Bodhi Day:A Time to ReflectB‘wa’harmony

Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

12

December 2016

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii
At Higashi Hongwanji, we remaintrue to our origins
as an open Sangha, welcoming
anyone who wishes to learn more
about the Jodo Shinshu
tradition of Buddhism.
A registered 501(c)3 organization
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Minister: Koen Kikuchi
President: Faye Shigemura
Vice President: Jonathan Tani
Secretary: Debra Saiki
Treasurer: Edmund Nakano
Asst. Sec’y & Auditor: Ken Saiki
1685 Alaneo Street
Honolulu, HI 96817
Tel: (808) 531-9088
Fax: (808) 531-3265
Email: betsuin@hhbt-hi.org
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

odhi Day is the commemoration of Sakyamuni Budhha’s awakening,or enlightenment, celebrated in Japan each year on the 8th day of the12th lunar month (December 8 since the adoption of the western calendar
during the Meiji era). In our Jodo Shinshu tradition, Bodhi Day is an occasion
to reflect on how we may be able to follow his example.
History of Bodhi Day
There are various versions of exactly how this enlightenment occurred.
According to one account, some 2,500 years ago, Siddharta Gautama,
a young Indian prince, left his palace to seek peace of mind, which wasimpossible with his luxurious life. He spent six years trying to transcend all
human sufferings.
One day he sat beneath a bodhi tree intent on finding enlightenment. Hesaid that even though his flesh would fall from his bones and his bones crack,
he would not get up until he hadachieved perfect enlightenment.
Then he began an inner journeythat led him to face his demons,
taming temptations and distractions ofrestlessness, anger, doubt and greed.
It is said that he achieved a stateof calm awareness and his mind waslike a clear and still pool reflecting his
inner thoughts and feelings. He started
to reflect on his past, thoughts, words
and actions. In the middle of the night
he was reflecting on all living animals
and humans, life and death.
As dawn approached, heunderstood cause and effect,that everything and everyone areconnected and that our individual
actions create our own destinies. He Upon becoming The Awakened One at age 35,
Sakyamuni taught the Dharma for 45 years.
understood how ignorance of truthis the cause of greed and selfishness, and ultimately suffering.
As a morning star appeared in sky, Siddhartha then contemplated theWonderful Dharma and he became the Buddha, The Awakened One. From thispoint he could discover the teaching of the truth—Dharma—and a new life.
Thus, Bodhi Day is a celebration of Siddhartha’s efforts to attainenlightenment, and the Buddha’s generosity and compassion to all as heshared the gift he received under the bodhi tree 2,500 years ago.
During Bodhi Day and throughout the busy holiday season, let us makea special effort to pause to listen to the Dharma and reflect on our individual
lives. Only by knowing our own selves, can we respect others with whom weshare our lives.

LOCAL BODHI DAY OBSERVANCES
Sunday, Dec. 4:
9:30 am

Hawaii Buddhist Council Joint Bodhi Day service
Jodo Mission of Hawaii
1538 Kewalo St. in Makiki (makai of H-1 freeway)
Sunday, Dec. 11: Betsuin Bodhi Day service
10:00 amHigashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo St. (corner N. Kuakini St.)District Observes Shinran Shonin’s 750th Goenki
while Betsuin Celebrates Its CentennialThere’s an old Japanese proverb that describes it well:
Bon to shōgatsu ga issho ni kita yō ( 盆と正月が一緒に来たよう), or “As busy as busy can be…as if obon andNew Year’s came at the same time.”
The months and weeks and days leading up to thecombined Betsuin centennial celebration and Hawaii
District observance of the 750th Goenki anniversary of
Shinran Shonin’s passing were indeed hectic, with all
kinds of arrangements to be made, from top-to-bottom
temple cleaning, rehearsals, various vendor contacts andcountless planning meetings, often several scheduled forthe same day.
Each Hawaii District temple minister headed a majorcommittee to ensure everything was approached with
pomp and circumstance, and run with the precision ofa shinkansen schedule. We are happy to report that allevents were accorded the proper respect they deserved
and all trains departed on time.
The English service on Saturday morning, Nov. 5, atthe Betsuin hondo started the commemoration weekend,
with Bishop Ken Kawawata providing the welcome
address. The service was conducted entirely in English,
including gathas, chanting of Shoshinsan and selectedreading. Shinshu Shuka, Mihotoke Wa and Ondokusan
were sung in English to the accompaniment of Lena
Hamakawa on the keyboard. The English service format

Ministers and other attendees use our new English service book at
the Saturday morning service conducted entirely in Engish.
perhaps can serve as a template to make our services
more inclusive among non-Japanese speaking people.
Following the service, attendees adjourned to Otani
Center for the panel discussion program. The Goenki
theme was ”Hongan: Awakening to Your Deepest Wish,”and each of the speakers was asked to talk about how
they overcame their challenges. The speakers didn’t
disappoint, starting with Masago Asai and her nuclearfree, world peace message, which she says is achievable
when we attain inner peace. Her talk was accompanied
by a powerful video she put together, incorporating
striking images of the effects of nuclear detonations.

