Sunday, August 31, 2008

Rev. Kyogyo Miura, Minister, Gardena Buddhist Church, d. Aug. 31, 2008

Rev. Miura passed away this morning in Torrance, CA. Out of respect for the family, please refrain from contacting them. Please contact the church office for moring information. The funeral services have not been arranged yet by the family. It will be sponsored by the Buddhist Churches of America.

Thank you Rev. Nakano of Gardena Buddhist Church and to Rev. Harada, chairman, Southern District Ministers Association.

To Mrs. Miura and their son, Wiliam, and his family, our sympathies to you.

Namu Amida Butsu
Namu Amida Butsu
Namu Amida Butsu

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Kyogyoshinsho

Kyogyoshinsho is work by Shinran Shonin that lays out what Jodo Shinsho is. There were deviances in the Kanto region and he responded with this work.

The English translation by Hisao Inagaki can be found online, with the notes and captions.

http://www12.canvas.ne.jp/horai/kgss-a.htm

Regular Services Resume Sept 07, 2008.

Regular services and Dharma School will start the "new" year Sept. 07, 2008 at 9:30am.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Role of a Temple President

In the current issue of The Wheel of Dharma, in his president's message, Billy Saeki, BCA President, writes about the role of the BCA President.

It is straightforward, but the last paragraph, he sums up his role as:
"To be the BCA President is an honor. The roles of the BCA President are communicator (strive for transparency), change agent (push for positivbe changes), and supporter or cheerleader for the Office of the Bishop (Ogui Socho)."

My role as temple president is similar, except that in my case, it is not the Office of the Bishop but the Head Minister.

The transparency, we are working on. Partly this blog and my monthly newsie in the Megumi is a step in transparency.

At the request of members of the Sangha, we are working on several initiatives for some positive changes. These days, the Temple is badly needed for a place where the Sangha can come together and work on positive things, i.e., the Nembutsu. And we will be working on strengthening that aspect in the coming years.

In Gassho

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Nation's Largest Obon Dancing


(photo credit: Chris Yasaki)

Not to be uncharacteristically boastful, but I think we put on the largest Obon Dancing in the nation.

And really it goes to all the temple members and volunteers that we could put on the "Block Party."

I have not personally been to these other Obon Dancing, but I've heard comparisons to maybe Seattle Betsuin or San Jose Betsuin.

Unfortunately the picture above was not taken on Saturday when there were 50% more people, but it gives you an idea of our dance lines from one of the block to the other.

Our neighbors are appreciated for letting us close off the street. I know a few of them make it a party themselves, and pull out chairs to watch and enjoy the festivities.

In Gassho

oops. This is the stupid thing I did.

oops....I slipped on a palette while in the process of pushing off another palette into the refrigerated trailer we were using for the Obon Carnival. My left leg found the opening and slid through.

Slid all the way through since that palette was on a forklift and off the ground. What stopped me was my thigh...we'll it was only one leg, I wasn't about to go all the way through.

All I could remember afterward was that I was still holding on to the palette that I was trying to push on, so I finally let that go. Then I fell on my butt. It was keeping me balance for whatever reason.

Wood palettes are heavy, so I'm not sure how I managed to hold on to that palette and suspend it in midair.

Kyle helped me off...it took awhile to unwedge myself. I was scraped up but not badly (I thought). Everyone else said it looked bad, its looks red (part of that was sunburn), I could get an infection...did I break anything.

I was more embarrassed than anything...so I walked it off.

Later, I dance Obon dancing but before the half was over, I quit since my leg was hurting...this time it really swelled up. So I thought I better go home, the first time in 12 years that I've left the Obon carnival early.

I rested and iced most of the night...only to wake up at 2am to unlock the temple and social hall for sushi making. But I stayed out the activities, icing my leg, staying off of it most of the rest of day. I snuck in a little nap during Obon Dancing after my little welcome speech by hiding out in the Hondo.

At what was the end of the dance, I could hear Johnny N. let somebody in and saying that there is no one in here...I guess in the darkness I couldn't be seen. So I woke up to be around cleanup and then went home to sleep somemore.

I did go see my doctor on Tuesday. He didn't think anything was broken or fractured, nor signs of infection...but he brought up even more frightening possibilities, like, the artery could be compromised by the swelling of the muscle and cut off circulation, or that a blood clot could be formed and then that is not good.

Ok we ruled out the arterial stuff since the swelling has gone done since Saturday. We did an ultrasound to make sure the veins were flowing as usually and they were. So the result is just one big bruise and a little gimpy.

Just keep it elevated and iced.
(Originally published in Living in So Cali, August 5, 2008)

In Gassho

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Thank you for coming to our Obon Dancing and Carnival

Wow. It was a tremendous showing of support in attending our Obon Dance and Carnival. The dancers were estimated to be nearly 1200 dancers on Saturday night and nearly 900 on Sunday.

It takes a lot of volunteers to put together this "block party." At one point, I think there were about 4,000 people and probably served by 200 members and volunteers in multiple roles.

In Gassho

Friday, August 1, 2008

It's Obon Time!


Finally, the weekend we have been waiting for. Obon Festival is this weekend. The Obon Dancing starts at 6 pm on both days.

In Gassho