You may view previous editions of the bulletin from the listing to the right.
Hello and welcome to December! It's that time of year when the farmers are done with their harvest and they all begin showing up in droves at the Temple. Welcome back...we look forward to seeing you.
Here at the temple, we strive to have or find opportunities that would be of interest to each of us. The Fujinkai, ABA, Dharma School and Choir have been long standing organizations that have carried on their activities for years. The Wednesday lunch bunch offers the sharing of recipies and cooking demonstrations. A shared meal with Gohan and company can be a rare treat sometimes taken for granted. All this is surrounded by a day of playing cards if you so desire.
Newer groups like Taiko, Meditation, and teh Ministers Assistant Program (MAP) bring opportunity to not only learn the Dharma but to share it with otehrs. In Taiko, as individual players learn each new piece of music, their separate struggles with rhythm, timing, and posture gradually become ONE. This occurs both within the self and within the group. It is here that the playing of Taiko becomes no different than the practice of chanting in service, sitting in meditation, or any other practice that cultivates the meditative mind.
The MAP participants have been running Sunday Services in my absence. They set the Onaijin, open the Temple, lead Sutra Chanting and give Dharma talks to both the Dharma School Service and to the Adult Service. We will gradually gain more from each of them as they have opportunity to share their thoughts and abilities. We will be able to read their thoughts in bulletin articles as well. Plans are in the works for presentations and programs that should be of interest to many, both in the Temple and beyond.
Some of us may be participants in one of two of these groups, while others may be involved with a different set of groups. As our groups interact and overlap, the Temple Experience for each of us becomes deeper, fuller, more meaningful, and more fun. Although we may get tired at times, we get tired together...through times shared with laughter adn smiles. If you have something better, bring it.
Next month, we hope to have a new article introduced in the Bulletin that will again promote the interaction and overlapping of our Sangha members. It will be called Kwestion Korner. Each month, 1 or 2 Dharma School students will interview 1 or 2 older members of our Sangha. Their interview will be compiled and presented monthly, in Kwestion Korner. Hopefully, the kids will be able to better know our seniors, and vice versa. As well, we will all be able to enjoy the interviews and the interactive sharing of thoughts. Please participate if you are called on to ask questions or to answer them. As always, we are each needed to make this Temple go and grow.
Our major service for the month of December is Bodhi Day. This is a Major Family Service, celebrating the day Prince Siddhartha attained Enlightenment and became the Buddha. Service will be at 11:00 a.m., December 3, 2006. We'll see you there.
.......GASSHO...........RAIHAI
Rev. Dennis
This is my first newsletter from my new home in Payette, Id. There's lots of new things I had to learn, like to make sure the power, gas and water were turned on, etc. We think nothing about it when we're on the farm. Since moving, I have updated my computer to a faster mode, etc. I've had to learn how to get into my email and it seems I can't find my documents like I used to. Also, my keyboard is different and the screen is a larger one than usual. All I can say is that I hope I can get this newsletter out in time because it is taking me a long time to get this far.
First of all, we need to give Thanks to Yas Teramura for overseeing the job of re-roofing the Temple. Yas had a big smile on his face when the roofers got the job done just in time before our first rainfall.
First part of November, the Temple had a general cleanup. We need to thank Joan Suyematsu, Mae Nakano, Mary Kameshige, Midge Teramura and Ruth Harada for coming in a day earlier to clean out all refrigerators, stoves and ovens. Also, Thanks to otehrs who helped with TLC shining all the ornate pieces on the altar. All the floors and windows had a good working over, too. The Temple appreciated all those who came and helped.
Thanks to the Vale and Nyssa ladies for serving lunch for the Eitaikyo Services. Spaghetti, salad, French bread, and dessert was served. Thanks ladies!
Fujinkai Memorial Services will be held with guest speaker, Mrs. Kayoko Fujimoto (Dennis' mom). A welcome dinner is being planned on Saturday, Nov. 18th at the Temple with Matsy's catering.
It's a busy month of November but we appreciated those who made time for some community services, like helping with Meals on Wheels November 27-30th. Thanks to Midge Teramura and her helpers.
The Temple will be participating with Food Bank donations. Please bring in your donations as soon as you can. There is a box at teh Temple to place your donations. Thanks!
Fujinkai Year End Party is being planned for December 3rd. There will be a short meeting and lunch to follow. Matsy's will be catering the lunch, so ladies & gents, No Cooking! Everyone is invited - we'll have some entertainment of Bingo with cash prizes.
