2008 September Bulletin - West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
2008 September Bulletin - West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
2008 September Bulletin - West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple
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Email: westlabt@verizon.net<br />
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Vol. 51, No. 9 <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
REV. USUKI’S PAGE<br />
I have much to report to you<br />
since my last message in<br />
July/August which was written<br />
in May. Since then we had the<br />
Southern District <strong>Buddhist</strong><br />
Conference hosted by San Fernando,<br />
the 80 Plus Yard Sale, and many other<br />
activities in between. We will also have concluded<br />
the WLA Obon Festival but at this writing<br />
it is still four days away so I must assume<br />
that it was tremendous, as usual, and I hope<br />
you enjoyed it as much as I. This edition of the<br />
<strong>Bulletin</strong> has many photos and articles of the<br />
past three months, and I thank the editors and<br />
contributors for their diligence and great job<br />
once again.<br />
For this article I would like to share my experience<br />
at the BCA Ministers’ Fuken (annual<br />
summer retreat, meeting, and study session)<br />
that was held in New York in June. It was the<br />
best fuken my wife and I have attended in our<br />
short ministerial careers. More detailed articles<br />
are presented in the July issue of the BCA<br />
Wheel of Dharma. You can also read Rev. Marvin<br />
Harada’s message about the large Shinran<br />
Shonin statue that is pictured in the Wheel of<br />
Dharma as well as in the photo on the next<br />
page. It is an amazing story and we were moved<br />
wholeheartedly by its history and significance.<br />
Although the fuken was much anticipated for<br />
many reasons, we had to condense all activities<br />
New York, New York<br />
into two days. The events were held at New York<br />
<strong>Buddhist</strong> Church, Battery Park in Manhattan,<br />
9/11 Ground Zero, the United Nations, and the<br />
Interfaith Center of New York. Meetings,<br />
services, and lectures by several <strong>Buddhist</strong>s and<br />
interfaith scholars were held at these locations.<br />
We were also treated to a special banquet luncheon<br />
in the Delegates’ Dining Room at the<br />
United Nations where we heard several speeches<br />
from many dignitaries and religious scholars. A<br />
very special performance was given for us by the<br />
internationally renowned musicians, Toshiko<br />
Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin. We are grateful to<br />
Rev. Nakagaki of New York <strong>Buddhist</strong> Church,<br />
and the many other ministers and hosts, for the<br />
wonderful, informative, moving, and impressive<br />
activities.<br />
For our personal visit to New York, my wife and<br />
I put in miles of walking in the evenings to visit<br />
the many places we wanted to see. She lived<br />
there for three years so she was my tour guide<br />
and chaperone. I really needed help in the subway<br />
and crossing the busy and dangerous<br />
streets. People and taxis are everywhere and we<br />
moved like ants on a mission to get somewhere<br />
and everywhere. The first place we visited was<br />
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. I was impressed by its<br />
phenomenal presence in the middle of downtown.<br />
Being inside gave me a complete and<br />
overwhelming sense of religious sanctuary.<br />
(cont’d on page 2)
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
Other renowned places which we see on TV and in the movies were just as impressive, such as Rockefeller<br />
Center, Broadway, and Times Square. But my favorite place that I have admired since childhood<br />
was the Empire State Building. For me this is the place I called America and what it represented. We<br />
went to the top and viewed the entirety of New York and its surroundings in the early evening, looking<br />
at the traffic, rivers, skyscrapers, bridges, and the Statue of Liberty in the distance as well as watching<br />
the people and the congestion in its entire splendor. Yankee Stadium, Macy’s, Central Park, New Jersey,<br />
Queens, the Bronx, the Chrysler Building, and everything I can name were visible from what seemed to<br />
be the top of the world.<br />
I didn’t realize it then but many of my anxieties about New York loomed like a great story in my imagination<br />
and no wonder … watching the Yankees, the tragedy of 9/11, or even the shooting of John<br />
Lennon resonated within me for such a long time. But fortunately, my trepidations soon settled down<br />
after the visit and I will look at New York with a much different sense of appreciation and awe. New York<br />
is like no other place in the world and when it was over in a few days, I truly appreciated the visit but<br />
looked forward to returning to <strong>West</strong> LA and to our own Shinran Shonin statue in the beautiful garden.<br />
