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

Am I Addicted to IT?

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

Address Service Requested

In this issue of WA...

3JOCBO,FOKVO,BXBXBUB

T‘wa’
harmonyt"N*"EEJDUFEUP*5 p. 1
t -JUUMF%JòFSFODFT5IBOLTHJWJOH p. 2
t /FXTPOUIF#FUTVJO8JSFMFTTp. 3
t 3FW,JLVDIJXFMDPNFEp. 3t/PWFNCFSNPWJFZen p. 3
t 0NJHBLJIFMQOFFEFEp. 3
t4BJLJSFDFJWFT#SJEHF"XBSEp. 3
t #FUTVJO)PPOLPTFSWJDFp. 4
t "DLOPXMFEHNFOUTp. 5
t /PWFNCFSTIPUTVLJMJTUJOHp. 5t5FNQMFBDUJWJUJFTDBMFOEBSp. 6

Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

11

November 2015

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
NOVEMBER 2015

11/1 Sun 10 am Hō-on-kō service at Palolo temple(no service at Betsuin)
11/8 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service/Sunday school(Rinban Kawawata)
11/8 Sun 12 pm Omigaki - Polishing altar implements
11/10 Tue 3 pm Ukulele practice
11/12 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
11/14 Sat 1 pm Ho-on-ko gathering
followed by dinner and evening service
11/15 Sun 10 am Hō-on-kō service at Betsuin
11/17 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
11/21 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
11/22 Sun 10 am Sunday service
11/22 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
11/22 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
led by Jeanne Kawawata at Otani Center
11/24 Tue 3 pm Ukulele practice
11/24 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Zen 禅 (2009)11/28 Sat 10 am Onicchu Shinran Shonin service
11/29 Sun 10 am Sunday service
11/29 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese

DECEMBER 201512/6 Sun 10 am HBC Bodhi Day service - Honpa Hongwanji(no service at Betsuin)
12/8 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
12/10 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
12/12 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
12/13 Sun 10 am Betsuin Bodhi Day service
12/13 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
12/13 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
12/15 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
12/20 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service &Sunday school
12/20 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
12/22 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
12/22 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Still Walking (2008)
12/28 Sat 9 am Annual temple cleaning (大掃除)Ehime Maru Memorial cleaning
12/27 Sun 8 am Mochi-pounding (no Sunday service)
12/28 Mon 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service
12/31 Thu 5 pm Year-end service (Joya-e)
Toshi-koshi soba served after service
1/1 Fri 10am New Year service (Shusho-e)Ozoni served after service

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

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
President: Faye Shigemura
Vice President: Jonathan Tani
Secretary: Debra Saiki
Treasurer: Edmund Nakano
Auditor: Ken Saiki
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Minister: Koen Kikuchi
Associate Minister:Frank Childs
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

his month is the month of Ho-on-ko. As you know, Ho-on-ko is amemorial service for our founder, Shinran Shonin, who died on Nov.
28, 1226, in Kyoto, Japan. Ho-on-ko is time for us to come to sit in front of
our teacher, Shinran Shonin, and listen earnestly to his teachings and reexamine our lives according to his words and his life.
Through the teaching of Shinran Shonin and Buddha dharma, we findout and see truth and true life. Ho-on-ko is the time to re-examine what wereally depend on in our everyday lives.
Nowadays, computers and the Internet have become
necessities in our daily lives. I could say anywhere we go,
we embrace IT, or information technologies.
The other day, on my day off, my family and I went
to the beach. For directions to get to the beach I used
GPS, which is IT. After that we went shopping and when
we were making our purchases, the cashier used anelectronic cash register, which is IT. I was asked, “Would
you like your receipt printed or sent by email?” Imagine, Rinban Ken Kawawata
I can have my receipt sent to my email instead of getting
an old-fashioned paper receipt. How IT is that?
After shopping, my son wanted to eat sushi, and we went to a kaitensushi place where the sushi goes around on a conveyer belt. There, you canorder your sushi using a touch-screen tablet. And your sushi is automaticallydelivered to you by a miniature bullet express train. All courtesy of IT.
There you can eat sushi at a reasonable price and it is very easy to get to. That’s
probably why many young people and families go there. While waiting to beseated, some people were talking with family members and companions. Manyothers were using their smartphones toplay games, check and send messages
or search for information.
When I see people constantly using
their smartphones, I really wonder, is it
OK to use them all the time like that?
At Starbucks many customers use
a mobile device or laptop computer
while seated at a table. People may
be sitting together, but they’re nottalking. Some young people say, “Oh,
we’re talking through text messages.”
I was shocked to hear that! Don’t they
use their voices anymore? They may
not say, “I love you.” That’s their life.
They can’t think about living without asmartphone or computer. Not being inthe same generation, I have to ask, “Isthat their normal life?”
Sometimes, however, I feel I myself
am suffering from IT addiction. I havean urge to open my email and want
see the latest news from Japan. I
really depend on information fromthe Internet. Having a cellular phone
is just like having a chain and a collar.
Everywhere you go, somebody isholding your chain. In my case, my(cont’d on p. 2)

