Facing Climate Change
Rev. Steven ToyoshimaW‘wa’
harmony

Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin9

September 2021

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

hat would we do if Waikiki beach disappeared? Where would we live
if places like Southern California were submerged by the rising sea
level brought on by climate change? How can we survive the heat waves andweather disasters stirred by rising ocean temperatures?
These are things that I have been thinking about since
the report on climate change was released by the United
Nations’ climate researchers. The world is heating up and
we are feeling the effects. The last few summers haveconsistently seen record heat waves, giant wildfires andflooding around the world.
Before the pandemic, I was part of the Hawaii
Association of International Buddhists book club readingDavid Loy’s book, “Ecodharma.” David Loy is a Zen teacher
Rev. Steve Toyoshima
and professor of comparative religions who writes aboutsocially active Buddhism. The book discusses how to look at and approach thegigantic issue of climate disaster from a Buddhist perspective.
LIke the first step in Alcoholics Anonymous, the jumping-off point
is to understand that there is a problem and that we as human beings
are responsible for it. Gigantic amounts of money have been spent on
a campaign to convince us that the damage that human beings have(cont’d on p. 2)

At Higashi Hongwanji, we remaintrue to our origins as an open Sangha,
welcoming anyone who wishes tolearn more about the Jōdo Shinshū
tradition of Buddhism.
A registered 501(c)(3) organization
Head Minister: Kenjun Kawawata
Resident Minister: Steven Toyoshima
Minister: Akiko Okada
President: Kenneth Saiki
Secretary: Marian Tsuji
Treasurer: Shigeru Numano
1685 Alaneo Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
Tel: (808) 531-9088
Fax: (808) 531-3265
Email: betsuin@hhbt-hi.org
Website: betsuin.hhbt-hi.org
Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
Wa is published monthly byHigashi Hongwanji Missionof Hawaii for its members
and friends. Comments,
articles and other items for
publication consideration
are welcomed.
Editor: Ken Saiki

Waves breach makeshift sand barriers at Ft. Derussy in this Hawaii and Pacific Islands King
Tides Project photo from 2017. It provides a stark preview of how global warming and sea
level rise will affect low-lying areas such as this section of Waikiki Beach in the years to come.
もし、ワイキキビーチがなくなったら、私たちはどうするでしょうか？気候変動による海面上昇で南カリフォルニアなどが豊島ステｲーブン開教係
水没したら、私たちはどこに住めば良いのでしょうか。海水温の上昇に伴う熱波や気象災害をどう乗り越え、
生きてゆけばよいのでしょう。

気候変動に向き合う

国連の気候研究者が発表した「気候変動に関する報告書」を見てから、私はこのようなことを考えてきました。世界は温暖化しており、私たちはその影響を感じています。ここ数年の夏は一貫して、記録的な熱波、巨大な山火事、洪水などが世界中で発生しています。
パンデミックが起こる前、私はハワイ国際仏教徒協会のブッククラブに参加
し、デビッド・ロイの著書「Ecodharma、エコダルマ」を読んでいました。デ(次のページに続く)done to the environment is minimal and that it is too
expensive or risky to change the way that we consume
natural resources.
Human beings consume natural resources to live,
to create, to eat. This has been the case since the firsthumans walked the earth, but advancements in our
technology has made it possible for us to extract theseresources faster than ever before. We have become a
global economy, harvesting resources not just for our
local communities but to be sold to the entire world.
In “Ecodharma,” Prof. Loy talks about how the worldwide
demand for raw tuna for sushi and sashimi has put the
bluefin tuna in danger of extinction. Instead of trying tochange our eating habits or practicing more sustainable
farming, companies have begun stockpiling frozen tuna in
giant freezers in order to make a bigger profit selling themafter the global supply has been exhausted.
We are still living with the mindset that humanbeings are masters of the Earth and are entitled to do
whatever we want with it. Through our egotistical view,
we see ourselves and Nature as being separate.
Much like how we cling to the idea of staying healthy
and young forever, it feels like humanity would be able togrow and prosper forever. The reality of life is that humancivilization is more fragile than we could imagine.
Life is able to exist on this planet due to the countlessinterconnected living things both visible and invisible.
We all are in a delicate balance, depending on each otherto survive. The animals and plants that we consume tosurvive, the water we need to drink, the air we breathe,
all of these are being harmed and destroyed by thepollution we are creating and resources we are hoarding.
I often use the metaphor of the Two-Headed Bird
that is mentioned in the Amida Sutra as an example ofthe dangers of our self-centeredness while living in aninterconnected world. Like these two-headed birds, weshare the same body (the Earth) with all other living
beings. If we kill these other living beings and destroy theenvironment in pursuit of short term economic gain we
as a species will be destroyed as well.
The UN report makes it clear that climate change
is already happening and that it would take a gigantic
restructuring of the way that we consume, power ourmachines and live in order to avoid a larger catastrophe.
Will we as a species learn to live seeing ourselves as only
one part of a gigantic ecosystem or will we continue towait until Waikiki vanishes beneath the waves?
In Gassho,
Rev. Steven Toyoshima

