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Permit No. 693

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

Birth
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Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

5
May 2014

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
MAY 2014

Sun 10 am Shotsuki memorial service &Sunday school
6/1 Sun 12 pm Family portrait sitting
6/8 Sun 10 am Sunday service
6/8 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
6/10 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
6/12 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
6/14 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
6/15 Sun 10 am Sunday serviceਠ৻ୁदบઇ॑ୂऒअ
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
6/15 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
Sun 10 am Shinran Shonin birthday service
6/17 Tue 7 pm O-ko: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
6/22 Sun 10 am Sunday service
Tue 7 pm O-ko: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
6/22 Sun 11:30 am Ehime Maru Memorial cleaning
Fukuhara Conference Room
Picnic lunch at Kakaako Waterfront ParkSun 10 am All Wars memorial service
6/24 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
6/24 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: The Hidden BladeTue 6:30 pm Movie night: The Burmese Harp
6/28 Sat 10 am Shinran Shonin memorial service
Mon 10 am Shinran Shonin memorial service
6/28 Sat 11 am Recitation circle
Mon 11 am Recitation circle
6/29 Sun 10 am Sunday service
Everyone is welcome to join in on our sutra chanting at 7 am daily (except Sundays) in the Betsuin Main Hall.

Sun 10 am Shotsuki memorial service &Sunday school
5/4 Sun 12 pm Mothers Day picnic at Nuuanu Valley
Park - Family portrait sitting
5/8 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
5/10 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
led by Rev. Frank Childs
5/11 Sun 10 am Mothers Day famiiy service& Sunday school
5/11 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
5/4



5/18
5/18
5/20
5/25
5/27
5/27
5/28
5/28

JUNE 2014
6/1

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
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Minister: Makoto Honda
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 Mission of
Hawaii for its members andfriends. Comments, articles andother items for publicationconsideration are welcomed.

Editor: Ken Saiki

ast month, we had the celebration of Buddha’s birth, Hanamatsuri. This
month, we celebrate Tanjo-e (Tanjo means birth and e means gathering),
the birthday of our founder, Shinran Shonin.
So let’s think about our own birth. You may sometimes wonder about yourbirth, life and death. We probably think that we are born in this world with the
only condition being that we have a mother and a father, and they are thecause of our birth. You might think that they are fully responsible for our birthand life.
None of us can choose our parents nor can we choose when or where weare born. We don’t know who our parents will be. But once we have received
life, we have to live it.
We can complain about our lives, but we can’t change the conditions ofour birth. We have to just live with the conditions that we received.
Shan-tao, a Chinese Pure Land teacher and one of the seven masters of
Jodo Shinshu, said that we had a wish to be born in this world before we wereborn, and we couldn’t have been born into this world with the only condition
being that we had parents. He said we needed both a cause and condition forour birth.
Our parents are the condition of our birth. The cause of our birth was awish, “I want to be born in this world,” or “I want to have life.” This kind of wish
we already have before we are born.
Rev. Gyoko Saito, who was Rinban at the Betsuin in 2000, wrote an article
about four bean plants with shiny green leaves growing in the temple garden.
When English Egyptologist Howard Carter excavated the tomb of King
Tutankhamun in 1922, among the many very rich objects discovered werestored bean seeds, which had been
asleep underground for 3,300 years.
Because of his affection for the beans,
he had them planted in rich soil.
Given sunshine, fertilizer and water,
the ancient seeds soon sprouted andgrew into healthy plants.
Once this became known, many
people wanted offspring seeds ofthese plants. In 1956, Haruki Taki ofOita, Japan, obtained some and set
about to growing the beans. After
successfully harvesting them, heshared his joy by announcing in thenewspaper that he would send seeds Rev. Saito’s Egyptian beans illustrate how even abean can have an “innermost wish” to be born.
to the first hundred people who
asked for them. Mrs. Saito’s sister-inlaw obtained some and, like Mr. Taki, she wanted to share her joy with others
and gave some to Rev. Saito, who planted them in the Betsuin garden.
Observing these plants made Rev. Saito start to think of his own life. His
life, too, had such a long history, even more than the beans’ 3,300 years. It
goes back to the beginningless beginning of life.
Rev. Saito said, “In order to be what I am, I had to have a father andmother, each of whom had a father and mother, and so on, going backendlessly, without breaking the chain of life, to the very beginning.”
According to Rev. Saito, Shan-tao thought that it is very natural to think ofbirth as the result of having parents. But when he thought deeply about his
life, parents weren’t the cause. They were the conditions.
(cont’d on p. 2)

