guilt and grief from having had an abortion, which she considers a transgression against the sacredness of life. Ms. Kasumi identified images of jizo—Japanese stone statues that are viewed as protectors of travelers and children—as a part of her cultural heritage and the inspiration behind one of her contemporary art installations. The Women in Buddhism Conference achieved its objective as being a day to gain understanding of the connection between Buddhism and women’s everyday lives. The Women in Buddhism Committee, the Seattle Betsuin BWA, and the Seattle Betsuin Religious Department presented an excellent program. There is a common misconception that Buddhist Women’s Conferences are for women only. It isn’t so. BWA conferences are for everyone who wants to hear the Dharma and gain a deeper understanding of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. viewing Buddha relics located in the church stupa. BCSF members served the refreshments to the walkers. The group proceeded to the front of the Soto Zen Buddhism International Center located a few blocks from the BCSF, where another group photo was taken. We then continued on to the Peace Pagoda in Japan Town for a few more photo ops. From Japantown our pilgrimage took us to the Vietnamese Buddhist Association on Duboce Street. We entered their main hall that was built into a renovated two story Victorian structure. A member of their association welcomed us and informed us that their association and temple was originally established to provide services to Vietnamese refugees. Elise DeGrand, executive director of Lotus Outreach, another partner organization of Buddhist Global Relief, gave a brief presentation about her organization’s work in Cambodia to provide education, health and safety of at-risk exploited women and children in the developing world. Charlie of the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality, the organization that will receive a portion of the proceeds from this year’s walk, gave a brief presentation of his organization that feeds the hungry in San Francisco. After the presentations, we had refreshments, fruits and snacks. Our last stop at 6 p.m. was in front of the San Francisco Zen Center on Page Street where the last group photo was taken. I enjoyed this walk, visiting the different beautiful