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September 2005 Bulletin

Minister's Message by Rev. Fujimoto

Here comes September! The days are getting shorter...the kids are getting ready for school....summer is coming to a close.

The Dharma School will kick things off with their first day September 11. A welcome luncheon is included! We have a tremendous core group of kids returning. If you have kids or grandkids who don't know what to do with themselves on Sunday mornings, come take a number, and we will try to get them in. With all the nonsense going on in the outside world, parents are increasingly realizing that temple support in reinforcing parental and proper values of the home is of tremendous value. This trend continues to grow, and we are prepared to respond.

This year, Major Services will be held as Family Services, with the Dharma School joining the adults at 11:00 a.m. The first such Family Service is Ohigan, September 25. Mr. Kurt Rye, senior student at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, will be our guest speaker.

Adult study groups will continue to be held under the capable guidance of Mrs. Kathy Chatterton.

Meditation Groups will begin September 15. These meditation sessions will consist of sitting and walking meditation. The intent is a quieting of the mind. In order to accommodate our various schedules, there will be two sessions offered per week. Thursday evening, 7:30-8:30 p.m., and Sunday morning, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Please pass the word that we have such a new opportunity to offer, and please contact me or the office if you are planning to attend.

The Dalai Lama will be visiting Sun Valley, Idaho on September 11. We are sending a group of 10 people under the IOBT banner to this special event. The Dalai Lama is an internationally recognized personality. To have him here in our own backyard is a rare opportunity. Follow the event, and ask our members how it went!

The Nembutsu opens many and various doors of opportunity. Find the door that suits you, and come in, just as you are. Knock first.

Gassho......Raihai.....Rev. Dennis

Temple News by Ann Nagaki

Had a month off from worrying about getting the newsletter out - just can't believe how time flies, especially with the Obon festival, Service, Cemetery visitations, and Happy Bowl time. Not to mention the garden and hot temperatures. With the temperature cooled down a little, it makes one feel like we will survive another summer.

Obon Festival was held June 25th this yearon a trial basis because of the extreme hot temperatures in July. Co-Chairmen were Tracy Nakamura and Howard Matsumura. It seemed odd feeling at first, but all in all, everyone agreed they enjoyed the Festival because of the cooler temperatures. We did have a nasty wind storm prior to the Taiko performance - luckily it didn't hang around too long. Report was that everyone certainly enjoyed the Taiko Group. Thanks to Michelle Sadamori who joined the group and made it a stronger group. We also give a Big Thanks to everyone who helped, donated, set up the stage and gave time; it was appreciated to make the event successful.

Obon service was held on July 24th with Rev. Joshin Fujimoto giving the special sermon. Toban for the service was Payette, Fruitland and Parma. Susan Inouye was the chairperson for this event. The lunch was served in a Bento Box with a touch of her creative ribbon to make it very attractive. Pamela Suyematsu made and donated a huge delicious Mandarin cake for dessert. Thanks to all those wo helped - it was appreciated very much!

Another successful year of "Happy Bowls" at the Malheur County Fair - it takes so many hands and effort to make this a success. In looking back at the records, "Happy Bowls" was started in 1983 with Roy and Jamie Hasebe and Ann Nagaki, which makes it 22 years that we have been at it. I would like to thank all those who came to help, including some spouses and even our grandson, MIchael, who came to help lift some of the heavier items.

Meals on Wheels was done August 15-18 with Midge Teramura in charge. Once again, we appreciated all those who helped with this community service.

After months of waiting around, deciding what to do, and what mode of transportation to use, 14 Fujinkai Members, 2 spouses, and Reverend Fujimoto will be attending the National BCA Federation of BWA on October 6-9th to Fresno, CA. Fujinkai will be charting a bus. Seiko Go was gracious enough to make "Blue Zori" luggage tags for everyone attending. Thanks Seiko!

Next Fujinkai meeting will be held on September 4th after adult services.

