Positive Is Better Than Negative BY REV. HARRY GYOKYO BRIDGE THIS STATEMENT, “POSITIVE IS better than negative,” is something

that occurred to me over the summer.

It’s not an absolute statement – I am

actually very open to poking holes in it.

But for now I would like to share a few

of my ideas relating to this idea.

I think where it works is in the sense

of taking a positive attitude rather than

being negative. So instead of complain-

ing, try and come up with a construc-

tive response. It’s so easy to complain! It

takes more work to try and turn things

around and come up with a solution, or

at the very least an alternate viewpoint.

But this can be taken too far as

well – if we just say “don’t complain”

then we might be silencing a legiti-

mate critique. The freedom to com-

plain and criticize is very important

to me, it is important to democracy.

When we aren’t allowed to complain

we are in big trouble. But we also need

to be willing to help change things.

Another way to view this statement

“positive is better than negative” is to try

and look at things from a positive point

of view. Something that we initially view

as negative could actually have positive CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

IN THIS ISSUE Minister’s Message 1 & 9 President’s Message 1 American Sutra Event Flyer 2 Momiji Kai News 3 HŌ-ON Service Teams 3 Dharma School News 3

Keirokai and Eitaikyo Service info 4 Coming Back to BCO 5 & 9 BCO Youth Club Flyer 5 Otsukimi Information Flyer 6 October Shotsuki Service 7 November Busshin Deadline Info 7

BCO Halloween Party Flyer 8 A BIG Arigato! 9 BCO Kids Club - Oct Event 10 2019 Obon Festival 11 New Tansu for Shinran Shonin 11 Calendar 12-13

VOL 62 NUM 10

O C

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I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO attend and help at the 16th World Bud-

dhist Women’s Convention held in San

Francisco. It was an experience that I

will never forget. I was able to see and

acknowledge Monshu Ohtani Kojun

while working with Jeff Hisaoka hand-

ing out swag bags to attendees at reg-

istration. The committee did a wonder-

ful job with the conference with the

number of different workshops and the

guest speakers. To top off the activities

was the banquet, where I was seated

with attendees from other countries,

other states and districts. It took me

and other attendees out of our com-

fort zones and gave us the opportu-

nity to engage with people we would

never have met if not for this event.

The next conference will be in

Kyoto, Japan in 4 years, May 2023, in

time to celebrate 850th Anniversary

of Shinran Shonin’s birth and 800th

Anniversary of the Establishment of

the Jodo Shinshu Teaching. I hope you

will consider taking the time to at-

tend. It will be a very special event. n

President’s Message BY RON NOMURA

OCTOBER 20192

BUDDHIST CHURCH OF OAKLAND SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, October 5, 2019 2-4pm

Duncan Ryuken Williams

AMERICAN SUTRA A BCO Life Enrichment Event made possible by

The Nakashima-Masuyama Fund Buddhist Church of Oakland

825 Jackson Street (at 9th), Oakland, CA 94607 510-832-5988 – e-mail: officebco@gmail.com

(American Sutra book available - $30 donation appreciated)

There is no admission charge and the public is welcomed – Limited free parking

OCTOBER 20193

IT HAD BEEN ABOUT TWO months since we finally got together

on Thu, August 18. It was great to see

our friends again. Our Ms. Patty was

on board for our usual Yoga exercises

and we thank Patty for helping us to

limber up our aching bones. Thank you

very much Patty.

We talked about plans for the

remainder of the year. Holding a dim

sum luncheon, and perhaps a movie

in September. In November, we look

forward to having June and Harry

Bergland join us to talk about their

fabulous trip to Tanzania and join-

ing the couple will be Ernie Lao, their

friend and photographer who was

able to join them on their fabulous

trip. After talking with June, I, my-

self, became excited and am looking

forward to hearing their story. I also

understand Mr. Lao was able to take

many photos of interest during this

trip. We will probably hold a year-end

luncheon also and then it will be the

end of the year. How time does fly!. n

Momiji Kai News BY NANCY YAMAMOTO

HŌ-ON Service Teams THE HO-ON SERVICE TEAMS ARE LISTED BELOW. IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN CONTACTED AND and you would like to help on a team, please call the office (510) 832-5988 or email officebco@gmail.com. We

welcome all members and friends of the BCO to be part of a Host Group, so feel free to invite your children and

extended family to help out on the teams. Please note that these service teams do not affect our BCO Bazaar & Food

Festival shifts or our Obon Festival shifts. Your help at these two major fundraisers is still vital to the life of our church.