After nearly four years at <strong>West</strong> LA, I have even greater esteem for what we have at our temple.<br />
Rev. Fumiaki Usuki<br />
Shinran Shonin statue in front of the New York <strong>Buddhist</strong> Church<br />
It survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb and was moved to its present site on <strong>September</strong> 11,<br />
1955. Read its history in the July <strong>2008</strong> Wheel of Dharma.<br />
(In the foreground: Rev. Patti Usuki and Rev. Fumiaki Usuki)<br />
2
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
Jeff Wilson<br />
Since 2002, I’ve been conducting<br />
a research study at<br />
the Ekoji temple in Richmond,<br />
Virginia. This isn’t<br />
the Ekoji in northern Virginia<br />
that some of you may<br />
have heard about. Rev. Tsuji,<br />
the former bishop of the<br />
BCA, started both Ekojis but the Richmond<br />
temple is not really a Jodo Shinshu temple. Rather,<br />
it is multi-denominational, with five different<br />
kinds of <strong>Buddhist</strong> groups meeting under<br />
one roof. One of them is a Pure Land group<br />
which includes some Shin elements, such as<br />
Juseige, but it is not a full-fledged Jodo Shinshu<br />
group. The others are Zen, Tibetan, Vipassana<br />
(a type of Theravada), and a quasi-Zen<br />
meditation group.<br />
I was fascinated when I first heard about all of<br />
this activity going on in one temple. This is a<br />
very unusual situation: in Japan and elsewhere,<br />
usually only one type of Buddhism would be<br />
found in each temple. For example, when we<br />
visit Hongwanji in Kyoto, we don’t expect to find<br />
a group practicing Tibetan tantra or people<br />
organized to do Zen meditation. This group in<br />
Richmond developed because people in America<br />
don’t have access to the same sort of resources<br />
that people in Asia do: even though Buddhism<br />
has been here over 100 years, in many parts of<br />
the country it is still new and unusual, and<br />
different kinds of Buddhism have to stick together<br />
in order to gather enough people and<br />
funds for a temple.<br />
Trying to practice Buddhism in a new place like<br />
Richmond presents many challenges. At the<br />
same time, there are some advantages too. Because<br />
they have so many kinds of Buddhism in<br />
the same temple, they are able to learn about<br />
many different Dharma paths. Often, people<br />
start with one group, and they don’t know much<br />
about other kinds of Buddhism. They may have<br />
bad ideas about unfamiliar types of Buddhism:<br />
for example, if they practice Zen they may think<br />
that Pure Land is a useless sort of Buddhism, or<br />
if they practice Tibetan they may think Zen is a<br />
deviation from the Buddha’s teachings. If they<br />
were isolated, it would be easy for them to think<br />
only about their particular sect and disparage<br />
other kinds of Buddhism out of ignorance. But<br />
because they are all together, eventually they<br />
begin to learn about each other. People from the<br />
Zen group sometimes visit the Pure Land group<br />
3<br />
and learn about it, and people from the Tibetan<br />
group sometimes participate in the Vipassana<br />
group. Also, they meet together several times<br />
per year, such as at Buddha’s Birthday (Hanamatsuri).<br />
Then they can practice together as one<br />
Sangha and appreciate the richness of the<br />
Dharma.<br />
Even though they interact with each other, most<br />
people have chosen the path that suits them<br />
best and spend the majority of their time on one<br />
practice, be it nembutsu, zazen, or something<br />
else. They may blend their practices a little, but<br />
they still remain true to one school of Buddhism.<br />
Thus they find ways to go deeply into one practice<br />
while also learning about others and coming<br />
to appreciate the variety within Buddhism. This<br />
is the sort of advantage that Americans have in<br />
Buddhism. Even if we are dedicated to one path,<br />
we have the opportunity to learn about others<br />
and discover how people in many parts of the<br />
world live the Buddha’s teachings. We don’t<br />
have to live in Richmond in order to experience<br />
it. <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> is the most diverse city for Buddhism<br />
on the planet (it’s true!), and we can find<br />
many other kinds of <strong>Buddhist</strong> practice going on.<br />
Sometimes there are other kinds of Buddhism<br />
right around us and we don’t know it: I remember<br />
dancing at Obon at the Betsuin, and there<br />
were not only people from the many Shin temples<br />
in Southern California, but also Zen <strong>Buddhist</strong>s,<br />
Shingon <strong>Buddhist</strong>s, Nichiren <strong>Buddhist</strong>s,<br />
and people connected to Tibetan, Burmese, and<br />
other kinds of Buddhism. Perhaps we don’t<br />
have the same sort of advantages that people in<br />
Japan do, but at the same time we also have<br />
some unique opportunities that we can be<br />
thankful for.<br />
<br />
Jeff sends his “Hello!” to everyone at WLA<br />
and encloses a recent photo of his son, Tai.