Am I Addicted to IT? (cont’d from p. 1)

wife and my work are holding my leash and are always
watching me and have control of my life.
We embrace
information
technologies suchas the Internet. No
matter where weare, we can get any
kind of information.
I often feel that
there is too much
Source: Baselinemag.com information and weA

Little Differences: U.S. & Japan - Thanksgivings we look forward to a traditional turkey dinner on
Thanksgiving Day, the 4th Thursday in November,did you know that Thanksgiving is also a national
holiday in Japan, although celebrated on November 23?
“Hey, wait a minute. How can that be?” you may
be wondering. Didn’t Mrs. Peterson at Lincoln Schooltell us the story of how Thanksgiving began, when
the Pilgrim settlers and the original American Indian
inhabitants decided to bury the hatchet, so to speak,and celebrated the bountiful harvest together with abig outdoor feast?
I remember the textbook with colorful illustrationsof Pilgrims, with tall black hats adorned with a silly
belt buckle, mingling with body-painted Indiansgathered around the table—yes, half-naked bravesin mid-November...in New England, yet!—sharing ina feast of turkey and all the trimmings, cranberries,
yams, pumpkin pie and umm, green bean casserole?
Did Japan’s Thanksgiving have a similar beginning,with Puritans landing at someplace like “Toyota Rock”?
Well, it turns out that Japan didn’t have very many
Pilgrims as settlers, or half-naked Native Americans oreven turkeys, for that matter.
Japan’s November 23 Thanksgiving Day is actually
Labor Thanksgiving Day, or Kinro Kansha no Hi. It has its
roots in an ancient ritual called Niinamesai, or Harvest
Festival. In days of yore, the Emperor would
make the season’s first offering of freshly
harvested rice to the gods
and then have somehimself. The ritual’s
origin is believed to go
back some 2,000 years,
when the Japanese firstlearned the techniqueof rice cultivation.
The festival
was celebrated
throughout Japan,
with November

2

confuse what is “real” and what is “true.”
So I think that sometimes we need to turn off oursmartphones, have some quiet time just for ourselvesand get away from IT addiction. I also think that weneed to go back to the dharma, and see our own lives
and this world from dharma eyes.
So on this occasion of Ho-on-ko, let’s all listen to
Shinran Shonin’s teaching and re-examine our way oflife. I hope you’ll find some time and be able to join us
for our Ho-on-ko Gathering on Nov. 14 and Ho-on-ko
Service on Nov. 15.
Thank you in gassho,
Kenjun Kawawata

23 being set as the official date for the event during
Emperor Meiji’s reign.
Following the cessation of hostilities in World War II,changes to Japan’s constitution guaranteed fundamental
human rights and greatly expanded rights of workers.
The November 23 harvest celebration became Labor
Thankgiving Day holiday in appreciation of thecontributions of labor and an expression of gratitude
for everyone’s cooperative hard work and productivity.
Now only the Imperial family celebrates niinamesai as a
private ceremony.
It wasn’t too long ago when people in Japan wanting
to celebrate Thanksgiving the traditional American way
had a difficult time locating a turkey to roast. Turkey meat
doesn’t appear very often in Japanese dishes.
Today, with the proliferation of Costco superstores andlarge supermarket chains, finding a bird is not so mucha problem any more, at least not in major metropolitan
areas. The bigger problem perhaps is having an oven large
enough, as an “oven” in most Japanese homes is a toasteroven (“oven tosutaa”) or a multi-function microwave oven(“denchi rennji”), which you switch off the microwave
function and use the “oven” mode.
Whether you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday
Japanese style or the American way, it’s really about thesame thing. At this time of year, we express our gratitude
for the generous bounty we receive fromnature and work done
well by the people
all around us. We are
all interconnected,
mutually interdependent
beings who rely oneach other...in the past,present and future.
So here’s
wishing you a
Happy Thanksgiving
holiday!
— Ken Saiki

MahaloGozaimasu

We gratefully acknowledge the following for their generous
contributions. If we’ve missed any donor’s name, please
accept our apologies and let us know by calling the Betsuin
at 531-9088 so we can make corrections to our records. For
donations of $250 or more, receipts/acknowledgment will be
issued in compliance with IRS regulations. For other amounts
receipts will not be issued unless requested. Thank you.

