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

New Year Greetings

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Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin2

February 2016

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
FEBRUARY

Sat 10 am Hawaii District Dharma Gathering
Speaker: Dr. Nobuo Haneda of Maida
Center of Buddhism, Berkeley
Hondo/Otani Center2/7 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service &Sunday school
2/7 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
Fukuhara Conference Room
2/9 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
2/11 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference Room
2/14 Sun 10 am Sunday service & Sunday school
2/14 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class2/6

現代語で仏教を聞こう

2/16
2/21
2/21
2/23
2/23
2/28
2/28

Tue
Sun
Sun
Tue
Tue
Sun
Sun

led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference Room
7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
10 am Sunday service & Sunday school
12 pm Betsuin board meeting
3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
6:30 pm Movie night: I Wish - 奇跡 (2011)10 am Shinran Shonin memorial service
11 am General membership meeting &Shinnenkai (New Year’s party)
Otani Center

MARCH

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service &Sunday school
3/8 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
Fukuhara Conference Room
3/10 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference Room
3/13 Sun 10 am Ohigan service & Sunday school
3/13 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class3/6

現代語で仏教を聞こう

3/15
3/20
3/20
3/22
3/22
3/27
3/27
3/28

led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
Sun 10 am Ohigan service
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 6:30 pm Movie night: Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am Rennyo Shonin memorial service &Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
Fukuhara Conference RoomMon 10 am Shinran Shonin memorial 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
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

Bishop Kōi Sato’o, Chief Administrator, Shinshū Ōtani-ha

wish to extend my warmest New Year’s greetings to all of you, the members andfriends of the Higashi Honganji overseas district temples.
Throughout the past year, many parts of the world continued to be ravaged bywars and conflicts such as the coordinated terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris
last November. Those incidents clearly illustrate that our world is assuming an evenmore serious aspect of the Latter Dharma Age (mappō), as pointed out in deep
lament by Shinran Shōnin. Being beset by the complex historical circumstances,
there seems to be no end to the endless cycle of retaliation.
When faced with those realities, I cannot help but thinkof the darkness of the limitations of human wisdom fromwhich no one can escape. Just like the traveler in the parableof the “Two Rivers and White Path,” we are standing dazed andconfused at the sight of the River of Water and the River of Fire,
which signify our greed and anger respectively. Shinran Shōnin
has shown us that there is always the White Path leading to thePure Land in the midst of the raging water and scorching fire of
the river. Even though we have been given this teaching, we are
Bishop Kōi Sato’o
helplessly wandering about losing sight of the path that always
lies ahead of us and are unaware of the light that constantly illuminates us.
At our mother temple, we have been able to complete the twelve-year
renovation project of the Founder’s Hall and Amida Hall last December thanks to thewholehearted support given by our members and friends from across Japan andoverseas districts. I express my sincerest appreciation for your support. At the sametime, I humbly accept the completion of the renovation project of the two halls,
which serve as the link between the Buddha and us, as well as the responsibility ofmaintaining the place where we can encounter the Buddha’s teaching and establish atrue foundation in life.
As I welcome the new year and sit in front of Shinran Shōnin’s image in the newly
renovated Founder’s Hall, I renew my commitment to share with all of you thesignificance of the fact that all of us, beyond the boundaries of nationality andlanguage, are fellow travelers who walk the broad path of the Nenbutsu together,guided by Amida Buddha’s voice from the other shore and encouraged by
Shakamuni’s voice from this shore.
In closing, I wish to ask for your continued support and cooperation.