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE<br />
Vance Nishimoto<br />
I hope that everyone had a<br />
pleasant summer. I know I did.<br />
I spent almost two weeks in<br />
Hawaii on the island of Oahu<br />
and had a wonderful time. My<br />
daughter Kaylie performed<br />
three shows while I was there.<br />
She performed one show at Windward Mall, one<br />
at Ala Moana Mall, and one at a<br />
homeless shelter in Waianae. It<br />
was a bit enlightening to see the<br />
hard work the State of Hawaii is<br />
doing in trying to help the<br />
homeless. We also managed to<br />
visit the Obon at the Waipahu<br />
Hongwanji Mission. They had<br />
two food booths. One that sold<br />
many food dishes like chicken<br />
teriyaki, beef teriyaki, udon, etc.<br />
The other one sold dango (very<br />
good). They danced odori to<br />
recorded music and also to live music, played<br />
by their Okinawan group and Kagoshima group<br />
if I remember correctly. One thing about live<br />
music is that they can play a song indefinitely.<br />
Kathy (left foreground in red) and Kaylie (center<br />
foreground in red) were pooped after dancing to<br />
those dances with live music.<br />
I hope that everyone has recuperated from our<br />
own Obon Festival. The Festival was a success! I<br />
want to thank all those temple members who<br />
helped make it a success. I want to thank the<br />
Bay Cities Gardeners Association for the work<br />
on the temple garden. I want to thank (in no<br />
particular order) the <strong>West</strong> LA Youth Club, the<br />
Friends of Bob’s Sporting Goods, the<br />
<strong>West</strong>side YMCA, Nishi Hui Aikane, Friends of<br />
Yuki Sakurai and Dr. Jack Fujimoto, and the<br />
many other volunteers that my poor brain<br />
cannot remember. If you too<br />
would like to be recognized,<br />
please let me know and I will<br />
certainly let everyone know of<br />
your support.<br />
Photo by author<br />
On Saturday, <strong>September</strong> 13,<br />
we will be hosting the Fall<br />
Ohigan Seminar starting at<br />
9:30 am. On Sunday, <strong>September</strong><br />
14, we will have our Fall<br />
Ohigan service starting at<br />
10:00 am.<br />
Note that the first Monday is Labor Day so our<br />
monthly temple board meeting will be held on<br />
Tuesday, <strong>September</strong> 2, starting at 7:30pm.<br />
You can call me at (818) 831-4922 or email me<br />
at wlabtpres.vance@verizon.net<br />
In gassho,<br />
Vance Nishimoto<br />
WLABT President<br />
<br />
BUDDHIST MEN SAVE UDON BURNERS AT LAST MOMENT!<br />
Rick Stambul<br />
It appeared to some to be just another usual Saturday morning<br />
in the parking lot of our <strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> on<br />
June 21. Some others might venture to say that most of the<br />
parking lot looked more like an organized flea market instead of a<br />
more typical morning when it might be empty except for a few<br />
parked cars. But this morning was different. Everything was<br />
ready for the annual yard sale to raise funds for our 80 Plus<br />
Lunch Program. Looking through the haze of that early morning,<br />
minutes before the gates opened to the rush of people anxious for<br />
a bargain, Mas Sasaki, President of <strong>Buddhist</strong> Men, was alert and<br />
on the lookout. As he turned around, he saw it. No doubt about<br />
it. Looking at the photo next to this article you can see exactly<br />
what he saw: Two powerful burners absolutely essential for<br />
making udon for one of <strong>Buddhist</strong> Men’s Obon Festival booths.<br />
They had cost more than $500 and had been quite difficult to<br />
find the year before. But something was definitely wrong. Masako<br />
(cont’d on page 7)<br />
4
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
VISITING DIGNITARIES AT <strong>2008</strong> WLA OBON FESTIVAL by Jack Fujimoto<br />
Rosendahl, Hara, and <strong>West</strong> Introduced<br />
Rev. Usuki Gets Commendation<br />
On Sunday, July 27, our<br />
"shepherd for the vote" in the<br />
ll th Council District, Bill<br />
Rosendahl, came to the WLA<br />
Obon Festival. He presented a<br />
Certificate of Commendation to<br />
our resident <strong>Temple</strong> minister,<br />
Rev. Fumiaki Usuki, for his involvement in<br />
spreading community goodwill. During his<br />
remarks, he reiterated his respect for religious<br />
tolerance and the importance of appreciating<br />
the work of ancestors.<br />
Bill Rosendahl proceeded to introduce Deputy<br />
Chief Terry Hara of the <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> Police<br />
Department, calling Terry the "highest ranking<br />
Asian American police official" in the nation,<br />
and stating that he was delighted to have Terry<br />
as head of the <strong>West</strong>(ern <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong>) Bureau<br />
which covers much of Bill Rosendahl's area.<br />
Deputy Chief Hara has not only endeared<br />
himself to the extremely large community of<br />