temples, and meeting walkers from various Buddhist backgrounds, including ones from Berkeley, Fremont, Millbrae, and the City of 10,000 Buddhas. The girls from the Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue Girls’ Schools who carried one of the banners for Walk to Feed the Hungry, showed enthusiasm and spirit by giving loud cheers during the walk when passing automobile drivers honked showing their support of the walk. This thought is known as “listening equals awakening” (Mon Soku Shin). If Shinran Shonin and Rennyo Shonin existed in this 21st century, they would affirm that, “Even if you would encounter thousands of Dharma talks, if you do not listen (monpo) to them, you are just taking in in- formation. It is as if you are not listening to anything at all. To be an intellectual (ie: PhD) in Buddhism does not mean you have become a Buddha. By listening to the Dharma, we need to live our own life more deeply and meaningfully which is the way of Buddhahood.” Gassho How many Buddhists does it take to change a light bulb? 100, two to change it, and ninety-eight to explain how they do it differently! リー ドレー 仏 教 会 開 教 使 「念仏者は無碍の一道なり」 坂本秀士 しま したが 、最善 を尽 くし、 滞りな く式 を終え ました 。 り 、た く さ ん の人 々 が お 葬式 に 見 え ま し た 。 私 は 、 か な り 緊 張 中。 真宗 の教え をア ートを 通して 紹介 してい る。 え を 聞き 始 め 、 僧侶 に な る 。二 児 の 母 。 龍 谷 大 学 博 士 課 程 在 籍 久 保 裕子 、 広 島 県出 身 。 京 都市 立 芸 術 大 学 に 在 学 中 に 真 宗 の 教 お 話 を 聞 いて と て も 感銘 を 受 け まし た 。 そ れ で 私 も 皆 さ ん の 仲 先 生 方 や 戦時 中 に 収 容所 に 入 っ てお ら れ た ご 門 徒 さ ん た ち か ら 響 な ど 、 日本 と は 違 った 状 況 の 中で の 伝 道 に ご 苦 労 さ れ て い る 反 省 さ せ られ ま し た 。人 種 の 多 様性 や キ リ ス ト 教 の 考 え 方 の 影 さ せて い た だ く機 会 が あっ て と て も緊 張 し ま し た 。 で も 、 メ ン が でき ま し た 。イ ン タ ーン の 時 以 外で も 各 地 の お 寺 で ご 法 話 を ハ ワイ に 行 か せて い た だい て 、 ま た違 っ た 海 外 寺 院 を 知 る こ と ( 馬場 ) と て も有 意 義 な時 間 を 過 ごせ ま し た 。 イ ン タ ー ン で は 式の 直 後 、 私た ち は お 墓へ と 向 か い ま し た 。 霊 柩 車 が 先 頭 に さ んの 車 が 霊 柩車 に 続 き まし た 。 私 も 車 を 運 転 し て 、 そ の 列 に 中 央 仏教 学 院 へ 進学 。 大 阪 のお 寺 で 法 務 員 と し て 勤 め た 後 、 龍 遠 藤 竜平 、 埼 玉 県出 身 。 高 校卒 業 後 、 人 生 に 思 う と こ ろ が あ り に なり ました 。 間 と な っ て一 緒 に お 念仏 の 教 え を伝 え て い き た い 、 と 思 う よ う で お話 す る の は難 し か った で す が 、そ の お か げ で I M O P の プ バ ーの 方 々 に 温か く 迎 えて も ら え て話 し や す か っ た で す 。 英 語 た ち、 そ れ に 次の 車 、 そ して 次 の 車 と 、 続 い て い き ま す 。 た く 加わ りまし た。 り ます 。 信 号 や停 止 線 で 霊柩 車 は 、 止 ま り ま せ ん で し た 。 