Good morning everyone.

Last Sunday, we had Bishop Socho Koshin Ogui for our Hanamatsuri guest speaker. And also last Saturday night, we had a meeting with him for 2 and half hours. It was a long meeting.

 At the meeting, Carol Castle sensei and I suggested to Bishop that we should make future ministers from Dharma school students. Most of Dharma school students will leave from Dharma school program when they go to college. And they will come back to Sunday services when they get kids or marry.

We used to have a senior young Buddhist association (Senior YBA) for college age students. But now, there is no Senior YBA. Because of they move to other city or other states to attend their school or to have a job… If they move to other places where no temples are, how do they share their Dharma school experiences in those no temple areas?

 We have a good example in Alaska. Rev. Van Parijs originally came from Belgium to Alaska. He graduated from a College and his major was religion. When he was Belgium, he met Buddhism. Later, he traveled all around the world to share the Dharma. Finally, he found a place to share the Dharma. Its place was Anchorage. He found an American wife and they opened their home to have Sunday Dharma School in Anchorage.

Nowadays, there are 5 Dharma school students and many members. 2days ago, I called Rev. Parjis’s wife to say hello. She said they found a new place to have an independent temple and they moved to there about 2 weeks ago. Their temple is not belongs to BCA. So, their church is definitely independent.

So, I asked her how to survive your temple. She said that she has a full time job and her husband gives lectures to people who want to know about Buddhist teaching. And now they lives in Anchorage for 7 years to share the Dharma.

I think their propagation is one of the ways to share the Dharma.

Someday Dharma School students will finish or graduate from Dharma school. If they have no temple where they live, they can make their own Sangha groups over there …like Rev. Van Parjis.

So, I will prepare to start a Tokudo ordination program for Dharma School students for our future. I know everyone is busy, so I will take this program through internet.

 Someday they will come back to share their experience or they may start their own temple. It will be great. I am not sure everyone knows about BCA membership is going down. I think we need more effort to spread the Dharma for our future. I will do my best, so, please support our temple and our program for our future.

Bishop Socho Koshin Ogui said “to challenge oneself to search in the midst of the uncertainties of work and life, and not be afraid of making mistakes. Let us challenge.” So, I think a Tokudo ordination program for Dharma school students is one of the challenges. I hope someday… these students will start to share the Dharma by themselves. And they will be our guest speaker!

Gassho