I

Overseas District Abbot Chōyū Ōtani, Shinshū Ōtani-hatake this opportunity to wish all of you in the overseas districts a Happy New Year. It
is with great pleasure that I can share the joy of welcoming the new year together
with all of our fellow followers of the teaching of the Buddha.
Last year, I officially moved to Japan. For me, having grown up in Brazil, life
in Japan is full of opportunities to reflect upon myself since
the culture and customs are totally different from those I
am accustomed to. On the other hand, I also realize that thedifferences in nationality or language are of no significancefrom the perspective of the Nenbutsu teaching which directs
us to the truth in life.
When looking outside at the world, we cannot avoid
seeing the escalation of the conflicts in the Middle East andthe acts of inhumanity that occur all over the world. In thismodern age, the darkness of human wisdom has createdOverseas District Abbot international and ethnic conflicts in which so many precious
Chōyū Ōtani
lives are being lost. The Buddha has told us, “We must not
kill, and must prevent others from killing.” It is up to us as Shinshū followers to
confirm whether the Buddhist teaching has significance in this modern society inwhich the preciousness of human life can be easily neglected.
This year, at the 12th World Dōbō Gathering that will be held in Los Angeles inAugust, I hope to realize the importance of living as a Shinshū follower in today’s
world through sharing the joy of having encountered the teaching of the Nenbutsu.
I conclude my message by expressing my wish that each of us will beawakened to the vow of the Tathāgata. Thank you.

6QEBUJOH:PVS4ZTUFN3FW,PFO,JLVDIJThe following is a transcript of the dharma message presented by
Betsuin minister Rev. Koen Kikuchi on January 3, 2016.

Today is the New Year’s Family service. At first, I didn’tknow about this service. So I asked Kawawata sensei
about it and he said originally in the U.S., there werevarious services held. Sometimes, the fujinkai, or the
women’s association, or another group would organize aservice, and anyone could attend
those services.
I can imagine that in the past
there were lots of people
involved in temple events.
Especially, they attended theservices with their whole family,
from babies to grandparents, so
the Hondo was crowded.
Nowadays, all the services
have been integrated into one, andRev. Koen Kikuchi
there is just a single service heldeach Sunday at the Hawaii Betsuin. One could name a lotof factors why fewer people come to the temple. It is not
only the situation here at the Betsuin, but elsewhere, too.
In the old days, entertainment was not everywhereand people didn’t have easy transportation. So, thetemple was the one place to gather and have a goodtime with a lot of people. People helped and supported
each other, and that was also fun for the members.
At my home temple in Japan, there used to be a lot of
people helping with services and preparing refreshments
like shojin ryori, nishime, and soup. These are strong
memories in my mind. At that time I was very young, so
my memory is not clear, but many of them worked witha smile. I used to run around and disturb them. But now
in my home temple, we don’t have such events where
everyone gathers to make something. Ministers prepare
all things for the services, and ministers order bento
instead of members providing home cooking.
Times have changed. People today have more waysof being entertained than before. Young people havetheir own cars, so they can go to more places than
before, even if the places are a bit far. They don’t have to
go to the temple to find fun and fellowship. It’s the same
situation at my home temple in Japan.
Integrating the various services into one results inhaving more people together more often. We can see
and talk with each other easily. We are like a family, or
ohana. I like this. The more we know each other, the more
we can be comfortable with each other.
A Buddhist sensei told me that the family includes not2

only happy, pleasurable and comfortable things, but also
unpleasant things that we don’t want to accept. And hesaid to marry somebody means to spend your life with him
or her, including the things that we don’t want.
This is not only true for family affairs, but for all
situations. In our work, in school, in the activities we join,community in which we participate, this holds true forany situation. There are always both good and bad things.
But we don’t want to see the bad things and sweep thetrouble under the carpet. In Japanese,or “We always want to see good and clean things.”
Sometimes a problem can come between people in
the temple who don’t want to see a particular somebody.
It’s already said in Buddha’s teaching that we have an
inevitable suffering when we encounter a person we
dislike. This is one of the Buddha’s famous teachings of“suffering.” This is a common situation all over the world
unless someone is a Buddha. We have to be patient. We
have to accept the reality. We have to get our minds to be
be open to and receive situations that we cannot accept.
“We are humans after all.” This simple, but profound,
quotation by a famous poet in Japan, Mitsuo Aida, is anexpression of positively admitting human weaknesses
by encountering the teaching of Buddhism. Buddha isgiving us the eyes to look from the opposite side. We
usually see the things where “I” can be the main characterin our own life story. We can become a hero when “I”
did some great thing, or we can become a heroine oftragedy. We can become a hero or victim every time.
“I” am the main character of the story titled, “My Life.”
But Buddha is giving us the eyes for the story from thereader’s viewpoint. This is the Buddha’s eye.
As for lower attendance at temple activities, weusually think this is a problem in terms of declining
finances or decreasing membership. The number ofpeople coming is very important to keep the temple
active, so we think that fewer people may be a problem.
We always compare something with the past. “It was
really good before,” or “I could do it much better in myyounger days.” This world is the world of comparing. I cansay it in another way. We compare our current existence“Buddha doesn’t care how
many people attend. Only
we care about that.”with our past lives. We also really like to compare
ourselves with others. Then our minds constantly
vacillate. Our minds are not calm and stable. “The grassis always greener on the other side.” We never stop
comparing ourselves with others.
But from the Buddha’s eye, there is no problem
because we are gathering here. Probably, Buddha doesn’tcare about how many people attend. Only we careabout that. My teacher taught me to think about this.
Sakyamuni Buddha started to teach more than 2,000(cont’d on next page)

