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Sangha
President’s
Message Allan Hoshida I would like to thank elder Sam Kaneko, who so graciously provided a one-bedroom rental house to live in for Reverend-in-training Kurt Rye while he was in Sacramento. For 3+ weeks, Kurt was shadowing Reverend Bob and learning to be a Jodo Shinshu minister. During this time, Kurt met many of our sangha members during Sunday services, interacted with our Reverend Kaz, minister assistants and office staff, attended the February board of trustees meeting, and gave a sermon on his last Sunday he was here…all in the hopes of gaining valuable experience prior to his first formal assignment. Good luck Reverend Rye! Also, my thanks go to board members Richard Kai, Kelvin Mark and elder Mike Nagai who volunteered to supply needed furnishings for the house, i.e., bed, kitchen table, lamps and, not least, a TV set. Thanks everyone for helping Reverend Kurt Rye during his stay here in Sacramento. On February 29 and March 1, Reverend Bob, President-Elect Richard Kai and I represented our Betsuin during the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) National Council meeting held in Portland, Oregon, hosted by the Northwest District. Mary Ann Miyao, BCA National Board secretary for the last several years, was also in attendance. At the request of Socho Ogui, our minister assistants Patti Oshita and Carol Castle came to participate in the services and were formally recognized during a special Kyoshi ceremony as part of the council meeting. A major point of National Council discussion was to consider ways in which BCA could pay for the current loans taken out for the Jodo Shinshu Center (JSC) building. (Currently the outstanding balance is $9.3 million.) The following motions were approved: National Board is given authority to: 1) refinance current loans; 2) sell Bishop’s house to reduce debt; 3) sell/lease/rent headquarters building in San Francisco to reduce debt; 4) secure loans/gifts from Hongwanji, the Endowment Foundation, temples and others; 5) continue to encourage BCA Endowment Fund to transfer non-restricted funds to help pay off some of the loan/debt. The following motions were not approved: 1) sell shares in Jodo Shinshu Center building; 2) special dues assessment of $25 per temple member per year for five years. My personal impressions: 1) Though the motions above were passed and give the National Board the option of selling existing facilities, if needed, the likelihood of that happening is very slim. 2) Unlike last year’s very vocal and contentious meeting, this year’s council meeting was very toned down. In fact, there were several impassioned pleas expressing their own personal experiences that showcased how valuable the JSC has been for them. They encouraged everyone attending the council meeting and especially the temple leaders to go back to their individual sanghas and try to help out in any way possible. 3) The only major income stream would be if more members were to help contribute financially to the 21st Century Campaign, enough to pay off the debt. 4) Since we have the Jodo Shinshu Center, we all collectively need to take advantage of the facilities, go to programs there, visit the bookstore, stay at the dorm rooms, etc. to help in any way we can. By getting to know the benefits of JSC can we truly appreciate what we have. The following are some examples of programs at the JSC: - April 4-5: Networking and reconnecting the post-college to 35 year olds: Seminar geared toward young working members with special emphasis on their needs, desires and interests as young adult Buddhists. - May 10: Japanese Nembutsu Seminar: A day-long seminar for Japanese-speaking members. - June 27-29: Pacific Seminar: A revival of the annual BCA seminar, which was originally held in Asilomar. The new Berkeley version will be held at the JSC, co-sponsored by the Institute of Buddhist Studies, and will feature several respected Shin teachers. - August 4-8: Early morning meditation: Come stay at the JSC to experience morning Buddhist activities together with other Dharma friends and families. - August 15-17: ABCs of Dharma School Teachers’ Retreat: A continuing program organized and staffed by professional and experienced educators who will guide new and dedicated Dharma School teachers committed to serving their Dharma Schools. - September 26-27: Seminar for Temple Leaders: A weekend seminar geared for temple leaders to strengthen their understanding of Jodo Shinshu, temple leadership and their responsibilities as leaders of the sangha. Note: We will post upcoming events in our hallway so if any of the programs may be of interest to you personally or as part of your organization, or if you visit the Bay Area/Berkeley, just stop by. Give Glenn Kameda, facilities coordinator, a call and he will give you a personal tour of the facilities. During the last four years representing our temple, my whole focus has been to do what is best for our Betsuin. If we continue to have wonderful programs, great ministers, energetic and cooperative sangha members, my feeling was that’s good enough. As great as it may seem for our temple, if we truly are sangha members of BCA, then we cannot close our eyes