84,000 Thoughts - What Is Jodo Shinshu? By: Rev
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The Newsletter of Ekoji Buddhist Temple alavinka Fairfax Station, Virginia - Established 1981 Vol. XXXII, No. 10 October 2013 84,000 Thoughts - What is Jodo Shinshu? By: Rev. Kurt Rye When the speaker for Ekoji’s fall seminar canceled, the Pure Land Schools. The Pure Land School is part due to scheduling conflicts, I was asked to facilitate. of the Mahayana Buddhist movement. Mahayana As I reflected on what subject I would discuss, I real- Buddhism, unlike Theravada Buddhism, redirects the ized the majority of questions I am asked concern Jodo focus from the practices that Sakyamuni performed Shinshu Buddhism and how it relates to other schools to reach enlightenment; instead it is a spiritual model of Buddhism. This is understandable since Jodo Shin- that focuses on the essence of enlightenment itself and shu Buddhism is not as well known outside of its own incorporates many different non-monastic practices to community, especially when compared to other Bud- reach this end. dhist schools such as Zen or Tibetan. Honen Shonin (1133-1212), a Tendai monk, had For those of us who self-identify difficulty finding spiritual gratifica- as Buddhist, we know our connection tion in the traditional monastic Ten- to the Dharma is a very personal one. dai School in which he had studied The Buddha said there are as many for many years. At this time Honen ways to understand the Dharma as and other Japanese monks of this era there are people in the world. vitalized the concept of one practice. Buddhism is divided into many Instead of spending years to master schools all with different interpreta- many different spiritual practices, in- tion of the sutras, rituals, and prac- dividuals could instead focus on one tices. What are the differences in the practice which made it more realistic various Buddhist schools? All schools for the average person to master. Ho- have a common core of Buddhist ide- nen solely focused on the Pure Land als such as the Four Noble Truths and practice of Nembutsu recitation. the Eightfold Path. Moreover, the different schools Jodo Shinshu’s founder Shinran Shonin (1173- tend to focus on a particular Sutra that becomes the 1262) was also a Tendai monk who left the Tendai focal point of doctrinal thought for each school; for School and monastery and began his study with Ho- example, in the Tendai and Nichren Schools, the Lo- nen. Shinran was one of many disciples of Honen. tus Sutra is the primal doctrine. In Jodo Shinshu, the Shinran agreed with Honen’s concept of one practice, Three Pure Land Sutras are the main Sutras revered the Nembutsu, and dedicated the rest of his life to the and studied. study and propagation of the Pure Land teachings. Jodo Shinshu is one of the schools referred to as Continued on page 5. In this issue: Sangha News and Events Page 2 EBL Conference Recap Page 5 BCA Voices Page 3 Nen Daiko’s Birth and Growth Page 6 Ekoji President’s Message Page 4 Dana List Page 8 October 2013 KALAVINKA Page 2 Sangha News and Events October and Future Events 10:02 p.m., 4 lbs. 8 oz., 48 cm long. Logan, the par- • Oct. 6, 2013: Hondo Clean Up, Suzuki Farms ents, and the grandparents are doing fine. Veggie Sale, Monthly Memorial Service Mrs. June Honda welcomes get well notes and • October 20, 2013: Town Hall Meeting, After cards. Please forward them in care of Ekoji, 6500 Adult Service, Sangha Hall (Light Refreshments) Lakehaven Lane, Fairfax Station, VA 22039. • October 28, 2013: Ekoji Monthly Board Meeting In-kind Donations and Thanks • November 17, 2013, 12:30 pm: Annual Sangha Thank you to the following for in-kind donations: Meeting • Joy Aso, o-nenjus for Burke Festival Outreach Buddhism 101 Booth Buddhism 101 will be held Oct. 6 to Nov. 10 (no class The following individuals donated their time and on Oct. 27) at 10:00 am, facilitated by Ekoji’s Director skills to help out the temple: of Adult Education, Mark LaWall. • Burke Festival: Ed Sams, Jane Blechman, Bob Buddhism 101 is an introductory-level six-week Shimokaji, Sam Silva, Art Politano, Taylor Hull, class for adults who would like to learn more about Heidi Forrest, Yen Vu, Delana Oliver, Rob Fike, the Dharma. The first sessions cover basics such as the Erni & Lexi Diez-Fujitt, Coyote Stedman, Frank Life of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Four Noble Truths Blechman, Rev. Rye, Nen Daiko, Joy Aso, and and the Eightfold Path, the Three Treasures, the Marks Emily Ihara. of Existence, and Karma. Later classes begin to ex- • O-Tsukimi Event: Jane Blechman, Ken Nakamu- plore Jodo Shinshu (or ra, Michael Galvin, Emlen Hamilton, Erni Diez- Shin Buddhism), the Fujitt, Andrew Barton, Ed