<strong>West</strong>side citizens, but also has stated publicly<br />
that he wants to help the Asian American<br />
communities such as Sawtelle. So, we are proud<br />
to have Chief Hara visit and become known as<br />
"our friend.”<br />
Deputy Chief Hara<br />
introduced James <strong>West</strong>,<br />
newly appointed captain of the <strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong><br />
<strong>Angeles</strong> Department of LAPD on Butler Avenue.<br />
Captain <strong>West</strong> and his family were grateful to be<br />
invited to the WLA Obon Festival. He invited the<br />
Obon public to call his office for services at any<br />
time. Captain <strong>West</strong> issued the invitation and<br />
therefore, the "door is open" for us to use.<br />
It is through the offices of these visiting<br />
dignitaries that the WLA <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> can<br />
cordon off a block of La Grange Avenue to hold<br />
our weekend Obon Odori. We are grateful that<br />
Obon dancing can safely proceed on the street.<br />
Nisei Week 2007 Queen's Court and <strong>2008</strong> Queen<br />
Candidates Appear<br />
Monica Teuffel, 2007 Nisei Week Queen,<br />
addressed the Obon Odori crowd on Saturday<br />
evening. She expressed her thanks to the <strong>West</strong><br />
<strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> JACL Auxiliary and Venice<br />
Japanese Community Center for their sponsorship<br />
of her before being named Queen.<br />
The Odori crowd was overwhelmed with the<br />
many 2007 Queen's Court members and several<br />
<strong>2008</strong> Nisei Week candidates who individually<br />
addressed the audience. This is the first time in<br />
40 years of announcing the Obon dances that<br />
so many Nisei Week dignitaries appeared.<br />
Maybe, their wanting to visit indicates the value<br />
of their exposure to the WLABT Obon audience.<br />
In any event, we are the beneficiaries.<br />
Photo by Peter Babida<br />
L to R: Deputy Chief Terry Hara, Captain James <strong>West</strong>,<br />
Rev. Fumiaki Usuki with Commendation, and Councilman Bill Rosendahl<br />
5
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
DHARMA SCHOOL NEWS<br />
Grace Mizushima<br />
Thank you to everyone who<br />
participated in the Obon<br />
dancing this year. I hope<br />
you will all agree with me<br />
that we had another great<br />
year of dancing. There were<br />
many dancers lining the<br />
street on both nights. I was<br />
impressed again at the many dancers who were<br />
colorfully dressed in their beautiful kimonos.<br />
We could not have pulled it off without the help<br />
of the teachers who dedicated their time as<br />
usual. I would like to recognize them again<br />
because they deserve it (see list below)!! I would<br />
also like to thank Mrs. Kayo Ohkawahira again<br />
for helping us get our lines formed and even on<br />
both sides. We were able to get all dancers onto<br />
the street on both days!! Lastly, I would like to<br />
thank the audio equipment staff: Greg<br />
Mizushima, Russell Tagawa, and Vance<br />
Nishimoto, and of course our MC, Dr. Jack<br />
Fujimoto.<br />
<strong>2008</strong> Obon Dance Teachers:<br />
Fujimoto, Grace Nishimoto, Kaylie<br />
Fujimoto, Crystal Ohkawahira, Diane<br />
Hoy, Denice Ohkawahira, Nathan<br />
Hoy, Emily<br />
Pierce, Jacqui<br />
Hoy, Katie<br />
Raposa, Stan<br />
Matsumune, Haru Sakurai, Yuki<br />
Mizushima, Grace Stambul, Rick<br />
Mizushima, Kylie Tamura-Pedersen, Joko<br />
Murayama, Atsie Yahata, Beverly<br />
Nakaba, Kiku<br />
ever wrong!!! Laraine initially bought 30 pairs.<br />
Those of you who were at the practice that night<br />
we sold them, saw that they went like hotcakes!!<br />
Laraine bought additional naurko. Again, they<br />
were ALL sold. Thank you, Laraine, for helping<br />
us get all the naruko!<br />
In August, WLA sent nine children to the<br />
LABCC camp held at Camp Morningstar in the<br />
San Bernardino Mountains: Amanda & Derek<br />
Bang, Emily & Katie Hoy, Kylie Mizushima,<br />
Kaylie Nishimoto, Nathan & Ryan<br />
Ohkawahira, and Nicholas Pedersen. They left<br />
on Saturday, August 2, from Nishi Hongwanji.<br />
This year, after the Camp awareness campaign,<br />
they were able to get 190 participants! Last year<br />
they only had 130 campers! This is definitely<br />
the most campers WLA has sent in recent years!<br />
We will be sure to get a report from the campers<br />
after they return.<br />
Back row: Nathan, Kylie, Kaylie, Amanda, Emily, Katie<br />
Front row: Nicholas, Ryan, Derek<br />
(see article above for last names)<br />
Photo by Grace Mizushima<br />
<br />
Photo by Peter Babida<br />
At this time I would like to extend special<br />
thanks to Ms. Laraine Miyata. Laraine was our<br />
buyer of the “naruko” (the clackers or noisemakers<br />
we used for Yosakoi Naruko Odori).<br />
Since this was our second year with this dance,<br />
I didn’t think there would be very many people<br />
who still wanted to purchase the naruko. Was I<br />
6<br />
Friday, <strong>September</strong> 19, 7:30 p.m.
