WEST LOS ANGELES BUDDHIST TEMPLE BULLETIN

2003 Corinth Avenue Los Angeles, California 90025

(310) 477-7274 Fax (310) 477-6674 E-mail: westlabt@verizon.net Web Site: www.wlabt.org

Vol. 49, No. 12 December 2006

TEMPLE SPECIAL SERVICES (See Calendar pages for schedules of regular services)

DECEMBER 2006 Sunday, December 3

9:30 a.m.

Bodhi Day Service & Oseibo Taikai Followed by lunch

Saturday, December 31 8:00 p.m.

Joya-E Year-End Service .

REV. USUKI’S PAGE Wisdom for the Holiday Season

I believe we should at least bow our heads in gratitude when we sit before food. Shinran Shonin showed us by his example of reciting the Nembutsu for even one tiny fish.

When we consider that even a bowl of rice comes into existence only through painstaking hardship and the interacting of many conditions, how can we not place our hands together in Gassho with tears of gratitude in our eyes?

Let us praise the blessing of nature and the work of those around us. How sad that we neglect to be grateful for ordinary things

Takeko Kujo, “Muyuge – Flower Without Sorrow”

As we approach another holiday season that marks the end of an eventful and busy year, I’m sure we’re all in need of wisdom that will help us get through the rest of the year to welcome the new. I came across something very interesting and unexpected when a couple of fourteen-year-olds came to visit me yesterday for their class research project on Buddhism. Here were two fine young men from a Catholic school accompanied by the father of one student. We entertain many Jr. High, High School and college students at

this time of the year. Now with the convenience of our website and the popularity of Buddhism, people are calling frequently to inquire about us and many even decide to visit us for Sunday service as well.

(continued page 2)

(continued from page 1)

The young men came with pages full of questions and, as usual, many had to do with a comparison of Buddha to God and other typical questions. But they also impressed me with some unique questions such as, “Does a monk or priest live a long time?” I imme-diately pointed to several examples, one being Sakyamuni Buddha who lived to be eighty, and if he hadn’t died prematurely from food poisoning, who knows how long he might have lived. Shinran Shonin lived to be ninety and Rennyo Shonin lived to be 84 after fathering 27 children. This is all remarkable considering the times in which all three lived, and when our life expectancy today is only in the low 70’s for men and little higher for women. So we have an excellent history of long life associated with Buddhism.

The students made me think about the fact that Buddhists, because of our teaching that is based on mindfulness, calm and the middle path that avoids extremes, should live long lives that promote healthy and humble diets and other meaningful lifestyles that minimize medical, mental and physical problems. But I am a bad example of such a life. Whether it is the good life here at West L.A. or lack of time for meaningful exercise, I need to think carefully about the student’s question.

I suppose they read or imagined that Buddhists were peaceful, calm and diligent people who looked after their lives both mentally and physically. I can understand how they came to this conclusion after their brief research. The first image they had arose from seeing the statue of the laughing Buddha who seems happy, joyous and fat. It was the basis of their first question. Unfortunately, we all know that the laughing Buddha is a misrepresentation but it is an irony of what we are today. Buddhist life is not always what it should be due to the busier-than-ever lifestyle that contradicts the simple and harmonious Buddhist ideal. Our life is often full of contradictions and paradoxes and perhaps we are in need of more wisdom and compassion than ever before.

Now that the holiday season is upon us, we begin to question what we accomplished this year and whether it was meaningful or not. We also look at it as another year that is behind us and another pound or two added to our behinds. But on another note we are grateful that we were able to live another year in relative safety and peace. This is all due to the many wonderful causes and conditions that indirectly or directly helped shape our lives. For all of us who follow the Onembutsu path, we must understand that this present life is the last life and we will never be born again. This awareness gives us the mind of gratitude for all things in this universe. Takeko Kujo understood this fully and she expressed it vividly in the above passage. We live an ordinary life yet invisibly we are nurtured by incalculable actions and events that are constantly working to cre-ate who and what we are. The wisdom and compassion of Amida Buddha is with us constantly whether we are awake or asleep but we can only realize this by opening our hearts and minds. If there is a good time to see this reality in our lives, now is the time to once again embrace the wisdom that is always there for us.

I wish you all the best, and hope for safe holidays for all of you.