MahaloGozaimasu

We gratefully acknowledge the following for theirgenerous 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 makecorrections to our records. For donations of $250 or
more, receipts/acknowledgment will be issued incompliance with IRS regulations. Thank you.

.&.03*"- '6/&3"- */63/.&/5#63*"-4&37*$&
Barbara Okumura Shirley Nishizawa Jim Ishikawa
Hatsuyo Yamashita Inabata Family,:0%"/%0/"5*0/(including Otani Center, parking lot, columbarium, altar supplies)
Barbara Shioi
Amy Hirokawa
Anonymous
Ray Shiramizu
Jeffrey Hara
Anonymous
Takumi Kajioka
Nobu Davenport
Briana Sugai
Minh Ky Ho
Honolulu Meija Makule Softball
Quyen Duc Long$"-&/%"3
Julia Fujioka
Judith Nakata
Lillian Hara
Richard Kudo
Mildred Adachi
Peggy Ishida
Kenneth & Lynette Kimoto
Harvey & Norma Shima
Emerick & Barbara Ann Konno
Bert & Millicent Yamamoto

Barbara Okumura Kikue Kaneshiro
Joan Yoshino
Yukie Nagata
Miles & Nancy Nakatsu
Takuo & Sadie Sakai
Lynn Murakami-Akatsuka
Tatsuo & Sumiko Kubota)00/,0Stanley Kanemura(0+*,"*%6&4
Wallace & June Naito
Stanley Kono
Eric Hara
Ethel Shishido
Paul & Liane Briggs
Higashi Honganji USA Headquarters'-03"-"33"/(&.&/54
Minako Ito-Song Joyce Masaki

In Memoriam
We extend
our deepest sympathy
to the familiesof the late
Anke Ishikawa (97)
Oct. 5 2015
Robert Hideo Fujinaga (91)Dec. 16, 2015

Shotsuki Observance for FebruaryOur monthly shōtsuki service in remembrance oftemple family members who passed away in themonth of February of a previous year will be held thismonth on 4VOEBZ 'FCSVBZ The following list includes temple members whose
deaths occurred in the past 25 years.
Please call the office at 531-9088 if you have any
questions about the listing.

Edward Abe
Violet Kikuko Doi
Tadao Fuchikami
James Masaichi Fujiwara
Bun Fukunaga
George Masato Gono
Doris Yaeko Goto
Richard Isami Hanai
Katsuki Hanazono
Clara Masako Hatori
James Kiyoshi Hayase
Masae Higa
Kame Higa
Kiyoko Higa
Ted Teiyei Higa
Dick Michio Higuchi

Ryoichi Nakahara
Shigeko Nishizawa
Yoshiko Oda
Ethel Hisako Ogata
Hiroharu Ohara
Toyono Oi
Masao Sakaida
Vivian Harue Sakamoto
James Sakamoto
Shigeko Shimabuku
Mary Matsuko Shinbara
Oshi Shinsato
Kimiko Taketa
Takeo Takeuchi
Ralph Masanori Tanijo
James Minoru Tsuchida