and pretend that BCA’s troubles do not affect us. It is with this thought in mind, and certainly as one of the promises I made to help support Reverend Bob and Socho Ogui to promote Jodo Shinshu here in America, we all must do whatever we can, no matter how large or small, to resolve this financial situation. I wonder what our grandparents/founders would have done, in their lifetimes, if they had this kind of opportunity to advance Jodo Shinshu here in America. I often wonder what my grandparents would think if they could be here today and see/observe the kind of legacy they have left behind in their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I think they would be truly amazed and very proud of all of us. Please join me on this journey to help BCA and JSC, not only to survive, but to thrive. Thank you. Rinban Bob Oshita Hello and welcome to the month of April….This month we will observe our annual Hanamatsuri Service celebrating the birth of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha. I’d like to thank Kiyo’s Florist for each year donating hundreds of colorful carnations, which Dr. Ken Furukawa’s 8th Grade Dharma School class will use to decorate our beautiful Hanamido. From the time I was very young, Hanamatsuri was my favorite service. I recall, as a small child, the Hanamido seemed like a flower garden that had just sprouted up in the front of our Hondo. And I remember how mischievous I felt when I was able to “dunk” the baby Buddha, pouring sweet tea over his head again and again. Looking back, I realize I had no idea how many people worked so hard and gave so much so that I could experience being a part of a vibrant Sangha and be introduced to our remarkable Dharma tradition. Little did I know back then that I would become a minister. I think this also surprised many who knew me as a young child. Each year at the San Francisco Buddhist Temple, our Dharma School would re-enact “The Life of Shakyamuni Buddha.” One particular year, I think it was 1956, I was one of three boys who were given the very minor role of palace guards. All that Guy, Randy and I were asked to do was stand there off to the side of the stage holding these poles made to look like spears. Naturally at rehearsals we became so bored, we would leave our “posts” and run off. There was this one Dharma School teacher who everyone feared. She grabbed us, drew three small circles on the stage…and firmly told us if we stepped out of those circles, we would ruin the entire play. Fearing for our lives, we believed and we obeyed. On the day of the actual play, we stood motionless in our circles. Three small, inconspicuous guards were we. Suddenly, we noticed Randy’s feet were wandering out of the circle. Guy warned him to stay in the circle. He did it again. I whispered, “You’re ruining the play.” After numerous violations, Guy and I felt the play was now certainly ruined and we began to fight on stage. It’s amazing that people still remember that particular Hanamatsuri play. When I first came here in 1984, our Betsuin’s Kathy Iseri came up and asked me, “Are you the same little Bob Oshita that was in that Hanamatsuri play in San Francisco?” I discovered that Kathy had been a Dharma School teacher in San Francisco back then. She said she could never forget that play. My mother told me she felt like crawling into a hole…but there was none to be found. To the many, many members and friends of our temple, please know that there are hundreds of children a part of our Sacramento Betsuin who will thank you for working so hard and giving so much so that they too can experience being a part of this vibrant Sangha and be introduced to our truly remarkable Dharma tradition. And it is my hope that we will have many future Dharma teachers and ministers coming from our Sacramento Betsuin Dharma School program. See you at Hanamatsuri! RB Grace Hatano Potpourri of Oneness Spring is the time of year when flowers bloom, taxes are paid, and we participate in many annual events that we eagerly await this time of the year. The month of March was very busy and exciting with all the basketball tournaments involving many of our Dharma School students. Each of them, playing his/her best for the team, interacted with each other, playing as a team. Win or lose, depending on and supporting each other, they play together, striving to do well. The Spring Food Festival is also a collaboration of us all working together to provide delicious Japanese food. Also in March and into April, the Girl Scouts organization has been busy selling delicious varieties of cookies for us to enjoy. We are so lucky! They sell, we buy. Together we help them sell the most cookies (more than 22,000 boxes) in the community. It takes many of us to make this possible. We depend on each other to make it successful. (Admittedly, we have the easier task — buying and eating the cookies!) This month, we have our exciting Hanamatsuri event on April 13, celebrating the birth of Buddha with a play called “Harry Potter and the Buddha Clone,” presented by the Dharma School students. Each of the lower division classes will be participating, making this a fun and exciting program to see. The students practice to do their very best for the audience. As classes