About Life
Rinban Kenjun KawawataI‘wa’harmony

Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

10October 2021

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii
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 96817Tel: (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 Saikit’s been nine weeks since I planted the radish seeds. The daikon are now
big enough to harvest.
Before planting the seeds, I watched a YouTube video on how to growradishes and used it as a reference. First, I made rows. Then I made holes
about the size of a beer bottle and about 1 inch deep
at intervals of 50-60 cm. The video said said to sprinkle
5-6 seeds in the holes and cover them lightly withsoil. After a while, when they sprout, thin out the fiveseedlings to three, then the three to one, grow theremaining one and finally, harvest the radish.
My wife, Jeanne, asked me what should be donewith the thinned out sprounts. I replied that I would
leave the best ones to grow, but would move thethinned out ones to another place since they seemed
Rinban Ken Kawawata
to be still sturdy and growing.
Now, nine weeks after planting the seeds, the daikon radishes that I
thinned out and replanted are growing well. I was reminded once again thatlife is lived and sustained by forces far beyond our imagination.
Throughout history, there have been many instances when humans
have been selective about other human lives. By the Edo period (1603-1868)
in Japan, poor villages openly thinned out their population in order tomaintain their families and villages. This practice was necessary because atthat time, agricultural production was not sufficient to provide for everyone,
and it was the only way to survive.
When we select life for reasons of our own or for the good of ourcountry, it becomes a source of discrimination and we forget about thedignity of life. Each individual’s life is different, and each of us tries our best
to live the life we’ve been given to its fullest.
Although different, that life is far beyond our thoughts and imagination.
Here’s an English translation of a famous passage from the Amida Sutra:

In the ponds of the Pure Land,
lotuses are as large as chariot
wheels—the blue ones radiating
a blue light, the yellow ayellow light, the red a redlight, and the white a whitelight. They are marvelous andbeautiful, fragrant and pure.
(cont’d on p. 2)

About Life (cont’d from p. 1)
This passage tells us that in the Pure Land, lotus
flowers of various colors are in full bloom, each emitting
its own color of light. It means that although each flower
is of a different color, they exist in mutual recognition andrespect. It is the same with all life. We must not forget that
we are kept alive by the interrelationship of many lives.
From the plants and the radishes, it made me think
about all life, human egoism, my ego, and the uniquenessof lives and the dignity of life.
These radishes are used to make miso soup, grated
daikon, namasu and pickles to garnish the dining table.
And then I say, “Itadakimasu” and begin my meal by
expressing my gratitude. The life of the daikon sustains
my life. The radish becomes me.
It is a Japanese custom to say, “Itadakimasu” before
eating. It means to humbly accept the food. The original

いのちについて河和田賢淳
大根の種を植えもう９週間経ちました。もう収穫できる大きさになりました。
種を植える前にYouTubeで大根の育て方を見て参考にしました。まず畝を作ります。そしてビール瓶大で１インチぐらいの深さの穴を５０−６０セン
チ間隔で作ります。その穴の中に５−６粒の種を撒き、土を軽くかけると言っていました。
そしてしばらくして芽が出たら、５本のものを３本に、３本のものを１本に間引きして、最後のものを育ててゆき大根を収穫するのです。
そこでジニーが真引きした芽はどうするのと質問してきました。私は一番良いものを残して育てるのだと答えました。しかしせっかく芽をだして育っているので、間引きしたものを他のところに移して育てることにしました。
種を植えて９週間たった
今、間引きし植え替えた大根も大きく育っています。
いのちとは人間の思いを遥かに超えた力で生き、生かされている事に改めて気づかされました。
歴史の中で人間が人間のいのちを選別してしまった事が多々見られるのです。
日本の江戸時代までには、貧しい村において、家族や村の維持のため公然と間引きが行われていました。な2meaning of itadakimasu is to express gratitude and respect
by receiving something above your head.
When Japanese have something they want, they say,“chōdai,” or “give me,” another way of saying “kudasai,”or “please.” Chōdai, however, actually means to holdsomething up above your head. When we eat something,
we say, “itadakimasu,” which means we hold meals up
above our head and express our respect, humility andgratitude for receiving another’s life.
When we eat something, we are taking another life.
Animals, fish and plants sacrifice their lives for us. We live
by taking other lives. Namu means to bow down. The true
essence within namu is apology and gratitude. We namu
and become humble. With this humble spirit we live andlisten to the Dharma in our daily lives.
In Gassho,
Namu Amida Butsu