Kumaki Hisano
Florence Tomoe Ikari
Fumio Ikuta
Arthur Tetsuo Inabata
Shigeko Ishibashi
Kenneth Masatoshi Ishida
Robert Hajime Ishimatsu
Sumio Ito
Hatsue Kaneshiro
Kishun Kaneshiro
David Hisashi Kobata
Thomas Karu Kono
Masako Kudo
Harriet Harue Matsuo
Clara Yuriko Minamishin
Floyd Iwao Muraoka

Henry Kinya Tsuchiyama
Isami Tsukamoto
Clyde Takeharu Uchida
Sadako UjimoriJack Ujimori
Ethel Hisayo Umemoto
Shigeko Uyehara
Masayuki Uyemura
Yoshiaki Uyeno
Torao Uyeno
Masatoshi Watanabe
Sadie Shizuno Yamada
Hiromu Yamamoto
Lilian Michiko Yoneda
Helen Hatsuko Yonehara
Matsue Yonekura5News on the

Betsuin Wireless

we would appreciate your continued
support at your earliest convenience.
Payment of annual gojikai dues also
allows you to maintain a niche in ourcolumbarium.
If you’re not a member yet,please consider joining. Yourmembership will help us continue
our mission to serve the local
community as we have for the past
100 years!

3FW$IJMETSFTJHOTQPTJUJPO

Dr. Haneda entertainingly makes full use of
the chalkboard during his presentations.

%JTUSJDU%IBSNB(BUIFSJOHTFU
GPS'FCSVBSZBUUIF#FUTVJO Noted scholar and enthusiastic
lecturer Dr. Nobuo Haneda, Director,
Maida Center of Buddhism inBerkeley, will lead the discussion at
the 2016 Dobo Retreat Program’sDistrict Dharma Gathering themed“Awakening to Your Deepest Wish.”
The Hawaii District event will beheld at the Betsuin’s Otani Center onSat., Feb. 6, from 10 am to 4 pm.
The District Dharma Gathering ispart of the themed local and district
retreats and other events we’ve been
holding during the past year andcontinuing this year, leading up to
the Betsuin centennial celebrationand observance of Shinran Shonin’s
750th memorial in November.
If you haven’t registered to attend
the retreat yet, you’re still in luck, as
you can register at the door. There’s a$10 fee, which includes lunch.

.BIBMPGPSZPVSNFNCFSEVFT

Thank you to families who havealready taken care of renewing theirannual gojikai membership dues.
Timely submission of annual
dues supports our temple activities
such as our weekly Sunday
services, study classes, community
outreach programs and otherservices, and helps sustain theminto the future.
For those who have not sent their$75 annual membership dues yet,

4Rev. Frank Childs has announced
his resignation from his Associate
Minister position at Higashi
Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
Frank has been a familiar sight at
the Betsuin, facilitating the monthly“What on Earth is Namuamidabutsu?”
group discussions and giving dharmatalks at Sunday services. His uniqueapproach and style have helped many
temple members and others seeking
a deeper understanding of the truth
and self.
Frank cites “personal reasons” forresigning. We will miss his ministerialpresence and wish him well as hecontinues his own journey along theBuddhist path.

$IBSNJOH'FCSVBSZNPWJF I Wish,
TUBSTDPNFEZEVP.BFEB.BFEB

 Twelve-year-old Koichi lives withhis mother and retired grandparents
in Kagoshima. His younger brother
Ryunosuke lives with their father inFukuoka. The brothers have been
separated by their parents divorce,and Koichi’s only wish is for his
family to be reunited. When helearns that a new shinkansen willsoon open linking the two cities, hestarts to believe that a miracle willtake place the moment the new
trains first pass each other at top
speed. With help from the adults
around him, Koichi sets out on ajourney with a group of friends,
each hoping to witness a miracle.
I Wish has been an audiencefavorite and won awards at film
festivals around the world.
Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

and starring the chuld comedy duo,
Maeda Maeda (Koki Maeda & Oshiro
Maeda), Joe Odagiri, Hiroshi Abe, Yui
Natsukawa, Kirin Kiki.
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., Feb.
23. 128 min. Color. Japanese audio,
English subtitles. Rated PG (due to asmoking scene). Free admission.
Everyone welcome to attend. Light
refreshments provided but feel free
to bring your own snacks.