.&.03*"- '6/&3"- */63/.&/5#63*"-4&37*$&
Shimazu Family
C OkudaJim Ishikawa
Carol Sorida
Robert & Setsuko Okuda

Dennis/Debra Saiki

Florence Sueyoshi

Paul Fujimoto

Peggy Arita
Shigeko Deese
G J TanoueKazue Uechi

Tadao Iwasaki
James Hirakawa
Helen Suzuki

Betty Nishida
Kikue Kaneshiro
Jonathan Tani

Amy AbeKikue Yuen
Sachiko Yoshino

0)*("/Margaret Hamachi
Gladys Sakata
Frances Makiyama
Ken & Kumiko Saiki

Mildred Tashiro
Florence Sueyoshi
Roy Nakamoto,:0%"/%0/"5*0/(including Otani Center, nokotsudo, altar supplies, parking)
Anonymous
Yoko Yamada
Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai
Lawrence/Violet Inaba Wayne & Ellen Autele Ken & Kumiko Saiki Jonathan Tani
Minasan Hawaii Inc The Aikido Ohana
Briana Sugai
Seiichi Minegishi"-5"3'-03"-"33"/(&.&/54
Minako Ito-Song

Joyce Masaki

In Memoriam

We extend our deepest sympathy
to the families of the late
Richard Hiroki Ishida (89)August 29, 2015
Yaeko Shimazu (96)September 27, 2015

Shotsuki Observance for NovemberOur monthly shōtsuki service in remembranceof temple family members who passed away inthe month of November of a past year will be held
on 4VOEBZ /PWFNCFSThe following list includes
members from the past 25 years .
While shōtsuki services for a loved one are observed
every year, special nenki hōyō memorial services areheld during certain auspicious years. These years
include the 1st anniversary, followed by memorialservices for the 3rd, 7th, 13th, 17th, 25th, 33rd and50th years, normally held during the year prior to theactual anniversary date.
Call the Betsuin office at 531-9088 for assistance orfor more information.

Teruo Abe
Stefanie Kimiyo Abergas
Laurence Noriyuki Anami
Miyoko Duesing
Kikue Fujiwara
Florence Kiyoko Fukuda
Harold Tatsumi Fukumoto
Matuye Fukunaga
James Tomaru Gono
Tadashi Harold Hanai
Shina Hane
Kameko Harakuni
Yuri N. Oi Hashimoto
James Hiromi Hashimoto
Raymond Kazuo Hirata
Matsuyo Ikejiri
Dorothy Tsuruyo Kaizuka

Roy Tatsuo Nakayama
Edward Yokichi Nikaido
Bessie Jueko Nishida
Kiku Nojima
Mitsuru Ogata
Shirley S. Oi
Hatsume Ono
Kimie Ono
Marian Somie Oshiro
John Rogers
Kuwasae “Chappie” Senaha
Doris Matsuko Shimabuku
Iyono Masuoka Shimizu
Dorothy Asayo Shinbo
Hatsuyo Shioi
Helen Shizuko Shoji

Masaru Kasuga
Patrick Otoji Kawamoto
Teiko Kawamoto
Mildred Ayako Kawamoto
Ayame Kaya
Dorothy Haruko Kohagura
Goro Koizumi
Thomas Minoru Kudo
Tomeyo Kuratani
Cindy Mitsuko Laturnau
Michiyo Marie Maekawa
Grace Fusae Matsuda
Paul Isami Miyasaki
Walter Tadayoshi Moriguchi
Kenji Nakasone
Sayoko Nakasone

Sueo Shojinaga
Hideo Herbert Sumiye
Hatsune Tagawa
Ellen Masako Takaoka
Hisashi Harold Tanoue
May Sueko Tasaki
Yoshiaki Tobara
Sadao Uechi
Kikuyo Wada
James Kiyoshi Watanabe
Takeo Yamanuha
Koichi Yamashita
Patric Yoshio Yamura
Nanae YonekuraCharles Sakachi Yoshida
Rick Masumi Yoshino
Ruth Kiyome Zukeran

