Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii NON-PROFIT ORG. 1685 Alaneo Street U.S. POSTAGE Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 PAID Honolulu, HI Permit No. 693 Address Service Requested In this issue of WA... ‘wa’ 2016 Message to our Members and Friends t/FX:FBSNFTTBHFTGSPN3JOCBO harmony 3JOCBO,FOKVO,BXBXBUB .JOJTUFS,ZPEBOQSFTJEFOUp. 1-2 t Mochi-tsuki BU#FUTVJOp. 3 Higashi Hongwanji t OzoniBU/FX:FBSTFSWJDFp. 3 Hawaii Betsuin HBQQZ/FX:FBS t+BOVBSZNPWJF Still Walking p. 3 Bulletin First of all I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of you who t :FBSPG.POLFZQSPWFSCTp. 4 supported this Betsuin over the past year. Without your support, we could not t )BXBJJ%JTUSJDUHBUIFSJOHp. 5 have such a meaningful year at our temple. t 4QFDJBMBOOJWFSTBSZTFSWJDFTp. 6 January 2016 This year, we will celebrate our Betsuin’s centennial, our milestone 100th year of serving the Hawaii community. At the same time t +BOVBSZTIPUTVLJMJTUJOHp. 6 Higashi Hongwanji Hawaii District will be observing the t "DLOPXMFEHNFOUTp. 7 1 750th Memorial Service for our founder, Shinran Shonin. t5FNQMFBDUJWJUJFTDBMFOEBSp. 8 The Betsuin was initially established in 1916 by Rev. Higashi Hongwanji Shingyo Doi from Gifu prefecture in Japan, along with the Mission of Hawaii original members, on Kukui Street in uptown Honolulu. The Betsuin has been spreading the Nembutsu teaching At Higashi Hongwanji, we remain here in Hawaii ever since. true to our origins During the Betsuin’s hundred-year history, members as an open Sangha, welcoming faced numerous obstacles, including a temporary forced anyone who wishes to learn more Rinban Ken Kawawata Temple Activities Calendar about the Jodo Shinshu shutdown of the temple during World War II. Putting their tradition of Buddhism. eforts together, members overcame those hardships, and today we can see JANUARY FEBRUARY this wonderful temple and sangha. A registered 501(c)3 organization I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the ministers and members 1/1 Fri 10 am New Year service - 修正会 (Shusho-e) 2/6 Sat 10 am District Dharma Gathering Ozoni served after service Speaker: Dr. Nobuo Haneda President: Faye Shigemura who built and enthusiastically supported the Betsuin, and helped spread 1/3 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service & Maida Center of Buddhism, Berkeley Vice President: Jonathan Tani the Nembutsu teaching through the past century. I would also like to make Sunday school 2/7 Sun 10 am Shōtsuki memorial service & Secretary: Debra Saiki my commitment for efective Betsuin services, educational programs and 1/3 Sun 12 pm Jimmy’s Auto Basics Sunday school Treasurer: Edmund Nakano activities for the present members and future generations. For this purpose, led by Jim Hirakawa (Palolo Auto Service) 2/7 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class Auditor: Ken Saiki we need to listen the dharma more diligently and it is important to become a 1/9 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu? Otani Center person who deeply enjoys listening to the dharma. led by Rev. Frank Childs 2/9 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice Rinban: Kenjun Kawawata As you already know, Shinran Shonin’s 750th memorial observance and 1/10 Sun 10 am Sunday service & Sunday school 2/11 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class Minister: Koen Kikuchi Betsuin centennial celebration will be held this year on November 5 and 6. Associate Minister: 1/10 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class led by Rinban Kawawata in English Fukuhara Conference Room Frank Childs Please be sure to mark the dates on your calendar. 現代語で仏教を聞こう Built in 1983, the Betsuin’s main building is already more than 30 years led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese 2/13 Sat 10 am What on Earth Is Namuamidabutsu? led by Rev. Frank Childs 1685 Alaneo Street old. Used daily for various temple functions, it has required some much- 1/12 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice Honolulu, HI 96817 2/14 Sun 10 am Sunday service & Sunday school needed upkeep work. Altar restoration and structural repairs, including a 1/14 Thu 7 pm ABCs of Buddhism study class Tel: (808) 531-9088 new coat of paint, have already been completed in preparation for the 750th led by Rinban Kawawata in English 2/14 Sun 12 pm Basic Buddhism study class Fax: (808) 531-3265 現代語で仏教を聞こう memorial and centennial observance. Another Betsuin commemorative year 1/17 Sun 10 am Sunday service & Sunday school led by Rinban Kawawata in Japanese Email: [email protected] project