and their teachers work with the production team, we know this is one you’ll want to see. As we come together — we as participants, and our parents, grandparents, friends as our audience — we depend on you to make this event a super success. Your kind attention and encouragement gives the children (and us!) a lot of joy. We as ministers assistants are fortunate to participate in the Hanamatsuri service and program for Dharma School. With the support of our sangha, we are able to serve our Betsuin as needed. As Dharma School teachers, we will be part of this wonderful Hanamatsuri program play. One of the teachings of Buddhism, interdependence or “oneness in life,” is so much part of our everyday life and everyday events. We cannot do anything alone; we need others to make it happen, whether playing basketball, selling cookies, participating in a service or in a play. 2008 Spring Food FestivalVirginia Uchida The weather and attendance were great this year. Udon, chicken and sushi sold out. I believe this is due to the support of our sangha and our delicious food. ABA and SBWA started planning in January. Food preparation began on Friday and ended Sunday morning at 1 a.m. with the cooking of the rice and the making of the sushi. Over 600 pounds of rice were washed, cooked and prepared. I would like to thank all the women who came out this year, especially Frances Kondo, Fumie Ishihara, Ikuko Sakazaki, Heidi Sakazaki, Chizuko Sakaishi, Kiyo Tanaka, Tomi Tanaka and Fusako Takahashi. In addition, we are appreciative of the following who helped with the rice washing, rice cooking and heavy lifting: Harry Inouye, Sam Kobata, Rio Sunahara, Kinya Noguchi, Yosh Nakamoto, Yutaka Nishikawa, Jim Tsuda, Kats Yamamoto, Dennis Lau, Edmund Yee, Henry James, Ken Ito, Kats Yamamoto, Bruce Furuta, Ross Masaki, Marty Matsuda, Dale Uyeminame, Craig Nishite, Denis Ishisaka, Mike and Rachel Nagai, George Dressler, Ron Nishimura and Edmund Yee. My gratitude to SBWA members Mary Inouye and Sandy Nishimura-Yee for co-chairing this event with me and ABA President Wayne Kurahara. From The OfficeWe need your help! If you are planning to be away from your home, please let the office know so that we do not send out the Sangha, etc., as the post office returns them to the church and we must pay the return postage on the mailings. Your cooperation will be appreciated. Also, if you have moved, please let us know. Thank you! Church MaintenanceEd Imai As a recipient of the Betsuin’s Sangha newsletter, you will realize from reading this maintenance article every month that a lot of work is involved in keeping the church facilities maintained and fully functioning. The maintenance committee (Melo Coloma, John Fujimoto, Frank Hirota, Don Honda, Roy Imura, Roger Ito, Yosh Nakamoto, Steve Sasaki and Gary Traganza), along with our Golden Seniors, works diligently throughout the year on electrical, plumbing, painting and carpentry projects to help defray church costs. If the church relied solely on outside private contractors to keep the facility operational (some institutions even pay private contractors to replace the high-ceiling light bulbs whenever they go out!), costs to operate the church would go up significantly and we all would be contributing more in annual dues or additional special service envelopes. Much needs to be done and, as this church is more than 50 years old, more and more items will need to be maintained or replaced. So please offer your assistance to stain the trellises, repair the fences, paint rooms, replace bathroom sinks, etc. if and when needed and called upon. Also, in this way, when helping out, you will be setting an example for your children to “give back to the church” in a sincere appreciation of thankfulness. Over the last month, the following members performed maintenance on the Betsuin’s facilities. The Betsuin thanks the following members for volunteering their time and hard efforts: - Gary Traganza for preparing and repainting the main hallway wall area where the old pay telephone booth existed. - Gary Traganza and Roy Imura for installing the bookshelf in Tak’s office. Gary built the shelves along with supplying the materials. Thanks to Marty Sakata for loaning the commercial grade impact drill. - Victor Kushida donated his time and hardware for installing the audio connections at the back of the Hondo and at the audio rack in the office copy room. Thanks to Kristi Omoto-Fujimoto and John Fujimoto for pulling cable for this project. - Frank Hirota for purchasing and installing backup batteries in Hondo emergency lights. - John Fujimoto for cleaning out the sewer line in Reiko’s kitchen. BazaarTee-Shirt Design Contest 62nd Annual Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar NEEDED: Adult & Children’s Tee-shirt Logo Design - Two creative designs — one for adult tee-shirts and one for children-sized tee-shirts. - Bazaar themed and related to Japanese culture. - Designs no larger than 8½ x 11. Limited to 3-4 colors. - Computer-generated designs will be accepted; however, please keep in mind any copyright infringements. - Awards will be presented to the winners for an adult design and a children’s design. - Winners will be announced at the Dharma School End of Year