5

Higashi Honganji Hawaii District & Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
present

News on the

Betsuin Wireless
Omigaki IFMQOFFEFE/PW

Ho-on-ko Gathering 2015

“Awakening to Your Deepest Wish”
Date:
Time:
Place:

Saturday, November 14, 2015
1:00 pm — 4:30 pm
Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo St., Honolulu
Speaker: Rev. Noriaki Fujimori

Rev. Noriaki Fujimori

Noriaki Fujimori was born in 1958 in Hokkaido Japan, where indigenous Ainu people
live. In 1988, he was sent to South and North America to study Higashi Hongwanji
missionary work. In 1989, he became a member of the International Network ofEngaged Buddhists and visited many Southeast Asian countries to attend meetingsand learn how to practice Buddhism. In 1992, he was assigned as resident minister at
Waimea Higashi Hongwanji, where a hurricane had totally destroyed the temple threemonths earlier. Through the experience, he started environmental programs to live inan environmentally friendly society. One of the goals was to install a natural energy
system at the temple. Through the support of Dharma friends, the temple now has
a photovoltaic system. He started an exchange program with Ainu with temple andcommunity members, native Hawaiians and a friend of the temple in Hokkaido. In 2013,
he was assigned to Palolo Hongwanji as resident minister. He has enjoyed starting
cleaning, gardening, art and other programs with members and community friends.

For more information, please contact:

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii

1685 Alaneo Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: (808) 531-9088 • Fax: (808) 531-3265 • Email: betsuin@hhbt-hi.org
Fee: $10.00 (payable to Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii)
A light dinner will be served following the day’s program.
Detach here and return

YES, I would like to participate in the Hoonko Gathering 2015.
Name:_________________________________________________ Phone:____________________
Name:_________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________ Email:_____________________

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii

1685 Alaneo Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: (808) 531-9088 • Fax: (808) 531-3265 • Email: betsuin@hhbt-hi.org

4

New minister Rev. Koen Kikuchi, center, was greeted by members at the Betsuin right after his arrival.

/FX#FUTVJONJOJTUFSBTTJHOFEA warm welcome goes out to our
new resident minister, Rev. Koen
Kikuchi, who arrived in Hawaiii on
Oct. 14 to take over the duties ofRev. Makoto Honda, who returned toJapan last December.
A native of Akita prefecture, Rev.
Kikuchi polished his English-speaking
skills during a year in Malta, a former
British Commonwealth island nationin the Mediterranean.
Rev. Kikuchi is an avid sportsman,and especially enjoys playing soccer,
baseball and basketball. He also plays
the sho, a bamboo wind instrumentused in gagaku court music.
He and his wife, Mai, have threechildren, son Ren (6) and daughters
Kokoro (3) and Hana (2).
We’ll have an expanded feature
story on Rev. Kikuchi and his family inan upcoming issue of Wa, so you canlearn more about them.
Meanwhile, be sure to drop by the
temple sometime soon and shareyour aloha and good wishes with
Rev. Kikuchi and his family.

/PWFNCFSTNPWJFGFBUVSFZen
 Zen Buddhist teacher Dogen

Zenji (1200-1253)—a contemporaryof Shinran Shonin (1173-1262)—
was an important philosopher
during the Kamakura period. After
his mother died, he decided to move

to China and settle as a Buddhist
teacher. One bright morning,
enlightened, Zenji returns to Japanas a devoted evangelist of a new
Soto school of Buddhism. However,this “new” form of Buddhism was not
accepted in all communities. (Note:
The new Jodo Shinshu sect faced similar
suppression during this period.)
Besides being a serious film on
Buddhism, this 2009 release is acinematographic delight, starring notedkabuki actor, Kantarou Nakamura,with co-star Yuki Uchida. The Japan
Times rated the movie
½.
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., Nov. 23 ,127 min. Free admission. Bring yourown popcorn or feel free to share thelight refreshments provided.

