Arriving in Japan

In October, a group of us - numbering 12 - went to Japan to attend one of the services held for the 750th Memorial for Shinran Shonin at Honzan (Nishi Hongwanji) in Kyoto - the main temple for our sect.

The first stop is Tokyo. Tokyo is a good place to start for those who have not been to Japan before as it is the most accessible if you do not speak Japanese. Most of the signs are written in Romaji if not in English, many retailers have some knowledge of English, and the facilities are more international, if you know what I mean.

Our first stop after a good night's rest at Shinagawa Prince Hotel is a visit to the Tsukiji Fish Market. After navigating one train and one subway, we managed to arrive at one end of the fish market and walked through to the other side. Los Angeles is the home of many wholesale markets but none come close to amount of food that is sold at the Tsukiji Fish Market and the outer markets.



Even though it was early in the morning, we skipped the hotel breakfast to have fresh sushi at one of the restaurants just outside of the market. Not only was that fun, but since the fish is amazingly fresh, it was quite delicious and quite an experience after arriving in Japan.

Also in Tsukiji, we stopped at Tsukiji Hongwanji with its Indian architect. The main hondo was not open as it was being cleaned for a special ho-on-ko service, we got to the kodo (little chapel) in time before the morning service ended.

Before we boarded the Nozomi Shinkansen, we had a chance to visit the Ghibli Museum just outside of Tokyo in Mitaka. Here on display is the work and brilliance of Hayao Miyasaki. The purpose of visiting here is to capture a sense of Japan that is harder to find. Miyasaki is fond of telling stories and especially those stories that evoke the folktales of Japan. These are the folktales that were abound when Shinran entered his exile on the Sea of Japan.



Then we made it back to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo to catch our shinkansen to Kyoto. The Shinagawa station has been modernized and is a good alternative to catch the shinkansen instead of busier and larger Tokyo Station. There were only three stops on the fastest of all the bullet trains. It was too dark to spot Mt. Fuji along the way.

Once we arrived in Kyoto, we had to pick among the many restaurants in the station as well underneath it for dinner. We stayed at the Shin Miyako Hotel, which is very close to Kyoto Station.

Back from Japan

Actually it has been a couple of weeks. I sorted out my photos and edited from 2,500 to about 1,000. So I am still ways from posting here and on Facebook.

12 of us were in Japan to attend one of the services for the 750th Memorial of Shinran Shonin at Honzan, the short name for the temple that most people know as Nishi Hongwanji in Kyoto. It is rhe mother temple of the Buddhist Churches of America. It was the highlight of the trip and because it onky happens every 50 years, it was truly once on a lifetime.

On the other hand, I gave the group a tour of a few of the sites connected to Shinran. It wasn't that hard, as they were expecting visitors attending this service.

We had four mornings in Kyoto, so each morning at least four of us attended the daily morning services. Some of the days others in the group were able to join us. It was a bout a 15 minute walk from our hotel, New Miyako Hotel, near Kyoto Staion, to Honzan.

The first morning, we got there at 6 pm and already the Amida Hall was full. Because half of the service is in the Amida Hall and the second half is in the larger Goei Hall, we were able to sit in the Goei-do. (The Goei-do is set for the memorial services so their are chairs set up im the enlarged hall.

The traditional morning service begins with Sanbutsuge in the Amida-do, then the Sangha walks over to the Goei-do for Shoshinge and 6 of the wasan. then it ends there with a reading from one of Rennyo's letters and a sermon.

You must take your shoes off, so we used the bag that we got forthe 750th and carried ournshoes around. I knew at leastbto get chairs for the group. It is becoming more popular even among Japanese to sit on chairs instead of the tatami.

The voices in chanting is so strong. All four mornings were similar, except for the six verses of wasana, which are rotated. On the second morning, it was slightly different as it is traditional for the Go-Monshu performs this service, with the toraiban, on the 15th of each month. Honzan provides books for the services, but you have to be able to read the hiragana over the kanji for Sanbutsuge. And thr katakana over the kanji for Shoshinge. I am not sure why it is done this way.

In gassho,

Funeral Service for Rev Shindo

The funeral segice for Rev Hosho Shindo, the beloved resident minister of Gardena Buddhist Church, will take place on Aug. 25 at 3pm. The service is sponsored jointly by the Buddhist Churches of America and our temple.