2Panelists gather following their presentations on Saturday morning.
Roberta Kehaulani Fontes then described her
personal difficulties with drug addiction, struggles
in prison and family problems, and talked about theturning point that led to studying, escaping an abusive
relationship, staying drug-free and now helping other
women in similar unfortunate circumstances. Wendy
Akau followed with her trying experiences that led toassisting Fontes at Women Supporting Women.
Glen Kila described the value of aloha that helped
Hawaiians survive with the barest of resources while
traveling in canoes and living in the islands. He also spokeon compassion for the homeless families and building lives
through koa mana, or creating sanctuaries. Kila’s disciple,
Christophor Oliveira, also talked about overcoming his
initial hardships to his current role with Koa Ike, supporting
Hawaiian education, culture and religion.
After an assorted sandwich selection for lunch, Dr.
Michael Conway of Otani University, Shin Buddhist Studies,acting as panel moderator, summarized the presentations
as they related to the Goenki theme of Hongan.
More than 150 people gathered at Ala Moana Hotei
for the evening commemorative banquet in the Garden
Lanai Room. Before the program began, shoppers pickedup omiyage and holiday gifts at the “Taste of Dana”$5 marketplace, similar to Japanese one-coin (¥500)
markets. Proceeds went to support the Hawaii District’s
Fukushima children’s project. Meanwhile others mingled,
renewing old friendships and making new friends with(cont’d on next page)

Banquet entertainment included (left) hula by Maya, Masago andMika Asai and (right) ukulele jamming by the Honoka and Azita duo.

Souvenir photo of officiants, members and guests at the Hawaii District Goenki service held on Sunday, Nov. 6, at the Betsuin.
people from other Oahu temples, neighbor islands, U. S.
mainland, South America and Japan.
Bishop Kawawata greeted attendees with a welcome
message, followed by remarks by Chief Administrator ofShinshu Otani-ha Bishop Koi Sato’o. Then it was time for“Itadakimasu!” and a sparkling apple cider kanpai before
dinner. Attendees had pre-selected their menu choice of
misoyaki salmon, beef or vegetarian, or for children, chicken.
For after-dinner entertainment, Honoka & Azita
electrified theaudience with
their ukulele
styling while
Masago, Mika
and Maya Asai
entranced
all with theirgraceful hula
movements.
A beautiful
original hularendition ofChanting the Amida-kyo sutra during Goenki.
Shinshu Shuka
was the perfect cap to the evening’s festivities.
Sunday’s ceremonies began with Hawaii District’s
formal Shinran Shonin 750th memorial service, completewith chanting of Amidakyo and Shoshinge, and gagaku
music performed by the Hawaii Gagaku Society, inthe Betsuin hondo. Overseas District Abbot Choyu
Otani delivered his welcome message, followed by Dr.

Conway’s dharma talk and Bishop Kawawata’s words ofappreciation. After a group photo, everyone returned tothe hondo for the kikyoshiki, or confirmation ceremony,when six people—Ivan Lui, Dennis Kajiura, Stanlely Sato,Paul Briggs, Jay Fischer and Leina Ise—received their
Buddhist names.
Moving to Otani Center, the Hawaii Gagaku Society
performed a ceremonial dance to gagaku music before
an authentic Hawaiian food aloha lunch. Betsuin
president Faye Shigemura welcomed the guests tothe luncheon and Bishop Noriaki Ito of Los Angeles
presented a congratulatory message.
Just prior to officially closing the Goenki andcentennial weekend, the Betsuin’s Dharma Hawaiians
ukulele band led a sing-along, ending with the traditional“Hawaii Aloha.”We expressed our gratitude to all, bade our farewells
and felt confident that we had observed the Goenki
with appropriate reverence and successfully celebrated
the Betsuin’s 100th anniversary, remembering thecontributions of the generations before us. As the lastfolding chairs and tables in Otani Center were put away,
one could almost hear the collective sigh of relief that thebusy commemorative weekend was complete.
Fortunately, our next centennial is a hundred years away.
Many hands helped in putting the combined Goenki
observance and centennial together. We will list names of
those we’d like to acknowledge in a subsequent issue of
Wa and also in our planned centennial publication.

3News on theJapan and Hawaii linked withtraditional art of Japanese dance
Fujima Takamasa performed withmembers of his world-renowned
Institute of Japanese Dance andCulture at a special public show at
Higashi Hongwanji on Nov. 19.
The final public appearance atOtani Center for an appreciative
audience followed shows in Kona, atOrvis Auditorium at UH-Manoa andthe Consul General of Japan’s official
residence in Honolulu.			
Besides performing Japanese
dances Usagi and Sarutori, Fujima

Betsuin Wirelessalso fascinated attendees with hisskill at the time-consuming art ofkabuki makeup. Eyebrows are a key
part of kabuki acting and he spentalmost half the time adjusting thesize, shape and coloring of his brows.
Missed seeing one of the exciting
performances sponsored by the JapanFoundation? Watch for his return toHawaii in the next year or two.