気候変動に向き合う (前ページより続く)でも成長し続けることができると思っています。しかし現
実には、人類の文明は想像以上に脆弱なものです。

Facing Climate Change (cont’d from p. 1)

イビッド・ロイは禅の先生であり、比較宗教学の教授で「Socially active Buddhism、社会的に活動する仏教」について書いています。この本では、気候変動という巨大な問題を、仏教の観点からどのように見て、どのようにアプローチするかを論じています。
「アルコホールリクス•アノニマス」のステップのように、問題があり、その責任が人間にあることを理解することが出発点となります。人類が環境に与えたダメージは小さく、天然資源の消費方法を変えるには費用やリスクが大きすぎると私たちを納得させるために、莫大な金額がキャンペーンに費やされてきました。
人間は、生きるために、作るために、食べるために、天然資源を消費します。これは人類が地球上を歩いていた頃から変わらないことですが、テクノロジーの進歩により、以前よりも早く資源を採取することが可能になりました。
私たちはグローバル経済になり、地域社会のためだけでな
く、世界全体に販売するために資源を採取しています。
「Ecodharma」の中でロイ教授は、寿司や刺身用の生マグロの世界的な需要によって、クロマグロが絶滅の危機に瀕していることを語っています。私たちの食習慣を変えたり、より持続可能な農業を実践する代わりに、企業は巨大な冷凍庫に冷凍マグロを備蓄し、世界の供給が尽きた後にそれを売ってより大きな利益を得ようとしています。私たちはいまだに、人間が地球の主人であり、地球に対して好きなことをする権利があるという考え方で生きています。
私たちは、自分と自然を別のものとして いつまでも健康で若々しくありたいと思うのと同じように、人類はいつま2

この地球上に生命が存在できるのは、目に見えるもの、
見えないものを問わず、無数の生物が相互につながっているからです。私たちは皆、微妙なバランスを保ちながら、お互いに依存し合って生きています。私たちが生き延びるために摂取する動物や植物、飲むために必要な水、呼吸す
る空気、これらすべてが、私たちが作り出している汚染や私たちがため込んでいる資源によって害され、破壊されています。
私はよく、阿弥陀経に出てくる「共命鳥、ぐみょうちょう」の比喩を、相互につながった世界に生きている私たちの自己中心的な考え方の危険性を示す例えとして使います。この双頭の鳥のように、私たちは他のすべての生きものと同じ体（地球）を共有しています。短期的な経済的利益を追求するために、他の生物を殺し、環境を破壊すれ
ば、私たちの種もまた破壊されてしまいます。
国連の報告書によると、気候変動はすでに起きており、より大きな破局を避けるためには、消費や機械の動力源、生活の仕方を大規模に再構築する必要があることが明らかになっています。
私たち人類は、自分たちが巨大な生態系の一部であることを認識して生きることを学ぶのか、それともワイキキが波の下に消えてしまうのをただ待ち続けたら良いのでしょうか。

合掌豊島ステｲーブン

News on the

Betsuin Wireless
Boost your donation throughFoodland Give Aloha program

Rev. Steve assists Bishop Ken in chanting at Makiki Japanese Naval Cemetery, where 16
Meiji-era Japanese sailors are buried. The “Chin Kon” (Repose of Souls) memorial pays
tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives in Hawaiian waters in service to their countries.