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
BWA NEWS<br />
Haru Matsumune<br />
Beef brisket … some people<br />
really look forward to the booth<br />
construction lunch. We can all<br />
thank Yasuko Shohara and<br />
Shirley Ito and Toban 2 for<br />
preparing another great meal!<br />
Did you enjoy chirashi, sushi, or Spam musubi<br />
during our Obon Festival? These specialties<br />
were provided through the capable leadership of<br />
sushi booth chairperson Gail Yamanaka. Work<br />
begins months before the event, and two ladies<br />
helped Gail from the beginning with planning,<br />
taste-testing, and shopping. A special thank you<br />
to these two ladies, who worked so tirelessly<br />
behind the scenes.<br />
Obon weekend days begin especially early for<br />
Hidemi Ohkawahira, who drives out to<br />
Gardena to pick up the cooked rice for us. Not<br />
only that, but he also sharpens all of our knives.<br />
Many people contributed to the success of the<br />
sushi booth. We would especially like to<br />
acknowledge Masako Ishioka, who has been<br />
helping us for many, many years; Susan<br />
Ishioka-Pai and her in-laws; Pat Bungo and<br />
her daughters; Sumi Shohara; Gwen Toma;<br />
and Tamiko Yamaguchi. Mata dōzo yoroshiku<br />
onegai shimasu!<br />
BWA<br />
What Would Buddha Do?<br />
school of life.<br />
Jacqui Pierce<br />
Most people live very busy<br />
lifestyles and sometimes<br />
when we are so busy that we<br />
forget to take the time for<br />
learning. Buddha says that it<br />
takes concentration. Not only<br />
that, it takes time. We cannot<br />
be hasty or negligent or we<br />
will stop learning in the<br />
Listening and Learning are two very important<br />
abilities that we all carry with us. Even Buddha<br />
took years to learn everything his gurus taught.<br />
It will take us longer. I believe Buddha would<br />
want us to take time and remember the<br />
importance of Listening and Learning.<br />
MIRACLES DO TRANSPIRE<br />
Day before Obon, Friday,<br />
preparations were being made<br />
to serve delicious udon on<br />
Saturday and Sunday. But<br />
who was going to prepare the<br />
kamaboko, chashu, and onions,<br />
because active <strong>Buddhist</strong> Men<br />
were almost non-existent now?<br />
Masako Ishioka must have realized the<br />
dilemma I was in; she volunteered to help<br />
prepare whatever was necessary. BWA ladies<br />
present and Masako all took part in cutting<br />
each kamaboko stick into 24 pieces (for 55 total<br />
sticks) and slicing 40 lbs. of chashu into small<br />
pieces. <strong>Buddhist</strong> Men who showed up only had<br />
to prepare the onions and remaining chashu to<br />
be picked up on Saturday.<br />
My second problem was whether enough<br />
workers would show up to run the udon booth.<br />
The answer was YES! We had many new faces,<br />
men and women, who did a wonderful job.<br />
I would like to thank you all for rescuing the<br />
<strong>Buddhist</strong> Men. Lately, we are being saved by<br />
many organizations. Maybe the <strong>Buddhist</strong> Men<br />
should join the BWA and become honorary<br />
members.<br />
Again, thank you!<br />
Mas Sasaki<br />
(<strong>Buddhist</strong> Men Save Udon Burners cont’d from page 4)<br />
Ishioka, one of our two hardworking chairpersons<br />
for the 80 Plus Yard Sale (in addition to<br />
Chiyo Nitta), thought the burners looked rather<br />
ordinary sitting in the corner of the garage when<br />
she arrived early that morning to set up for the<br />
day. So she marked them for what she imagined<br />
they were worth and put them on sale for Five<br />
Bucks! Fortunately, Mas rescued them before<br />
the gates opened that morning and secreted<br />
them back into the recesses of the garage,<br />
saving them for a successful udon sale at our<br />
Obon Festival. Whew! That was a close call.<br />
Thank you, Sasaki San!<br />
MARK YOUR CALENDAR<br />
Tri-<strong>Temple</strong> (Venice, WLA, Gardena) Seminar<br />
Saturday, October 11, <strong>2008</strong>, 1 – 4 p.m.<br />
at WLA <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong><br />
7<br />
SEE MORE OBON PHOTOS<br />
This <strong>Bulletin</strong> contains only a few of the great<br />
many Obon photos available to us. To see more<br />
photos, go to the WLABT Photo Gallery at:<br />
http://wlabt.smugmug.com/gallery/5585765_fzsfa
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
80 PLUS YARD SALE<br />
The annual 80 Plus Yard Sale<br />
for the 80 Plus Lunch Program<br />
was a huge success<br />
thanks to the hard work of<br />
the helpers. A special thanks<br />
to the <strong>Buddhist</strong> Men who<br />
took out the tables, racks,<br />
tents, and tarps. We could<br />
not have had the sale without<br />
the countless members who<br />
helped to set up, sell, and<br />
clean up. We appreciate your<br />
wonderful support.<br />
The yard sale would not be<br />
possible without generous<br />
donations from members and<br />
friends. Your castoffs can be<br />
treasures for others so please<br />