Temple Year End Party will be held on December 17th, after adult services. Weiser, Caldwell and Nampa ladies will be Tobans.
Everyone take care.
Oct 29th: The children got to go behind the onaijin and hit the kansho. I'm sure that they saw the large bell that Sensei rings each Sunday for the first time. Since it was Eitaikyo AND our Halloween party, we shared lunch together. The adults enjoyed seeing our activities for the children.
Nov 04th: Temple clean-up. The children and parents also cleaned teh parsonage basement. Thank you.
Nov. 05th: Karen Hata chairman. MAP leading in Rev's absence. Doshi-Sharmon Sadamori, Howa - Ann Spencer.
Nov 12th: Lois Saito chairman. MAP leading in Rev's absence. Doshi - George Gledhill, Howa - Sharmon Sadamori.
Nov. 19th: Family Fujinkai Memorial Service with Mrs. Kayoko Fujimoto as our guest speaker. Dharma school student, Alia MIzuta, led the Golden Chain.
Nov. 26th: Karen Hata chairman. Theme - Temple day...onaijin field trip.
Dec 03rd: Bodhi Day Family Service at 11:00 A.M.
Dec. 10th: Sandy Belknap chairman.
Dec. 17th: Mary Ann Shimojima chairman. Year-end party with visitation from Santa.
The 60th Anniversary of our Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple will be celebrated this coming year. As part of our anniversary program, the Temple Board has decided to have a new member directory printed complete with family photos. The previous photo directory has been a tremendous help for myself as well as others as we put names and faces together in getting to know our Sangha.
The photo shoot is a valuable opportunity coordinated by the Temple. Family portraits can be taken. Also individual portraits would be a wise investment. Occasions do arise when a family seeks that one special photo of a family member. If you have family members who are not members of the Temple, they may also want to be included in the directory. They may be useful as family contacts in case of emergency. There are numerous points to take into consideration as we each plan to take part in this new directory.
The MAP Program plans to put together a health questionnaire for each of our members. We would hope to complete the questionnaire during the directory photo procedure. Emergency contacts, family physicians, and pertinent medical information could be kept at the Temple for emergency situations. Specifics will be brought to your attention.
The photo sessions will be held at the temple on 12/27, 1/2 and 1/3.
MAP-ing It Out by Kathy Chatterton
Did you guess that MAP stands for Minister's Assistant Program? This program was created by the BCA to prepare members of the Temple Sangha as aides to the resident minister. It is also a route to tokudo and kyoshi ordination for those interested in the Buddhist ministry. Appropriately, the program here at IOBT is a map for those of us in the MAP, leading each one of us to better understanding of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. George Gledhill, Sharmon Sadamori, Anne Spencer and myself have been meeting regularly with Rev. Fujimoto to practice the kansho, set up the altar correctly, chant, prepare Dharma talks, study the Dharma, and plan our involvement with the Sangha. Our areas of study encompass the Buddha (altar, service and chanting), Dharma (study of general Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu) and Sangha (involvement with our Temple members). In the last few weeks, you have seen each one of us carrying out different temple duties in the absence of Rev. Fujimoto
The objective of this first article from MAP is to let our Sangha know what will happen in my absence from the temple during the months of January, February and March. I want to assure you that I will be back in April, and my adult study class will resume when I return. In my absence, MAP (specifically Sharmon Sadamori and Anne Spencer) is planning other presentations that will benefit the health and well-being of our Sangha. Sharmon and Anne will be presenting an introduction on the first Sunday of December. (We hope to see you at the temple at 10:30!). I will finish December with my regular study classes. Sharmon and Anne will continue presentations or invite speakers for the three months in my absence.
Other areas of MAP involvement will be the 60th anniversary of the temple and the temple photo directory.
Our goal is to reach our Sangha with practical information and to engage our members in a dialogue that will benefit all. We see it as Buddhism in action. We hope you will find it informational and inspirational.
Bulletin Helpers for November: Lorinda Hasegawa, Mary Kameshige, Midge Teramura, Mae Nakano, Sanami Nakano, Shiz Inouye, Hideo Harada and Ruth Harada.
Designated Memorial Service Years for 2006. To schedule a family memorial service, please contact Reverend Fujimoto. 1 Year = 2005, 3 year = 2004, 7 year = 2000, 13 year = 1994, 17 year = 1990, 25 year = 1982, 33 year = 1974 and 50 year = 1957.
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
10:30 am - Dharma School Service
11:00 am - Adult Service
11:00 am - Dharma School Class
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