I'll be leaving this weekend, followed by Rev. Nakano for this Hongwanji Overseas Meeting and Seminar in Kyoto.
I think I have everything in order. Today is the day to make sure everything at work is ok to leave. Tonight to make sure everything I need to get for church is done.
I checked the weather in Kyoto and Tokyo. The high is around 62 degrees. At first I didn't think it was that bad, but this morning the temperature in Los Angeles was around 62 degrees, and I thought this would be too cold. It has rained in Japan last week too.
The hard part is to travel light. So I've been adding and tossing things in/out of my bag all week. Its hard when you have to pack coat and tie among your clothes. I rechecked the flight times and the other tickets I have, rail pass and ticket to the Ghibli Museum.
The Ghibli Museum is everything about the studio that produced "Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service." The admission is only JPY1,000, but tickets can be purchased in advance overseas through JTB (and they tack on a $5 fee) or in Japan through special offices.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
September 30, 2007
Laughter Yoga...
Laughter is so good for you. At the Southern District Conference yesterday in San Diego (Fantastic job!), one of the workshops was on Laughter Yoga. Simple games that encourages the kid in you to play and of course, laugh.
A few of us thought it would be a great idea to share the laughter games with the rest of the Sangha, so we wrote down several of the games and shared that with Rev. Nakano, who could not attend this workshop because she was giving a Dharma talk for the elementary school kids at the same conference.
One thing led to another, so I ended up trying to share these games with the Sangha at church the next day. It was a lot of fun. To see the adults laugh like kids seemed so healthy and so good.
Gassho
Laughter is so good for you. At the Southern District Conference yesterday in San Diego (Fantastic job!), one of the workshops was on Laughter Yoga. Simple games that encourages the kid in you to play and of course, laugh.
A few of us thought it would be a great idea to share the laughter games with the rest of the Sangha, so we wrote down several of the games and shared that with Rev. Nakano, who could not attend this workshop because she was giving a Dharma talk for the elementary school kids at the same conference.
One thing led to another, so I ended up trying to share these games with the Sangha at church the next day. It was a lot of fun. To see the adults laugh like kids seemed so healthy and so good.
Gassho
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Hongwanji - Jokoji Temple
I plan to take a side trip to Joetsu City in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan, primarily to visit Jokoji Temple. This temple was founded by Shinran Shonin during the period of his exile from Kyoto. Although if you read the link below, he was in Ibaraki Prefecture. This temple moved a few times before its current location.
This Website has more information on this temple.
http://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/english/contents.files/Jokoji.html
Joetsu City itself is a new city. It was created from different towns in the area not too long ago. The area has many onsen and ryokan, but not on the regular tourist map. JNTO and JTB could not book me a ryokan, so I will have to contact one when I get there.
This Website has more information on this temple.
http://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/english/contents.files/Jokoji.html
Joetsu City itself is a new city. It was created from different towns in the area not too long ago. The area has many onsen and ryokan, but not on the regular tourist map. JNTO and JTB could not book me a ryokan, so I will have to contact one when I get there.
Thank You!
Thank all the volunteers for their hard work to make this year's Obon Carnival a huge success! We did about 5% better than last year.
Our Obon Dance is huge. It is probably the largest Obon Dance in the United States, according to a guest from the San Jose Buddhist Betsuin, which he thought was the biggest until he came to Gardena this year.
I have pictures, but they are not with me now. I'll add them in later.
And Thank All of You for coming to our Obon.
Our Obon Dance is huge. It is probably the largest Obon Dance in the United States, according to a guest from the San Jose Buddhist Betsuin, which he thought was the biggest until he came to Gardena this year.
I have pictures, but they are not with me now. I'll add them in later.
And Thank All of You for coming to our Obon.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Obon Obon Its Festival Time!
Our Obon Festival ended yesterday. I am exhausted. I have some pictures to upload so I'll be working on those for the next few days.
Thank you all who came, and thank all the members and friends who gave up their time to help pull this feat all together with their volunteer hours.
We probably had around 1,000 dancers on Saturday and over 900 on Sunday. And there were still as many watching the dancers as there were still on the church grounds getting dinner and playing bingo.
More later...
-- Gassho
Thank you all who came, and thank all the members and friends who gave up their time to help pull this feat all together with their volunteer hours.