keep us in mind for next year.<br />
Thank you again for your<br />
continued support of this<br />
program.<br />
Masako Ishioka & Chiyo Nitta<br />
Yard Sale Co-Chairs<br />
Books & games for all ages<br />
Stuffed animals for kiddies<br />
Jewelry for the women<br />
Rods and reels for the men<br />
80 PLUS LUNCH<br />
JUNE<br />
80 PLUS BIRTHDAY<br />
CELEBRATION<br />
<br />
Kaye Okitsu with son<br />
Walter<br />
<br />
and with lunch friends<br />
Kay Kikunaga and<br />
Barbara Tanaka<br />
If you are a <strong>Temple</strong> member who became or will become 80 years old anytime this year,<br />
you are welcome to attend the 80 Plus Lunch held once a month, usually on the last<br />
Monday. Come and chat with your friends, and make new friends, over a tasty, filling<br />
meal prepared by skilled volunteer <strong>Temple</strong> cooks. There is no charge and no donation<br />
expected. If you need transportation, call either Masako Ishioka (310-398-2902) or<br />
Lorraine Soda (310-479-7645), 80 Plus Lunch co-chairs, to arrange for a ride.<br />
8
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
SD CONFERENCE SNAPSHOTS - Photos by Roger Itaya (SFVHBT)<br />
Standing: Kay Kafka, Rob Kafka, Mrs. TamikoTada<br />
Seated: Tosh Ishioka, Toshiko Uyekubo, Kiyoko Nakamura, Richard Stambul,<br />
Ritsuko Uto, Hisako Kokado<br />
Bishops' Memorial Service<br />
Speaker<br />
Rimban George Matsubayashi<br />
Standing: Jonathan Lappen, Jaime Heyl, Kaylie Nishimoto, Vance Nishimoto,<br />
Kathy Nishimoto, Haru Matsumune, Beverly Yahata, Kayo Ohkawahira<br />
Seated: Miyuki Lappen, Yasuko Shohara, Atsuko Murayama, Lorraine Soda<br />
<strong>2008</strong> GRADUATES<br />
Panel Moderator<br />
WLABT Resident Minister<br />
Rev. Fumiaki Usuki<br />
Elementary School graduate Katie Hoy and Middle<br />
School graduate Terumi Yahata with Rev. Usuki<br />
UCLA grad Nicole Okita and<br />
CSULB grad Mariel Tenorio<br />
9
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
<strong>West</strong> LA Taiko Performs over July Fourth Weekend<br />
It was a historic occasion for<br />
WLABT’s <strong>Buddhist</strong> Taiko group:<br />
We performed for the San<br />
Fernando Valley Hongwanji<br />
<strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> Obon Festival<br />
over the July Fourth weekend.<br />
Our selfless taiko sensei, Elaine<br />
Fukumoto, Joyce Layne, and<br />
Audrey Nakasone (in alphabetic order), spent<br />
countless hours to prepare our WLA Taiko for<br />
the occasion. We performed both on Saturday<br />
and Sunday, falling into exhaustion and<br />
exhilaration in the valley heat.<br />
Elaine, Joyce, and Audrey led us in a running<br />
sprint (or was it more like a trot?) to perform in<br />
front of the yagura to show our stuff (see photo<br />
below of the hordes descending). Rev. Fumiaki<br />
Usuki, the founder of WLA Taiko and builder of<br />
our 20-plus taiko, cheered us on.<br />
Rev. Art Takemoto served as a minister at<br />
WLABT from 1964 to 1976. He was WLABT’s<br />
first English-speaking minister, guiding the<br />
<strong>Temple</strong> during its early period of transition from<br />
Japanese to English services. Rev. Takemoto<br />
wrote eloquently about <strong>Buddhist</strong> Taiko as contrasted<br />
with other taiko forms.<br />
“<strong>Buddhist</strong> Taiko, then, becomes the three treasures<br />
of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha working<br />
and revealing itself to us. Because of this fact,<br />
the joy that can be found in taiko becomes the<br />
joy of hearing the Buddha-Dharma. To perform<br />
becomes an expression of one’s joy and gratitude<br />
by Rick Stambul<br />
at being able to hear and receive that which is<br />
most difficult to hear and receive. It is for this<br />
reason that this joy, Horaku, is accompanied by<br />
a sense of deep respect and reverence. For<br />
example, one notes that the beginning of a<br />
performance often begins with the blowing of the<br />
Hora (conch shell). This signals the movement of<br />
one’s entering into the path of the Dharma (the<br />
voice of the Buddha-Dharma), and the<br />
performers will put their hands together in<br />
gassho with the bachi held between the thumb<br />
and index finger and bow with reverence and<br />
repeat Namo Amida Butsu.<br />
On the other hand, however, when one disregards<br />
the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, disharmony<br />
and discord result. This is reflected in<br />
the performance. The performance becomes filled<br />
with ego, and the harmony that can be found in<br />
the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha disappears.<br />
Hence, <strong>Buddhist</strong> Taiko represents the beauty<br />
and joy of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha<br />
working harmoniously, or represents the discord<br />
that can result when the ego works in opposition<br />
to the Buddha and Dharma and becomes more<br />
important than the Sangha.<br />
As a means of Jodo Shinshu <strong>Buddhist</strong> propagation,<br />
the primary purpose and goal of each taiko<br />
