You may view previous editions of the bulletin from the listing to the right.
Each morning I head out the backyard gate for my morning run. For the past couple of weeks, the daffodils have been pushing their way out of the ground. They are usually the first splash of spring color around my house. Any day now they will make their announcement....
April will start quickly at the temple. We will hold our Hanamatsuri Service April 3 this year with Rev. Nobuo Miyaji as our Guest Speaker. Miyaji Sensei is the Rinban of the Fresno Betsuin. To accommodate his busy schedule, we will have this service a week earlier than usual. We are very fortunate to have such a well-respeted sensei here to share Hanamatsuri with us.
Hanamatsuri is one of our major Buddhist services each year. We will commemorate the birth of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. It is his example to seek and then to find the truths of life...to awaken to the reality that surrounds us all...that we are each motivated to live our own lives with principles of compassion as our guide. Compassion alone is incomplete and ineffectual, so it is tempered with Wisdom. Wisdom completes Compassion and Compassion completes Wisdom. They must be together or they are nothing at all.
The recitation of the Nenbutsu opens each of us to the balance of Compassion and Wisdom. Normally, we each are content to stay within our protective shell of self-centered motivation, effort, and gain. But we are also moved naturally to concern for others and to share our lives. The Nenbutsu calls us to recognize that the mind of concern and sharing opens to the true realm and the mind of self-centered motivation creates illusion. When the Nenbutsu is truly heard in this manner, then we gratefully live in the realm beyond self-centeredness and beyond what we once thought was the normal and only world we have.
Please come to celebrate and enjoy the Hanamatsuri Festivities. Bring your small stuffed animals and potted flowers to add to our Lumbini Garden. Come for lunch and take part in the program. We will see you at the temple.
Gassho,
Rev. Dennis
Please start gathering your "treasures" that will be for the Wabi Sabi Yard Sale to be held on Saturday, April 30, 2011. Please bring them to the temple when you can - Sangha Taiko will let us know where they can be stored until the sale.
We can sell something that day if there is interest, with the proceeds going towards the Wabi Sabi proceeds. If you have any ideas, please let Lois and Sandy know. We need your help with the yard sale.
I looked at my reports from the 2009 National Council meetings and at that time we owed $7 million on the JSC debt. That was down from the $30 million we originally owed. We still owe about $6.8 million. That means the money collected over the past two years just went to making mortgage payments on the JSC building. Contributions are dwindling. If we get to a point where we can’t make our payments to California Bank and Trust, there is a very real possibility that we could still lose the building, the BCA Headquarters building, the Bishop’s residence, and whatever else has been put up as collateral. We have made a great effort to get $30 million down under $7 million. The Building is first class. The programs are excellent. The JSC is a success story. But we need to get rid of this debt that is draining money away from us.
One idea on the agenda was an Annual Giving program that was outlined and presented by Charlene Grinolds of White River. There were a lot of question marks and concerns about this program so it wasn’t accepted. But overall, everyone at the NC meeting was intent on making a decision and not put off finding a way to end the debt to California Bank and Trust. $3.175 million is owed to them. If we pay this off, the JSC will be secure. We will still owe about $3.5 million to the BCA Endowment Foundation, but this is money borrowed from ourselves.
So, one idea was to ask all of the BCA members for $420 or $35 per month for one year and with 100% participation both loans would be paid off. I was in favor of this motion. I thought if we were going to ask each member for their help, I would rather go for all of it rather than part of it. Another idea was to ask for $199 or $17 per month for one year. With 100% participation the more critical California Bank and Trust portion of the loan could be paid off. People thought this motion would be more easy to accept. This motion was passed. The motion reads: that the BCA National Council make an urgent plea to each and every BCA member to make contribution of $199 per member or $17 per member per month for one year, and one year only, to pay off the debt on the California Bank and Trust loan on the Jodo Shinshu Center in the approximate sum of $3,175,000. Members are encouraged to donate more than the recommended amount of $199. Any excess amounts will be used to pay off the loans to the Endowment Foundation. The plea for donations will begin with a sincere apology.
So the idea we have come up with is to send in a part of this money, almost $29,000 in the name of each of our members. We would be sending a list of every IOBT member as having contributed their $199 towards the JSC debt. If we do this, we will probably be the first temple to fulfill our obligation in full. We would be a shining example for all the other temples to follow suit. It would be a shot in the arm for this new effort to get rid of the debt. The Northwest District would look good. IOBT would look good. We will have done our part to protect the JSC and all its programs from foreclosure.