We probably had around 1,000 dancers on Saturday and over 900 on Sunday. And there were still as many watching the dancers as there were still on the church grounds getting dinner and playing bingo.
More later...
-- Gassho
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Hongwanji - Getting There
The Hongwanji Overseas meetings are in November. I had to decide when and how to get there. I decided I'll do some of my own sightseeing around Japan, so I am making it a 111-day trip.
I would have to miss a USC home football game on Nov. 3 and the Southern District ABA "Fun-Food-Friendship" on Nov. 10, for this opportunity. Oh well. Namo Amida Buddha.
Airfares are not cheap. In fact, traveling to Kansai International (which is the closest to Kyoto) from Los Angeles is about $200 more than flying to Narita (Tokyo). But since I wanted to take a side trip to the Sea of Japan coast and do some personal stuff in Tokyo, I opted to fly to and out of Narita and use a Japan Rail Pass.
The web-based prices were no different than from the traditional travel agents...at least one airline, United Air Lines, was consistent in coming up with the lowest fare, yet they charge a "fuel fee" which brought the total closer to what other airlines were charging. I ended up using JTB online to book the ticket.
I put together a quick and affordable 11-day itinerary that I'll cover in the future.
to be continued...
Gassho...
I would have to miss a USC home football game on Nov. 3 and the Southern District ABA "Fun-Food-Friendship" on Nov. 10, for this opportunity. Oh well. Namo Amida Buddha.
Airfares are not cheap. In fact, traveling to Kansai International (which is the closest to Kyoto) from Los Angeles is about $200 more than flying to Narita (Tokyo). But since I wanted to take a side trip to the Sea of Japan coast and do some personal stuff in Tokyo, I opted to fly to and out of Narita and use a Japan Rail Pass.
The web-based prices were no different than from the traditional travel agents...at least one airline, United Air Lines, was consistent in coming up with the lowest fare, yet they charge a "fuel fee" which brought the total closer to what other airlines were charging. I ended up using JTB online to book the ticket.
I put together a quick and affordable 11-day itinerary that I'll cover in the future.
to be continued...
Gassho...
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Head Minister Rev. Miura subbed for Rev. Nakano today and also did a Japanese-English sermon for the adults.
His topic: "Teaching of Enlightenment." He gave an analogy by ringing a bell. The clear tones represented the day you were born. Later in life, the sound becomes unclear. When you reach enlightenment - the bell sound is clear once more.
Traditional Buddhists believe enlightenment is achieved through meditation and purification. The Shin-Buddhist tradition is very simple, "know oneself." Self-awareness is the key to enlightenment.
Got G.A.S.? "G" is for "greed," "A" is for "anger," and "S" is for "stupidity." These things are not the way to enlightenment, however if you are awareness of these things you are practically there.
Shinran's favorite word is "shin-jitsu". The kanjji for "shin" is "true" and the kanji for "jitsu" is "real." Which could really mean "not to decieve oneself." Sometimes you have to be something for someone, for work or school, for parents. But "are you really doing "you?" "Are you doing the right thing?" Without the deception you cannot live, meaning you are an employee, a parent, a child, a teacher, etc., but "what is you?"
To be true to oneself is what Shinran has taught to be the highest goal to achieve.
Self-awareness.
Gassho...
His topic: "Teaching of Enlightenment." He gave an analogy by ringing a bell. The clear tones represented the day you were born. Later in life, the sound becomes unclear. When you reach enlightenment - the bell sound is clear once more.
Traditional Buddhists believe enlightenment is achieved through meditation and purification. The Shin-Buddhist tradition is very simple, "know oneself." Self-awareness is the key to enlightenment.
Got G.A.S.? "G" is for "greed," "A" is for "anger," and "S" is for "stupidity." These things are not the way to enlightenment, however if you are awareness of these things you are practically there.
Shinran's favorite word is "shin-jitsu". The kanjji for "shin" is "true" and the kanji for "jitsu" is "real." Which could really mean "not to decieve oneself." Sometimes you have to be something for someone, for work or school, for parents. But "are you really doing "you?" "Are you doing the right thing?" Without the deception you cannot live, meaning you are an employee, a parent, a child, a teacher, etc., but "what is you?"
To be true to oneself is what Shinran has taught to be the highest goal to achieve.
Self-awareness.
Gassho...
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