Bon memorial service conducted at
Makiki Japanese Naval Cemetery
Japanese sailors from the Meiji
era as well as American service men
and women who died in the line of
duty in Hawaiian waters wereremembered at a bon service held
Aug. 14 at the Makiki Japanese
Naval Cemetery in Honolulu.
Bishop Kenjun Kawawata andRev. Steve Toyoshima were invited

to officiate the chanting of the
Tanbutsuge sutra at the annual Hawaii
Meijikai ceremony.
Among attendees at the COVIDlimited service were the Consul Generalof Japan in Honolulu and key staff, senior
officers of the Japan Maritime, Air and
Ground Self Defense Forces assigned to
U.S. military component command
headquarters in Hawaii as well as otherJapanese American community leaders.

The Buddhist Temples of Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii invite you to

Ring Your Bell for Peace Day
Join hundreds of others around the world on Zoom!

Ring your bell for theInternational Day of Peace
Tuesday, Sept. 21
9:01 amPre-celebration at 8:30 am on Zoom

Register at https://hongwanjihawaii.com/peaceday2021
Special guest appearance by

Jake Shimabukuro
2021 Ambassador for
Peace Day

Rene Mansho, Peace Day Committee Chair, (808) 291-6151
renemansho@hawaii.rr.com

With gratitude to our Peace Co-Sponsors:
United Nations Association Chapters of
Hawaii-Honolulu, University of HawaiiManoa & KTUH Radio

Once again, Foodland and theWestern Union Foundation has
pledged $300,000 to match yourdonation to Higshi Hongwanji abd
other non-profit organizations up
to $249 per person made at any
Foodland store.
Here’s what you need to do toincrease your donation dollars to
our temple with Give Aloha dollars
through the month of September:t"UBOZPGUIFTUPSFDIFDLPVUMBOFT
(or at a service window), show yourMaiʻkai card. If you don’t have one,
no worries! Just ask for one.
t 5FMMUIFDBTIJFSZPVEMJLFUPNBLF
a Give Aloha donation to Higashi
Hongwanji, or give our 5-digit
code number 78784.
Available Sept. 1 - 30t *OGPSNUIFDBTIJFSPGUIFBNPVOUPG
your donation up to $249. If you’rebuying other groceries at the sametime, the amount will be added toyour total. No purchase necessary.
You can pay in cash, by check orby credit/debit card.
t Keep the receipt for income tax
purposes, since it is your official
record of your tax-deductible
contribution to our 501(c)(3)charitable organization.
t "TLGPSBEVQMJDBUFSFDFJQU XIJDI
you may want to send/email to us
so we can acknowledge your gift.
Unless you tell us, we won’t know
who the donation is from.
Please consider this great
opportunity to boost your temple
donation—especially during ourcontinuing pandemic situation—with
Foodland’s matching gift. But hurry...
program ends Sept. 30!

3

Activities calendar modified for September
As hospitals reach capacity withrecord high levels of COVID-19
infections on Oahu, we’ve modified
our activities schedule for September,and possibly longer. The health andsafety of our temple ohana remains
uppermost in our minds.

Since most of our activities feature
convenient virtual options, we’d liketo encourage our members to stayhome if possible and participate
remotely. If you have questions,please call us at (808) 531-9088 oremail betsuin@hhbt-hi.org.

Sunday services

Remote viewing strongly encouraged

Shotsuki memorial services
Funeral/anniversary services

Social distanced seating up to 24;
remote viewing also available

Ukulele band practiceKaraoke Night at the Betsuin
Basic Buddhism discussion group
Larger/Amida Sutra study classes
Oko/Tea Time discussion group

Zoom only

Movie night
Art of Paper Folding class

Temporarily suspended

!
AMIDA
SUTRA
W
E
NStudy class every 1st Monday
starting at 10:00 am

THE LARGER SUTRA

Study class every 2nd Tuesday
starting at 6:00 pm

仏教入門

毎月第一日曜日 お話と座談会
午後11:30時から
All classes conducted online
with Zoom video chat on yourcomputer or mobile device. Pleaseemail betsuin@hhbt-hi.org or call(808)531-9088 for details. There is
no charge to participate. All times
are Hawaii Standard Time.