信 号 しか し 、 お 墓へ 行 く 途 中で 、 私 は あ る こ と に 気 付 い た の で あ に 移 住。 ボ ス ト ン大 学 卒 業 後、 日 本 の 企 業 に 勤 め る 。 求 道 、 聞 関 谷 美帆 、 東 京 都出 身 。 中 学生 時 に 父 の 転 勤 で シ リ コ ン バ レ ー に 来 ま し た。 そ の 時 に私 が 僧 侶 だと い う こ と を 知 ら れ た 桑 原 先 0 12 年の 3月に 龍大 の語 学研修 プロ グラ ムで 浄土真 宗セ ン ター と な り ま した 。 私 は 龍谷 大 学 の 社会 人 コ ー ス で 学 ん で い て 、 2 も 刺激 を う け まし た 。 IM O P で はサ ン フ ラ ン シ ス コ 、 サ ン ノ ( 久保 ) 海 外 開教 の ま った だ 中 を 間近 に 見 る こ と が で き て と て ―開 教使 志望の 動機 は何で すか? § さ っ た の で、 私 も 先 生の よ う に なり た い と い う こ と で 開 教 使 を 国 で の 伝 道の こ と や IM O P の プロ グ ラ ム の こ と を 教 え て く だ 先 生 は な んて 優 し い んだ と 感 動 しま し た 。 そ の と き に 先 生 が 米 生 が 私 に 食事 を ご ち そう し て く ださ っ た の で す 。 私 は 開 教 使 の 道の現 場は 活気が あり ます。 とても 充実 した三 ヶ月間 でし た。 た 。そ れ は 善 財童 子 の 求道 の 旅 の よう に 思 え ま し た 。 米 国 の 伝 多 くの 方 か ら お話 を 聞 くこ と が で き学 び を 深 め る 事 が で き ま し ゼ 、ロ サ ン ゼ ルス 、 ハ ワイ 、 シ ア トル な ど の 様 々 な お 寺 を 訪 れ がわか った のでと ても よかっ たです 。 ロ グラ ム 終 了 後、 日 本 に帰 っ て 開 教使 任 用 の 準 備 期 間 中 の 課 題 や 停止 線 の 所 に警 察 官 が いて 、 「 行 き な さ い ! 行 き な さ い ! 」 法を 重ね た後、 企業 を辞し て中央 仏教 学院で 学ぶ。 みなさん、こんにちは! を迎えることとなりまし 今年も、これで最後の月 と 合図 を 送 っ てい る の で す。 私 は 大 変 驚 き ま し た 。 日 本 で は 、 本 当 に こ の四 年 間 、 親切 に し て くだ さ り あ り が と う ご ざ い ま し た 。今 、この 場を お借り してお 礼を 申し上 げます 。 ( 遠 藤 ) 桑原 先 生 に お会 い し た こと が I M O P に 参 加 す る ご 縁 た。そして、この月は、 警 察官 が 葬 式 の行 列 の た めに 他 の 車 を 止 め る こ と は ま ず な い か 谷大 学入 学、仏 教学 を専攻 。龍大 在学 中に開 教使過 程を 受講。 教使としての最後の月で 私にとって米国仏教団開 ( 馬 場) 私 は高 校 生の 時か ら 開教 使に な りた い と思 っ てい ま し 志 すよ うにな りまし た。 わ れわ れ 浄 土 真宗 の 念 仏 者た ち は 、 特 権 を 与 え ら れ て い る の で そし て 、 あ る考 え が 浮 かん だ の で あ り ま す 。 も し か す る と 、 都 市 開教 に 専 念 する こ と に しま し た 。 私 は そ ん な 父 か ら 影 響 を ゼ ル スに 滞 在 し て別 院 に 出 入り し て い た そ う で す が 日 本 に 戻 り ら で す 。 私は 中 学 時 代に 日 本 か らカ リ フ ォ ル ニ ア に 引 越 す こ と ( 関 谷 ) 世界 の 人 々 に私 が 出 遇 えた 仏 教 を 広 め た い と 思 っ た か し 、英 語 学 校 に行 く 事 がで き て 語 学力 が 上 が っ た よ う に 思 い ま さ んを は じ め 、い ろ ん な分 野 の 専 門家 と 会 う こ と が で き ま し た そ の 中 で も私 に と っ て最 も 印 象 深か っ た も の は 、 米 国 版 紅 白 歌 し ん ど い ので す が 、 この 世 の 中 にあ の よ う な 忙 し い お 寺 が 存 在 と 言い ま す の は、 お 浄 土 への 旅 が 、 す で に こ の 世 で 保 障 さ れ て 来 涅槃 に 入 る のを 約 束 さ れた 位 ) に 達 し ま す 。 そ し て 、 わ れ わ 確か に 、 わ れわ れ 浄 土 真宗 の 念 仏 者 は 、 こ の 世 で 正 定 聚 ( 将 願 寺 に勤 め る こ とに な り ま した 。 け れ ど も 、 親 鸞 聖 人 七 五 〇 回 へ 進 むか ど う か 迷っ て い ま した が 、 い ろ い ろ な 事 情 で 京 都 の 本 お寺を回ったこともあります。大学院を卒業して 開教使の道 サ ン ゼル ス 別院 では 、 いく つか の 大き な イベ ン ト が あり ま し た 。 れが こ の世 の命 が 尽き る 時、 確実 に お浄 土に 行 く の で あ りま す 。 