SHINSHU CORNER

The Path of Pure Land Buddhism Buddhism is said to teach 84,000 paths to inner fulfillment which is called enlighten-ment. This of course, is a figure of speech which implies that there are as many ways to realizing the goal of enlightenment as there are peoples in this world. This does not mean that the teachings are given haphazardly at random but that individual effort is absolutely required and that the uniqueness of each person is respected. Since human beings differ in their urge for awakening and in the sacrifices they are willing to make, it is only natural that there are infinite paths to self awareness. Thus, there is no set pat-tern or definite method of attaining fulfillment. This is the meaning of the 84,000 paths to enlightenment.

…..The Path of Pure Land is always open to people in all walks of life – laymen and priests, illiterate and educated, poor and rich. It is the path for those who do not enter the monastic life or those who have not found a satisfactory answer in the cloistered retreats. It is pursued by people who feel that the authentic life must be realized in the midst of family, social and worldly responsibilities and not some remote and isolated monastery. The consummate form of Pure Land tradition is found in Shin Buddhism which stresses faith (Shinjin) or the awakening to reality as the process to ultimate enlightenment.

The word “faith” has many connotations, but Shin faith means the awareness of things including the self, as they are and a new appreciation of life born from this transforming insight. Furthermore, it is the process of spiritual maturity by which a person achieves Buddhahood, the perfection of personality. Shin faith does not mean blind trust in some omnipotent father image…..

Rev. Gyodo Haguri, The Awareness of Self (Tans. Rev. W. Masuda)

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FAREWELL MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT It has been an honor and a privilege to be the President of the WLA Buddhist Temple during the years 2005 and 2006. Thanks to the support and cooperation from the board members and members of the WLABT, we have been able to accomplish many successful programs.

Our fund-raising efforts such as 80+ Yard Sale, Chicken Teri-yaki Bento Sale, WLABT T-Shirt Sale, and Obon Festival were some of the ways we were able to support our Temple Treasury.

The Buddhist Education Committee was responsible for putting on many religious programs and seminars and open house. I’m mbers expand their knowledge of Buddhism.

Our cultural

sure this helped the me

programs are very popular among members and friends. We have the Ike-

ingo

hroughout the year. It has

end Fumiaki Usuki, members of the board, committees,

REFLECTION Jeff Wilson Perhaps if I ha

important

s

our present, imper-

-

school. The temple has a very unusual artifact:

p feeling of Pure Land Bud-

thesis topic. He

bana class, Shigin Class, Hula Group, Taiko Group, Mochi Tsuki, and Obon Odori.

The social scene at the Temple included a trip to Las Vegas, Longevity Party, BNights, Family Fun Night, and 80+ Lunch and many others.

These are just a few of the activities that have been going on tbeen a memorable experience. The best part was working with and enjoying the camaraderie of the members.

I’ll forever be grateful to Reverand departments, and the leaders of the affiliated organizations for their support and counsel at our monthly board meetings. Our WLABT is truly fortunate to have such re-liable members in our midst. They are the anchor of our Temple. They make it possible for us to have a peaceful haven where we can meditate, chant the Sutras, and listen to the Buddha’s Teaching.

In gratitude and gassho,

Yuki Sakurai

d only one word to describe what most moves me about the Pure Land tradition, that word would be “together-ness.” Togetherness is an

concept in Buddhism. It is ex- as the desire to be born

together with all beings in Amida’s realm. We don’t just seek our own salvation—we are only happy when we can be born together with all others. No one is left behind by Amida, no one is left out. This is not the sort of world that we live in today, but it does give us something to aspire for. Amida’s vows include that all people in his realm will have an appearance of gold, that is, that regardless of what we look like we will all be highly valued. This togetherness has a technical term in Pure Land Buddhism: kyosei, “co-living” or “symbiosis.”

Specifically, kyosei is the application of “born together with all beings” to

pressed in the Sutra

fect world. I don’t believe that this difficult, stressful world of ours can ever fully become a Pure Land. But the Pure Land is never apart from this world, and we have the ability to work toward a better approximation of it here. Thankful for the blessings we receive, we can try to be kinder, more open-minded, and more accepting of one another. And we can work to eliminate barriers between people, so that our togetherness is brought to light and honored.