禅（ぜん）日本曹洞宗の開祖、道元の生涯を映画化した伝記ドラマ。主演は中村勘太郎、共演に内田有紀。
乱世の鎌倉時代。24歳の道元は、仏道の正師を求めて宋へと渡る。当初は、仏道の中にまで腐敗がはびこるさまを目の当たりにして失望する道元だったが、やがて正師と呼べる人物、如浄禅師と出会い、彼の下で修行を積む。そして、ついに悟りを開いた道元は帰国し、ひたすら弁道に精進し禅宗の普及に励む。そんな彼の姿に次第に賛同者も現われ始める。
公開 ：2009、言語 : 日本語, 字幕 :英語 、映時間 : 127分、11月23日(火)午後6:30時 、入場無料。

As you know, the Ho-on-ko
memorial service of Shinran Shoninis one of the most important
observances we hold each year.
We’d like to see our hondo altar
implements at their gleaming bestfor our Ho-on-ko gathering on
Saturday Nov. 14 and our Betsuin
Ho-on-ko service the following day.
We’re seeking your kokua inpolishing the various altar decorations
following refreshments after Sunday
service on Nov. 8.
Whatever time you can contributeis much appreciated. We’ll supply thelatex gloves, polishing compoundand cloths, while you give us a handand a little bit of elbow grease.
Group omigaki is actually fun!

4BJLJSFDFJWFT+"4)#SJEHF"XBSE

Betsuin board member Ken Saiki
was presented with the 2015 Bridge
Award by the Japan-America Societyof Hawaii (JASH) on Sept. 24 at its
annual recognition dinner at the
Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Saiki was recognized for his efforts
in coordinating weekly maintenance of
the Ehime Maru Memorial for the past
13years and helping to foster better
relations between the U.S. and Japanin the aftermath of the collision between
a U.S. submarine and the fisheries
training vessel Ehime Maru in 2001.
The accident resulted in the deathsof nine aboard the Japanese ship.
Higashi Hongwanji volunteers
have been cleaning the memorial at
Kakaako Waterfront Park twice a year
for the past several years as a way togive back to the community we serve.

Ken & Kumiko Saiki (left) are congratulated by
Gov. and Mrs. Ige at the Sept. 24 JASH banquet
which was attended by more than 450 guests.

3

Higashi Honganji Hawaii District & Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
present

News on the

Betsuin Wireless
Omigaki IFMQOFFEFE/PW

Ho-on-ko Gathering 2015

“Awakening to Your Deepest Wish”
Date:
Time:
Place:

Saturday, November 14, 2015
1:00 pm — 4:30 pm
Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo St., Honolulu
Speaker: Rev. Noriaki Fujimori

Rev. Noriaki Fujimori

Noriaki Fujimori was born in 1958 in Hokkaido Japan, where indigenous Ainu people
live. In 1988, he was sent to South and North America to study Higashi Hongwanji
missionary work. In 1989, he became a member of the International Network ofEngaged Buddhists and visited many Southeast Asian countries to attend meetingsand learn how to practice Buddhism. In 1992, he was assigned as resident minister at
Waimea Higashi Hongwanji, where a hurricane had totally destroyed the temple threemonths earlier. Through the experience, he started environmental programs to live inan environmentally friendly society. One of the goals was to install a natural energy
system at the temple. Through the support of Dharma friends, the temple now has
a photovoltaic system. He started an exchange program with Ainu with temple andcommunity members, native Hawaiians and a friend of the temple in Hokkaido. In 2013,
he was assigned to Palolo Hongwanji as resident minister. He has enjoyed starting
cleaning, gardening, art and other programs with members and community friends.

For more information, please contact:

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii

1685 Alaneo Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: (808) 531-9088 • Fax: (808) 531-3265 • Email: betsuin@hhbt-hi.org
Fee: $10.00 (payable to Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii)
A light dinner will be served following the day’s program.
Detach here and return

YES, I would like to participate in the Hoonko Gathering 2015.
Name:_________________________________________________ Phone:____________________
Name:_________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________ Email:_____________________

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii

1685 Alaneo Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: (808) 531-9088 • Fax: (808) 531-3265 • Email: betsuin@hhbt-hi.org

4

New minister Rev. Koen Kikuchi, center, was greeted by members at the Betsuin right after his arrival.