海 外 実 習 に 行 き ま し た 。 ブ ラ ジ ル を 中 心 に 南 米 を 一 人 旅 し て 各 す る と い うこ と を 知 り大 変 に 驚 きま し た 。 サ ー ビ ス の 他 に 、 ロ いる からで ありま す。 た し 、龍 谷 大 学 で海 外 開 教 使課 程 を 受 講 し て ハ ワ イ 開 教 区 へ も 寺 の 青少 年 国 際 研修 団 の プ ログ ラ ム で カ ナ ダ 開 教 区 に 行 き ま し う に 思 い ます 。 日 本 で社 会 人 に なっ て か ら は 、 仏 教 の 講 演 や お に 関 心 が あっ て 、 そ れが 仏 教 の 教え を 学 ぶ き っ か け と な っ た よ た こ と や 、ど う し た ら世 の 中 か ら争 い が な く な る か と い う こ と ま い も す るべ し 」 と いう 言 葉 の よう に 自 身 に つ い て 気 付 か さ れ れ ま し た 。そ こ で 「 さる べ き 業 縁の も よ お さ ば 、 い か な る ふ る に な り 、 当時 起 こ っ た湾 岸 戦 争 のこ と な ど で 様 々 と 考 え さ せ ら に 行っ て 、 人 々と 触 れ 合う こ と で 、開 教 の 現 状 を 肌 で 感 じ る こ ( 関谷 ) と て も充 実 し てい ま し た 。毎 日 新 し い 事 を 学 び 、 お 寺 るので 、お かげで 仏教 の 理解 が深ま りま した。 も よか っ た で す。 学 ん だ事 が た だ ちに ご 法 話 の 作 成 に い か さ れ す 。ま た 週 一 回、 桑 原 先生 が 真 宗 の勉 強 会 を し て く だ さ っ た の ( 遠藤 ) 視 野 が広 が り まし た 。 研 修中 は 開 教 使 の 先 生 や ご 門 徒 り ま し た 。最 初 に 赴 任し た ロ サ ンゼ ル ス 別 院 で は ほ と ん ど 毎 日 受け、開教使を志すようになったのです。 高校生の時は本願 あ たえ ら れ て いる よ う な 感じ で す 。 と て も 、 と て も 心 地 よ か っ その 時 、 私 たち は 特 別 な人 の よ う な 感 じ が し ま し た 。 特 権 を らで ありま す。 た です ! 私 た ちは 特 別 な んだ か ら 、 信 号 や 停 止 線 で 止 ま る 必 要 た 。 実家 が お 寺 で、 父 も 海 外開 教 に 興 味 が あ り 、 若 い 頃 ロ サ ン もあります。みなさん、 なし ! 法 事 や 葬 式が あ り 、 忙し い 時 に はそ れ ぞ れ の 開 教 使 が 3 つ か ら はな いかと ? この四年間を顧みますと、それは、まさしく驚きの連続であ 4 つ の 法 要を 一 日 に こな さ な け れば な り ま せ ん で し た 。 と て も 合 戦 で あ りま す 。 四 十年 以 上 続 き、 毎 年 約 八 百 人 の 人 々 が こ の た ので す ! そ こへ 行 く こ とが 保 障 さ れ て い る の で 、 何 の 邪 魔 も よ って 、霊柩 車に 続く 行列は 、ま さし くお浄 土へ の行 列 であ っ グラ ムを 受講す るこ とにし ました 。 教 使 にチ ャ レ ン ジし て み た いと 思 い ま し て 本 願 寺 を 辞 し て プ ロ 大 遠 忌法 要 を 通 して 多 く の 海外 か ら の 参 拝 者 と 出 遇 い 、 再 び 開 き る 場 で とて も 安 心 でき ま す 。 この 教 え が 広 が る お 手 伝 い が し て ふ る さ との よ う な もの で あ り 、浄 土 真 宗 の 教 え は お ま か せ で 寺 に行 き、 坐禅を して 、仏 道を求 めて きま した 。仏 教 は私 に とっ 他 の国 か ら 来 た方 た ち と文 化 や 宗 教に つ い て デ ィ ス カ ッ シ ョ ン とが で きま した 。 最初 のひ と 月は 主 に 英 語 学校 へ 通 う の で すが 、 紅 白 を楽 し みに お寺 へ 来ら れま す 。こ の 紅白 歌 合 戦 に関 わ っ て 、 た と え 時 は過 ぎ て も 日本 人 の 心 は永 遠 に 続 い て い く ん だ な あ と な く、 止 ま る 必要 も な い 。何 と 有 難 い こ と で し ょ う か ! わ れ わ す るク ラ ス が あり 、 そ こで 仏 教 に つい て 興 味 を 持 っ て も ら え た れ は、 阿 弥 陀 さま や 祖 先 から 、 そ の よ う な 貴 重 な 功 徳 を い た だ ン も実 際 の 布 教の 現 場 に立 つ 事 が でき て と て も 勉 強 に な り ま し こと はとて も新 鮮で した 。また 、サ クラ メント 別院 での イン タ ー い う こ と を感 じ ま し た。 そ し て 、ロ サ ン ゼ ル ス に お き ま し て 、 た い と 思 い、 勤 め て いた 会 社 を 退社 し 、 中 央 仏 教 学 院 に 進 み 、 た。 ん 学 びが 深 ま り まし た 。 