You may view previous editions of the bulletin from the listing to the right.
The Fall Season is rapidly approaching. The cycles of the seasons call us away from our self-concerns and back to the harmony that supports and sustains us all. It is time for Ohigan once again. Ohigan is the time of the year when the length of day and night are equal and balanced. It is often described as a time conducive to meditation and study because the weather is usually ideal.
This description would seem to come from the forms of Buddhism where the individual efforts to study, practice, and awaken are held at a premium. The Shin perspective might be to see that as a part of the whole, each of our bodies and minds would be affected with balance and harmony just as the outside world is. The forces that push the weather mild and pull the days even also push and pull our own heart and spirit to match the world around us. It is more helpful and healthful to see that I receive the meditative balance of nature rather than to think I accomplish it...it is more helpful and healthful to see that I am a part of the whole rather than to think to comprehend my separation from it and then to mend what wasn't broken.
This Ohigan we will welcome Rev. Ron Takemoto from Whitman College. He will be presenting a talk on the Japanese Tea Ceremony with a short demonstration Saturday, September 17 from 3 - 5 p.m. at the temple. Our own Anne Spencer will assist in the demonstration. Rev. Takemoto has been practicing tea with the Yabunouchi School which is affiliated with Hongwanji. We hope many of our Sangha members will be able to take in this opportunity to hear about and to observe the centuries old Art of Tea.
The Tea Ceremony is not only about the enjoyment of tea, but more so about the refinement of the roles of host and guest. We are very fortunate to be hosting Rev. Takemoto and his wife for our Ohigan weekend. Rev. Takemoto will also be our guest speaker for the Ohigan Service, Sunday, September 18, 11:00 a.m. Please make plan to welcome our guests and to participate in this special Ohigan activity.
We must also remember that Ohigan Sunday is our annual date for the temple Scholarship Luncheon. Hosted by the Dharma School Families and Sangha Taiko, this annual luncheon helps to maintain the funds that send our youth and Minister Assistants to the retreats and sessions held throughout the BCA and within our Northwest District. No buffet line this time! Full service in seated elegance is the signature of this annual Ohigan affair. Tickets will be presold, so buy some for yourself and for everyone else you know. We'll see you at the temple.
Gassho,
Rev. Dennis
Come and welcome Rev. Ron Takemoto at the welcome dinner! It will be Saturday, September 17, 6PM at Matsy's. Please contact Joan Suyematsu (541 889-8932) for reservations. Also, Rev. Gimyo Takemura (Idaho-Oregon 1961-1965) will be visiting and speaking on Sunday, September 25. Mrs. Takemura is expected to accompany him. A luncheon is planned at Sizzler after service. Please contact Joan Suyematsu (541 889-8932) for reservations. The location for each meal is tentative and we are in the process of confirming now. So, making reservations will be important so you can reconfirm where it will be held for sure. Thank you!
Thank you to everyone for helping make the Happy Bowl Booth the most popular booth at the Malheur County Fair!!! Without everyone's help, we couldn't do this for a whole week. We did very well, and with the help of Elynn, Debbie, and their kids decorating the booth, we won First Place of $75!! This year we had the help of the Ontario High School band kids and their parents helping cut vegetables all week. They were a big help and they said they had a lot of fun too.
Last year one of our refrigerators went out and I asked if anyone had one that they didn't want anymore and thanks to Susan Inouye, we have a refrigerator replacement. We sure appreciated your donation to our booth, Susan. Again, THANK YOU to everyone for their help.
Roy and Jamie Hasebe took over this booth in 1983 and it has been going strong ever since
A Lasagna Luncheon will be held September 18, 2011 after the Ohigan Family Service downstairs in the Old Italian social hall of our temple. The menu consists of Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Garden Salad, Dessert, and Beverage. The price is $9 for Adults and $5 for Children
Please take a seat as lunch will be served by our staff of experienced waiters and waitresses. 100% of the proceeds from this event will be given to the IOBT Scholarship Fund. These monies will be used to fund the educational grants awarded by the Scholarship Committee to temple members, both youth and adult, who seek to further their Buddhist Education. Tickets will be pre-sold and at the door. Tickets will be available from the IOBT Dharma School, and Sangha Taiko. Invite friends and family to support this worthwhile educational cause.
Our first two members have requested a monthly charge of pledge payments on their credit card. Rev. Dennis and Mike Iseri are the first to request this service.
It is our hope to promote the use of credit cards to make pledge payments if it makes it more convenient for you. We can set you up on any payment schedule you like, be it annual, quarterly, monthly, whatever. For any of you who are like me (I forget to make my pledge payment), this system will create a hopefully reliable and regular payment schedule that's an aid to not only personal budgeting, but for Temple budgeting as well.
Further, we will try to use this system for other payments as well. For instance, you can call in your bazaar ticket payment. We will provide our treasurer a detailed accounting of all payments by credit card to be sure your payments are credited properly whether it's a memorial donation, or payment for other things. The only limit is our imagination.
Please consider this option. It is also a great way to make membership easy for new members. For instance, $13.00 a month meets the minimum membership requirement of $150.00. $25.00 a month meets the minimum of $300 for a couple membership.
Thanks very much for your consideration and support!
The art of the ancient Japanese Tea Ceremony will be demonstrated in Ontario, Oregon September 17, 2011 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple, 286 SE 4th Street. The demonstration will be headed by Akira Ron Takemoto, an assistant professor of languages and literatures at Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington.
Takemoto Sensei is of the Yabunouchi School of Tea in Japan, which is connected to the Nishi Hongwanji, the home temple of the Japanese Pure Land School of Buddhism (Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji Ha) in Kyoto, Japan. In the United States, there are only two teachers of the Yabunouchi school. It is most fortunate that this rare opportunity to view the Yabunouchi Tea Ceremony in Ontario.
Tea was introduced to Japan from China in 900 AD. The Tea Ceremony of Japan was developed in the 16th Century. The founder of the Tea Ceremony is recognized to be Sen no Rikyu. One recognizable saying attributed to Sen no Rikyu is “ICHIGO – ICHIYE”, which means One Time – One Meeting. This saying is in reference of the uniqueness and preciousness of each meeting, each opportunity, each moment in our lives. We are to appreciate and savor the moments of life and to value highly the limited time we share with each other.
The matter of tea is to recognize Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility to be qualities that elevate the human spirit. Samurai warlords of the time also recognized the importance of cultivating a spiritual refinement and practiced the art of tea for this purpose. Beyond the serving and the enjoyment of tea, the Tea Ceremony is a study in the cultivation of the roles of Guest and Host.
The public is welcome to enjoy this rare opportunity. There is no charge, but donations are welcome. For further information, please contact Rev. Joshin Dennis Fujimoto, (208) 707-2021 at the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple.
Delores Wood, Mary Nakamura, Kazuko Kuramoto, Jimmy Hondo, Kiku Hondo, Suzie Nishihara, Yasuko Kino, Joseph Yamaguchi, and Hideo and Ruth Harada
Designated Memorial Service Years for 2011. To schedule a family memorial service, please contact Reverend Fujimoto. 1 Year = 2010, 3 year = 2009, 7 year = 2005, 13 year = 1999, 17 year = 1995, 25 year = 1987, 33 year = 1979 and 50 year = 1962.
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
11:00 am - Family Service
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