player and the listener is to teach and learn the<br />
Dharma by being embraced in both body and<br />
mind to the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma,<br />
and Sangha.”<br />
Namo Amida Butsu.<br />
10
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
The July-August 2005 issue<br />
of the <strong>Bulletin</strong> features an<br />
article which details the<br />
beginning of WLA Taiko. Rev.<br />
Fumiaki Usuki, with the help<br />
of his friend Chico Jimenez,<br />
learned about taiko-making<br />
using old wine barrels.<br />
Three years and 20 taiko<br />
later, Rev. Usuki is known for<br />
his enthusiasm and appreciation<br />
of this instrument. He<br />
happily agreed to help three<br />
young UC Berkeley men learn<br />
how to make taiko.<br />
There was an older taiko at<br />
WLA which was in need of<br />
new hides and other repairs.<br />
This was the taiko chosen for<br />
the project.<br />
The name Harada, Kakuji<br />
was on the outside of the<br />
taiko. Kakuji and his wife<br />
Shimano had donated the<br />
taiko in 1956.<br />
When the skin was taken off,<br />
they discovered that the taiko<br />
had been made by carving<br />
out one section of the trunk<br />
of a tree. Inside, names of the<br />
people who worked on the<br />
taiko were found, dated 1955.<br />
53-YEAR-OLD TAIKO REJUVENATED<br />
Papers in the <strong>Temple</strong> office show that Mr. and Mrs. Kakuji Harada<br />
had lived on the 2000 block of Butler Avenue and both passed<br />
away in mid-1965.<br />
(Photos by Rev. Usuki)<br />
Taiko donated in 1956 by Mr. Harada<br />
UC Berkeley Taiko Members:<br />
L to R: Ryan Yamasaki, Byron Yamanaka,<br />
and<br />
Jeff Sasaki (former WLA Taiko member)<br />
Carvers' names<br />
Rejuvenated Taiko<br />
<br />
MORE WLA HISTORY – 40 YEARS AGO<br />
In the last issue of the <strong>Bulletin</strong>, we published a photo (repeated below) of the WLABT 1968 Accordion<br />
Band National Champions and asked anyone who knew the names of anyone in the photo to let us<br />
know. Mrs. Toshiye Ohigashi came by<br />
with a list naming everyone. Thank you,<br />
Mrs. Ohigashi.<br />
First row (L to R): Randy Yoshimoto<br />
(drummer), Michael Shirai, Art Maeda,<br />
Steven Ohigashi (band leader), and Larry<br />
Nagaoka.<br />
Second row: Late Keith Shirasawa, Kuniko<br />
Akutagawa (Reynolds), Sue Hada (Shirai),<br />
Nancy Sera, Terry Akutagawa, Dennis<br />
Yokotake, and Gary Ishii.<br />
Back row: Late Art Hada (manager) and Lila<br />
Hart (Hart Accordion School).<br />
11
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
Community<br />
Contribution<br />
Program<br />
‣ Total to-date: $3,234.58 <br />
Thanks to you, WLABT receives a generous<br />
contribution from Ralphs every quarter.<br />
The next program cycle runs Sep. 1, <strong>2008</strong> -<br />
Aug. 31, 2009. Please enroll in the new<br />
Ralphs Rewards program, which replaces<br />
the Ralphs Club Card. Only Ralphs Rewards<br />
cards can be enrolled for the <strong>2008</strong>-2009<br />
community contribution program. Thank you!<br />
Ralphs<br />
Reward Card<br />
number<br />
Name<br />
Address<br />
City, ST zip<br />
(NPO 82448: <strong>West</strong> LA <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong>)<br />
Please fill in this form and return it to WLABT<br />
if you want us to enroll your card<br />
Question: If I give my new Ralphs Reward Card number to the <strong>Temple</strong>, does that mean that my Ralphs<br />
cash rewards will go to the <strong>Temple</strong> instead of myself?<br />
Answer: No. We have checked this out with Ralphs and have been assured that Ralphs cash rewards<br />
and Community Contribution Program are separate programs. You can check this out for yourself by<br />
calling 800-660-9003.<br />
We Bid Farewell to Shredder<br />
by Rick Stambul<br />
Shredder, a loveable and engaging Chihuahua dog frequently<br />
seen around <strong>West</strong> LA <strong>Temple</strong>, and who shared<br />
her home with longtime WLA member, Stan Raposa,<br />
and Mike Ball, passed away on July 18, one day after<br />
her last appearance on a cool Thursday evening<br />
following Odori dance practice. She will be missed by all.<br />
The importance of a dog, a cat, a bird, or any pet or<br />
companion friend should not be underestimated. To<br />
paraphrase part of the closing argument made to the<br />
jury in the court case of Burden v. Hornsby (1870<br />
Missouri) in which a man whose dog had been shot by<br />
his neighbor merely for trespassing on his property, his<br />
lawyer famously said, The one absolutely unselfish<br />
friend that one can have in this selfish world, the one<br />
that never deserts him, and the one that never proves<br />
ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.”<br />
12
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
SEPTEMBER SHOTSUKI HOYO, 10:00 a.m., Saturday <strong>September</strong> 6, <strong>2008</strong><br />
Aita, Nobuko<br />
Arita, Kaneto<br />
Fukuhara, Ume<br />
Fukumoto, Jimmy<br />
Hada, Wasano<br />