日 本に い る 時 は 北 米 の 開 教 状 況 や 伝 道 や り や 友 情、 シ ェ ア など お 念 仏 のみ 教 え の 法 友 ・ 朋 友 の 姿 だ と お も て な しを う け て 、と て も 感 激し ま し た 。 そ れ は ま さ に 思 い で す 。 各 お寺 を 訪 れ たと き お 寺 の皆 さ ん か ら あ た た か い 歓 迎 と 教 え に 生 きな が ら 人 々と 笑 顔 で 接し て い け る 開 教 使 に な り た い ( 馬 場 ) この I M O Pで 出 遇 っ た先 生 方 の よ う に 、 お 念 仏 の み に あ る Hongwanji Office (桑原浄信開教使)のもとで運 営されている。これまでに八名がIMOPを修了し、北米開 に よ り 2 0 0 8 年 を 初 年 度 と し て 開 始 さ れ 、 浄 土 真 宗 セ ン ター 〇回大遠忌の国際伝道に関する記念事業の一環として本願寺 の環境にて育成されるべきとの理念に基づき、親鸞聖人七五 ntation Programの 略 で 開 教 使 を 目 指 す 日 本 人 僧 侶 を 対 象とした養成プログラムである。開教使は日本ではなく現地 ― どの ような 開教使 にな りたい ですか ? 方 法 など に 批 判 的な と こ ろ があ り ま し た が 、 こ ち ら に 来 て み て 感 じま した。 教区では楠開教使(ローダイ仏教会)、坂本開教使(リード I M O P と は 、 International Ministerial Orie 初 め て分 か る 事 が多 々 あ っ て、 自 分 の 視 野 が せ ま か っ た こ と を ( 久 保 ) 私は 絵 を 描 くの で 、 ア ート を 通 し て 浄 土 真 宗 の 教 え を レー仏教会)、菅原開教使(フローリン仏教会)の三名が伝 月の 伝 え ら れ たら い い な と思 い ま す 。お 浄 土 や 阿 弥 陀 さ ま を 絵 画 で 道活動に従事している。プログラム参加者は9月から 約三ヶ月間、浄土真宗センターに滞在し研修を受ける。最初 た だ き ま した が 、 課 題や 研 究 、 ご法 話 の 作 成 な ど い つ も 精 一 杯 仏 教 学 院 、龍 大 、 I MO P な ど いろ い ろ な と こ ろ で 学 ば せ て い ( 遠 藤 ) 目の 前 の こ とを 一 生 懸 命に や っ て い き た い で す 。 中 央 スピスなどの訪問も行われる。更にインターンシップ研修も れる日曜礼拝への参加、他宗の寺院、病院、敬老ホーム、ホ に必要な各種知識を習得していく。また各地の仏教会で行わ スラム教の聖職者、各種専門家などによる講義を受け、伝道 現役・引退開教使、門信徒、他宗派の僧侶、キリスト教やイ の一ヶ月は語学学校に通い英語力の基礎を築く。その後は、 や る よ う に努 め て き まし た 。 そ れで 今 の 私 が あ る の で 、 こ れ か ま す 。 お 念仏 の 教 え や声 明 な ど 、浄 土 真 宗 が 持 っ て い る 素 晴 ら 力 を 共 有 でき る か ト ライ ア ル & エラ ー で や っ て い き た い と 思 い ( 関 谷 ) 私は 仏 教 が 好き な の で 、英 語 圏 で い か に 日 本 仏 教 の 魅 確 信 し て いま すの で、 開 教使 志望 者だ け でな く 将 来 的に 日 本 の の伝道活動のヒントとなるような事柄を得ることができると 「海外で様々なことを学び、経験することによってこれから ラムを修了後に日本へ帰国し開教使任用の手続きに入る。 活動や開教使の生活等を実地で学ぶ。これらの所定カリキュ 今後し てい ければ 」と 桑原主 任は話 す。 お 寺で 伝 道 活 動に 従 事 され る 方 々 をも 対 象 と し た プ ロ グ ラ ム に し い も の を楽 し く 共 有し な が ら 、一 人 の 仏 教 者 と し て 厳 し い 現 ― IM OPの プログ ラム はどう でした か? 代 を生 きる人 々に誠 実に 寄り添 ってい けた らと願 ってま す。 あり、北米開教区やハワイ開教区の仏教会へ赴き、仏教会の ら も今 できる ことを がん ばりた いです 。 展 開さ れるの ではな いか と期待 してい ます 。 表 現 す る と、 言 葉 の 違い と い う 枠を 超 え て 分 か り 合 え る 世 界 が こ ち らの お 寺 の 先生 や ご 門 徒さ ん た ち と 接 し た こ と で 、 た い へ 開 教師 の道を 本格的 に目 指すよ うにな りま した。 私 は 寺 報 の担 当 で あ りま し た 。 友人 が 地 下 室 で 深 夜 ま で メ イ リ ( 久 保) 私 は 昨 年I B S ( 仏教 大 学 院 ) に 一 年 間 の 交 換 留 学 で いて いるの です。 非常 にた くさん の祖先 や阿 弥陀さ まが、 絶え 間なく われわ れ 来 た こと が き っ かけ で す 。 龍大 の 博 士 課 程 の 研 究 の 一 環 で I B ン グ を 手 伝っ て く れ たこ と を 今 でも 思 い 出 し ま す 。 三 千 五 百 部 以 上 の 寺 報で す 。 