Quote: Age is an issue of mind over matter - if you don't mind, it doesn't matter

Dharma School News by Mary Ann Shimojima

This years summer trip for the Dharma School was to Portland, Oregon, on July 14-17, 2005. We had a great group of kids, parents, grandparents, teachers and friends. We stopped at the Bonneville Dam to see the sturgeon pond and fish hatchery, then a stop at the Oregon Buddhist Temple. We were greeted by Jean Matsumoto, Alice Ando, and Rev. Gibbs. We had a short service with Rev. Gibbs and Rev. Dennis assisting. Then, it was downstairs for some light refreshments. The fun thing was that their Dharma School was having a garage sale the next day which they were preparing for. What a bargain; we all found something and it was so much fun looking at all the items. (Thanks to Nancy Kajitsu for the refreshments and the pre-garage sales). The next day, we went to OMSI and saw the Omnimax, Planetarium, and the submarine tour. The next day was a day at the Oregon Zoo. We had a behind the scenes tour to the giraffe barn adn the kids got to feed Akeem and JC. Our driver, Pat Uhl, took us to Crown Point and Multnomah Falls on our way home. We also had a nice stop along the river in a shaded area to have service outdoors. Rev. Dennis had service each day of our trip and Brady Kameshige and Laurel Saito led us in chanting a couple of times. Anyway, it was another great trip for the kids, their family, and friends. Thank you Rev. Dennis, for the services each day, we enjoyed it!

On behalf of the Dharma School and Buddhist Women's Association, we thank ALL who helped with the Happy Bowl booth. We certainly couldn't do it without everyones help. It was hot and a lot of work, but we made it! So, thank you, thank you, thank you. Susan Inouye worked very hard to decorate our Happy Bowl booth and it paid off! We took third place with a $25.00 prize. Thanks, Susan

Dharma School will be starting on September 11th!!! We will have the same format...service at 10:30 a.m. and classes at 11:00 a.m. However, on this first Sunday, the teachers will be serving lunch to the whole congregation, so everyone stay for lunch. Hope to see you all there.

Report on the 2005 BCA Youth Retreat "Seek the Teachings and Share it with Others"

Two IOBT youths, Brady Kameshige (son of Randy and Janie), and Laurel Saito (daughter of Jeff and Lois), attended the BCA Youth Retreat at the Sacramento Betsuin in July. The following are the responses/thoughts following the retreat.

Brady writes: "Attending the BCA/YAS Youth Retreat in Sacramento was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. It was much more than I expected, and I learned more than I ever thought I would. I learned just how lucky and fortunate I am. I now have a better appreciated for Buddhism, and appreciate my life much more. I would like to say thank you to the Idaho-Oregon Buddist Temple members for allowing me to attend. Also, I would like to thank Rev. Dennis for all of his support. I definitely made a life-long memory. Thank you."

Laurel writes: "Dear Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to attend the BCA Youth Retreat in Sacramento. I learned so much about Buddhism and how to lead service. But even more importantly, my interest in Buddhism has never been greater. I made so many friends just within the seven days and it was truly a life changing experience. In Gassho, Laurel Saito."

Laurel also writes: The 2005 BCA Youth retreat in Sacramento was truly a once-in-a lifetime experience. I learned an incredible amount about Buddhism in the week Brady and I were in California. I am still trying to absorb all of the information we were presented. Between workshops, activities, and discussions, the three services a day let us practice the skills we had been learning. In addition within our tobans, we each had a chance to prepare the later, ring the kansho, lead changing, adn give the dharma talk for each service.

But what made this retreat so memorable for me were all of the people we met. From Reverend Bob and Reverend Kaz from the Sacramento Betsuin, to the ministers' assistants who led teh day's events, and the youth participants, we all became really close. I was able to learn so much from them. The eleven of us participants, from Washington, Oregon and California, stayed up late, traveled to San Francisco, went shopping, sang karaoke, and truly got to know each other. We chanted, ate, laughed and cried together for the whole week. It was so incredible.

