Good morning everyone.

 I want to thank everyone for attending our first Sunday Dharma school service for the month of May.  Today, Rev. Bob is speaking in Parlier, so he cannot be here.  This past week, the temperature has really gone up.  Sometimes, it is over 80 degrees.  I like the colder weather, so I feel it is already summer.  And, I use a fan all the time.

Last week, we had the Dharma school teachers’ conference in Fresno.  So, we had no Dharma school service last week.  Rev. Bob attended the conference and said it was well done.  Next year, 2007 we will host the Dharma school teachers’ conference here in Sacramento.  I am sure that our 2007 Dharma school teachers’ conference will be very successful.

Since we had no Dharma school service last Sunday, my wife Michi wanted to go to the farmer’s market under the freeway in downtown Sacramento.  We drove to the corner at 7^th & X Street.  When we got there, there were many people already shopping.

 At the entrance to the farmer’s market, we saw a man selling Japanese sweet potatoes.  We looked at the price tag and we were really surprised that the price was 4 lb for $1.

 Michi said “this is very cheap.  In Japan, this would be unbelievable.  So, she said, “Kaz, you should ask the cashier if that price is correct or not.”  So, I asked the cashier “the price tag says 4 lb for only $1. Is that correct?”  The cashier answered “sure.  The Japanese sweet potato is already out of season.”

 I said “yes, I know that it is out of season.  When I was in Japan, I cultivated these potatoes sometimes.”  Some of you may know that I love potatoes more than rice...  I got a plastic bag and started to put the Japanese sweet potatoes into the bag.  And the bag quickly filled, so I got another bag to get even more potatoes.

 Finally, 2 plastic bags were filled with potatoes.  I took the two bags to the cashier.  She weighed the two bags.  And she said “you have 15 lb”.  It was very reasonable… less than $4.

 Yesterday, Michi baked some of the sweet potatoes.  Japanese call a baked sweet potato, Yaki-imo.  I broke it in half and looked at the inside.  It was yellow and it was steaming.  I smelled it… it was sweet.  Humm…  Yaki-imo…  I bit into the Yaki-imo.  Humm… it was so delicious…  But Michi does not like it when I eat too many potatoes.  Do you know why she does not like it?

 It is because I get a lot of gas…  Anyway, fresh vegetables are always delicious and good for you.

 After shopping at the farmer’s market, we decided to go fishing.  Last Sunday was a nice Sunny day, so first, we went to the Nimbas Dam　in Folsom.  There were so many people there that all the parking lots were full.  So, we decided to next go to Amador Lake in Jackson.  I drove for 1 hour to get to Amador Lake.  By then, it was already 1 PM and almost 80 degrees.

 We paid the fishing admission and started fishing.  We could see many fish in the lake.  But we could not catch any fish at all…  Finally, we decided to stop fishing around 5:30 PM.  Both Michi and I got sunburned.  So, we thought that we really went to Amador Lake to sunbathe and not to fish…

 After we came back from the lake, I talked about our fishing trip to one of our members.  She said “when my son was little, he was in a cub scout. One day he came back from the Cub Scout fishing trip and he said “mom, I’m so happy”.  She asked her son “why are you happy?”  He replied “because, I did not kill anything when we went fishing.”

 She said “even now, many years later, my son does not like to kill even small bugs, like ants...”

 Then, I asked her “does he drive a car?”  She replied “Oh, yes.  He drives a lot.”  And I told her “if you look at the front of your car.  You will see many bugs had to die, because you drove your car.  It is the same for all of us.  When we drive our car, we cannot avoid all the bugs that are flying.”  She was surprised and said “that’s true…”

Rev. Bob always says “Itadakimasu” before we eat something.  Do you know the meaning of Itadakimasu?  Some people understand that Itadakimasu means “let’s eat”.  But that is not right.  Itadakimasu literally means “I receive with deep gratitude”.  I will give you an example…  When you say “Itadakimasu” when you receive a gift, Itadakimasu means “I am grateful to receive this gift.  So, when we say Itadakimasu before eating, it means “I am deeply grateful to receive this meal, knowing that life was taken so that I can continue to live.”

So, when we eat, we should receive our food with deep gratitude.

When I ate my sweet potatoes or when I catch and eat a fish, I must also realize that they have lost their lives… so that I may live…

We are able to survive each day… because lives are taken for us to live… animals and vegetables.  When we realize this, the word “Itadakimasu” has very deep meaning.

 We always depend on others.  By others, I do not mean only living things.

 We depend on the trees for oxygen, the rain for water, the sun for warmth.  So many things allow us to live…

 When we realize that so many things allow us to live, we also realize how valuable our lives truly are…  We could not catch any fish last Sunday, but next time, some other fish may become our meal… and we must receive their life with deep gratitude of Itadakimasu.

Gassho

In living life, we always depend on others.  In Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, we appreciate everything as Amida Buddha.  Reiko’s kitchen always prepares many kinds of delicious food for us every Sunday.  So, please try to say “Itadakimasu” before you eat.  You may feel more appreciation for the food and for Reiko’s wonderful kitchen crew.  I appreciate all of you coming to our Sunday Dharma school service this morning.