と ても 私 ひ と りで は メ イ リ ン グ を こ な す こ と を、お 浄土 へと導 いてい てく ださい ます。 みな さん、 だから 、 坂 本秀 士、 196 6 年生 ま れ。 滋 賀県 東 近江 市 、西 明 寺衆 徒。 お 寺 の 次 男 。 趣味 は 、 骨董 品 集 め。 特 に 、瓢 箪 や お 皿に 興 味 があ る 。 2 0 09 年 月 にロ サ ンゼ ルス 別院 に赴 任、 20 12 年に リー ド レ ー 仏 教会 へ転 任、ダ イヌ ーバ仏 教会 の監 督 も勤 め る。 2 01 3 年 月 日 に 米 国仏 教 団 開教 使 を 辞し 日 本 へ帰 国 す る 予定 。 南無阿 弥陀 仏、南 無阿弥 陀仏 、南無 阿弥陀 仏 わた し たち は、 た だ念 仏 をし て感 謝 を示 せば い い の で あ りま す 。 S へ 来 た の で す が 、 英 語 で 真 宗 や 仏 教 を 学 べ た こ と に 加 え て 、 は で き ま せん 。 友 人 、ロ ス 別 院 のメ ン バ ー が い つ も 助 け て 下 さ い ま し た 。彼 ら の 助 けが な か っ たら 、 ま ず 私 に は で き な か っ た で す 。今 、 この 場を お 借り して 、 彼ら に 感謝 し た い と思 い ま す 。 あ りが とうご ざい ました 。 そ し て 20 1 2 年 にロ サ ン ゼ ルス 別 院 か ら リ ー ド レ ー 仏 教 会 へ と 転 勤 とな り 、 最 初は 環 境 の 変化 に と ま ど い ま し た 。 リ ー ド レ ー で は ロサ ン ゼ ル スに 比 べ て 時間 が ゆ っ く り と 過 ぎ た よ う に 思 え ま し たし 、 サ ー ビス の 仕 方 もロ サ ン ゼ ル ス の も の と は か な た お か げ で、 徐 々 に リー ド レ ー に慣 れ る こ と が で き ま し た 。 そ り 違い まし た。 けれど もお 寺の 皆さん が私 に優 しくし て くだ さ っ 今月のインタビ ューの コーナ ーでは 、日本 人の開 教使志 望の IMOP受講生インタビュー た 法 話 に つい て 感 想 やコ メ ン ト など を く だ さ っ た か ら で す 。 皆 四 名の 先 生 た ちに お 話 を うか が っ た 。 四 名 は 浄 土 真 宗 セ ン タ ー ■プ ロフィ ール 竜平 師。 人 が い わ れる 「 念 仏 者は 無 碍 の 一道 な り ( 歎 異 抄 ) 」 と い う お の 実家 、 一 六 〇年 続 く 奈 良の 筆 屋 を 手 伝 い 聞 法 生 活 を 送 っ て い を 取得 後 、 本 願寺 派 宗 務 所に 勤 め る 。 二 児 の 父 。 現 在 は 奥 さ ん 馬 場大 道 、 千 葉県 出 身 。 お寺 の 四 男 。 龍 谷 大 学 、 真 宗 学 で 修 士 ち ょ う ど、 1 か 月 ほど 前 の こ とで す 、 私 は ダ イ ヌ ー バ 仏 教 会 で お 葬式 を させ てい た だき まし た 。前 田 博さ ん の お 葬式 で し た 。 る。 前 田 さ ん は、 か つ て 米 国 仏 教 団 の理 事 長 を し て お ら れ た 方 で あ 11 こ で リ ー ドレ ー 仏 教 会の 月 報 に 法話 を 掲 載 し 始 め 、 月 に 一 度 、 仏 教 勉 強 会と 、 日 本 語の 法 話 会 もす る こ と に し ま し た 。 フ レ ズ ノ の 仏 教 ラジ オ 放 送 も、 私 に と って 良 い 思 い 出 と な り ま し た 。 さ ん が 勉 強会 や お 参 りに 参 加 し 、ラ ジ オ を 聞 い て く だ さ っ て い 日に三ヶ に滞在して開教使になるための研修を受け、 22 先 生た ち 。 右 より 馬 場 大 道師 、 関 谷 美 帆 師 、 久 保 裕 子 師 、 遠 藤 月 る こ と が 励み と な り 今ま で や っ てこ れ ま し た 。 あ り が と う ご ざ こ の 法 輪誌 で の 最 後の 法 話 は 、つ い 先 日 、 私 が さ せ て い た だ 月 の研 修 を 終 え、 無 事 に 帰国 の 途 に つ い た 。 。 写 真 は 受 講 生 の 12 い まし た。 毎 回 、 何 人か の 聴 取 者の 方 が 電 話を く だ さ り 、 そ の 日 放 送 さ れ 11 言 葉を 味あわ せて いただ くご縁 とな りまし た。 き ま し た お葬 式 の 時 の話 を さ せ てい た だ き ま す 。 そ れ は 親 鸞 聖 11 浄土真宗センタ-にて IHOPE参加開教使達 31 2013年12月号 輪 法 総長メッセージ 米 国仏 教団 総長 梅津 廣道 昨年四月に総長職に就いてから今まで、十四ヶ所で帰依式 ( *注 ) を行 い 、 合 計 二百 四 名 に 法 名を 授 与 い た し まし た 。 こ れ だけ の 方々 が 仏 前 で 三宝 に 帰 依 す るこ と を 決 意 さ れた こ と を 喜 ぶと 同 時に 力 強 く 感 じま し た 。 