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June 2004 Bulletin

We Are All Grasshopper (by Rev. Jundo Gregory Gibbs)

This spring, David Carradine showed up at the multiplexes delivering an excellent performance in a rather mediocre movie (Kill Bill V. II). The release of a new film with him in a starring role for the first time in decades coincided with the release of "Kung Fu, - The Complete First Season".

Carradine will always be Quai Chang Caine, just like Leonard Nimoy will always be Mr. Spock. It is interesting to look back at the series "Kung-fu" more than three decades after it first ran. It is true that the Buddhist monks give Taoist philosophy, but I don't mind that myself. Taoism and Buddhism were always closely connected in China and the aphorisms which Master Po gives to "Grasshopper" (the young Quai Chang) are timeless bits of Asian wisdom, which I, as a Buddhist priest, am happy to affirm.

The big controversy at teh time was that a Caucasian played the role of the half-Chinese, half-Caucasian protagonist. The scripts were written by Chinese-American Presbyterians. No one complained that their writers weren't really Buddhist. Could Bruce Lee have looked any more like a person of mixed heritage than David Carradine? He certainly couldn't have played the role as well. Bruce Lee was a fine martial artist and an amateur actor. David Carradine is a fine actor and an amateur martial artist. People sometimes question my authenticity as a Buddhist priest because I am not of Asian ethnicity. Many is the time when, following my answer to the question "What do you do for a living?", I have been told, "You don't look Buddhist!" I give the person the benefit of the doubt and assume that he or she means that I am not wearing saffron robes and that my head is not shaved (although, of course, it was for ordination).

I would be happy to one day be as good of a minister as David Carradine is an actor. The point that interests me is how hard it is to satisfy people in playing a person of mixed heritage. Carradine isn't, my son is. More importantly we are all persons of mixed cultural heritage. All those of us who grew up in America have been influenced by dominant, Euro-American culture. Even life-long Buddhists have bene influenced by Christian thought through the plots and morales of our movies and television programs.

When I react to some events, e.g., the Same-Sex Marriage issue, I know that I react as a Buddhist. Often, I don't know which aspect of my mixed-cultural identify is dominant in my response. Is how I feel about the invasion of Iraq based on my Buddhist convictions more or my childhood Catholic upbringing? I read Jesus as a pacifist even if the Pope didn't. Most of us are nurtured by various streams of culture.

I don't think we need to be too clear in our daily lives as to whether our dominant responses to important events are Buddhistic or not. If we take the saying of the Buddha's name to heart, there will be a Buddhistic component to our complex and unique personal responses to life's challenges. Sometimes we might like to pause and ask questions like, "Are my artistic preferences influeced by Buddhism?" "Do my stances on political and social issues reflect my Buddhist commitments?" "Are some aspects of Japanese culture determining the character of my day to day living?" "Do I try to reinterpret Buddhism to make it fit comfortably in my 21st century American life?"

I don't think that it is crucial to be able to answer such questions, but we probably should ask them on occasion. After all, we are all grasshopper.

Temple News by Ann Nagaki (April)

Don't know where time goes, but it seems like it goes by faster and faster, or either I'm getting slower and slower. Right?

Already we had our annual Mother's Day lunch. Thanks to all the guys who made their famous barbecue chicken, salad, and the rice balls. Some of the rice balls had a umeboshi inside - the lucky persons who found one got a $1.00 for that as a prize. I'm not bragging, but this is the first year that I found two of them - is it a good eye or what? Also, thanks to others who brought in other side dishes - what an assortment! All mothers in attendance received a gernium plant as a gift. Remember, moms, Father's Day is coming up and according to the Toban list, it says Payette, Fruitland and Weiser ladies.

We would like to thank everyone who attended and brought "Potluck Dishes" to welcome our new "BCA Bishop Ogui". Matsy's and Far East restaurants catered some of the main dishes. Others brought in their specialty dishes - it turned out to be a wonderful dinner! We are very appreciative of Bishop Ogui making time for visiting our Temple, giving us some insight and thoughts of how we still can continue our temple without a minister. An open discussion was held for questions and answers that were asked by the congregation. After listening to some questions, answers and comments, we're hoping that the Bishop can do some "Sales Talk" for a minister for our Temple. Looks like we all must be patient for awhile. Also, we like to thank our supervising minister, Rev. G. Gibbs, for his assistance. Thanks to HIdeo and Ruth Harada for greeting Bishop Ogui and sending him back to the Boise airport.