ぜならその頃は多くの人を賄えるほどの農業生産力がなく、生き残るにはその方法しかなかったのです。
自分や国の都合により命を選別し、差別の元となり、いのちの尊厳性を忘れてしまいます。
いのちは一つ一つ異なり、いただいたいのちを一所懸命生きようとしています。
異なりはありますがそのいのちは人間の思いや考えを遥かに超えたいのちなのです。
『仏説阿弥陀経』の「青色青光、黄色黄光、赤色赤光、白色白光」という一節があります。これは浄土の池にはさまざまな色の蓮華が咲いていて、その各々の色の光を放っていると説かれています。それはそれぞれが違うユニークな華ですが、互いに認め合い尊敬し合って存在しているという事なのです。それはあらゆるいのちも同じなのです。多くのいのちの相互関係の中で

白赤黄青
色色色色
白赤黄青
光光光光

生かされていることを忘れてはならいのです。
また植物より、大根より、人間の自我、私の自我の大きさと、いのちの独自性、尊厳よりすべてのいのちについて考えさせられる事でした。
そしてこの大根達は味噌汁、大根おろし、膾（なます）やお漬物になって食卓を飾ります。そしていただきますと南無していただきます。大根のいのちが私のいのちを支えてくれるのです。大根が私になるのです。
日本の習慣として、食前に「いただきます」と申します。 「いただきます」とは謙虚に頂戴いたしますと言う意味です。「いただく」の本来の意味は、物を頭上に頂いて感謝と尊敬を表す事なのです。
最近では、何か欲しいものがあると「ちょうだい」と言いますが、これは「ください」という意味です。しかし、「ちょうだい」は頭上に物を掲げるという意味です。頂くと頂戴は尊敬と謙虚さを表しています。
私たちが何かを食べるとき、私たちは他のいのちをいただくのです。 動物や魚や植物は、私たちのためにそのいのちを犠牲にしています。私たちは他のいのちをいただくことで、生きているのです。南無とは頭を下げる事です。その内容は感謝と謝罪です。ごめんなさい、すみません、そしてありがとうと言う事です。
そしてその謙虚な精神をもって聴聞し生活してゆく事です。
合掌南無阿弥陀仏News on theBetsuin WirelessRev. Dr. Michael Conway headlines
District Hōonkō Gathering Nov. 13Fall Ohigan guest speaker for the Betsuin
was none other than Rev. Okada of theHigashi Honganji Hawaii District Office.

Dharma message by Rev. Okada at
Sept. 19 Betsuin Ohigan service

Usually Ohigan dharma messages
are delivered by ministers from anothertemple. Our Sept. 19 guest speaker,
however, was Hawaii District minister
Rev. Akiko Okada.
She shared personal anecdotes ofOhigan in her hometown Ōsaka, suchas discovering that ohagi (sweetazuki-covered rice balls) may becalled botamochi in other parts ofJapan during Spring Ohigan, whenbotan are blooming.
The Autumn Equinox has brought
to mind her aging father’s reduced
Ohigan temple service schedule thisyear, and the sun setting due west,
the direction associated with The
Other Shore and Amida’s Light.
We keep learning new things all ourlives but we must realize that our new
knowledge and accomplishments are
not done just by ourselves using ourown capabilities but due to thepresence of others.
Ohigan is an ideal time for us tobask in the comforting glow andwarmth of the setting sun and come tothe realization and appreciate the factthat we are always being guided by thelight of Amida Buddha.