Picnic on June 8. Deadline & Design Submission: Entry must be submitted by April 11, 2008 For more information regarding this contest, see additional flyer located at http://www.buddhistchurch.com/events/Bazaar.htm Or contact the church office at 446-0121 and leave a message for someone to return your call. Sponsored by Sacramento Buddhist Church Dharma School and the SBC Bazaar Steering Committee Programs at Jodo Shinshu Center Bobby Tanaka The Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley is now hosting numerous educational programs throughout the year. In the coming weeks, the following programs are being offered: April 4-5: Networking and Reconnecting (post-college to 35 years old): Seminar geared toward the Generation Y young working membership with special emphasis on their needs, desires and interests as young adult Buddhists. April 17-18: Ministers Assistant Program (Mapquest Group II): Continuing educational seminar for recognized ministers’ assistants in Group #2. April 24-27: Ministers Assistant Program (Mapquest Group I): Continuing education seminar for ministers’ assistants in Group #1. May 4: VESAK: A celebration of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death co-sponsored by Institute of Buddhist Studies and Center for Buddhist Education. For more information, please contact the Jodo Shinshu Center by phone: (510) 809-1462 or by e-mail: director@cbe-bca.org. Jim & Yuki Hashisaka In Memory of Motoyo Okamoto Eiichi & Michiko Okamoto In Memory of Motoyo Okamoto M/M Frank Ikemoto In Memory of Parents Sadao Nagao Eleanor Nobuye Shuny Sagara In Memory of Sadahiko Matsumura Umeko Tsushima In Memory of Gunichi Tsushima Kaneo Yamamoto April Adachi In Memory of Yosuko Ikuma Isamu Kobata M/M Shigeru Ota In Memory of Hisa Imahori, Shiro Imahori & Fujie Urayama Fusaye Yokoyama In Memory of Chiyono Yokoyama Ruth Toyota 3rd Year for George Matsmoto Alan Wu Hello again. Welcome to April 2008. As we sit and reflect on the activities of March, we can take a deep breath and just say ahhhhhhhhhh, what a ride it was. Our 37th Annual Basketball Tournament was yet another huge success. Congratulations go out to the tournament director, Austin Nodohara, for another job well done! Our usual and customary combination Family Social and Dance has been traditionally held at the Betsuin, but this year, we decided that it was time for Extreme Make-Over: Tournament Edition, so we moved the dance to the ballroom at the Hilton Hotel where many of our participants bedded for the weekend, which made it very convenient for them, and the Family Social was not only moved to the SASF building in Elk Grove, but was also transformed into an Ice Cream Social with a little Bingo thrown in to get the crowd going. By utilizing our “state-of-the-art” computational devices available to us at the brand new “state-of-the-art” SASF facility, we determined by looking around and counting that there were approximately, maybe more, maybe less than 500 people enjoying our Saturday evening event. We scooped out 30 gallons of Vic’s Ice Cream, gave out dozens of Bingo prizes, and by seeing all the ice cream smears around the kids’ mouths and the smiles on the parents’ faces, it was obvious that we hit a home run….oh, I forgot that this is basketball season, so I should say, it was obvious that we had a slam-dunk, in-your-face winner on our hands with this new-fangled Family Social, so look for its return next year, and if you didn’t attend this year, then first of all, shame on you, and secondly, ha, ha, you missed out, now have to wait 12 whole months before it happens again. Of course, we could not host this tournament all by ourselves; we had the assistance of our wonderful sports program families that cooked for and manned our concession stands; managed the gyms; and did all the other tasks involved in running a tournament, so the Sports Committee would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to everyone who helped make the 37th Annual Basketball Tournament the success that it was. And special thanks go out to everyone at the Family Social for staying until the end to help clean up. I mean to tell you, everyone must have stayed because we cleaned up, turned out the lights and locked the door in record time, and the way it all happened was like we had been doing this Ice Cream Social for 37 years, so a great big “Thank You” goes out to you all who helped at the Family Social! The following bears mentioning since it is April now and the major bulk of the basketball season is behind us. Please remember that attendance is calculated on a rolling calendar. The rolling calendar is the immediate prior 12 months that rolls as each month passes. To maintain eligibility and good standing to play in the next league in the fall of 2008, the attendance records from December 2007 through November 2008 must be over 60 percent, which includes the months of April, May and June. So, attendance throughout the entire Dharma School year, all the way through June, is critical, very critical. The easiest way to think about this requirement is: Just Attend! So until the next time, say pure and beautiful words. Important Dates to Remember April 13: Hanamatsuri Service Bobby Tanaka On February 24, the