6QEBUJOH:PVS4ZTUFN(cont’d from p. 2)

years ago. And the teaching has kept
flowing to us. For more than 2,000
years, it’s beyond your thought. You
should know about yourself. The
Buddha’s teachings are not so small
as you think.
From this, I have realized that I
had too much confidence in myself.
Unconsciously, I thought I could
do all things by myself, and I couldchange situations by myself. But mythinking has changed. Things will go
as they are, even if I do something or
I don’t do anything. Everything in thisworld is constantly changing.
What we have to think about now
is one’s own self. Our eyes are always
looking outside of ourselves. We
always look at things like numbers ofpeople, what is good for the temple
or how we have to do things in aparticular way. But the important
thing is how “I” relate with the temple.
How “I” relate with Buddha’s teaching.
That is the question from the Buddha.
Otherwise, what we do for the
problem may simply end up as an“armchair theory.”
We have to look at the situation
with Buddha’s eye, and put ourselves
into the problem. Amida Buddha
always looks at only me, and always
asks, “Is it really OK?” for all things
that I do. Shinran Shonin described
his encountering with Amida’s
compassion in “Tannisho”:“When
I ponder on the compassionate Vow
of Amida, established through fivekalpas of profound thought, it wasfor myself, Shinran, alone.” He felt andrealized that there is a relationshiponly between Amida and himself.
Buddha does not show us theanswer. Buddha always gives us
questions. Socrates said, “Personalhappiness is to think and to keep
seeking what is to live well.” We haveto have a question first. Then, when
we get the answer, that is not a goal.
That answer can be a new question.
So the cycle of question and answer
keeps going.

You’re Invited!
New Year Party &General Membership Meeting
Sunday, February 28
Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo St. (corner N. Kuakini St.)

10:00 Sunday service in Main Hall
11:00 General membership meeting
11:30 Year of the Monkey shinnenkai
Catered buffet, entertainment,
games and exciting door prizes!
Good old-fashioned fun for thewhole family! $10 lunch fee
payable at the door.
Don’t miss out on the fun & fellowship!
Call the Betsuin at 531-9088 and let
us know you’re coming! See you there!

This is the way that Jodo Shinshu
Buddhists walk through life. We haveto keep updating ourselves. The
world of computers is also constantly
changing. I am not sure whether it isappropriate or not to use the word
“improving” because it is not always
true that modern technology makes
our life better. If we don’t use a cell
phone in our daily life, for example, it
might be considered “old-fashioned.”
It can annoy somebody when
we want to change the time of an
appointment. In the past, once we“This is the way that Jodo
Shinshu Buddhists walkthrough life. We have tokeep updating ourselves.”
decided a time to meet, we had the
responsibility to be there unlessthere was an accident or similar
circumstance. So the developmentof technology has introduced somedifferent kinds of problems, I think.
With cell phones a meeting time

can be changed instantly with asimple text message. The more ourlife becomes convenient, the more
problems increase. As technology
is changing all the time, we have tochange ourselves to adjust to theworld in which we live.
All of you attending this service
are called “sangha.” It is a group of
Buddhist people who walk in thesame direction. We are dharma
friends. The person sitting next toyou might be a “Windows” person or
maybe a “Mac” person. While a friend
may help you install a new update toyour operating system, we have tokeep updating ourselves by using thesystem from the “mother computer,”
the teachings of Buddha.
Don’t forget that we are the ones
who decide whether to update ornot. As a minister, I am simply the
pop-up that helps you notice thatit’s time to update. It’s up to you to
decide to click on it or not. Bear inmind, however, that sooner or later,
the old operating system will surely
not be supported any longer.
Let’s keep updating together!