In gassho

Obon, It's Festival Time

In the Hongwanji tradition, Obon is really a gathering of joy. It is not a homecoming of ancestral spirits. That is why our tradiotn does not welcome them or send them off. But this idea of a spirit homecoming is really an innate Japanese tradition that goes back before the advent of Buddhism from China.

YhebGathering of Joy is to hear the Dharma, and to bring the Sangha together. In the Hingwanji, when passing, we enter the Pure Land (Jodo) immediately. Thus there is no 'soul' we are joined to Amids Buddha. But as homecoming of the living, Obon is ideal. We dance the Obon dances for joy and having a good time. this really is a festival, or 'matsuri.'

To have around 1,000 each day of the Obon matsuri is quite an accomplishment for the temple to care for the guests. Yes, it is a fundraiser and it does return some funds into the general budget. But, our Sangha has to support the dancers and their friends and family.

A big thank you to our Sangha members for putting on this party.

And to the public, including members of our neighbor temples and churches and the Hongwanji temples in yhe U.S. Who vame, thank you for visitng.

Although we are missing this year our resident minister, we continue the work that needs to get done - a Dharma lesson.

In gassho,

In the Pure Land...

On the day Rev. Shindo passed away, I wanted to go to the hospital but could not because I had a meeting at the temple with Kintetsu about the traveling to Japan in October.

Later, that night I had this dream where I was in a town/city that I was exactly sure where it was but it was familiar. All I know I spent the whole time looking for Rev. Shindo. Could not find him down the hall or up the street.

Finally, I noticed I was the only one there - I had not seen a single person at all during my search. At this moment, I thought I better wake up, so I did. I never got to know what I was doing or why I was there because I broke the dream by waking up.

A week later, Bill Dearth, minister's assistant of Orange County Buddhist Church, came to speak at our temple. In his discussion of an essay on Jodo Shinshu Buddhism written by a Catholic priest, he mentioned that in our beliefs that Amida Buddha had shown us the way and we instantaneously join him on death, and that if we do somehow go to the Pure Land, we would not see anyone there because that is not what believe in.

hmmmmm...I must be dreamt about being in the Pure Land, of course, where else would I be to look for Rev. Shindo? But it was not filled with palaces of precious stones and metals of different colors. It was a place that was bright yet familiar, yet unidentifiable. If so, that would be appropriate for the Pure Land to be - nothing. Gee, if I had not have waken up, would I have just remained there forever? No wonder I rushed to wake myself up, I still have tasks to finish here on this shore.

Namu amida butsu.

Funeral service for late Rev Shindo

The family of Rev Shindo in conjunction with the Bishop's Office of the Buddhist Churches of America and the Board of Directors of the Gardena Buddhist Church has scheduled the funeral service on Thursday, August 25, at 3:00 pm with otoki following in the Social Hall. The BCA announcement will be sent to all temples in the U.S. later.

The members of the temple may joined the family at a privste viewing of the casket on Tuesday, July 12 at 3:00 pm, followed by a short service at 4:00 pm at Gardena Buddhist Church.

Obon dance practice will continue as usual on Tuesday.

The Obon Service for the temple will be held on July 17 and Hatsubon for families that lost a loved one this past year will be later on the same day. The Gardena Buddhist Temple Obon Carnivsl will be held on August 6 & 7, with the obon dance on the street starting at 6:00 pm on both days.

Rev Hosho Shindo - Selflessness

On Sunday, Rev Harada, supervising minister, talked about selflessness, based on an essay written by Rev Kubose of the Chicago Buddhist Temple.

One person who exemplifies this is Rev Shindo. He would be working til late at night prepping for services. Sometimes, I would have to tell him to go home to rest. He worked daily, always thinking of our temple and the people it serves. He did not care to be the center of the center of attention.

I wished he hadn't always thought this way. For about one year and ten months, he had been battling a stubborn cancer. I wished we could all been in on it and fight it together. But he probably did not want us to be bothered by it. But he could not win it over and succumbed to it on Sunday. For us who only knew towards the end of service, it was not a surprise. Nor would we ave been surprise to learn that he wanted to come to temple to thank the people. Probably, not really to thank us for the gifts and thoughts of him during this illness, but most likely to thank us all for giving him the opportunity to be a service to us.

He really was a selfless person. I am truly blessed to have known him.

Also, we truly appreciate Mrs. Shindo, who had gone through all this alone, and probably not of her own wishes, but respecting the wishes of Rev. Shindo. She is a remarkable woman and should be noted.

In gassho,