During my time in Japan I encountered some-thing that seemed to drive home the fundamental heart-feeling of togetherness in Pure Land Buddhism. Chionji is a temple in northeastern Kyoto, belonging to the Jodo Shu

the largest nenju (Buddhist “rosary”) in the world. The nenju is made out of large wooden beads about the size of a person’s fist, strung together in a string so long it loops around and around the inside of the large hondo. But the nenju is more than just an incredible artifact—it is also a practice. On the fifteenth of every month, laypeople and priests come together to chant one million nembutsu while holding the nenju as a group.

I was very stirred by this giant nenju and the million nembutsu practice, because to me it symbolizes the deedhism. Everyone, monk and lay, gathers with one another and holds onto the nenju—thus they are all equal and connected. The nenju is a huge circle, so there is no beginning or end to the nembutsu and the people who embody it, and no one higher or lower. Although they each have an individual encounter with the Buddha, they are expressing a wish to be born together. Thus even as they sort out their own birth, they acknowledge the importance of the com-munity and the relationships that they hold dear. This seems like togetherness given con-crete form, in a commonly held nenju, in a shared nembutsu chant, and in hearts beating as one in the wish to embody and express our fundamental togetherness.▲▲▲

(Editor’s note: Jeff has just returned to Los Angeles from his stay in Kyoto for research on his PhDis now busily writing the remaining chapters of his thesis.)

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THE AMISH TEACH US ALL by Rick Stambul

On October 7, 2006, the Los Angeles Times, in speaking about the incomprehensible tragedy in Pennsylvania when a “simple milkman” killed five little girls and wounded five more, quoted from Mennonite

author Peter J. Dyck, a man revered in the Amish community:

“Forgiving is a serious business because it is basically for our own spiritual, emotional and physical benefit. We may or may not establish a new relationship with the per-son who injured us; that is not the heart of forgiveness. When we forgive, we finally stop hurting ourselves...”

Members of the Amish community echoed these same sentiments with surprising una-nimity. Forgiveness (of the killer himself) is a way to stop our own suffering. I was also moved by the public invitation from one of the deceased girl’s parents who offered to accept the (deceased) killer’s wife into the Amish community to live as “one of us.”

I find the apparent similarities in belief between the Amish in Pennsylvania and our own Shin Buddhism remarkable. When I faced loss from the death of lifetime friends, and especially when experiencing life’s senseless catastro-phes, I tried to move the focus of my anger (over the loss) to forgiveness. It may be that my conscious efforts to do so miss the mark. Isn’t it supposed to come without self-effort but rather from truly embracing the Nembutsu without seeking the goal, for example, of ending my own suffering? Yes. However, for me, the path is difficult. My best efforts may move me

toward the knowledge that from genuine un-derstanding of the Dharma I may begin to see the interconnectedness of all sentient beings. Maybe if I learn to stop consciously trying to make sense of such losses I will begin to move towards embracing the Amida Buddha in all of us and find relief from suffering.

As a young man in 1963, I wrote a poem fol-lowing the senseless killings of four, young, Af-rican-American girls when the Alabama church in which they attended Sunday school was bombed by a white segregationist (injuring many others):

“...For like the clock’s two hands, which appear as one at midnight,

So too, are end and beginning entwined as One in time,

The old has passed; the new begun, and all of the new is but the sum of the old, and together, they make life’s story never-ending....”

Only when reading Peter Dyck’s comments did I reflect on my poem and understand what the Amish were saying to me. When we forgive, we finally stop our own suffering because we are all connected, we are all one. And if we are all linked together then the heinous acts of one man (or of nations) must truly belong to all of us. Are we not then, by forgiving others, actu-ally forgiving ourselves? Or is it more precise to say we are then beginning to accept ourselves “just as we are?” Jinen.

Namoamidabutsu

BUDDHIST MEN HOST THE 2006 MEMORIAL SERVICE "40 People Devour Lunch for 80!" by Rick Stambul

On Saturday, October 21, Buddhist Men (BM) hosted the BM-BWA joint memorial service to honor those members who have passed on. Names of the 185 late members of BM and BWA (Buddhist Women’s Association, which now includes the former FujinKai) were read with the congregation following to offer in-cense. It was a heartwarming moment for those attending the service, providing an opportunity to reflect on the wonderful work that each per-son did to leave us with a better temple. Espe-cially poignant were the comments made by Mrs. Toshiko Uyekubo (FujinKai) to those at-tending the service when she said, in part, that of the 85 members of FujinKai that had passed on to the Pure Land, she personally knew all but 7 of them. And as Rev. Usuki said in his memorial message, all of us are humbled by the work done by our predecessors for which words are inadequate.