/FX#FUTVJONJOJTUFSBTTJHOFEA warm welcome goes out to our
new resident minister, Rev. Koen
Kikuchi, who arrived in Hawaiii on
Oct. 14 to take over the duties ofRev. Makoto Honda, who returned toJapan last December.
A native of Akita prefecture, Rev.
Kikuchi polished his English-speaking
skills during a year in Malta, a former
British Commonwealth island nationin the Mediterranean.
Rev. Kikuchi is an avid sportsman,and especially enjoys playing soccer,
baseball and basketball. He also plays
the sho, a bamboo wind instrumentused in gagaku court music.
He and his wife, Mai, have threechildren, son Ren (6) and daughters
Kokoro (3) and Hana (2).
We’ll have an expanded feature
story on Rev. Kikuchi and his family inan upcoming issue of Wa, so you canlearn more about them.
Meanwhile, be sure to drop by the
temple sometime soon and shareyour aloha and good wishes with
Rev. Kikuchi and his family.

/PWFNCFSTNPWJFGFBUVSFZen
 Zen Buddhist teacher Dogen

Zenji (1200-1253)—a contemporaryof Shinran Shonin (1173-1262)—
was an important philosopher
during the Kamakura period. After
his mother died, he decided to move

to China and settle as a Buddhist
teacher. One bright morning,
enlightened, Zenji returns to Japanas a devoted evangelist of a new
Soto school of Buddhism. However,this “new” form of Buddhism was not
accepted in all communities. (Note:
The new Jodo Shinshu sect faced similar
suppression during this period.)
Besides being a serious film on
Buddhism, this 2009 release is acinematographic delight, starring notedkabuki actor, Kantarou Nakamura,with co-star Yuki Uchida. The Japan
Times rated the movie
½.
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., Nov. 23 ,127 min. Free admission. Bring yourown popcorn or feel free to share thelight refreshments provided.

禅（ぜん）日本曹洞宗の開祖、道元の生涯を映画化した伝記ドラマ。主演は中村勘太郎、共演に内田有紀。
乱世の鎌倉時代。24歳の道元は、仏道の正師を求めて宋へと渡る。当初は、仏道の中にまで腐敗がはびこるさまを目の当たりにして失望する道元だったが、やがて正師と呼べる人物、如浄禅師と出会い、彼の下で修行を積む。そして、ついに悟りを開いた道元は帰国し、ひたすら弁道に精進し禅宗の普及に励む。そんな彼の姿に次第に賛同者も現われ始める。
公開 ：2009、言語 : 日本語, 字幕 :英語 、映時間 : 127分、11月23日(火)午後6:30時 、入場無料。

As you know, the Ho-on-ko
memorial service of Shinran Shoninis one of the most important
observances we hold each year.
We’d like to see our hondo altar
implements at their gleaming bestfor our Ho-on-ko gathering on
Saturday Nov. 14 and our Betsuin
Ho-on-ko service the following day.
We’re seeking your kokua inpolishing the various altar decorations
following refreshments after Sunday
service on Nov. 8.
Whatever time you can contributeis much appreciated. We’ll supply thelatex gloves, polishing compoundand cloths, while you give us a handand a little bit of elbow grease.
Group omigaki is actually fun!

4BJLJSFDFJWFT+"4)#SJEHF"XBSE

Betsuin board member Ken Saiki
was presented with the 2015 Bridge
Award by the Japan-America Societyof Hawaii (JASH) on Sept. 24 at its
annual recognition dinner at the
Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Saiki was recognized for his efforts
in coordinating weekly maintenance of
the Ehime Maru Memorial for the past
13years and helping to foster better
relations between the U.S. and Japanin the aftermath of the collision between
a U.S. submarine and the fisheries
training vessel Ehime Maru in 2001.
The accident resulted in the deathsof nine aboard the Japanese ship.
Higashi Hongwanji volunteers
have been cleaning the memorial at
Kakaako Waterfront Park twice a year
for the past several years as a way togive back to the community we serve.

Ken & Kumiko Saiki (left) are congratulated by
Gov. and Mrs. Ige at the Sept. 24 JASH banquet
which was attended by more than 450 guests.

3

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

Am I Addicted to IT?

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

Address Service Requested

In this issue of WA...