自 ら仏 教 徒 と し て の歩 み を 始 め ようと する人 たち の数が 増えて きて いるよ うに 思えま す。 とこ ろ で、 私 た ち 現 代人 は す べ て 数で 判 断 す る き らい が あ り ま す。 メ ンバ ー の 数 が 減っ た と か 増 えた と か 、 お 参 りの 数 が 多 れ ます 。 団体 の 場 合 あ る程 度 は 仕 方 がな い か も し れ ませ ん が 、 か った と か少 な か っ た とい う 具 合 に 、仏 教 の 繁 盛 も 数で 決 め ら 気 をつけ なけれ ばな らない ことだ と思 います 。 二〇一三年度教化標語 「真実明に帰命せよ」 月 下旬に 浄土 真宗本 願寺派 の園 城義孝 (その きぎ こう) 総 月 に浄 土真宗 本願 寺派総 日にはロサンゼルス別院を (カリフォルニア州バークレー市)で開催され三十名が集っ た。 今会は二回目となり、北米、カナダ、ハワイ、南米の四開 をビデオ撮影し、インターネットで公開した。以前にも増し て浄土教が注目されてきている北米での仏教ムーブメントの の参加もあった。研修会では死を看取るターミナルケアや阿 際伝道講座の受講者や本願寺派国際部の翻訳者など日本から 決するためのノウハウがあります。それを共有することで、 教区も伝道に関する同じような問題点があり、またそれを解 研修会を企画したカナダ開教区の青木龍也総長は「どの開 となっ た。 中において、浄 土真宗を広めるためのたいへん有意義な試み 弥陀経の講義およびディスカッションが行われ、各開教使の の 一生 が 台無 し に な り ます 。 人 身 受 け がた し 、 仏 法 あい が た し 教区で布教に従事する現役開教使に加え、海外開教を志す国 ていた時のことです。ある日曜礼拝の後、お参りの数が少なかっ で す。 恥 ずべ し と 思 わ され る こ の ご ろ です 。 ど う か 今年 一 年 を 歳 位の 長 女が す ぐに 、 「ダ デ ィ、 振 り 返 ら せ て い た だ き 、 新 し い 年 に は 、 三 宝 を 大 切 に し て 、 仏 ま しょう 。ど うか皆 さまよ いお 年をお 迎えく ださ い。 法 を聞 か せて い た だ き なが ら 、 新 し い 思い で 歩 ま せ てい た だ き ぶ やい たら、 そば に いた 当 時 た のが 気 にな っ て 、 「 今日 は お 参 り が少 な か っ た な ぁ。 」 と つ ン と何 か で殴 ら れ た 気 たし ま し た 。 「あ ぁ 、 そ う だ った 。 自 分 帰 依式 ― 本 願 寺 でご 門 主 さ ま よ りお か み そ り をし て い た 私 がい た じゃ な い 。 」 とコ メ ン ト し まし た 。 そ の 時 、頭 を ゴ ツ の 考えは 間違っ てい た。」 と気 づかさ れまし た。 * は その 機 会が す く な い ので 、 特 別 に 帰 依式 と い う 儀 式が 行 わ れ だ いて 法 名を 授 与 さ れ るの を 帰 敬 式 と よび ま す 。 海 外の 寺 院 で お参 り の数 よ り も 、 お参 り し て く ださ っ て い る 方 に何 を 語 ろ か くお 寺 に足 を 運 ん で くだ さ っ た 方 を相 手 に 、 数 が 少な い か ら こ とを 喜 ばせ て い た だ きま す 。 法 名 は 釈と い う 字 の あと に 仏 教 法 名を 頂 くこ と で 、 仏 教徒 と し て の 自 覚を 深 め 、 仏 弟子 と な る を 頭に 頂 く) を し て 、 法名 の 授 与 が な され ま す 。 こ の式 を 受 け ま す。 そ の儀 式 で は 、 開教 総 長 が 、 頂 経( ち ょ う き ょう - 経 典 う とし て いる の か が 大 事で は な い か と気 づ か さ れ ま した 。 せ っ とかいうことだけで、法座を 台無しにしないようにしなけ ればならないと思いを新たに し たこと でした 。 ろんのこと、いろいろな個性が集まると、個々を超えた大き 効果的な布教法が確立されていくことが期待できるのはもち われお念仏の道を 有難い御法縁に遇 タントや大学の教 ちが仏教徒として 授を交え、自分た 教えに生かされて 如何にお念仏のみ を自らの経験を通 いるかということ はありませんから、この研修でいろいろな方から話を聞くこ く学んだことを試してみたいです。」と新しい出会いから多 した 。 して参加者と討議 慶讃法要には 周年らしく約 名 程が参集し、初代 びお念仏の声を相 開教使関法善師及 の仏教徒がセミナーを開催した。南カリフォルニアシニアY 月 れた一世の御門徒 名の大学生が 続すべく御尽力さ 会に 集った 。 BAの主催で UCLAやロングビーチ大の生徒などを中心に、サクラメ ントやベイエリアの大学からも参加があった。講師はガーデ ナ仏教会の開教使アシスタント、クワン・コーリー氏で阿弥 陀仏や両親への感謝を表す事の大切さを説いた。シニアYB Aの代表、原テリンさん(UCLA、サクラメント別院)は 労に 感謝 を表 し た。 サクラメントを中心とする北カリフォルニア教区のお寺対抗 日(土)にサクラメント別院に200名が集まり、 葉をつくってみました。」 