3

News on the

Betsuin Wireless

we would appreciate your continued
support at your earliest convenience.
Payment of annual gojikai dues also
allows you to maintain a niche in ourcolumbarium.
If you’re not a member yet,please consider joining. Yourmembership will help us continue
our mission to serve the local
community as we have for the past
100 years!

3FW$IJMETSFTJHOTQPTJUJPO

Dr. Haneda entertainingly makes full use of
the chalkboard during his presentations.

%JTUSJDU%IBSNB(BUIFSJOHTFU
GPS'FCSVBSZBUUIF#FUTVJO Noted scholar and enthusiastic
lecturer Dr. Nobuo Haneda, Director,
Maida Center of Buddhism inBerkeley, will lead the discussion at
the 2016 Dobo Retreat Program’sDistrict Dharma Gathering themed“Awakening to Your Deepest Wish.”
The Hawaii District event will beheld at the Betsuin’s Otani Center onSat., Feb. 6, from 10 am to 4 pm.
The District Dharma Gathering ispart of the themed local and district
retreats and other events we’ve been
holding during the past year andcontinuing this year, leading up to
the Betsuin centennial celebrationand observance of Shinran Shonin’s
750th memorial in November.
If you haven’t registered to attend
the retreat yet, you’re still in luck, as
you can register at the door. There’s a$10 fee, which includes lunch.

.BIBMPGPSZPVSNFNCFSEVFT

Thank you to families who havealready taken care of renewing theirannual gojikai membership dues.
Timely submission of annual
dues supports our temple activities
such as our weekly Sunday
services, study classes, community
outreach programs and otherservices, and helps sustain theminto the future.
For those who have not sent their$75 annual membership dues yet,

4Rev. Frank Childs has announced
his resignation from his Associate
Minister position at Higashi
Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
Frank has been a familiar sight at
the Betsuin, facilitating the monthly“What on Earth is Namuamidabutsu?”
group discussions and giving dharmatalks at Sunday services. His uniqueapproach and style have helped many
temple members and others seeking
a deeper understanding of the truth
and self.
Frank cites “personal reasons” forresigning. We will miss his ministerialpresence and wish him well as hecontinues his own journey along theBuddhist path.

$IBSNJOH'FCSVBSZNPWJF I Wish,
TUBSTDPNFEZEVP.BFEB.BFEB

 Twelve-year-old Koichi lives withhis mother and retired grandparents
in Kagoshima. His younger brother
Ryunosuke lives with their father inFukuoka. The brothers have been
separated by their parents divorce,and Koichi’s only wish is for his
family to be reunited. When helearns that a new shinkansen willsoon open linking the two cities, hestarts to believe that a miracle willtake place the moment the new
trains first pass each other at top
speed. With help from the adults
around him, Koichi sets out on ajourney with a group of friends,
each hoping to witness a miracle.
I Wish has been an audiencefavorite and won awards at film
festivals around the world.
Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

and starring the chuld comedy duo,
Maeda Maeda (Koki Maeda & Oshiro
Maeda), Joe Odagiri, Hiroshi Abe, Yui
Natsukawa, Kirin Kiki.
Showtime: 6:30 pm, Tues., Feb.
23. 128 min. Color. Japanese audio,
English subtitles. Rated PG (due to asmoking scene). Free admission.
Everyone welcome to attend. Light
refreshments provided but feel free
to bring your own snacks.

6QEBUJOH:PVS4ZTUFN(cont’d from p. 2)

