Good morning everyone. Last week, Rev. Bob started to have training for two new ministers. I am the youngest minister in BCA now. So, I thought “Oh, we will have new ministers and I will no longer be the young minister.” But unfortunately I am still the youngest minister...

Last Friday, we had a lunch in the courtyard of our church, served by Mrs. Reiko Kurahara and Gladys Adachi and crew. I took a plate and went to the table. But when I sat on the chair, the chair broke! I said “Wha… What’s happens!” And Mrs. Reiko replied “Sensei! Don’t break our chairs”

And Rev. Bob said… What did you say?

I said “No, it’s not my fault. It was already broken.”

I hope the chair was already broken!

 

We usually don’t talk about political issues in our Sunday Dharma School services. But I wanted to mention the community concern over the Tower Theatre.

When I came to United States, the first movie I went to see was movie at The Tower theatre. I saw “Lost in translation.” Since I came, I have gone to the Tower Theatre 4 times. The Tower Theatre is the only movie house in Sacramento that has been showing movies continuously since it opened in 1938 and is among Sacramento’s most recognizable buildings. So, the Tower has served people with classic, vintage and interesting movies for 66 years now. That’s a long time. Last week I went there and saw “New Zatoichi”. In this area, we have the Crest theatre, IMAX theatre, Century Downtown Plaza, UA Arden Fair, Century Stadium, Natomas market place, UA Laguna Village, Century Sacramento Drive-in, Century Green back and the Tower theatre. We have at least 10 movie theatre complexes around Sacramento. However, we can only see rare movies, like “New Zatoichi” or movies made by talented amateurs and old class movies at the Tower Theatre. We know it is probably difficult to manage the Tower theatre as a business not showing the most popular movies”. But it is a Sacramento Landmark.

We are taught in Buddhism and know well that everything is impermanent. Needless to say, the Tower theatre is included in EVERYTHING. Buddhism is also included in everything!

But we should try to keep cultural buildings and famous landmarks as long as possibly can. We should try to keep them as our treasures to give to future generations.

It is so easy to build something new. But it is difficult to re-build and recapture something once it is gone.

Everything is impermanent. I think that is why we try to save things that are important to us. I hope we can save the Tower Theatre.

Gassho

It is so easy to build something new, but it is difficult to re-build and recapture something once it is gone. But as with everything in life, we can only do the best we can.