As hosts, Buddhist Men catered lunch from VIP Harbor Seafood Restaurant located at the cor-ner of Wilshire and Barrington. A variety of

Chinese dishes were served. When asked, the attendees were unanimous in their appraisal that the menu was excellent and the cuisine superb. To comment that everyone attending had a hearty appetite is an understatement. Mas Sasaki, BM President, ordered eight dishes for 80 people and approximately 40 people (the number that attended the Service and the Lunch) ate it all! BANZAI.

Much thanks goes to the "usual suspects" for making the memorial service and the lunch a grand success, namely, Mas Sasaki for doing the "hard labor" and making the arrangements with special thanks to Dr. Jack Fujimoto, Hi-demi Okawahira, Sho Matsumi, and Char-lotte Sasaki for all their help. This was a won-derful way to share deep-hearted feelings, to pay our respects to those who have passed on, to better appreciate the impermanence of life, and to enjoying lunch together in good spirit and with good cheer.

BURP.

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DHARMA SCHOOL NEWS

er: WLA Dharma School is hosting the

a school will be

unted Temple” games and finally

forward to an even scarier evening next year!

Grace Mizushima

We have another new student joining the Dharma School this year and her name is Nicole Gurzeler. Nicole is 4 years old and is attending the pre-school to 1st grade class. Please wel-come Nicole and her mom

Jenny Van Le the next time you see them. RemindSouthern District Dharma School Teachers League Mini Workshop on Saturday, November 18th from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm. The theme for this workshop is “Myth in Buddhism” and Reverend Usuki will be our keynote speaker and leader of discussions. This workshop is

open to any temple member that is interested in attending. Please let Haru Matsumune or Grace Mizushima know by November 9th if you will be attending, as Dharm

providing lunch on this day.

Family Fun Night was hosted held on Saturday, October 28, 2006. A fun time was had by all, including the Parents. The YBA hosted this party with a costume parade, cookie decorating contest, “Hathe piñata.

A new attraction this year was the Haunted Temple. We heard lots of screams both from the children and the parents; even Reverend Usuki braved his way down in to the dungeon of horror! Thank you to the YBA for hosting such a fun-filled evening. We look

◄-Winners of the costume contest: (left to right)

dersen

Scariest – Scream: Nathan Ohkawahira Best Costume: Fireman Thomas Kotake Original Costume – Mulan: Kristin Kotake Funniest – Devil Angel: Erina Niwa

wa Cutest – Pink Leopard: Kenna Taga : Best Adult Costume – Sumo Man Steig Pe

◄ Maya uez

Rodriq Christopher► Pedersen

▲ Photo 1: Mariel Teno , Katie Hoy, Photo 2: Kylie Mizushima, Nathan

►

rioOhkawahira, Photo 3: Kaylie Nishimoto, Photo 4: Ryan Ohkawahira, Justin Mizushima Mona Narumi, Katie Hoy, Emily HoyEmily Hoy is the official Bulletin photographer for the Dharma School and shot all the photos on this page except the group photo by Rev. Usuki at the top.

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DECEMBER SHOTSUKI HOYO - 10 a.m. Saturday, December 2, 2006Abbott, Glenn Asai, Taijiro Bodnar, Florence Dowdy, Joseph Fuchiwaki, Satsuo Fujikawa, Masami Hashimoto, Shizu Hatanaka, Betty Hayashi, Sachiko Hayashida, Yukino Ikkanda, Shunichi Ikkanda, Tazu Jeffers, Lilli Kamibayashi, Suga Kamitsubo, Guri Kawahara, Muto Kimura, Yukiko

Kiriyama, Sugi Kiyama, Mary Kiyohiro, Ayame Kofuku, Ato Kofuku, Yoshiyuki Kosaka, Tomiko Kotake, Eric Koyama, Chokichi Kuroda, Choichiro Maruko, Kazuo Masuda, Eiko Masuda, Kenichi Masuda, Shoichi Minazumi, Takashi Miyada, Masu Miyada, Reigyu Miyata, Ren

Muramatsu, Mae Murayama, Yasuhiro Nakamura, Chikano Nakamura, Hideko Nakamura, Kanichi Nakamura, Kiyoko Nakazaki, Tobei Nekoda, Masako Niida, Tom Nimori, Masatoshi Nishida, Goichiro Nishikawa, Hatsuko Noda, Ayano Ohkawahira, Hite Oshinomi, Shizuko Sakai, Thomas Shinto, Bunsuke