Meals on Wheels, under the direction of Midge Teramura, were done with her helpers on May 3-6th. Thanks to all those who help - it was appreciated very much. A special "Thanks" goes to our supervising minister, Rev. Gibbs, who made a special effort to visit our "Shut In" members while he was out here for his monthly visit. In Caldwell-Nampa area, Roy & Nori Oyama met with Rev. Gibbs and visited with Kimi Naito - she was so pleased! Thanks to the Oyama's who took Rev. Gibbs for lunch. In our area he visited Yoshiko Okanao, Kaz Morinaga, Junne Hirai, Toshiko Takahashi, Ginger Sakano, Kay Yasuda, Musumi Hayashi, Haru Harada and Yoshi Hironaka. Joan Suyematsu and Mae Nakano assisted Rev. Gibbs on the visitations.

New wood venetian blinds were installed at teh parsonage. Byron Nagaki assisted his parents Joe and Anna Nagaki with the installation. Thanks Byron!

Congratulations and best wishes to all our graduates in our area.

Next Fujinkai meeting will be held on June 6th at 1:00 P.M.

Temple News by Ann Nagaki (May)

The last day of Dharma School is May 23, 2004, with a luncheon trip to McDonalds. I hope that all the children will hae a great, safe, summer.

We have a good group going on our trip to Seattle and it should be a lot of FUN! Remember that the reason we can make these trips is because of the "Happy Bowl" booth, so please help as much as you can. The Malheur County Fair officially starts on August 4th, but we serve luncheon to teh Chamber of Commerce on August 2nd and open in the evening of August 3rd, so we need help then too!

Dharma School will resume September 12, 2004 - see you then!!!

June Monthly Memorial Service (Shotsuki Hoyo) June 6th, 2004 at 11:00 a.m.

6/1 Shigeko Matsubu
6/1 Yoshiko Kanetomie
6/1 Walter Yamada
6/2 Roy Yutaka Kaneyama
6/2 Karie Nakamura
6/2 Steven Isamu Morishige
6/3 Haruko Hori
6/3 Chiyono Yamaguchi
6/3 Yonezo Morinaga
6/5 Yukichi Tomoda
6/5 Itsuyuki Murakami
6/5 Kiyono Nakao
6/7 Kazuo Kuwahara
6/7 Toichiro Kuga
6/8 Kane Itami
6/9 Ryu Kitamura
6/9 Azami Demise (1996)
6/10 Chosuke Nakahara
6/10 Itsu Nishikawa
6/10 Tomoye Uyeki
6/12 Midori Sugai
6/13 Waichi Nakamura
6/13 Dennis Nakagawa
6/13 Tomoyo Kido
6/14 Yakichi Saito
6/15 Kameichiro Doi
6/18 Takeo Hasebe
6/18 Koichi Shigeno
6/18 Shizuye Amano
6/19 Nick Edward Kuwahara
6/19 Shizuye Abe
6/21 Jim Kuga (1996)
6/21 Miyoko Asakura
6/21 Harry Hasebe
6/24 Manhachi Ichida
6/24 Chohachi Murakami
6/24 Frank Umeta
6/25 Kelli Suemi Kameshige
6/26 Wataru Demise
6/28 Kohide Nishihara
6/28 Kaz Yamaguchi
6/29 Koyuki Hashimoto
6/30Shizumo Goshi
6/8 Yoso Kuramoto

July Monthly Memorial Service

7/ Shichijiro Sato
7/10 Kikue Hasegawa
7/11 Kenichi Kubosumi
7/12/96 Suzue Yamada
7/13 Yuhei Kido
7/15 James Kitamura
7/15 Kane Nakamoto
7/15 Tamaru Harada
7/16 Setsu Morinaga
7/16 Shigehachi Murata
7/16/96 Kimi Kamo
7/17 Jerry Arima
7/17 Sadayoshi Shiraishi
7/18 Sueko Yoshihara
7/20 Masako Kobayashi
7/21 Joe Fujii
7/21 Koichi Shigeyoshi
7/21 Minoru Fujita
7/22 Kazuo Shigeta
7/22 Kikuye Yoshinari
7/23 Soyo Atagi
7/24 Hisa Nishimura
7/25 Fred Y. Takami
7/26 Baby Fujii
7/26 Haruyo Koda
7/27 Kazuma Kubosumi
7/27 Reiko Kino
7/27 Wayne T. Takami
7/29 Tokiye Goshi
7/3 Midori Kato
7/4 Toraki Yamada
7/7 Torakichi Okano
7/ Baby Arima
7/17 Shizuo Nishimura