#*35) (cont’d from p. 1)“The cause of my being as ahuman is my innermost wish to beborn,” Rev. Saito said. “When cause
and conditions meet, the humanbeing will be born.”“It’s very difficult to understand‘innermost wish,’ but it becomes clear
to me when I think of the Egyptianbeans. The bean seeds had slept for
3,300 years, but they held a strong
wish to be born as plants. This innerstrength is the ‘cause.’ And the‘conditions’ of fatherly sun and tender'BNJMZ1JDUVSF%BZ
by Faye Shigemura
When was the last time you tooka family portrait? For me, it was in1996 when my daughters were still in
their 30s.
There were five of us: my two
daughters, our dog, Friskie, our cat.
Kylee, and me, the Queen. We let ourparrot, Mikey, sit this one out becauseof our adorable but unpredictable
adopted feral cat. My parents had bothpassed away by 1995, and with the girls
all grown up, work and play consumed
a large part of our lives.
#FUTVJODFOUFOOJBMDPNJOHVQ
As you may know, in 2016 theBetsuin is celebrating its 100th yearof serving the community, and we’re
working on a centennial memorial
book to chronicle our history, highlighton our current programs and project
our vision for the future.
Our goal is to include photos oforiginal member families who helped
build this temple, as well as current
members, who are the glue that holds
our temple together. Our members
have always been the center of ourhistory, and will continue to be theprimary reason this temple exists.
8BOUFE'BNJMZQIPUPT
We’re looking for group shots oftemple member families to put inour centennial book. Besides current
pictures, we’re looking for photos
from back in the early days of thetemple. We’d like to have the photos

2

loving motherly Earth, with the‘affection’ of water and fertilizer, havemade the seeds ripen into fine plants.”
Mothers and fathers are theconditions, but the cause of our birthis our innermost wish to be born ahuman being.
Shan-tao understood theconditions and the cause of birth
into the Pure Land as similar to ourown birth. Amida Buddha is thefather, which is symbol of wisdom,
while the light is the illumination of
wisdom, the mother.

The cause of our birth into thePure Land is our deep aspiration to beborn into the Pure Land, which is thestate of great nirvana.
I think that we always have a wish
to have this state of great peace in ourdaily lives. For that, we need to
re-examine the meaning of our birthand find our deepest wish for our
individual lives.
Happy Birthday, Shinran Shonin.
Happy Birthday, everybody.
In gassho,
Kenjun Kawawata

by June 1, 2015 to give us ample time to
put the book together. We’d prefer digital
files that don’t need to be returned, but
we’ll gratefully accept prints, too. When
we return your photos, we’ll include
digital files of the photos we scanned.
"OEOPXGPSUIFFYDJUJOHQBSU
If you don’t have a current family
portrait, we’ll do one for you!0VSöSTU
GBNJMZQPSUSBJUTFTTJPOJTPO4VOEBZ .BZ, after the service, using thelush backdrop of Nuuanu Valley Park,
next to the Queen Emma Summer
Palace at the corner of Pali Hwy. andPuiwa Rd., between 12:00 noon and3:00 pm. Bring the whole family! No
appointment necessary.

If you have family members who
cannot make it to the temple because ofhealth or mobility issues, we will gladly
go to you, anywhere on Oahu. Please let
us know when and where we might beable to schedule the picture taking.
We want to ensure that as many
Betsuin member families as possible
are included in this commemorative
book, and we’ll do our best toaccommodate everyone to make thisbook more meaningful to you.
'BNJMZIJTUPSZXBOUFE UPP
Along with your photos, we’dlike to include family histories, suchas founding family members’ names,
deceased dates, occupation, area ofJapan your family is from, in whatpart of Hawaii they lived, and otherinteresting bits of information you may
wish to share. Of course, not everything
submitted will necessarily be includedin the book, but this is a good
opportunity to document some littleknown but noteworthy facts about
your family which can be perpetuatedthrough this book.
I cannot emphasize enough howmuch we want your family to be includedin this book. You are an important partof our history, and have every reason
to be proud of your grandparents andgreat-grandparents, who worked hardin a foreign land to forge a better life
for themselves and their families. Weurge you not to miss this opportunity
to make sure your family is included inthis book of our history.
Please call us at 531-9088 oremail us atCFUTVJO!IICUIJPSH if
you have questions or would like tomake an appointment.

Rev. Fukao and family in a 1930 portrait.
If you can’t make it to the May 4
sitting, we’re also scheduling photosessions at the temple every month on
the 1st Sunday starting at 12 noon.

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.

.&.03*"- '6/&3"- */63/.&/5#63*"-4&37*$&
Jane Kaneshiro

Charlotte Tsukamoto Ebisuya family(0+*,"*.&.#&34)*1
Jean Shishido



Roy Nakamoto

Richardeen Kimura,:0%"/%0/"5*0/
Mililani Hongwanji
Hisano Muramoto
Okouchi family
Noboru Hayase0)*("/

Jan LeeKazue Uechi
Roy Nakamoto

0.*(",*

Tony Saraz
Jonathan Tani
Debra Saiki
Makoto Honda,0,6"%":Joyce Masaki
Kei Tsuji
Karen Kamihara
Makoto Honda



Takamasa Yamamura Atsuko Nonaka
Annette Matsumoto Shozo Fukunaga
Viola Uyeno
Kazuto Shimizu
Harvey & Norma Shima