Just like the theme of the retreat, "Seek the teachings and share it with others," because of the retreat, my interest in Buddhism has definitely risen. I can now appreciate the extent of our US Buddhist sangha and I realize now that even though our temple is small, we are making a difference! In Gassho, Laurel Saito

September Monthly Memorial Service (Shotsuki Hoyo) September 11th, 2005 at 11:00 a.m.

9/26 Aono, Minor
9/28 Atagi, Kiyozo
9/2 Fujiwara, Junkichi
9/22 Hasegawa, Kizo
9/3 Hirai, George
9/19 Hironaka, Tadaichi
9/14/99 Inahara, Chub
9/19 Iseri, Alice
9/19 Iseri, Masato
9/8 Ishida, Tono
9/5 Ishida, Tsurukichi
9/4 Kamikido, Yoshitao
9/14 Kawakami, Toki
9/4 Kawamoto, Rika
9/22 Kimura, Gail
9/25 Kondo, Kagi
9/11/97 Kondo, Oscar
9/1/02 Masuda, Mary
9/30/01 Matsumura, Fudge
9/21 Matsumura, Juro
9/7 Matsushita, Shizuko
9/25 Murayama, Yone
9/?/43 Nagaki, Shina
9/4 Nakada, Hirokichi
9/9 Nakada, Kazuo
9/6 Nakaawa, Genhachi
9/9 Nakamura, Donald
9/6 Nishimoto, Suye
9/11/76 Nishimura, Wesley
9/15 Odate, Riki
9/8 Oyama, Hatsumo
9/12 Sakano, Ichiro
9/17 Saruwatari, Renko
9/8 Sugahiro, Tetsuo
9/24/95 Sugai, Noriko
9/18 Takagi, Kayo
9/30 Takagishi, Tasuo
9/17 Takahashi, Seichi
9/12 Takemura, Hisaye
9/2 Tanouye, Shotaro
9/11/99 Terashima, Frank
9/3 Terashima, Masajiro
9/10 Umemoto, Fumiyo
9/24 Yasuda, Ichi
9/8 Yasuda, Nobuo
9/2 Yoshihara, Mitsuoko

October Monthly Memorial Service (Shotsuki Hoyo)

10/30 Doi, Kakuji
10/24 Fujii, Yokichi
10/5 Fujimoto, Shizuko
10/29 Fujita, Seijiro
10/30 Furuyama, Ginshiro
10/4 Hasegawa, Minoru
10/31 Hayashi, Shigeko
10/4 Hondo, Arao
10/24 Hori, Kiyohide
10/27/99 Hori, Kiyomaro
10/10 Horiuchi, Mite
10/11/95 Inouye, Tom K.
10/13 Ishimoto, Funa
10/3 Kagayama, Matsuyo
10/20 Kawamoto, Ichiro
10/24 Kitamura, Lillian
10/5/96 Koda, Bill
10/15 Koda, Fusaichi
10/18 Miyamoto, Kanichi
10/18 Morinaga, Mark J.
10/2 Morrow, Mary Jo
10/5 Nakamura, Mitsu
10/25/94 Nakano, Tom T.
10/18/00 Nishihara, Michiye
10/29 Nishimura, Kumajiro
10/17 Nomi, Koichi
10/3/95 Okai, Tom
10/26 Okuda, Shizuka
10/10/95 Osaki, Harry
10/9 Saito, Yukichi
10/25 Shintani, Satoko
10/23 Shoda, Kazuo
10/26 Shoda, Tokuichi
10/8 Sugahiro, Tome
10/7 Takahashi, Roy
10/12 Takashima, Matsu
10/12 Terada, Tom T.
10/28 Toji, Kiyoko
10/30 Tsukamaki, Jitsumatsu
10/11 Watanabe, Yasuji
10/13 Yamada, Masato
10/1 Yamaguchi, Yoshizo
10/2 Yamamoto, Sado
10/29/96 Yamashita, Tok