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4

大
谷
翔
平

MUSINGSS

hōhei Ohtani’s dominance at theplate, mound and base paths allat the same time continues to amaze
baseball fans and non-fans as well
worldwide. So can you really blame
me for wondering whether maybe—
just maybe— there’s a connection
between the LA Angels’ All-Star andthe Ōtani descendants of Shinran
Shōnin, our denomination’s founder.
Without checking family registers
or even asking anyone who might
have done some research, it’s a pretty
safe bet that the relationship is no
closer than the interconnectedness
that we all share. After all, according
to Myoji-yurai.net, approximately
130,000 folks share the name Ōtani/
Ohtani, the 155th most common
name in Japan.
What’s more, trying to determine
a relationship simply by matchingfamily names is a hit or miss propositionat best. Prior to the Meiji Restoration,
the vast majority of Japanese people
did not have family names, as
surnames were a privilege for feudallords, samurai and others in the “upperclass.” As part of feudal reform,
everyone was required to register asurname for the Jinshin Koseki census
of 1872. Many took whatever namethey could or were assigned one byvillage officials, often place names.
About 90% of Japanese surnames
come from place names.
While I haven’t come any closer tosatisfying my curiosity about apossible Ōtani family connection, I
should feel lucky that we’re notlooking for a tie with former Seattle
Mariners star, Ichiro Suzuki. There areapproximately 1,791,000 people
named Suzuki, the 2nd most common
surname in Japan.
Have you guessed the #1 name inJapan? An estimated 1,862,000 people
are named Sato.
—Ken Saiki

t-

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
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Address Service Requested

In this issue of WA...
t'BDJOH$MJNBUF$IBOHFp. 1
t気候変動に向き合う p. 1
t News on the Betsuin Wireless p. 3
t Meiji-era sailors remembered p. 3
t Ring Your Bell for Peace Day p. 3
t Foodland Give Aloha is back p. 3
t Activities schedule modified p. 4t Temple of Zoom Dharma classes p. 4
t4IP5JNFNVTJOHTp. 4
t Acknowledgments p. 5
t September shōtsuki memorial service p. 5tTemple activities calendar p. 6

Temple Activities Calendar
SEPTEMBEROCTOBER

9/1 Wed 5:30 pm Karaoke Night at the Betsuin - Zoom only
9/5 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service - Facebook/In-person
Dharma message: Rinban Kenjun Kawawata
9/5 Sun 11:30am Basic Buddhism discussion - Zoom
Zoom ミーテ ング
led by Rinban Kenjun Kawawata in Japanese
9/6 Mon10 am Amida Sutra study class (English) - Zoom
9/12 Sun 10 am Sunday service - Facebook Live/In-person
9/14 Tue 3 pm Ukulele band practice - Zoom
9/14 Tue 6 pm The Larger Sutra study class (English) - Zoom
9/16 Thu 6 pm Okō/Tea time gathering - Zoom
9/19 Sun 10 am Fall Ohigan service - Facebook Live/In-person
Guest speaker: Rev. Akiko Okada - English/Japanese
9/19 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting - Zoom
9/26 Sun 10 am Sunday service - Facebook Live/In-person
9/28 Tue 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service - FB Live
9/28 Tue 3 pm Ukulele band practice - Zoom
9/28 Tue 6:30 pm No Movie Night this month

10/3 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service - Facebook/In-person
Dharma message: Rinban Kenjun Kawawata
10/3 Sun 11:30am Basic Buddhism discussion - Zoom
Zoom ミーテ ング
led by Rinban Kenjun Kawawata in Japanese
10/4 Mon10 am Amida Sutra study class (English) - Zoom
10/6 Wed5:30 pm Karaoke Night at the Betsuin - Zoom
10/10 Sun 10 am Sunday service - Facebook Live/In-person
10/12 Tue 3 pm Ukulele band practice - Zoom/In-person
10.12 Tue 6 pm The Larger Sutra study class (English) - Zoom
10/17 Sun 10 am Sunday service - Facebook Live/In-person
10/17 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting - Zoom
10/21 Thu 6 pm Okō/Tea time gathering - Zoom
10/24 Sun 10 am Sunday service - Facebook Live/In-person
10/26 Tue 3 pm Ukulele band practice - Zoom
10/28 Sat 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service - FB LiveWEEKLY SUNDAY SERVICES: While viewing our Sunday services
virtually on Facebook Live is strongly recommended, in-person
attendance at Sunday services temperature is available, up tosocial-distanced seating capacity of 26. Weekly Sunday services
are livestreamed and archived on our public Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/HigashiHongwanjiMission

COLUMBARIUM OPEN DAILY: The columbarium is open for
visitation and floral offerings daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Morning services are conducted in the columbarium daily
at 7 am. Please observe face mask and social distancing
courtesies when others are present.
Niches are available for purchase by gojikai members. Call
531-9088 or email betsuin@hhbt-hi.org for more information.