Kathy CastilloJean Shishido
June Omura
Kikue Kaneshiro
Esther Kiyoe Shioi
Faye Shigemura
Yoko Oshiro
Robert & Frances MakiyamaHelen Suzuki
Atsuko Nonaka
Keizaburo Tsuji
Dennis & Debra Saiki
Robert & Edwina Takeyama

Margaret Hamachi
Dennis Saiki
Frank Childs
Ken Kawawata

John Ishikawa
Jim Hirakawa
Joyce Masaki

Roy Nakamoto
Atsuko Nonaka
Takafumi Bansaka

Tadao Iwasaki
Kei Tsuji
Jeanne Kawawata

Ken Saiki
Peggy Arita
Minako Ito

Dennis Saiki
Jan LeeTakafumi Bansaka

Debra Saiki
Tadao Iwasaki
Jeanne Kawawata

Frank Childs
Ken Saiki
Ken Kawawata

Faye Shigemura
Jonathan Tani

Ed Nakano
Minako Ito

Kei Tsuji

Makoto Honda

We wish to extend our deepest
sympathy to the families of the late$"-&/%"3

Patsy Hideko Nikaido (97)
April 8, 2014

Joyce Masaki
Ken Kawawata
Margaret Hamachi

Peggy Arita

Joanne Ninomiya

In Memoriam

Misao Noguchi (93)
April 24, 2014"-5"3'-03"-"33"/(&.&/54
Minako Ito

Moriso Teraoka
Barbara Shioi
Stanley Koga

Moriso Teraoka
Mildred Tashiro
Gainor Tomokiyo
Tadao Iwasaki
Howard & Patsy Nikaido/&8:&"31"35:%0/"5*0/4
Michael Sawai

Gladys Abe

Jane Naito
Betty Nishida
Peggy Arita/&84-&55&3."*-*/(
Faye Shigemura
Ken Saiki

Hiroharu Ohara family

Joyce Masaki

Shotsuki Observance for MayO

ur monthly shotsuki service in remembrance of temple family members who passed away in the month of May of apast year and will be held on 4VOEBZ .BZThe following list includes family members from the past 25 years.

Jo Ann Sayoko Dawson
Kiyoshi Fujieda
Fujie Fujieda
Masako Fukuhara
Jean Haruko Hifumi
Michiko Higa
Kiyoshi Hikari
Helen Ayame Hirata
Ike Torao Ikari
Sueto Ikari
Tsuruko Ishikawa
Doris Umeko Ishikawa

Shigeru Ishimatsu
Hazel Sachiko Iwaki
Roy Hideo Kaneshiro
Grace Matsue Kaneshiro
Francis Kawada
Masao Kitayama
Hisa Kobayashi
Gary Ken Kudo
Raymond Eiwo Kurakake
Masatoshi Matsumoto
Shizuko Matsumoto
Phyllis Umeko Matsunaga

Randal Kiyoshi Michioku
Yoshino Mimuro
Harry Masaru Minamishin
Robert Seigi Miyagi
Tsutayo Miyamura
George Kazuyuki Morita
Kenichi Mukai
Chiyoko Nakagawa
James Kiyoshi Nakamoto
Toshie Nakamura
Harry Masao Nishida
Mildred Yukie Saida

Ishi Sawamura
Asako Sekimoto
Sueko Shima
Florence Mitsue Shimada
Kazumi Shimizu
Katherine Miyoko Shirabe
Hiroshi Shoji
Hisako Suyama
Myron Nagao Suyetsugu
Richard Kakuji Takasaki
Shigeru Tamanaha
Fred Gyoun Tamayose

Cherie Toshiko Tamayose
Hatsue Tanoue
Caesar Shinzo Tsutsumi
Harumi Ujimori
Takino Umeda
James Shigeru Umeda
George H. Umemoto
Laura Tsuki Yamamoto
Sharon Taeko Yamamoto
James Takeo Yamamura
Rik Rikio Yamashita
Hyosaburo Yoshida

7

Higashi Hongwanji
Dharma Study Center Lecture Series

Tanjo-e Service&%JE4IBLZBNVOJ5FBDI+BQBOFTF#VEEIJTN

in celebration of the birth of Shinran Shonin

Hatsumairi Ceremony
to present children up to 6 years of age before Amida%XGGKDIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHVLJQLI\LQJWKHIRXQGDWLRQRI
a healthy spiritual life.