ルが恒例行事となっており、どの仏教会のメンバーも「うち B C A の各 仏 教 会 で は 寄付 金 集 め と し て テ リ ヤ キ チ キ ン セ ー テリ ヤキ チキン コンテ スト が開催 された 。 仏のお慈悲が今働いて 行事の一環として、 そこで北カリフォルニア教区では仏教会同士の交流を深める どのお寺のチキン のお 寺のチ キンが 一番お いしい 」と自慢 しあう のが 常で あ る。 統料理、ターキーやグ いる感覚を表現した。 レイビーソースなどを いのかを競うコン がもっとも美味し 周年記念慶讃法 優勝したのはス て座 って いる。 利きが審査員とし 者など、三名の味 関係者や政府関係 上にはレストラン のもの。ステージ のを待っている時 だきます」を言う で参加者が「いた ント別院のホール 写真はサクラメ テストを開催した。 料理し、すべての命や 日(日)にアリゾナ仏教会の創立 事を 楽し んだ。 「いただきます」と食 はたらきに感謝をして 夕食時には感謝祭の伝 であることと、阿弥陀 と、お念仏が報恩感謝 ナンマンダビングと言 グの音がにているので、 祭日のサンクスギビン ンダブと、感謝を表す を表すお念仏のナンマ にしたと話す。「感謝 サ ン ク スギ ビ ン グ デ ー に 近 い の で セ ミ ナ ー の テ ー マ を 「 感 謝 」 月 要お よび総 永代経 法要 が梅津 総長の 導師 で勤修 され た。 名 の門 信 徒 が 阿 弥 陀様 と 親 鸞 聖 人 の 御 前 で 梅 津 総 長 同 仏 教会 は 現 在 ロ サ ンゼ ル ス 別 院 の 監 督 下 に あ る 。 前 日 の 9 で審査員部門と観 トックトン仏教会 取っ た。 客部門の二冠王を より法名をいただき、浄土真宗の門徒としての自覚を新たに 仏者としての生き方」と題した公開講座が開かれ、梅津総長 仏教会駐在)、そして、元々はキリスト教徒として育ったが をはじめ、ロサンゼルス別院の高田興芳開教使(元アリゾナ し、お念仏の日暮を送ることを誓った。その後、「様々な念 日には 方など先人のご苦 日(土)にガーデナ仏教 「 イタ ダ キ マ ス ! ナ ン マ ン ダ ビ ン グ 」 と い う テ ー マ で 大 学 生 くを 学んだ ようだ 。 とができてとても刺激をうけました。自坊に帰ったらさっそ ハワイからの参加者は「普段、他教区の開教使と会うこと を語 る。 歩む開教使アシス 8 な 力 が 生ま れ て き ま す 。 そ の 力 が 念 仏 の み 教 え が 世 界 に 弘 ま っ 11 てゆくことに大きく貢献していくのです。」と研修会の目的 月 80 長 が訪 米し、 サンフ ラン シスコ 、ロサ ンゼ ルスの 各寺 院を視 お念仏の教えを分かち合った。 参拝された後、洗心仏教会、ウエストL.A.仏教会へ訪問、 § 開 教使 や門信 徒から 歓迎 をうけ た。 園城総長は「以前来た時は浄土真宗センターの建設が計画 されていたころでしたが、こうやってセンターが建ち、仏教 教育のプログラムが行われているのを見ると、お念仏の教え が広まっているように感じます。」と海外開教の可能性に期 待 をよ せた。 開教のチャンスに活かそうと、インターネット放送を利用し 換が活発に行われた。また各国の伝道者が集まる研修を海外 現場での経験談や真宗用語の英語での表現方法などの意見交 IHOPE参加開教使達 浄土真宗センタ-にて 経典 から二字を いただいて 名前とする のです。 釈は釈 尊の 釈で 、 80 察 、参 拝され た。園 城総 長は昨 年 い て積 極的に 聞かれ た。 日にはサンマテオ 24 仏教会の日曜礼拝に出勤、ご法話をされ、米国の真宗門徒と 教会、浄土真宗センターを訪問された。 で梅津総長と会談、サンフランシスコ仏教会、バークレー仏 日(金)にサンフランシスコ着、BCA本部 § 米 して 開教使 及び門 信徒 から各 寺院の 現状 と将来 の展 望につ げ る宗 門の代 表とし て海 外開教 の現状 を把 握され るべ く、訪 長 に就 任、「 念仏の 声を 世界の 子や孫 に」 のスロ ーガ ンを掲 12 25 4 16 Email bcahq.office@gmail.com 月 日 火 から 日 金 の 日間 、海 外 開教 使 の研 修会 、 て 世 界 各 国 の 視 聴 者 か ら よ せ ら れ た 真 宗 教 義 に 関 す る 質 問 に ( ) ( ) 「本願寺国際伝道研鑽会(IHOP E)」が浄土真 宗センター 答える時間を設けたほか、参加者全員でお勤めする往生礼賛 8 11 園城総長は 22 人生の一日一日も、それを大 仏 弟子も しく は仏家 の一員 とな ること を意味 しま す。 80 5 22 2013年 12月号 事にできなければ、せっかく 10 12 10 ロサンゼルス別院にて別院幼稚園の子供たちと だいぶ前のことですが、私がオークランド仏教会にお世話になっ 11 発行所 米国仏教団 Buddhist Churches of America 1710 Octavia Street San Francisco, CA 94109 電話(415)776-5600 FAX(415)771-6293 11 11 2013年12月号 輪 法
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