Members of the Higashi Hongwanjiohana will be happy to learn that Rev.
Dr. Michael Conway is scheduled tobe our guest lecturer for this year’s
virtual Hōonkō Gathering. So be sureto set aside the afternoon on yourcalendar app for Sat., Nov. 13 from1:00 pm. You won’t want to miss out
on this opportunity to hear from Dr.
Conway, livestreaming from Kyōto,Japan, as he taps into the vast treasure
trove of Jōdō Shinshū teachings.
Watch for more information inyour next Wa newsletter on how you
can sign up for this Zoom gathering.
As you may know, Dr. Conway, aChicago native and Northwestern
University alumnus, received his PhD.
in Shin Buddhist Studies at Ōtani
University in Kyōto in 2011 and served
as managing editor of The Eastern
Buddhist academic journal. He has
been a full-time lecturer at ŌtaniUniversity since 2015. He is also anordained Higashi minister.
On Sun., Nov. 14, he is alsoscheduled to deliver the dharma
message for the District Hōonkōservice, which will be broadcast on
Facebook Live starting at 10 am.

Temple looking forward to returnto suspended and stalled activities

As a more optimistic outlook isbeing projected for our community
during the coming months, thetemple is looking positively at ourplans for the months ahead.
For example, if you look at ouractivities calendar for November on
the back page, we’ve penciled in The
Art of Paper Folding craft workshop
led by Jeanne Kawawata and MovieNight in our lineup. For our film,we’ve picked Tora-san’s Grand
Scheme, in which our hapless but
lovable hero plans a Hawaii trip for
his Uncle Tatsuzo and Aunt Tsune.
We would also like to return toin-person Karaoke Night at theBetsuin and ukulele band practices.
We’re also looking ahead toschedule our long-delayed Nomi noIchiba collectibles and rummage
sale in early December and popularmochi-pounding event on Dec. 26.
Rest assured that even if we havean official green light from publicauthorities, we’ll continue to proceedwith extreme caution for the safetyof our temple ohana.
Meanwhile, let’s all get our shots
and keep masking up!

PayPal offers a safe & easy way
to make payments/donations
Making payments and donations to Higashi Hongwanji online is now
faster than ever before with PayPal. Once you set up your personal PayPal
account, you can use it for transactions from your favorite credit or debit cardor directly from a bank account.
Scanning the QR code shown here with your smartphone will take you
directly to PayPal’s Higashi Hongwanji payment screen. Enter the amount
you want to enter and add a note to us in the memo section, such as“Shotsuki service in memory of (name)” or “Gojikai dues for (name).” PayPal
will deposit the amount in our bank account and we’ll then send you areceipt for your records.
PayPal is a fast, secure way to shop and make payments
online. You can still earn points on your preferred card but
your payment information is hidden from merchants. You
don’t even need a credit or debit card to use PayPal.
If you don’t have a PayPal account yet, consider joining
themore than 300 million other users worldwide who enjoy
SCANEDOtheconvenience of a free PayPal account.
CRQ

3

Modified Betsuin activities for OctoberWith the new Safe Oahu Response Planextended through most of October, theBetsuin will continue to conduct mostof our regular temple activities asvirtual events for the rest of the monthout of an abundance of caution.
As more folks are vaccinated andcase numbers drop, we are hopefulthat restrictions can be lifted soon andallow return to in-person activities inNovember. Watch for the latest updates
in our Wa newsletter.
Since most of our activities feature
convenient virtual options, we’d like toencourage our members to participate
remotely for now when possible.
Please call us at (808) 531-9088 oremail betsuin@hhbt-hi.org if you
have any questions.

Weekly Sunday services

While in-person attendance can beaccommodated with social distanced
seating and other safety precautions,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 groupLarger/Amida Sutra study classes
Oko/Tea Time discussion group

Zoom only

Movie night
Art of Paper Folding class

Temporarily suspended

Columbarium (Nōkotsudō)Open 9 am - 5 pm daily for visitationand floral offerings.