Sunday, May 18, 2014 10:00 am
Message by Rev. Frank Childs

親鸞聖人誕生会
新生児初参り法要
2014 年５月 18 日

午前 10 時D

r. George Tanabe conducted
another well-attended fourpart lecture series for Higashi
Hongwanji’s Dharma Study Centerin April. Each session drew about
50 listeners curious about his viewon Shakyamuni vs. the brandsof Japanese Buddhism taught
by Nichiren, Honen and Shinran,founders of the Nichiren, Jodo andJodo Shinshu Japanese Buddhist
denominations respectively.
No stranger to controversy, Dr.
Tanabe shared his theories developed
through the years while a professorof religion at UH - Manoa, with anaudience largely made up of followersof various Japanese Buddhist sects.
At the very outset he pointed
out that all scriptures incorporate
mythology to enhance the spiritual
message, including incredible
examples of a virgin birth or a baby
who’s able to walk seven steps andtalk at birth.
Dr. Tanabe went on to explainthat the founders of the various

初参りは、新しいいのちの誕生を祝う儀式です。６才までのお子さんを受け付け致します。お早めにお寺まで申し込んでください。

日本語法話：河和田賢淳輪番

HIGASHI HONGWANJI HAWAII BETSUIN
HATSUMAIRI CEREMONY PARTICIPATION APPLICATIONTYES! I wish to have my child/grandchild participate in the May 18 Hatsumairi ceremony.
Child's Name___________________________________ Sex: M / F

Birthdate_____________________

Parents' Name____________________________________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________________________________________
City ___________________________________________ State_______ ZIP code_____________________
Telephone______________________________________ Email____________________________________

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii$ODQHR6WUHHW+RQROXOX+,3KRQH)D[(PDLOEHWVXLQ#KKEWKLRUJ

Dr. Tanabe compares practices of Shakyamuni
with those of Nichiren, Honen and Shinran.
Japanese Buddhist sects could nothave had first-hand knowledge ofwhat Shakyamuni Buddha preached,despite what the sutras seem to
imply. Nichiren, Honen and Shinran
lived centuries after Shakyamuni
died, and had but scant knowledgeof Shakyamuni’s life. Just about the
only thing everyone accepts as fact isthat he died of food poisoning.
Shakyamuni’s practice to improve

karma was the “self power” approach
to moral perfection. Being difficult
to achieve on one’s own, Mahayana
Buddhism along the way introduced
various rituals, ceremonies anddeities to assist, in particular for theuneducated and weak.
For several centuries, Japanese
Buddhism was orthodox Tendai andShingon as imported from China by
Saicho and Kukai. During the Kamakura
Period, however, Nichiren, Honen
and Shinran, all of whom were Tendai
monks, started to espouse a different
brand of Buddhism. They wereconsidered heretics, choosing to teacha different path to enlightenment fromthe orthodox one.
Nichiren (1222-1282) saw that thelarge number of sutras were saying
different things, often contradictory,
and realized that not all sutras can beright. He concluded that the Lotus
Sutra was the highest teaching toattain enlightenment.
Honen (1133-1212) sought to teachan easier path to rebirth in the Pure
Land that anyone could follow, throughmeditation on Amida or simply reciting
the nembutsu. Ironically, this “easy”
path to obtain deliverance was difficult
because it seemed so easy that it was
hard to believe.
Shinran (1173-1262) came to therealization that that we have alreadyreceived everything from Amidaand nothing depends on one’s own
power, and anyone can access thegreat power of Amida’s vow simply
by “turning on the light switch” andreciting the nembutsu.
Dr. Tanabe admitted that some ofhis views might not be fully embracedby everyone. Regardless, they should
serve as starting points for healthy
discussion or further study to deepen
our own understanding of our beliefs.
His list of recommended reading
included What the Buddha Taught,
Waipola Rahula; Buddhist Philosophy,
David Kalupahana; and Heretical
Imperative, Peter Berger.

My
MotherMothers Day is just aroundthe corner; the day reservedfor honoring mothers.
My mother passed away in1995 but somehow it doesn’t
seem that long ago. I still see
her kind and gentle face andsometimes feel as though she’swith me.
Mom had an abundance of
patience. She not only raised
three daughters but also cared for
my father’s two younger siblings
and her mother-in-law. I recall
being in the kitchen with herwhen I was perhaps 8 years old
and in my eyes being of help but
in reality probably not so much.
She never shooed me away. No
matter how busy she was trealways seemed to be time forme and the many questions an
8-year-old has.
Softball was one of her favorite
sports. We lived a few blocks from
Lanakila School so she would
walk to the field when there
was a game and she’d sit on thebleachers in the hot sun cheering
everyone on. It didn’t matter who
was winning, she just enjoyed thegame. I also remember her taking
me to Toyo Theater on River Street
to watch samurai movies with mythen-favorite actor, Nakamura
Kinnosuke.
Mom was also a great cook.
She often cooked shoyu chicken
wings, I like to think because it
was one of my favorite dishes.
We recently had shoyu chicken
wings for one of our regular afterservice Sunday lunches, whichbrought back memories of her.
Looking back I realize Mom
made many sacrifices for us;
putting our needs before hers.
I miss Mom.
— Debra Saiki

3

/FXTPOUIF

Debra and Dennis Saiki give a “poodle
cut” to the temple’s black pine tree.