years ago. And the teaching has kept
flowing to us. For more than 2,000
years, it’s beyond your thought. You
should know about yourself. The
Buddha’s teachings are not so small
as you think.
From this, I have realized that I
had too much confidence in myself.
Unconsciously, I thought I could
do all things by myself, and I couldchange situations by myself. But mythinking has changed. Things will go
as they are, even if I do something or
I don’t do anything. Everything in thisworld is constantly changing.
What we have to think about now
is one’s own self. Our eyes are always
looking outside of ourselves. We
always look at things like numbers ofpeople, what is good for the temple
or how we have to do things in aparticular way. But the important
thing is how “I” relate with the temple.
How “I” relate with Buddha’s teaching.
That is the question from the Buddha.
Otherwise, what we do for the
problem may simply end up as an“armchair theory.”
We have to look at the situation
with Buddha’s eye, and put ourselves
into the problem. Amida Buddha
always looks at only me, and always
asks, “Is it really OK?” for all things
that I do. Shinran Shonin described
his encountering with Amida’s
compassion in “Tannisho”:“When
I ponder on the compassionate Vow
of Amida, established through fivekalpas of profound thought, it wasfor myself, Shinran, alone.” He felt andrealized that there is a relationshiponly between Amida and himself.
Buddha does not show us theanswer. Buddha always gives us
questions. Socrates said, “Personalhappiness is to think and to keep
seeking what is to live well.” We haveto have a question first. Then, when
we get the answer, that is not a goal.
That answer can be a new question.
So the cycle of question and answer
keeps going.

You’re Invited!
New Year Party &General Membership Meeting
Sunday, February 28
Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
1685 Alaneo St. (corner N. Kuakini St.)

10:00 Sunday service in Main Hall
11:00 General membership meeting
11:30 Year of the Monkey shinnenkai
Catered buffet, entertainment,
games and exciting door prizes!
Good old-fashioned fun for thewhole family! $10 lunch fee
payable at the door.
Don’t miss out on the fun & fellowship!
Call the Betsuin at 531-9088 and let
us know you’re coming! See you there!

This is the way that Jodo Shinshu
Buddhists walk through life. We haveto keep updating ourselves. The
world of computers is also constantly
changing. I am not sure whether it isappropriate or not to use the word
“improving” because it is not always
true that modern technology makes
our life better. If we don’t use a cell
phone in our daily life, for example, it
might be considered “old-fashioned.”
It can annoy somebody when
we want to change the time of an
appointment. In the past, once we“This is the way that Jodo
Shinshu Buddhists walkthrough life. We have tokeep updating ourselves.”
decided a time to meet, we had the
responsibility to be there unlessthere was an accident or similar
circumstance. So the developmentof technology has introduced somedifferent kinds of problems, I think.
With cell phones a meeting time

can be changed instantly with asimple text message. The more ourlife becomes convenient, the more
problems increase. As technology
is changing all the time, we have tochange ourselves to adjust to theworld in which we live.
All of you attending this service
are called “sangha.” It is a group of
Buddhist people who walk in thesame direction. We are dharma
friends. The person sitting next toyou might be a “Windows” person or
maybe a “Mac” person. While a friend
may help you install a new update toyour operating system, we have tokeep updating ourselves by using thesystem from the “mother computer,”
the teachings of Buddha.
Don’t forget that we are the ones
who decide whether to update ornot. As a minister, I am simply the
pop-up that helps you notice thatit’s time to update. It’s up to you to
decide to click on it or not. Bear inmind, however, that sooner or later,
the old operating system will surely
not be supported any longer.
Let’s keep updating together!

3

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

New Year Greetings

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

Address Service Requested

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Higashi Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin
Bulletin2

February 2016

Higashi Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii

Temple Activities Calendar
FEBRUARY

Sat 10 am Hawaii District Dharma Gathering
Speaker: Dr. Nobuo Haneda of Maida
Center of Buddhism, Berkeley
Hondo/Otani Center2/7 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service &Sunday school
2/7 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
Fukuhara Conference Room
2/9 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
2/11 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference Room
2/14 Sun 10 am Sunday service & Sunday school
2/14 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class2/6

現代語で仏教を聞こう

2/16
2/21
2/21
2/23
2/23
2/28
2/28

Tue
Sun
Sun
Tue
Tue
Sun
Sun

led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference Room
7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin
10 am Sunday service & Sunday school
12 pm Betsuin board meeting
3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
6:30 pm Movie night: I Wish - 奇跡 (2011)10 am Shinran Shonin memorial service
11 am General membership meeting &Shinnenkai (New Year’s party)
Otani Center

MARCH

Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service &Sunday school
3/8 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
Fukuhara Conference Room
3/10 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class
led by Rinban Kawawata in English
Fukuhara Conference Room
3/13 Sun 10 am Ohigan service & Sunday school
3/13 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class3/6