During the course of our meetings, Rev. Umezu, Director of the Center for Buddhist Education stood up to tell a story. This past year he took a one-day trip to Japan. An old family friend, Mr. Seguchi, had passed away. Rev. Umezu is very busy at the Center and it is hard to get away. He flew to Japan, attended Mr. Seguchi’s funeral … spent one day in Japan, and came right back to Berkeley. Umezu Sensei said that when he was growing up in Japan, he was the second son. His older brother would take over for the family, and the second son was like a spare tire. He didn’t know what he was going to do for his life. Mr. Seguchi came over to the house one day and brought cash … a lot of cash … enough for one year of college education for Umezu Sensei and encouraged him to make something of his life. He also made him promise to attend his funeral. Because of Mr. Seguchi’s encouragement, Umezu Sensei was able to find his way in life.
Umezu Sensei was saying that each one of us is Mr. Seguchi. Who knows how others will benefit in years to come from our contributions and efforts we make today. Who knows who will come to be touched by the JSC and all it’s programs. Please consider this and please read the letters and articles that will be coming about this new effort to protect the JSC. You are the ones who know first of what we will try to do. Thank you.
IOBT is in the process of assembling our list of current members for submission to JSC with our contribution. Because of a long standing pledge by previous leaders so many years ago, we are not doing one by one, face to face solicitation. However, if you would like to contribute to the Treasure Valley Housing fund in the Temple to help replenish funds given to JSC, you are welcome to do so. If you donate to the Temple, please note where you would like the money to go. You may choose Treasure Valley Housing, Scholarship Fund, or any other fund you wish. If you would like to donate additional money to JSC, we are happy to receive your contribution and submit it for you, or you may submit it directly to them.
Mike Iseri, Randy Kameshige, and David Mizuta, co-presidents; Rev. Joshin Dennis Fujimoto and Michelle Sadamori, IOBT delegate for the National Council Meeting.
IDAHO-OREGON BUDDHIST TEMPLE PRESENTS: THE GIGANTIC WABI SABI YARD SALE on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the IOBT parking lot. Proceeds will benefit the Jodo Shinshu Center.
We are moving ahead with the effort to hold a temple yard sale. We would like to make a major temple effort to make a significant contribution to our Jodo Shinshu Center.
The Sangha Taiko group has graciously taken on the role to coordinate our event. If you have experience hosting yard sales or are a veteran shopper, please share your ideas regarding advertising and planning with Sangha Taiko members or Fujimoto Sensei.
We would like to ask each temple group [BWA, ABA, Dharma School, Choir, Taiko, etc.] and individual members to solicit, gather, and remind people to bring items in for this event. Sangha Taiko will organize the items once they are at the temple. Your assistance is needed and necessary to make our event successful. You can begin to bring items in on Sundays and we will store them in the basement of the Parsonage. Contact us at (208)707-2021 if you need to drop off items during weekdays.
If you have comments or suggestions, please notify any Sangha Taiko member. If you have difficulties or problems, please bring them to Fujimoto Sensei (208) 707-2021. Donations are tax deductible. Please help to make this event a good one. Let’s make this big … let’s make this GIGANTIC!!
As you know, on March 11, 2011 (local time) Japan was struck by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a catastrophic tsunami. The Buddhist Churches of America is currently collecting donations in the name of the Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Relief for this disaster.
We ask you for your donations to this fund. Donations for the Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Fund may be made in the following manner:
Donations should be made to the local temples (checks should be made payable to your local temple). After the funds have been collected at the temple, one check will be made payable to the BUDDHIST CHURCHES OF AMERICA. Please note JAPAN EARTHQUAKE/TSUNAMI RELIEF in the memo section of your check.
We thank you in advance for your support and dana.
Designated Memorial Service Years for 2011. To schedule a family memorial service, please contact Reverend Fujimoto. 1 Year = 2010, 3 year = 2009, 7 year = 2005, 13 year = 1999, 17 year = 1995, 25 year = 1987, 33 year = 1979 and 50 year = 1962.
Idaho Oregon Buddhist Temple
286 SE 4th Directions
PO Box 397 (mailing address)
Ontario, Oregon 97914
541-889-8562 (office)
541-889-8662 (fax)
10:00 am - IOBT Choir Practice
10:30 am - Adult Study
11:00 am - Family Service
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