,PLVB%BZBUUIF#FUTVJO April showers bring May flowers...
as well as tall weeds, overgrownhedges and various unwanted
shrubs on Betsuin grounds. Even our
black pine “giant bonsai” near thetemple entrance had sprouted an
unsightly cowlick.
Although we have a regularyardman, there are certain tasks
which are beyond the maintenanceschedule, yet we need to get themdone to maintain a neat and orderly
appearance to the grounds.
So who you gonna call? You’reright...Yard Busters! An energetic
squad of volunteers reported for
duty early on a clear, sunny Saturday
morning on April 19. Armed withweed-whackers, power mowers,
hedge trimmers, shears, weeders
and sickles, they managed to fill two#FUTVJO8JSFMFTT

green waste bins in short order.
Meanwhile, others were planting
ginger shoots, raking and sweeping
the trimmings or trying to repair an
extension cord cut by a certain
rinban (who shall remain nameless)while operating a hedge trimmer.
Still others were re-doing bulletinboards, doing data entry or
preparing lunch for the volunteers.
Speaking of lunch, the Busters
were rewarded with grande beefburritos, crafted by Joyce Masaki andJeanne Kawawata, which were so
grande they barely fit in the mouth.
Plus Spanish rice on the side, whichbrought back nostalgic memories of
elementary school cafeteria lunches.
With thirst quenched andtummies filled, the volunteers had
only one other activity in mind: headstraight home for a siesta.
The next day, a few of the helpers
not accustomed to outdoor manuallabor admitted to waking up feeling a
wee bit stiff, but they weren’t
complaining. In fact, to them it felt
good to be closer to nature for a few
hours, offering a greenish opportunity
to renew the mind and soul, and think
more closely about life.
But everyone agreed that our
Kokua Day was a great way to “giveback” and help beautify the Betsuin
grounds for the benefit of everyone...not only for our temple members
today, but for the sake of Jiji, Baba andeveryone else inurned in thecolumbarium, as well as for thegenerations of grateful descendants
who come to visit and pay theirrespects. After all, we’re one big family.
Watch for an announcement of
the next opportunity to be part of a
Yard Busters squad on a future date.

i5IF#VSNFTF)BSQwUPCFTIPXO
BT.BZNPWJFPGUIFNPOUI

Rev. Bansaka (left) rakes up the hedge
trimmings while Bishop Kawawata bags.

4

An Imperial Japanese Armyregiment surrenders to British forces in
Burma at the end of World War II andfinds harmony through song. A private,
thought to be dead, disguises himself
as a Buddhist monk and stumbles
upon spiritual awakening. The 1956

b&w film is an eloquent meditation
on beauty coexisting with death andremains one of Japanese cinema’s
most powerful antiwar statements,
both tender and brutal in its grapplingwith Japan’s wartime legacy.
Awarded the San Giorgio Prize at
Venice Film Festival, 1956, andnominated for Best Foreign Film at the
Academy Awards, 1957.

Mothers Day
Family Service
Sunday, May 11, 2014
10:00 a.m.
Message : Mr. Kenneth Saiki

Kon Ishikawa’s “The Burmese Harp”was
magnificentlly shot in hushed black & white.
Stars Rentaro Mikuni as Capt. Inoue& Shoji Yasui as Pvt. Mizushima.
Directed by Kon Ichikawa.
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., May 27.
Free admission, open to all. Ample
seating in Fukuhara Conference Room.
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ञ‫ृ؛‬ऋथીਅ॑ੴढञೀैम਺ఋख‫ؚ‬঒ॻথप૧ଛऔोॊऒधपऩढञऋ‫ؚ‬਷ਣटऐम౞ट຅ಿ॑ਢऐॊ঩মଔपఋ๯
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থ‫؞‬४ঙঝ४ड़ೖਭೖ‫؛‬ফ‫ؚ॔‬ढ़ॹ঑‫ش‬ਗবୁ಩઺ೖपुঀ঑ॿ‫ॺش‬औोञ‫؛‬‫ؙ‬ল౰঻‫ؙ‬੩঱‫؟‬ਕᚷ৴୬୙‫ؙ‬਷ਣ‫؟‬਍੩๬੸‫ୁ੉ؙ‬঩মୁ‫ؚ‬ஊొஶୁ‫ؙ‬಩ৎ৑ী‫ؙ‬ஜహ‫ؙ‬োৃ૮મা঩ౌ ଏ৏ৎ母の日家族礼拝2014年５月11日
午前１0時

メッセージ：佐伯 ケネス氏
After-service refreshments served by the men of the temple.

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii$ODQHR6W+RQROXOX+,7HOHSKRQH  

/FXTPOUIF

Debra and Dennis Saiki give a “poodle
cut” to the temple’s black pine tree.