Ishii, Sadako<br />
Ishioka, Masako<br />
Iwasaki, Karl<br />
Kamibayashi, Yoshiko<br />
Kato, Kei<br />
Kazumura, Shizue<br />
Kazumura, Yoshio<br />
Kojima, Hatsu<br />
Kojima, Hisashi<br />
Kondo, Frank<br />
Koshiyama, Harry<br />
Koshiyama, Hisano<br />
Kurokawa, Fusae<br />
Maeda, Yoneo<br />
Mataga, Tameichi<br />
Mayeda, Tsutaye<br />
Mayetani, Sadaichi<br />
Miyahara, Karo<br />
Mochizuki, Shinsaku<br />
Mori, Hachijiro<br />
Murata, Takeo<br />
Nagatome, Seikichi<br />
Nakagawa, Michiko<br />
Nakamura, Takano<br />
Nakashima, Chima<br />
Nicho, Ei<br />
Ohnoki, Pat<br />
Okubo, Nobuichi<br />
Sakahara, Matsukichi<br />
Sakurai, Matasaku<br />
Sasaki, Takeo<br />
Sasaki, Tatsuo<br />
Shimomaye, Wataru<br />
Shintaku, Sadako<br />
Soda, Steven<br />
Takemoto, Mamoru<br />
Takenoshita, Shintaro<br />
Tanaka, George<br />
Totani, Wakano<br />
Ueno, Shotaro<br />
Yabuta, Robert<br />
Yuzuki, Minoru<br />
<br />
FALL OHIGAN SEMINAR<br />
秋 季 お 彼 岸 セミナー<br />
土 曜 日 <strong>2008</strong> 年 9 月 13 日<br />
午 前 9 時 半 - 午 後 1 時<br />
ウエストロスアンゼルス 仏 教 会<br />
日 本 語 のセミナー<br />
福 間 誠 幹 先 生<br />
会 費 は 一 人 $10 をお 願 い 致 します、<br />
この 中 にはこの 日 の 昼 食 代 が 含 まれています。<br />
Saturday, <strong>September</strong> 13, <strong>2008</strong><br />
9:30 am - 1:00 pm<br />
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong><br />
Seminar in English<br />
Rev. Dr. Michihiro Ama<br />
We are requesting $10/person, which<br />
helps defray costs and includes lunch.<br />
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />
WLABT Ohigan Seminar (9/13/08) Registration deadline: Thursday, 9/4/<strong>2008</strong><br />
Name Phone number e-mail address 日 本 語 Eng<br />
( ) -<br />
( ) -<br />
( ) -<br />
Please enclose $10/person. Please write separate checks for your Ohigan Service<br />
donation and your Ohigan Seminar registration.<br />
13
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
17
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
18
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong><br />
<strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday<br />
1<br />
<strong>Temple</strong> Closed<br />
2<br />
7:30 pm <strong>Temple</strong><br />
Board mtg<br />
3 4<br />
1 pm Study Class (E)<br />
5<br />
Rev. Usuki off<br />
6<br />
10 am Shotsuki Hoyo<br />
7 <strong>2008</strong>-2009<br />
Dharma School<br />
session starts<br />
9:30 am Service/<br />
Study Class (E)<br />
12 noon BWA mtg<br />
8<br />
Rev. Usuki off<br />
9<br />
10:30 am SD<br />
Ministers mtg at<br />
Betsuin<br />
10<br />
7:30 pm B-Men mtg<br />
11<br />
1 pm Study Class (E)<br />
7:30 pm Taiko<br />
12<br />
5 pm 2009 SD Conf<br />
mtg at Venice<br />
7:30 pm SD Council<br />
mtg at Venice<br />
13<br />
9:30 am - 1pm<br />
Ohigan Seminar<br />
Rev. S. Fukuma (J)<br />
Rev. Dr. M. Ama (E)<br />
14<br />
10:00 am Ohigan<br />
Service<br />
Rev. S. Fukuma (J)<br />
Rev. Dr. M. Ama (E)<br />
Lunch follows<br />
15<br />
Rev. Usuki off<br />
16<br />
Rev. Usuki off<br />
17 18<br />
1 pm Study Class (E)<br />
7:30 pm Taiko<br />
19<br />
7:30 pm Bingo<br />
20<br />
21<br />
9:30 am Service/<br />
Study Class (E)<br />
22<br />
23<br />
24<br />
25<br />
1 pm Study Class (E)<br />
26 27<br />
1 pm Shigin<br />
Kinryukai<br />
Rev. Usuki off<br />
Rev. Usuki off<br />
7:30 pm Asoka mtg<br />
7:30 pm Taiko<br />
28<br />
9:30 am Service/<br />
Study Class (E)<br />
29<br />
12 noon 80 Plus<br />
Lunch<br />
30<br />
Rev. Usuki off<br />
<strong>Bulletin</strong> folding<br />
toban: BWA<br />
Office hours: 10 am - 4 pm<br />
Phone: 310-477-7274<br />
E-mail: westlabt@verizon.net<br />
Website: www.wlabt.org<br />
19
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong><br />
20
<strong>West</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong> <strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Temple</strong> <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
NOVEMBER PREVIEWS<br />
JOINT SERVICE WITH SAN FERNANDO, AT SAN FERNANDO<br />
November 2, 10 a.m.<br />
Lunch follows<br />
JOINT SERVICE WITH VENICE, AT VENICE<br />
November 16, 9:30 a.m.<br />
Breakfast precedes at 7:30 a.m.<br />
Look for details in future <strong>Bulletin</strong>s,<br />
and mark your calendars<br />
21
WEST LOS ANGELES BUDDHIST TEMPLE<br />
2003 Corinth Avenue<br />
<strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong>, CA 90025<br />
Return Service Requested<br />
Non-Profit Org.<br />
U. S. Postage<br />
PAID<br />
<strong>Los</strong> <strong>Angeles</strong>, CA<br />
Permit No. 20953<br />
Major Religious Events for <strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
(See Calendar page for schedules of regular services)<br />
<strong>September</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
Saturday, <strong>September</strong> 13<br />
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.<br />
Fall Ohigan Seminar<br />
Rev. Seikan Fukuma (J)<br />
Rev. Dr. Michihiro Ama (E)<br />
Sunday, <strong>September</strong> 14<br />
10:00 a.m. - Fall Ohigan Service<br />
Rev. Seikan Fukuma (J)<br />
Rev. Dr. Michihiro Ama (E)<br />
Lunch follows