Hawaii District 2017 calendars
available at the Betsuin office

The Higashi Hongwanji Hawaii
District calendars for 2017 have been
distributed. The Awakening to ourDeepest Wish basic theme continues,
challenging us to seek and learn each
day throughout the year, helping toenrich our single one community.
As in the past, we appreciate anydonations to help defray the costs ofprinting and mailing the calendars.
Additional copies are available, while
supplies last, at the Betsuin office aswell as other Higashi Hongwanji temples.

Princess Mononoke a visual treat
for movie lovers of all ages

Besides dance performances, Takamasa
Fujima and troupe members demonstrated
kabuki makeup and kimono dressing.

4Princess Mononoke is a fantasy
animation, but if you think it’s a“cartoon” meant only for children,
you’re in for a big surprise. In fact, its
PG-13 rating (due to intense action)
makes it obvious this is more than akids’ movie. This intriguing tale about
the relationship between nature andhuman beings, filled with mysticalspirits and visual artistry, can beenjoyed at different levels by viewersof all ages. This epic anime by Hayao
Miyazaki broke all box office records
in Japan when it was released in 1997.
Ashitaka, a young man living inmountain village, is cursed by ananger- and hatred-filled demon.
While on a journey westward to finda way to remove the curse, hereaches the village of Tatara, wherethe inhabitants destroy the forests
while producing iron. Ashitaka finds
San, who was raised by wolves andcalled Princess Mononoke, tochallenge the destructive humans…
The film won Best Picture at the52nd Mainichi Film Awards and 21st

Japan Academy Awards. Movie critic
Roger Ebert gave it four stars when it
was released in the U.S., describing it
as one of the best movies of the year
and most visually inventive films hehad ever seen.
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., Dec. 27,
135 min. Color. Japanese audio,
English subtitles. Free admission.
Light refreshments, or bring to share!
もののけ姫 (もののけひめ)
自然と人間の関係をテーマとし続けてきた宮崎駿の集大成的作品で、それまでの日本映画の歴代興行記録を塗り替える大ヒットとなった。山里に住む若者アシタカは、怒りと憎しみにより“タタリ神”と化した猪神から呪いをかけられてしまう。呪いを解く術を求めて旅に出るアシタカはやがて、西方の地で“タタラ”の村にたどり着く。エボシ御前が率いるその村では、鉄を造り続けていたが、同時にそれは神々の住む森を破壊することでもあった。そして、そんなタタラ達に戦いを挑むサンの存在をアシタカは知る。人の子でありながら山犬に育てられた彼女は“もののけ姫”と呼ばれていた…
賞歴：第52回毎日映画コンクール日本映画大賞、日本映画ファン賞、アニメーション映画賞。第21回日本アカデミー賞
最優秀作品賞、その他 。
監督：是枝裕和、 公開 : 1997年、カラー 、言語 : 日本語、 字幕 : 英語 、映時間 : 135分、12月27日(火)午後6:30
時 、入場無料。

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

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In this issue of WA...
• Bodhi Day p. 1
• Goenki/Betsuin Centennial p. 2
• News on the Betsuin Wireless p. 4
• Fujima dance performance p. 4
• 2017 Hawaii District calendar p. 4
• December movie: Princess Mononoke p. 4
• Acknowledgments p. 5
• December shotsuki service p. 5
• Temple activities calendar p. 6

Temple Activities CalendarDECEMBER
12/4 Sun 9:30 am HBC Bodhi Day service at Jodo Mission			 (No Sunday service at Betsuin)
12/8 Thu 7 pm The Larger Sutra study class			 led by Rinban Kawawata in English
12/11 Sun 10 am Bodhi Day & Shotsuki memorial service			
Sunday school
12/11 Sun 12 pm The Larger Sutra study class			 led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
12/13 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
12/18 Sun 10 am Sunday service/Sunday school
12/18 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting			Fukuhara conference room
12/18 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Folding class			Otani Center
12/20 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
12/24 Sat 9 am Mochi pounding
12/25 SunNo Sunday service at Betsuin
12/27 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
12/27 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Princess Mononoke (1997)
12/28 Wed 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service
12/30 Sat 9 am Oosōji year-end temple cleaning
12/30 Sat ~11 am Ehime Maru Memorial cleaning/lunch
12/31 Sun 5:30 pm Year-end service - Joya-e			 Toshikoshi soba after service

6JANUARY

1/1 Mon 10 am New Year’s Day service - Shūshō-e			 Ozōni after service
1/8 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service/			Sunday school
1/8 Sun 12 pm The Larger Sutra study class			 led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese			
Fukuhara conference room
1/10 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice			Fukuhara conference room
1/12 Thu 7 pm The Larger Sutra study class			 led by Rinban Kawawata in English			
Fukuhara conference room
1/15 Sun 10 am New Year’s family service
1/15 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
Fukuhara conference room			
1/17 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
1/22 Sun 10 am Sunday service/Sunday school
1/24 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice			Fukuhara conference room
1/24 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Azuki (2015)			
Fukuhara conference room
1/28 Sat 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service
1/29 Sun 10 am Sunday service/Sunday school

Everyone is welcome to join in on sutra chanting held at 7 am daily (except on Sundays & the 28th day of the month) in the Betsuin main5