,PLVB%BZBUUIF#FUTVJO April showers bring May flowers...
as well as tall weeds, overgrownhedges and various unwanted
shrubs on Betsuin grounds. Even our
black pine “giant bonsai” near thetemple entrance had sprouted an
unsightly cowlick.
Although we have a regularyardman, there are certain tasks
which are beyond the maintenanceschedule, yet we need to get themdone to maintain a neat and orderly
appearance to the grounds.
So who you gonna call? You’reright...Yard Busters! An energetic
squad of volunteers reported for
duty early on a clear, sunny Saturday
morning on April 19. Armed withweed-whackers, power mowers,
hedge trimmers, shears, weeders
and sickles, they managed to fill two#FUTVJO8JSFMFTT

green waste bins in short order.
Meanwhile, others were planting
ginger shoots, raking and sweeping
the trimmings or trying to repair an
extension cord cut by a certain
rinban (who shall remain nameless)while operating a hedge trimmer.
Still others were re-doing bulletinboards, doing data entry or
preparing lunch for the volunteers.
Speaking of lunch, the Busters
were rewarded with grande beefburritos, crafted by Joyce Masaki andJeanne Kawawata, which were so
grande they barely fit in the mouth.
Plus Spanish rice on the side, whichbrought back nostalgic memories of
elementary school cafeteria lunches.
With thirst quenched andtummies filled, the volunteers had
only one other activity in mind: headstraight home for a siesta.
The next day, a few of the helpers
not accustomed to outdoor manuallabor admitted to waking up feeling a
wee bit stiff, but they weren’t
complaining. In fact, to them it felt
good to be closer to nature for a few
hours, offering a greenish opportunity
to renew the mind and soul, and think
more closely about life.
But everyone agreed that our
Kokua Day was a great way to “giveback” and help beautify the Betsuin
grounds for the benefit of everyone...not only for our temple members
today, but for the sake of Jiji, Baba andeveryone else inurned in thecolumbarium, as well as for thegenerations of grateful descendants
who come to visit and pay theirrespects. After all, we’re one big family.
Watch for an announcement of
the next opportunity to be part of a
Yard Busters squad on a future date.

i5IF#VSNFTF)BSQwUPCFTIPXO
BT.BZNPWJFPGUIFNPOUI

Rev. Bansaka (left) rakes up the hedge
trimmings while Bishop Kawawata bags.

4

An Imperial Japanese Armyregiment surrenders to British forces in
Burma at the end of World War II andfinds harmony through song. A private,
thought to be dead, disguises himself
as a Buddhist monk and stumbles
upon spiritual awakening. The 1956

b&w film is an eloquent meditation
on beauty coexisting with death andremains one of Japanese cinema’s
most powerful antiwar statements,
both tender and brutal in its grapplingwith Japan’s wartime legacy.
Awarded the San Giorgio Prize at
Venice Film Festival, 1956, andnominated for Best Foreign Film at the
Academy Awards, 1957.

Mothers Day
Family Service
Sunday, May 11, 2014
10:00 a.m.
Message : Mr. Kenneth Saiki

Kon Ishikawa’s “The Burmese Harp”was
magnificentlly shot in hushed black & white.
Stars Rentaro Mikuni as Capt. Inoue& Shoji Yasui as Pvt. Mizushima.
Directed by Kon Ichikawa.
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., May 27.
Free admission, open to all. Ample
seating in Fukuhara Conference Room.
অঝঐभሲಙ‫ق‬অঝঐभञथओध‫ك‬‫ؙ‬ফप঳২಩઺৲औोञ೔৛੊௟
भ৊੡৵ହ॑৊ग৘ਆន૰୚दગ಩઺
৲‫؛‬঩মௗभ࿱॑༸ीॊञी‫ؚ‬ᄀᑸधऩढथऱधॉঅঝঐभ৉पଋॊௗ૒भ௅॑
๜ऎ‫؛‬ফಒ‫؛‬অঝঐਅ଍भ঩মଔ
मॱॖবषधౙ୔भඏ୐॑ਢऐथःञ‫؛‬ज॒ऩജೂষभਈর‫ؚ‬੩঱৵౉শ૨ःॊ
৖౉म‫ؚ‬ाऩఠ௫஀ऌद਷ਣ঱ಉௗभഩ
ऎሲಙभఠप়ॎचৡਘऎ়๼खथः
ञ‫ृ؛‬ऋथીਅ॑ੴढञೀैम਺ఋख‫ؚ‬঒ॻথप૧ଛऔोॊऒधपऩढञऋ‫ؚ‬਷ਣटऐम౞ट຅ಿ॑ਢऐॊ঩মଔपఋ๯
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থ‫؞‬४ঙঝ४ड़ೖਭೖ‫؛‬ফ‫ؚ॔‬ढ़ॹ঑‫ش‬ਗবୁ಩઺ೖपुঀ঑ॿ‫ॺش‬औोञ‫؛‬‫ؙ‬ল౰঻‫ؙ‬੩঱‫؟‬ਕᚷ৴୬୙‫ؙ‬਷ਣ‫؟‬਍੩๬੸‫ୁ੉ؙ‬঩মୁ‫ؚ‬ஊొஶୁ‫ؙ‬಩ৎ৑ী‫ؙ‬ஜహ‫ؙ‬োৃ૮મা঩ౌ ଏ৏ৎ母の日家族礼拝2014年５月11日
午前１0時

メッセージ：佐伯 ケネス氏
After-service refreshments served by the men of the temple.