In Gassho, The BCO Board of Directors n

HO-ON SERVICE TEAM 3: (Responsible for Oct. 2019)

Jon Takagaki (Leader)

John & Stacy Eastly

Don & Clare Kaneshige

Akiko Kaneshige

Jane Koizumi

Carlo Manaois

Akashi & Jan Wiley Matsuno

Nancy Nakatani

Robert & Gayle Noguchi

Dick & Agnes Sasaki

Richard & Tsuneko Seiki

Mimi Sullivan

Jon & Linda Takagaki

Mark & Erin Takemoto

Sharon Tatai

Eddie & Terry Yokoyama

Janis Yoshisato-Cavey

HO-ON SERVICE TEAM 4: (Responsible for Nov. 2019)

Gail Ryujin (Leader)

Steve & Lynn Chung

Clifford & Lillian Endo

Donald & Kathy Endo

Kay & Setsuko Endo

Michael Endo

Karen Hashimoto

Takako Honda

Norma Hoshide

Rick & Gayle Inada

Ruby Kuritsubo

Mary Hatsuko Mitsuda

Ken & Jane Mitsuda

Katsuyo Murakawa-Jan

Dennis Nakamura

Rich & Karen Owoc

Gail Taniwa-Ryujin &

Gail Ryujin

Larry & Jane Wong

DHARMA SCHOOL IS BACK IN full swing. We have a full year of

events and will be looking forward

to sharing them with you. We would

like to welcome some new students

to Dharma School! Please say hello

to Toshiharu and Keuta Hollins, Drake

and Derek Pedersen, and Gil and

Daniel Tanemura-Fernandes.

Happy belated birthday to

Dharma School students: Frank-

lin Anderson, Emiko Masamori,

Samia Neishi, and Noemi Nguyen.

And happy birthday to our

October and November birthdays!

Sachi Anderson, Gil Fernandes-

Tanemura, Keuta Hollins, Mason

Kim, Colin Kwong and JJ Sarmiento.

Finally don’t forget the

Halloween party on Sunday,

October 27. Get your spooky on! n

Dharma School News BY CINDY SAKAI

OCTOBER 20194

BUDDHIST CHURCH OF OAKLAND (BCO) Presents

Come celebrate our BCO Senior members with service and

luncheon!

Speaker for both events: Rev. Harry Gyokyo Bridge,

Resident Minister, Buddhist Church of Oakland

Public is welcomed to attend - Donations are appreciated, but not required. Coffee, juice and breakfast treats available from 9:00am in the Social Hall.

Buddhist Church of Oakland 825 Jackson Street, Oakland CA 94607 – 510-832-5988

buddhistchurchofoakland.org

Keirokai Service & Luncheon

Sunday, October 20, 2019

10:00am: Keirokai Service

11:30am: Keirokai Luncheon

Eitaikyo Service

Sunday, November 17, 2019

10:00am: Family Dharma Service

10:45am: Adult Service

OCTOBER 20195

I GREW UP AT BUDDHIST CHURCH of Oakland (BCO), which means that

I attended this church as a kid simply

because four generations of my fam-

ily had done so. I once read that the

Japanese government in the Tokuga-

wa period mandated that members of

the same family belong to the same

religious school and that is partly

where this passive dynamic origi-

nates. Factoids aside, I was always a

Jodo Shinshu Buddhist without having

declared myself one. At some point

in my adulthood, I came to under-

stand Buddhism’s role in my life in a

way that allowed me to affirmatively

identify as Jodo Shinshu Buddhist.

Recently, a whole host of causes and

conditions allowed me to come back

to church regularly. So I started show-

ing up again at Sunday services, just

as I had when I was a kid, but it still

felt somewhat passive. Admittedly, I

wondered whether it was necessary

for me to become an official “church

member” in light of the fact that my

parents were. And if it was,