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September 2009 Bulletin

Minister's Message by Rev. Fujimoto

Bus loads of children and crosswalk caution tell us that school is in session and September is here. September is also the time for our annual fall Ohigan Service. Ohigan is a time that is generally ideal for study, meditation, or to just reflect upon our lives. Ohigan is a time of year when the days and nights are of equal length...a time of seasonal calm...the balance and harmony in nature is pervasive. This natural balance can flow through our lives as well if we just take a moment to look up from our usual tunnel vision focus to get somewhere or something.

Through our understanding and participation in Ohigan we are reminding ourselves that we are a part of the balance of all things. We are reminding ourselves that our Buddhist practice is valuable and completing. We are demonstrating to others that the Buddhist traditions are a beautiful and natural way to respond with respect to the environment and to each other. Ohigan is all of this. It's a good thing that it comes twice a year.

We are very honored to have Socho Ogui visit our temple this month. Socho will be conducting a Kieshiki Ceremony where some of our members will be receiving their Buddhist names. In the Shin Buddhist tradition, to receive our Buddhist name is to confirm our entry onto the Path of Nembutsu. This isis not a simple choice to follow others blindly, but a most profound statement of life. It is a statement of recognition of my place in the spectrum of all things. I am both significant and insignificant. To go beyond the separation of I and Other is to enter Oneness.

Most awards and honors are given in recognition of accomplishments and efforts. Even when received for assisting others, it is an acknowledgement of the self and a pat on the back. To receive the Homyo is the most meaningful because it is received in complete humility. Complete humility is grounding, stabilizing and securing because "I" dissolves into "Other". Separation and duality dissolves into Oneness. There is no sense of gain or attainment...we receive the name quietly. That quiet is Amida. For those who are in tune enough to hear it, that quiet is deafening. Wow! Another example of the beautiful ways of our Shin Buddhist traditions. Congratulations to our Kieshiki recipients.

.......GASSHO...........RAIHAI

Rev. Dennis

Temple News by Ann Nagaki

Time has come because of my health, I have decided not to write for Temple News. After having three strokes, your body and mind just wears out. I have written these newsletters for 27 years and I feel it is time for others to step in. I enjoyed writing the articles and now I can't drive for a while, so it is hard to keep up with the latest events. I had heard many enjoyed reading my articles and I appreciated those compliments.

Everyone take care!

Ann

Editor Response to Temple News Contributor, Anna Nagaki

I want to thank you for your 27 years of writing the Temple News for the IOBT Bulletin. I can not even remember how many years I have been editing/organizing - but it is not even close to 27 years.

You ahve always been the person who summarized the monthly activities in one column for all of us to read plus added your natural humor, graciousness, and kept all of us "straightened out".

Best Wishes on your Recovery and Thanks again for the many articles. My memories of the newsletter production was after the services was someone busily typing in columns with the //// backslahses and then someone retyping and putting in the spaces according to the backslashes...so that all columns were even and equal on all sides. Now the current thought is that even columns are not readable with all of those spaces; and if one really still wants to do it the computer can do it in "one push of a button". Hmmm...how times have changed!!! (Does anyone notice that this is an evenly spaced column?)

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations to Reverend Joshin Dennis Fujimoto and Ms. Sharmon Joye Sadamori who were married on Sunday, teh twentieth of September at 3:30!!

Dharma School News by Mary Ann Shimojima

Hi everyone! I hope that you had a great summer. I know it certainly has been a busy one.

First of all, a big THANKS to everyone who helped with the "Happy Bowl" booth. Despite the hot weather and the economy, we did fine. Final figures aren't in yet. So again, Thank you for all of your help as we couldn't do it without each and every one of you! A note from Lois Saito, please save your gallon jugs for the happy bowl sauce. Just leave it on the stage and she'll take care of it.

Dharma School will resume on September 13th. We haven't worked out the details, but we will probably start joining the adult service at 11 a.m., making it a combined service every Sunday as our enrollment is so small. The teachers will once again serve lunch to everyone.

Visit by Socho Ogui

Socho Ogui, Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America, will be spending a few days with the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple! He will be here from September 18-21, 2009. We hope we can all make an effort to welcome him to this area and to take part in some or all of the various activities that will take place that weekend.