The Teaching of Buddha: The Four Noble Truths

For those who seek
Enlightenment, there arethree ways of practice that must
be understood and followed: first,
disciplines for practical behavior;second, right concentration of mind;
and third, wisdom.
Disciplines for practical behavior
Everyone, whether a person isa common person or a way-seeker,should follow the precepts for good
behavior. One should control both themind and body, and guard the gatesof one’s five senses. One should beafraid of even a trifling evil and, frommoment to moment, should endeavor
to practice only good deeds.
Right concentration of mind
Concentration of mind means toquickly get away from greedy and evil
desires as they arise and to hold themind pure and tranquil.
Wisdom
Wisdom is the ability to perfectly
understand the Fourfold Noble Truths,
to know the fact of suffering and its
nature; to know the source of suffering,
to know what constitutes the end ofsuffering, and to know the Noble Paththat leads to the end of suffering.
Those who earnestly follow these4

three ways of practice may rightly becalled the disciples of Buddha.
The Four Noble Truths
The world is full of suffering.
Birth is suffering, old age is suffering,
sickness and death
are sufferings. To
meet a person whom
one hates is suffering,
to be separated
from a beloved one
is suffering, to bevainly struggling to苦 Sufferingsatisfy one’s needs
is suffering. In fact, life that is not freefrom desire and passion is always
involved with distress. This is called theTruth of Suffering.
The cause of human suffering isundoubtedly found in the thirsts ofthe physical bodyand in the illusionsof worldly passion.
If these thirsts andillusions are traced
to their source,
they are found to
集 The Cause of
be rooted in theSuffering
intense desires ofphysical instincts. Thus, desire, having
a strong will to live as its basis, seeks

that which feels desirable, even if it
is sometimes death. This is called theTruth of the Cause of Suffering.
If desire, which lies at the root of
all human passion,
can be removed,
then passion will
die out and all
human suffering
will be ended. Thisis called the Truth
滅 The Extinction of the Cessation ofof Suffering Suffering.
In order toenter into a state where there is nodesire and no suffering, one must
follow a certain Path.
This is called the Truthof the Noble Path to theCessation of the Causeof Suffering.
People should
keep these Four
道 The Path toNoble Truths clearly
Nirvanain mind.
—Excerpted and edited from
“Messages from the Buddha,”published by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai
Booklet available for free download atbdkamerica.org

t-Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo StreetHonolulu, Hawaii 96817

NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Honolulu, HIPermit No. 693

Address Service Requested

In this issue of WA...
t"CPVU-JGFp. 1
tいのちについて p. 2
t News on the Betsuin Wireless p. 3
t Betsuin Ohigan service held p. 3
t Save the date for Hōonkō observance p. 3
t Looking forward to activities return p. 3t PayPal makes it easy p. 3t Modified Betsuin activities p. 4t The Four Noble Truths p. 4t Acknowledgments p. 5t October shōtsuki memorial service p. 5tTemple activities calendar p. 6

Temple Activities Calendar
OCTOBERNOVEMBER

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 ー ン
led by Rinban Kenjun Kawawata in Japanese
10/4 Mon10 am Amida Sutra study class (English) - Zoom
10/6 Wed 5:30 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
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 Thu 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service - FB Live

11/1 Mon10 am Amida Sutra study class (English) - Zoom
11/3 Wed5:30 pm Karaoke Night at the Betsuin - Zoom/In-person
11/7 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service - Facebook/In-person
Dharma message: Rinban Kenjun Kawawata
11/7 Sun 11:30amBasic Buddhism discussion - Zoom
Zoom ー ン
led by Rinban Kenjun Kawawata in Japanese
11/9 Tue 3 pm Ukulele band practice - Zoom/In-person
11/9 Tue 6 pm The Larger Sutra study class (English) - Zoom
11/13 Sat 1 pm Hawaii District Hōonkō Gathering - Zoom
Guest lecturer: Rev. Dr. Michael Conway
11/14 Sun 10 am Hawaii District Hōonkō service - FB Live only
Guest speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Conway
11/18 Thu 6 pm Okō/Tea time gathering - Zoom
11/21 Sun 10 am Sunday service - Facebook Live/In-person
11/21 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting - Zoom
11/21 Sun 12 pm The Art of Paper Folding class - Ōtani Center
11/23 Tue 3 pm Ukulele band practice - Zoom/In-person
11/23 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Tora-san’s Grand Scheme (1970)
11/28 Sun 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service
FB Live/In-person

WEEKLY 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 forvisitation and floral offerings daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Morning
services are conducted in the columbarium daily at 7 am.