planned in the coming year is repaving of our parking lor. 1/17 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting 2/16 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Betsuin Thus our members, friends and visitors will be able to gather and observe 1/17 Sun 12 pm Art of Paper Crafting class Wa is published monthly by 2/21 Sun 10 am Nirvana Day service & Sunday school Higashi Hongwanji Mission Shiran Shonin’s memorial service and centennial celebration with a newly 1/19 Tue 7 pm O-kō: Dharma discussion at Kaneohe 2/21 Sun 12 pm Betsuin board meeting of Hawaii for its members restored altar in improved facilities. We would appreciate your continued 1/24 Sun 10 am Sunday service & Sunday school 2/23 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice and friends. Comments, cooperation, understanding and support for these commemorative projects 1/26 Tue 3 pm Ukulele class/band practice 2/23 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: I Wish - 奇跡 (2011) articles and other items for as we step into our centennial celebration and enter a new era for the Betsuin. 1/26 Tue 6:30 pm Movie night: Still Walking (2008) publication consideration I wish that you will listen to the dharma together with us and have a 歩いても歩いても 2/28 Sun 11 am General membership meeting & are welcomed. meaningful year. Thank you very much. 1/28 Thu 10 am Shinran Shōnin memorial service Shinnenkai (New Year’s party) Editor: Ken Saiki 1/31 Sun 10 am Sunday service & Sunday school Otani Center In Gassho, Everyone is welcome to join in on our sutra chanting at 7 am daily (except Sundays & 28th day of the month) in the Betsuin main hall. Kenjun Kawawata have wishes that repeat every year? And don’t you easily forget what you wished for at the beginning of /FX:FBS.FTTBHF the year? This is what I used to do every year. Sometimes I was disappointed at myself because 3FW,PFO,JLVDIJ I couldn’t get my wish. At other times I felt happiness Mahalo #FUTVJO.JOJTUFS that I could actually get my wish. When I was in school, the wish was always about my test scores. I hoped to get higher scores for entering the next level. So, I believed this was the only Gozaimasu appy New Year to everyone!! Time passes so Hquickly, and it’s already a new year! way that I could be happy in the future. Have you kept your New Year’s resolutions from But the more I wished, the more I was last year? Did you look back what happened last year? disappointed when I didn’t get a good result. And In my case, I can actually say, “Yes!” What I decided when I got a good result, I wished for more and more. to do at the beginning of the It seemed like there was no end. I tried and tried to year was “to start a new thing.” achieve my goal. Finally, the result was not what I But at the time I would never wanted. It was totally a negative cycle. have imagined that I’d be here In the New Year’s greeting to his friend, Rennyo in Hawaii now, nor could I have Shonin said, “Do the Nembutsu.” This means to please imagined that I really would start start a New Year with Nembutsu. He described a new thing! Nembutsu as an important teaching for us. What is the Many of us will hope for importantace of it? How does it become an important something at the beginning of part of our life? We have to think about this. a year. “I hope my family and my This is my New Year’s wish: to listen to and think Rev. Koen Kikuchi relatives will be happy and have about the meaning of Nembutsu together with you. I good health.” Or, “This year, I will hope that many people will come to this temple and lose weight.” “I will quit smoking.” “I want to have a we can listen together in 2016. long vacation.” Together, let’s “Do the Nembutsu”! There are many wishes we have, such as for health, Gassho, money, social status, peace and happiness. Don’t you Koen Kikuchi this was actually a great life lesson in disguise: 8IJMF POGJSNHSPVOE UIJOLUIFCJHHFSQJDUVSF What a /FX:FBS.FTTBHF bonbu I am. Another realization followed soon after: This is the 'BZF4IJHFNVSB reason we all try to make New Year resolutions, or ,ZPEBO1SFTJEFOU re-state our aims or intentions every year. Why do we make New Year resolutions? For most of us, it is made to uncover the better ‘You” in yourself. very year, I write a New Year message for our Wa I will put my husband before my pets; I will home- E temple newsletter. For some reason, this year, I cook a meal at least once a week; I will think before had a few false starts, and just end up talking back; I will cut back on watching so couldn’t put down on paper what many Korean dramas; I will stare at that piece of I wanted to say.