On Friday, Socho Ogui will be offering a class presentation and then an evening Public Lecture at the College of Idaho in Caldwell. The Public Lecture will be co-sponsored by the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple and the College of Idaho. We hope many of our Sangha members will be able to attend and support the Socho's talk.

Saturday, September 19th, Socho Ogui will be providing an Opening Message as our IOBT Dharma School teachers host the Northwest District Dharma School Teacher's League in their annual workshop. The Workshop takes place from 9:30 till 4:30 at the temple. Later that evening, we will hold the temple welcome dinner for Socho Ogui at 6:00 p.m. Please make your dinner reservations early with Joan Suyematsu.

Sunday, Socho will be asked to come to our meditation session at 9:00 a.m. He will then preside over the Kieshiki Affirmation Ceremony at 10:15 where participants will receive their HOMYO, or Buddhist Name. Following at 11:00, we will have our annual Fall Ohigan Family Service, where Socho will be giving a special address to our IOBT members.

Following the Ohigan Service, Socho Ogui will be joining us at our 2nd annual Spaghetti Luncheon hosted by Sangha Taiko, YBA, and the Dharma School. All proceeds go to the IOBT Scholarship Fund to support the educational efforts of qualified members.

Updates and particulars of Socho Ogui's visit to IOBT will be provided in the next few weeks, but mark your calendars now!

Pure Land Joggers and Striders

Pure Land Joggers and Striders is a club for runners, walkers, and anyone else who might stretch and exert a muscle or two during the course of the week. The IOBT Chapter of the Pure Land Joggers and Striders is in full stride! During workouts, we engage in vigorous discussion on what we will eat next, temple life, Buddhism, and more of what we will eat next.

We meet at the Ontario High School track at 9:00 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays each month, Weiser High School track at 9:00 a.m. on the 2nd Thursday. The 4th Thursday is available upon request. Times are adjusted due to season and weather. Annual membership is still only $10.00! Forms are available at the office. Please contact Rev. Fujimoto at 208.707.2021.

We are now taking orders for the new and beautiful PLJS warm-up jackets! The embroidered red and black jacket is on display at the temple and will be modeled for a nominal fee.

2010 Relay for Life

I just wanted to let you know that we, "Pure Land Joggers and Striders" will be participating in the 2010 American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Our team entry fee has been paid by BWA (Fujinkai), ABA and Dharma School. If we turned in our entry fee by August 31, 2009, we only had to pay $75.00. This is half the amount that we paid for this year, 2009. Thank you for being so generous and allowing IOBT to participate again next year.

When I get more information, I will let you know.

In Gassho,

Sandy Belknap

A Note from the Spencer Family

Dear IOBT Sangha

I wanted to let everyone know our plans for the next year. Eric is an English professor at the College of Idaho and has been granted a sabbatical for the upcoming academic year; this will allow him to take the year off from teaching and focus on his research and writing. Since we dont have to live in Idaho for these things to happen, we decided that this was a great opportunity to spend mroe time with my mother and brothers on the family cranberry farm on the coast of Washington (near a small town called Grayland). So, I quit my job at the end of July and we have been busily getting everything organized. We will have already left by the time you read this. But don't worry...we will definitely be back before the college starts classes in the Fall of 2010.

In fact, you will see us pretty soon, since we will also be back for fall Ohigan and the NW Dharma School Teachers meeting in September. I wanted to be here for Socho Ogui's visit. And, of course, we'll be here for the Convention in February.

The rest of the year will keep us all pretty busy. Eric has a lot of writing to do. I will be involved in Tokudo preparatoin sessions and taking advantage of opportunities to visit some other NW temples. Portland, Seattle, Tacoma and White River are all within 3 hours drive. I will also be helping my mother get her house organized (the family has lived there for over 60 years and she has a lot of stuff). This is a job we want to do together while she is still healthy and active enough for it to be fun mother-daughter time.

We will be homeschooling Quinn, since that gives us plenty of flexibility for some travel. My brothers are expecting to teach him farming skills, like clearing brush, digging ditches, and running the harvest equipment. Eric and I will, of course, make sure he keeps up on academic subjects.

We are very excited about this opportunity. But it has been very hard for me to think about being away from IOBT. As Shakymuni Buddha taught, being separated from those we love causes us suffering. I will miss you all very much. In the meantime, as I recite the Nembutsu on the cranberry farm, I will remember you all with gratitude.