現代語で仏教を聞こう

3/15
3/20
3/20
3/22
3/22
3/27
3/27
3/28

led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe
Sun 10 am Ohigan service
Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice
Fukuhara Conference RoomTue 6:30 pm Movie night: Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Fukuhara Conference RoomSun 10 am Rennyo Shonin memorial service &Sunday school
Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class
Fukuhara Conference RoomMon 10 am Shinran Shonin memorial 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
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

Bishop Kōi Sato’o, Chief Administrator, Shinshū Ōtani-ha

wish to extend my warmest New Year’s greetings to all of you, the members andfriends of the Higashi Honganji overseas district temples.
Throughout the past year, many parts of the world continued to be ravaged bywars and conflicts such as the coordinated terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris
last November. Those incidents clearly illustrate that our world is assuming an evenmore serious aspect of the Latter Dharma Age (mappō), as pointed out in deep
lament by Shinran Shōnin. Being beset by the complex historical circumstances,
there seems to be no end to the endless cycle of retaliation.
When faced with those realities, I cannot help but thinkof the darkness of the limitations of human wisdom fromwhich no one can escape. Just like the traveler in the parableof the “Two Rivers and White Path,” we are standing dazed andconfused at the sight of the River of Water and the River of Fire,
which signify our greed and anger respectively. Shinran Shōnin
has shown us that there is always the White Path leading to thePure Land in the midst of the raging water and scorching fire of
the river. Even though we have been given this teaching, we are
Bishop Kōi Sato’o
helplessly wandering about losing sight of the path that always
lies ahead of us and are unaware of the light that constantly illuminates us.
At our mother temple, we have been able to complete the twelve-year
renovation project of the Founder’s Hall and Amida Hall last December thanks to thewholehearted support given by our members and friends from across Japan andoverseas districts. I express my sincerest appreciation for your support. At the sametime, I humbly accept the completion of the renovation project of the two halls,
which serve as the link between the Buddha and us, as well as the responsibility ofmaintaining the place where we can encounter the Buddha’s teaching and establish atrue foundation in life.
As I welcome the new year and sit in front of Shinran Shōnin’s image in the newly
renovated Founder’s Hall, I renew my commitment to share with all of you thesignificance of the fact that all of us, beyond the boundaries of nationality andlanguage, are fellow travelers who walk the broad path of the Nenbutsu together,guided by Amida Buddha’s voice from the other shore and encouraged by
Shakamuni’s voice from this shore.
In closing, I wish to ask for your continued support and cooperation.

I

Overseas District Abbot Chōyū Ōtani, Shinshū Ōtani-hatake this opportunity to wish all of you in the overseas districts a Happy New Year. It
is with great pleasure that I can share the joy of welcoming the new year together
with all of our fellow followers of the teaching of the Buddha.
Last year, I officially moved to Japan. For me, having grown up in Brazil, life
in Japan is full of opportunities to reflect upon myself since
the culture and customs are totally different from those I
am accustomed to. On the other hand, I also realize that thedifferences in nationality or language are of no significancefrom the perspective of the Nenbutsu teaching which directs
us to the truth in life.
When looking outside at the world, we cannot avoid
seeing the escalation of the conflicts in the Middle East andthe acts of inhumanity that occur all over the world. In thismodern age, the darkness of human wisdom has createdOverseas District Abbot international and ethnic conflicts in which so many precious
Chōyū Ōtani
lives are being lost. The Buddha has told us, “We must not
kill, and must prevent others from killing.” It is up to us as Shinshū followers to
confirm whether the Buddhist teaching has significance in this modern society inwhich the preciousness of human life can be easily neglected.
This year, at the 12th World Dōbō Gathering that will be held in Los Angeles inAugust, I hope to realize the importance of living as a Shinshū follower in today’s
world through sharing the joy of having encountered the teaching of the Nenbutsu.
I conclude my message by expressing my wish that each of us will beawakened to the vow of the Tathāgata. Thank you.