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I have had the honor of being the supervising minister of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple for seven months now. In this period, a number of things have changed in my life. I turned 55. I can now order off the senior menu at Denny's (its not that good of a deal there though). I developed shingles. The first attack ran the usual three weeks and I'm just fine now. Even so, getting shingles can't help but remind you that you are aging. (My doctor said she had treated a 20 year old with shingles but she might have just made up that story to make me feel better).
My wife has become pregnant with our second son. This came to our attention during the NW District Buddhist Convention here in Ontario. I arrived by plane expecting my wife and son to join me by bus later that day. Since I had left before daybreak I didn't know that my son had caught a cold and given it to my wife. Later that month when all her symptoms except nausea subsided, we started to suspect what is the pleasant truth - our family is growing. The shingles were temporary. They might come back again, but the new attack will pass in time too, if it comes. The relationship I have with my wife and son is not temporary.
Buddhist traditions teaches us that the relationship we have with those close to us carries on from one life to the next. My father thought that my fondness for rock and roll music would be a temporary thing that would not outlive my teens. He was wrong. Here at the age of 55, I will name my second son Ian, after my favorite rock star Ian Hunter of the group Mott the Hoople. Actually, his first name will be Ren after Rennyo Shonin. Even so, I am honoring a rock singer-song writer with his middle name, which shows that my fondness for that sort of music is not nearly so temporary as my father thought it was going to be. Those things and events which are temporary may also be very important. Ian Hunter, at the peak of his popularity, wrote a lyric where a rock star is being challenged, "Go tell the superstar all his hair is turning gray, you're not the Naz, your just a buzz, some kind of temporary." The word "temporary" is immediately followd by a piercing guitar chord (by Mick Ralphs later of Bad Company).
The point was and is - everything is some kind of temporary. My love for my five year old is temporary in that it will change in character as he and I age. It will change dramatically when I die. The specific emotion of love that I feel now will die with my body. The relationship between the person he is and the person I am will continue in some new form. Every temporary thing will end. New temporaries will follow.
I don't know how much longer I will be the Supervising Minister for your temple. I do believe that my relationship with many of you will recur in a new form after we have all passed away. Some good temporary things are a factor in the creation of new good temporary things that follow them. Some things are temporary but some aspects of our relationships to those we are close to are, I believe, enduring. Although we do not always toss the word around in the Buddhist religion, "Love" names something which mysteriously endures its various temporary expressions.
We are pleased to welcome Rev. Charles Hasegawa as our guest speaker on July 11 for the annual Obon Service (also July Shotsuki Hoyo). We encourage you all to take time to attend this 11a.m. service and visit with our former minister.
Rev. Hasegawa will arrive Friday, July 9. A welcome potluck dinner will be held in the temple basement on Friday, July 9, 6:30 p.m. This potluck is open to any and all who wish to attend. Please consider this a community potluck as Rev. Hasegawa has countless friends throughout the entire community.
A golf game is planned for Saturday, July 10. Please contact Isao Kameshige, Hideo Harada or Yosh Suyematsu for details. This, also, is a community event and is not limited to IOBT members.
As we are without a resident minister at this time, we have suspended the cemetery services throughout the valley that usually occur during the Obon season in July. We hope to reinstate them after a resident minister is assigned.
Looks like half of the year has passed already - the month of July comes and its Obon time. This is the time we reflect back and rejoice with our deceased ones. For our Obon Services, we're fortunate to have our former minister, Rev. Charles Hasegawa of Stockton, as our guest speaker. A welcome potluck dinner will be held at the church on Friday, July 9th at 6:30 p.m. The Temple will furnish part of the food, such as teriyaki steak, scalloped potatoes (catered by Matsy's), and sashimi, provided by Taka Okita and Dick Harada. Obon service day Toban will be Vale and Nyssa ladies. Thanks ladies!
July 17th will be our Japan Obon Festival - Chairpersons, Marc Suyematsu and Tracy Nakamura have had several meetings with their committees. Most of our members have reached the "Senior Age Plus", so they are putting their heads together to figure out how we can manage to carry on for another year. There will be some changes in schedule and some food items. To make this a success, we need your help, young and old, and if you have a friend who would like to help, we'll appreciate that very much. Also, if you would like to donate some items such as rice, sugar, shoyu, carrots, green beans, cukes, etc., we'd appreciate that very much. To defray some of the expense we would like each family to donate $10.00 for the chicken which Matsy's will cook for us. Ruth Harada and Mae Nakano will be in charge.
Thanks to Payette, Fruitland and Weiser ladies for doing Toban duties for Father's Day lunch and also for the younger fellow's for taking time to barbecue the chicken. Also, thanks to those who brought in extra potluck dishes....um mmm good! Raffle prizes were given and Bingo was played afterwards. Thanks to George Uyeki for doing the calling.
A big "THANKS" to all those who have been doing their duties for the Sunday service chairperson and sermon duties during our absence of a minister. Connie Shimojima calls his sermons "Maze Gohan" (little bit of everything), George Gledhill, Kathy Chatterton and others deserve a pat on the back. Thanks to Mike Iseri for all the arranging.
Since we wont have a July bulletin issue, we would like to remind everyone that it will be the Fair Time August 4-8th, which means will be doing "Happy Bowls". We'll be asking for your help once again. We could use your surplus cucumber, zucchini's and carrots for our Stir Fry (vegetables may be brought in the early hours).
There will be no Fujinkai meeting in July - next meeting will be August 1st at 1:00 p.m.
For all our "Shut Ins", we wish you a Good Day!
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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