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii$ODQHR6W+RQROXOX+,7HOHSKRQH  

Higashi Hongwanji
Dharma Study Center Lecture Series

Tanjo-e Service&%JE4IBLZBNVOJ5FBDI+BQBOFTF#VEEIJTN

in celebration of the birth of Shinran Shonin

Hatsumairi Ceremony
to present children up to 6 years of age before Amida%XGGKDIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHVLJQLI\LQJWKHIRXQGDWLRQRI
a healthy spiritual life.

Sunday, May 18, 2014 10:00 am
Message by Rev. Frank Childs

親鸞聖人誕生会
新生児初参り法要
2014 年５月 18 日

午前 10 時D

r. George Tanabe conducted
another well-attended fourpart lecture series for Higashi
Hongwanji’s Dharma Study Centerin April. Each session drew about
50 listeners curious about his viewon Shakyamuni vs. the brandsof Japanese Buddhism taught
by Nichiren, Honen and Shinran,founders of the Nichiren, Jodo andJodo Shinshu Japanese Buddhist
denominations respectively.
No stranger to controversy, Dr.
Tanabe shared his theories developed
through the years while a professorof religion at UH - Manoa, with anaudience largely made up of followersof various Japanese Buddhist sects.
At the very outset he pointed
out that all scriptures incorporate
mythology to enhance the spiritual
message, including incredible
examples of a virgin birth or a baby
who’s able to walk seven steps andtalk at birth.
Dr. Tanabe went on to explainthat the founders of the various

初参りは、新しいいのちの誕生を祝う儀式です。６才までのお子さんを受け付け致します。お早めにお寺まで申し込んでください。

日本語法話：河和田賢淳輪番

HIGASHI HONGWANJI HAWAII BETSUIN
HATSUMAIRI CEREMONY PARTICIPATION APPLICATIONTYES! I wish to have my child/grandchild participate in the May 18 Hatsumairi ceremony.
Child's Name___________________________________ Sex: M / F

Birthdate_____________________

Parents' Name____________________________________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________________________________________
City ___________________________________________ State_______ ZIP code_____________________
Telephone______________________________________ Email____________________________________

Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii$ODQHR6WUHHW+RQROXOX+,3KRQH)D[(PDLOEHWVXLQ#KKEWKLRUJ

Dr. Tanabe compares practices of Shakyamuni
with those of Nichiren, Honen and Shinran.
Japanese Buddhist sects could nothave had first-hand knowledge ofwhat Shakyamuni Buddha preached,despite what the sutras seem to
imply. Nichiren, Honen and Shinran
lived centuries after Shakyamuni
died, and had but scant knowledgeof Shakyamuni’s life. Just about the
only thing everyone accepts as fact isthat he died of food poisoning.
Shakyamuni’s practice to improve

karma was the “self power” approach
to moral perfection. Being difficult
to achieve on one’s own, Mahayana
Buddhism along the way introduced
various rituals, ceremonies anddeities to assist, in particular for theuneducated and weak.
For several centuries, Japanese
Buddhism was orthodox Tendai andShingon as imported from China by
Saicho and Kukai. During the Kamakura
Period, however, Nichiren, Honen
and Shinran, all of whom were Tendai
monks, started to espouse a different
brand of Buddhism. They wereconsidered heretics, choosing to teacha different path to enlightenment fromthe orthodox one.
Nichiren (1222-1282) saw that thelarge number of sutras were saying
different things, often contradictory,
and realized that not all sutras can beright. He concluded that the Lotus
Sutra was the highest teaching toattain enlightenment.
Honen (1133-1212) sought to teachan easier path to rebirth in the Pure
Land that anyone could follow, throughmeditation on Amida or simply reciting
the nembutsu. Ironically, this “easy”
path to obtain deliverance was difficult
because it seemed so easy that it was
hard to believe.
Shinran (1173-1262) came to therealization that that we have alreadyreceived everything from Amidaand nothing depends on one’s own
power, and anyone can access thegreat power of Amida’s vow simply
by “turning on the light switch” andreciting the nembutsu.
Dr. Tanabe admitted that some ofhis views might not be fully embracedby everyone. Regardless, they should
serve as starting points for healthy
discussion or further study to deepen
our own understanding of our beliefs.
His list of recommended reading
included What the Buddha Taught,
Waipola Rahula; Buddhist Philosophy,
David Kalupahana; and Heretical
Imperative, Peter Berger.

My
MotherMothers Day is just aroundthe corner; the day reservedfor honoring mothers.
My mother passed away in1995 but somehow it doesn’t
seem that long ago. I still see
her kind and gentle face andsometimes feel as though she’swith me.
Mom had an abundance of
patience. She not only raised
three daughters but also cared for
my father’s two younger siblings
and her mother-in-law. I recall
being in the kitchen with herwhen I was perhaps 8 years old
and in my eyes being of help but
in reality probably not so much.
She never shooed me away. No
matter how busy she was trealways seemed to be time forme and the many questions an
8-year-old has.
Softball was one of her favorite
sports. We lived a few blocks from
Lanakila School so she would
walk to the field when there
was a game and she’d sit on thebleachers in the hot sun cheering
everyone on. It didn’t matter who
was winning, she just enjoyed thegame. I also remember her taking
me to Toyo Theater on River Street
to watch samurai movies with mythen-favorite actor, Nakamura
Kinnosuke.
Mom was also a great cook.
She often cooked shoyu chicken
wings, I like to think because it
was one of my favorite dishes.
We recently had shoyu chicken
wings for one of our regular afterservice Sunday lunches, whichbrought back memories of her.
Looking back I realize Mom
made many sacrifices for us;
putting our needs before hers.
I miss Mom.
— Debra Saiki