Please feel free to email us at mildthings@q.com or write to us at 1156 Gould Road, Grayland, WA 98547.

Memorial Services

Designated Memorial Service Years for 2007. To schedule a family memorial service, please contact Reverend Fujimoto. 1 Year = 2006, 3 year = 2005, 7 year = 2001, 13 year = 1995, 17 year = 1991, 25 year = 1983, 33 year = 1975 and 50 year = 1958.

September Monthly Memorial Service (Shotsuki Hoyo)

9/26 Aono, Minor
9/28 Atagi, Kiyozo
9/2 Fujiwara, Junkichi
9/22 Hasegawa, Kizo
9/3 Hirai, George
9/6/06 Hiramatsu, Kay
9/19 Hironaka, Tadaichi
9/15/08 Hoashi, Fumiko
9/14/1999 Inahara, Chub
9/19 Iseri, Alice
9/19 Iseri, Masato
9/8 Ishida, Tono
9/5 Ishida, Tsurukichi
9/4 Kamikido, Yoshitao
9/23/07 Kamo, Tom
9/14 Kawakami, Toki
9/4 Kawamoto, Rika
9/22 Kimura, Gail
9/25 Kondo, Kagi
9/11/1997 Kondo, Oscar
9/1/2002 Masuda, Mary
9/30/2001 Matsumura, Fudge
9/21 Matsumura, Juro
9/7 Matsushita, Shizuko
9/25 Murayama, Yone
9/?/1943 Nagaki, Shina
9/4 Nakada, Hirokichi
9/9 Nakada, Kazuo
9/6 Nakagawa, Genhachi
9/9 Nakamura, Donald
9/6 Nishimoto, Suye
9/11/1976 Nishimura, Wesley
9/15 Odate, Riki
9/8 Oyama, Hatsumo
9/12 Sakano, Ichiro
9/17 Saruwatari, Renko
9/8 Sugahiro, Tetsuo
9/24/1995 Sugai, Noriko
9/18 Takagi, Kayo
9/30 Takagishi, Yasuo
9/17 Takahashi, Seichi
9/12 Takemura, Hisaye
9/2 Tanouye, Shotaro
9/11/1999 Terashima, Frank
9/3 Terashima, Masajiro
9/10 Umemoto, Fumiyo
9/24 Yasuda, Ichi
9/8 Yasuda, Nobuo
9/2 Yoshihara, Mitsuko

October Monthly Memorial Service

10/30 Doi, Kakuji
10/24 Fujii, Yokichi
10/5 Fujimoto, Shizuko
10/29 Fujita, Seijiro
10/30 Furuyama, Ginshiro
10/29/2005 Harada, Haruye
10/4 Hasegawa, Minoru
10/31 Hayashi, Shigeko
10/17/07 Hironaka, Yoshi
10/4 Hondo, Arao
10/24 Hori, Kiyohide
10/27/1999 Hori, Kiyomaro
10/10 Horiuchi, Mite
10/11/1995 Inouye, Tom K.
10/13 Ishimoto, Funa
10/3 Kagayama, Matsuyo
10/20 Kawamoto, Ichiro
10/24 Kitamura, Lillian
10/5/1996 Koda, Bill
10/15 Koda, Fusaichi
10/18 Miyamoto, Kanichi
10/18 Morinaga, Mark J.
10/2 Morrow, Mary Jo
10/5 Nakamura, Mitsu
10/25/1994 Nakano, Tom T.
10/29 Nishimura, Kumajiro
10/17 Nomi, Koichi
10/3/1995 Okai, Tom
10/26/1994 Okuda, Shizuka
10/10/1995 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
10/18/06 Uyeki, George
10/11 Watanabe, Yasuji
10/13 Yamada, Masato
10/1 Yamaguchi, Yoshizo
10/2 Yamamoto, Sado
10/29/1996 Yamashita, Tok

Temple Cleaners

June Morinaga, Toshie Takami, Ruth Hirano, Dorothy Yamaguchi, Delores Wood, Seiko Go, Howard Matsumura, Jerry Matsumura and Mike Iseri.

Bulletin Helpers July/August 2007

Mary Nakamura, Shiz Inouye, Karen Hata, Delores Wood, Jimmy Hondo, Kiku Hondo, Lorinda Hasegawa, Hideo Harada and Ruth Harada