3JOCBO,FOKVO,BXBXBUB

T‘wa’
harmonyt"N*"EEJDUFEUP*5 p. 1
t -JUUMF%JòFSFODFT5IBOLTHJWJOH p. 2
t /FXTPOUIF#FUTVJO8JSFMFTTp. 3
t 3FW,JLVDIJXFMDPNFEp. 3t/PWFNCFSNPWJFZen p. 3
t 0NJHBLJIFMQOFFEFEp. 3
t4BJLJSFDFJWFT#SJEHF"XBSEp. 3
t #FUTVJO)PPOLPTFSWJDFp. 4
t "DLOPXMFEHNFOUTp. 5
t /PWFNCFSTIPUTVLJMJTUJOHp. 5t5FNQMFBDUJWJUJFTDBMFOEBSp. 6

Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

11

November 2015

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
NOVEMBER 2015

11/1 Sun 10 am Hō-on-kō service at Palolo temple(no service at Betsuin)
11/8 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service/Sunday school(Rinban Kawawata)
11/8 Sun 12 pm Omigaki - Polishing altar implements
11/10 Tue 3 pm Ukulele practice
11/12 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
11/14 Sat 1 pm Ho-on-ko gathering
followed by dinner and evening service
11/15 Sun 10 am Hō-on-kō service at Betsuin
11/17 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
11/21 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
11/22 Sun 10 am Sunday service
11/22 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
11/22 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
led by Jeanne Kawawata at Otani Center
11/24 Tue 3 pm Ukulele practice
11/24 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Zen 禅 (2009)11/28 Sat 10 am Onicchu Shinran Shonin service
11/29 Sun 10 am Sunday service
11/29 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese

DECEMBER 201512/6 Sun 10 am HBC Bodhi Day service - Honpa Hongwanji(no service at Betsuin)
12/8 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
12/10 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
12/12 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
12/13 Sun 10 am Betsuin Bodhi Day service
12/13 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
12/13 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
12/15 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
12/20 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service &Sunday school
12/20 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
12/22 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
12/22 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Still Walking (2008)
12/28 Sat 9 am Annual temple cleaning (大掃除)Ehime Maru Memorial cleaning
12/27 Sun 8 am Mochi-pounding (no Sunday service)
12/28 Mon 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service
12/31 Thu 5 pm Year-end service (Joya-e)
Toshi-koshi soba served after service
1/1 Fri 10am New Year service (Shusho-e)Ozoni served after service

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

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
President: Faye Shigemura
Vice President: Jonathan Tani
Secretary: Debra Saiki
Treasurer: Edmund Nakano
Auditor: Ken Saiki
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Minister: Koen Kikuchi
Associate Minister:Frank Childs
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

his month is the month of Ho-on-ko. As you know, Ho-on-ko is amemorial service for our founder, Shinran Shonin, who died on Nov.
28, 1226, in Kyoto, Japan. Ho-on-ko is time for us to come to sit in front of
our teacher, Shinran Shonin, and listen earnestly to his teachings and reexamine our lives according to his words and his life.
Through the teaching of Shinran Shonin and Buddha dharma, we findout and see truth and true life. Ho-on-ko is the time to re-examine what wereally depend on in our everyday lives.
Nowadays, computers and the Internet have become
necessities in our daily lives. I could say anywhere we go,
we embrace IT, or information technologies.
The other day, on my day off, my family and I went
to the beach. For directions to get to the beach I used
GPS, which is IT. After that we went shopping and when
we were making our purchases, the cashier used anelectronic cash register, which is IT. I was asked, “Would
you like your receipt printed or sent by email?” Imagine, Rinban Ken Kawawata
I can have my receipt sent to my email instead of getting
an old-fashioned paper receipt. How IT is that?
After shopping, my son wanted to eat sushi, and we went to a kaitensushi place where the sushi goes around on a conveyer belt. There, you canorder your sushi using a touch-screen tablet. And your sushi is automaticallydelivered to you by a miniature bullet express train. All courtesy of IT.
There you can eat sushi at a reasonable price and it is very easy to get to. That’s
probably why many young people and families go there. While waiting to beseated, some people were talking with family members and companions. Manyothers were using their smartphones toplay games, check and send messages
or search for information.
When I see people constantly using
their smartphones, I really wonder, is it
OK to use them all the time like that?
At Starbucks many customers use
a mobile device or laptop computer
while seated at a table. People may
be sitting together, but they’re nottalking. Some young people say, “Oh,
we’re talking through text messages.”
I was shocked to hear that! Don’t they
use their voices anymore? They may
not say, “I love you.” That’s their life.
They can’t think about living without asmartphone or computer. Not being inthe same generation, I have to ask, “Isthat their normal life?”
Sometimes, however, I feel I myself
am suffering from IT addiction. I havean urge to open my email and want
see the latest news from Japan. I
really depend on information fromthe Internet. Having a cellular phone
is just like having a chain and a collar.
Everywhere you go, somebody isholding your chain. In my case, my(cont’d on p. 2)