3

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Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin

5
May 2014

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
MAY 2014

5/4
5/4
5/8
5/10
5/11
5/11
5/13
5/18
5/18
5/20
5/25
5/27
5/27
5/28
5/28

JUNE 2014

6/1 Sun 10 am Shotsuki memorial service &Sun 10 am Shotsuki memorial service &Sunday school
Sunday school
6/1 Sun 12 pm Family portrait sitting
Sun 12 pm Mothers Day picnic at Nuuanu Valley
6/8 Sun 10 am Sunday service
Park - Family portrait sitting
6/8 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study classThu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
6/10 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceSat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
6/12 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rev. Frank Childs
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Sun 10 am Mothers Day famiiy service
6/14 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu?
& Sunday school
led by Rev. Frank Childs
Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class
6/15 Sun 10 am Sunday service
led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
6/15 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meetingTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
6/17 Tue 7 pm O-ko: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
Sun 10 am Shinran Shonin birthday service
6/22 Sun 10 am Sunday service
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
6/22 Sun 11:30 am Ehime Maru Memorial cleaning
Tue 7 pm O-ko: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
Picnic lunch at Kakaako Waterfront Park
Fukuhara Conference Room
6/24 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practiceSun 10 am All Wars memorial service
6/24 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: The Hidden BladeTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
6/28 Sat 10 am Shinran Shonin memorial service
Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: The Burmese Harp
6/28 Sat 11 am Recitation circle
Mon 10 am Shinran Shonin memorial service
6/29 Sun 10 am Sunday service
Mon 11 am Recitation circle
Everyone is welcome to join in on our sutra chanting at 7 am daily (except Sundays) 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
Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata
Minister: Makoto Honda
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 Mission of
Hawaii for its members andfriends. Comments, articles andother items for publicationconsideration are welcomed.

Editor: Ken Saiki

ast month, we had the celebration of Buddha’s birth, Hanamatsuri. This
month, we celebrate Tanjo-e (Tanjo means birth and e means gathering),
the birthday of our founder, Shinran Shonin.
So let’s think about our own birth. You may sometimes wonder about yourbirth, life and death. We probably think that we are born in this world with the
only condition being that we have a mother and a father, and they are thecause of our birth. You might think that they are fully responsible for our birthand life.
None of us can choose our parents nor can we choose when or where weare born. We don’t know who our parents will be. But once we have received
life, we have to live it.
We can complain about our lives, but we can’t change the conditions ofour birth. We have to just live with the conditions that we received.
Shan-tao, a Chinese Pure Land teacher and one of the seven masters of
Jodo Shinshu, said that we had a wish to be born in this world before we wereborn, and we couldn’t have been born into this world with the only condition
being that we had parents. He said we needed both a cause and condition forour birth.
Our parents are the condition of our birth. The cause of our birth was awish, “I want to be born in this world,” or “I want to have life.” This kind of wish
we already have before we are born.
Rev. Gyoko Saito, who was Rinban at the Betsuin in 2000, wrote an article
about four bean plants with shiny green leaves growing in the temple garden.
When English Egyptologist Howard Carter excavated the tomb of King
Tutankhamun in 1922, among the many very rich objects discovered werestored bean seeds, which had been
asleep underground for 3,300 years.
Because of his affection for the beans,
he had them planted in rich soil.
Given sunshine, fertilizer and water,
the ancient seeds soon sprouted andgrew into healthy plants.
Once this became known, many
people wanted offspring seeds ofthese plants. In 1956, Haruki Taki ofOita, Japan, obtained some and set
about to growing the beans. After
successfully harvesting them, heshared his joy by announcing in thenewspaper that he would send seeds Rev. Saito’s Egyptian beans illustrate how even abean can have an “innermost wish” to be born.
to the first hundred people who
asked for them. Mrs. Saito’s sister-inlaw obtained some and, like Mr. Taki, she wanted to share her joy with others
and gave some to Rev. Saito, who planted them in the Betsuin garden.
Observing these plants made Rev. Saito start to think of his own life. His
life, too, had such a long history, even more than the beans’ 3,300 years. It
goes back to the beginningless beginning of life.
Rev. Saito said, “In order to be what I am, I had to have a father andmother, each of whom had a father and mother, and so on, going backendlessly, without breaking the chain of life, to the very beginning.”
According to Rev. Saito, Shan-tao thought that it is very natural to think ofbirth as the result of having parents. But when he thought deeply about his
life, parents weren’t the cause. They were the conditions.
(cont’d on p. 2)