Shiosaki, Kenji Sugimura, Tsune Suzuki, Kenny Takayama, Kameyoshi Tamura, Ben Tanaka, Mitsuyoshi Taniguchi, Satoichi Toguchida, Kei Tominaga, Chiyono Toya, James Tsuboi, Joe Uchida, Juhachi Uyeda, Shizuka Yamauchi, Masao Yasuda, Margaret

CONDOLENCES

to The Families of:

Mrs. Nobuko Aita

3/21/1918 – 9/21/2006 Mr. Akira Ishii

9/8/1927 – 10/15/2006

The Buddha and the Terrorist, Satish Kumar, Algonquin, 144 pp. (Editor’s note: These capsule reviews were found on the Amazon Web site. Any Bulletin reader is invited to submit a more detailed review for our readers.)

Deepak Chopra : "A challenging story, beauti-fully written, most pertinent and relevant to our time."

Pico Iyer : "The Buddha and the Terrorist is an inspiring retelling of an ancient legend. It has a lucid clarity and directness that speaks pointedly and movingly to our times. It should touch every heart that it meets."

Robert Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University : "Satish Kumar's book on the fa-mous story of Angulimala is beautifully done. It could not be more timely, with its profound message of hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless terrors. I highly recommend it."

………………………………………………… ………………………………………………...

MOCHITSUKI ORDER FORM ON OTHER SIDE

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BULLETIN BOARD

Save This Date

2007 Open House Sunday, February 11, 2007

details in the next Bulletin

NO

NO 80-PLUS LUNCH IN DECEMBER

WLABT Mochitsuki 2006 Saturday, December 9, 2006 ORDER FORM The West LA Buddhist Temple will be having its annual Mochi Tsuki on Saturday, December 9, 2006. The cost of the mochi will be $2.50 per pound. The okasane will also be $2.50 per pound. To accommodate all orders, please order your mochi and/or okasane by December 1, 2006. Please make checks payable to “WLA Buddhist Temple.” Please pay for your mochi order only. We will charge you for the okasane when you pick up your order. Mochi/okasane will be available for pick up between 12:30pm and 3:00pm on December 9. We appreciate your support and look forward to filling your mochi/okasane orders this year. We would also appreciate any help from the temple members. Questions? Please call Jim Shimomaye at 310.210.2407 or email at jimshim@mac.com. Please mail order forms and check by December 1 to: Mochi Tsuki c/o West LA Buddhist Temple 2003 Corinth Avenue West Los Angeles, CA 90025 Please fill out the order form below and detach along the dotted line.

…………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………… Name_______________________________Phone ( )____________________

Address____________________________Suite/Apt. No.___________________

City_____________________________________State________Zip___________

# of Mochi_______________________@ $2.50/lb. = $_____________________ Okasane: Please indicate the quantity of each: SMALL (Base is 3” in diameter) ________________________ MEDIUM (Base is 4” in diameter) ________________________ LARGE (Base is 5” in diameter) ________________________

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

DECEMBER 2006

Office hours: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm E-mail: westlabt@verizon.net Phone: 310-477-7274 Website: www.wlabt.org

Bulletin Folding: Temple

1 2

10 am Shotsuki Hoyo

3 9:30 am BODHI DAY SERVICE/OSEIBO TAIKAI, Installation of Buddhist

Men & BWA Cabinets LUNCH Toban: Dharma School

4 7:30 p.m. Temple Board Meeting

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6 7 pm Asoka Fujinkai Omigaki and Meeting 7:30 pm Taiko

7 1:00 pm Study Class (English)

8 9

Mochi Tsuki 12:30 – 3 pm Pick-up

10 8 am General Temple and Garden Clean-Up NO services

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12 10:00 am SD Ministers’ Meeting at Betsuin

13 7:30 pm Taiko

14 1:00 pm Study Class (English) 7:30 pm Buddhist Men Meeting

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16

17 9:30 am Sunday Service/Dharma School/ Study Class (E) 12 pm BWA Meeting

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24 ___________________________________________

8 pm JOYA-E 31

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Rev. Usuki Off

Rev. Usuki Off

Rev. Usuki Off

Temple Closed Rev. Usuki Off

Temple Closed 12/23 through 26