Sams, Daniel Cota, Buddhism of Ekoji Rev. Rye, Erick Ishii, Rachel Harris, and Heidi Buddhist Temple. Forrest Crafting at Ekoji • Office Manager: Jane Blechman Ekoji’s crafting group • Fall O-higan Dharma Talk: Erick Ishii meets the first Sun- • Fall O-higan Pot Luck Luncheon: Michael Gal- day of the month after vin, Audrey Sato, Ekoji Young Buddhist Assn. service for about two (YBA), Lauren Ohata hours in the Tsuji Cen- • Fall O-higan Seminar: Bob Shimokaji and La- ter. No experience is verne Iimori necessary. • Facilities Management: Emlen Hamilton and Bob Our next meeting is October 6, 2013, 12:30 p.m. Shimokaji to 2:30 p.m. We will make ribbon fish. They make nice • Three Treasures Garden: Bob Shimokaji mobiles, party favors, or ornaments. For information, • Pay Officer: Gail Kondo or if you have any questions, please contact Joy Aso, • Howakai (Off-site Dharma Talk): Rockville, MD: at [email protected] or 301-977-5788, and leave Rev. Rye and Bob Shimokaji your name, telephone number, and email address. • Wisteria Lane: Heidi Forrest Sangha Member Thoughts • Kalavinka Editor: Andrea Walter Gabe and Dr. Kara • Onaijin Prep and Clean Up: Laverne Iimori, Erick Motonaga Ishida, the Ishii and Rob Fike daughter of long-time • Hondo Monthly Clean Up: Gail and Norm Kondo, members Bert and Michael Galvin and Ed Sams Nancy Motonaga, are • Dharma Talk Taping: Michael Galvin the proud parents of • Children’s Dharma School: Maya Horio, Super- a son, Logan Shigeki intendent Ishida, born on Sep- tember 14, 2013, at Mark your calendars! Ekoki Annual Sangha Meeting is Nov. 17! October 2013 KALAVINKA Page 3 BCA Voices - Happiness and Buddhism By Rev. Fumaiki Usuki The ministers of the Buddhist Churches of America to lie around and wait for time to do its job. have important lessons to share with us. Through this In Good Housekeeping magazine (August 2013), column, we would like to share many of those lessons Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at UC with the readers of the Kalavinka. The following ar- Riverside who specializes in the study of happiness, ticle is by Rev. Fumiaki Usuki and it appeared in a re- was interviewed about her book, The Myths of Hap- cent edition of the West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple’s piness: newsletter, West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple Bul- “Question: Is there anything you do that gets in letin. the way of your happiness? “I just want to be happy” is a well-intended and SL: Human beings are remarkably good at getting recurrent wish to be free of constant everyday strug- used to positive changes—a trait known as hedonic gles and live life peacefully and predictably. Yet, as adaptation. After we get married or get a promotion, we well know, we are often frustrated by this concept. we’re thrilled— for a while. Then we either revert What makes you happy is specific to you, and your back to our previous level of happiness or, worse, we sense of happiness can be very different from that of feel let down. Understanding that this is an ordinary others. Happiness in the moment is what fulfills our human reaction can help you get through those turning desires in that particular moment, but our needs will points. be surely different tomorrow. Further complicating the Question: Anything you see folks doing that de- matter is the misunderstanding about what Buddhism tract from their happiness? teaches regarding “suffering,” and the assumption that SL: Believing that although they’re not happy happiness is opposite of suffering. There are many now, they will be happy when the right mate or job perspectives on the issue of happiness. I will outline or whatever comes along. This type of thinking leads a few items that have recently crossed my path on this to outsized expectations about how much a positive elusive subject. event can impact your happiness—it almost never The other day a young man came to the temple to makes you as happy for as long as you think it will. look around. He wasn’t looking for anything in par- That might lead you to believe there’s something ticular, but since he was walking his dog and came wrong with you or your life—and prompt you to make across our temple, his curiosity got the better of him. poor decisions, like quitting a good job.” He was raised in another religion as a child but was Here are some approaches to life from the LA somehow drawn to Buddhism. He even had a Dharma Times “Mind and Body” section (December 22, 2012) Wheel tattooed on his back. Though currently a yoga titled, “In Pursuit of Happiness”: practitioner, he was unhappy with the process and felt You are What you Think that the exercise was rather empty for him. We talked Of course, hard work isn’t everything.