Pack held a pigs-in-a-blanket breakfast fundraiser. It was a huge success, and the Pack would like to thank its sponsor, the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, and the families and friends of Pack 50 for supporting this event. Special thanks also go to Pigs-in-a-Blanket Chairperson Nick Shebert, and the Scouts and parents who assisted in this fundraiser. Job well done, everyone! Open registration for Cub Scout Pack 50 is just around the corner! All interested boys ages 6-9 will have an opportunity to join this fine organization. The Pack is tons of fun, and the boys learn so much! An orientation/registration meeting will take place on Sunday, April 6, right after Dharma School. For more information, please contact Parents Committee Chairperson Barbara Sasaki at saksneg@yahoo.com or Cubmaster Bobby Tanaka at betanaka@pacbell.net. Masako Thomas Contact Masako Thomas at (916) 482-8770 or e-mail: sakurahanami@hotmail.com Richard Kai This is the first year in many that I am no longer on the basketball trek that takes my family though many parts of the Bay Area and consumes virtually every weekend for the months of March, April and May. Some ask if we miss not participating in the annual ritual. Well, I’m afraid to say, not a bit. I do miss watching our girls 2007 Barons and Betsuin basketball teams take on teams that are generally more athletic and taller than ours, but somehow they came out on top more times than not. Well, that’s what my memory tells me today and I am getting older and more forgetful. What I do miss, though, is the camaraderie the girls shared; I do miss seeing how much fun they had together, whether on the court or at the nightly social events. I do miss them hanging around our room, eating our snacks, or just lounging around having a lot of fun just being there. These girls do really know what it means to live in the moment. Now they’ve all gone their way — to schools down south, the far east (Boston not Asia), and several towns and cities at Northern California locations. So, I guess deep down inside, I do miss the basketball routine, but not for the reasons that lie on the surface. I left the Hondo somewhat confused after listening to a guest speaker at a recent Sunday Dharma Service. It wasn’t that I could not comprehend the Dharma message from a veteran minister, but how the theme ran against fundamental explanations about Buddhism. The talk started out with the use of a word, “conundrum,” followed by asking the Sangha how to spell the word and its meaning. There was no response. One girl tried to spell it — she has more courage than the rest of us — and had a better explanation than the minister’s answer to why the cow’s tail got stuck in thin air (part to of the Dharma talk — you had to be there to understand this one). Finally, after giving all the meaning of the word, this minister continued with his Dharma message. The minister then referred to everyone in the Sangha as a “Buddha.” That’s when I held my tongue and begged for internal patience rather than turning the tables and asking this minister what he meant by using the word “Buddha” so loosely. It’s my understanding that a “Buddha” is one who is awake — no sleeping on this job, buddy. Those who have achieved “enlightenment” are “Buddhas”; those who are anything less are followers of Buddhism. So, to interpret what this minister said, while addressing the Sangha (so the reference could not be in regards to newborn infants), every person starts his/her life fully awake, living in the garden of enlightenment only to find it easier to walk away toward the state of human desire and suffering. In reality, though I may not be able to spell the word “conundrum” or know its definition, I do know I am not a Buddha. I am not fully awake, nor morally straight, and have all the answers to life on my fingertips. Instead, I’m trying at this point to make up for lost ground that I spent recklessly gambling, gaming and chasing girls during my youth. For those who think I succeeded in my pursuit of the three “Gs,” think again. Upcoming Events April 13: Hanamatsuri Service – No Class May 4: Dharma School Teachers’ Conference – No Class Donations Dharma School “courtyard” gratefully acknowledges donations from the following: 8th Grade Class Bill Bennett Ted Fukui Ken Furukawa & Family Minnie Iseri Midori Ito Utako Kimura Yo Morisawa Mitzie Muramoto Eleanor Nobuye Mary Orite Janet Oto Mieko Oto Howard Sakai & Family Kazue & John Tanaka Emi & Louie Watanabe Marcia Watanabe Florence Oto Wong Dorothy & Junichi Yamamoto Haruo & Sueko Yamashita Blood Drive/Medicare BasicsKelvin Marks Blood Drive: April 20 Do you know anyone who has had heart surgery or an organ transplant? How about someone who has been treated for cancer or was born prematurely? Chances are good that someone you know received live-saving blood from a donation drive just like the one happening at our Betsuin on Sunday, April 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Each unit donated can help up to three different people. Donating is fast, easy and saves lives every day. Medicare Basics I was recently asked about Medicare health insurance for seniors. Here are some Medicare basics: - Qualification for Medicare coverage occurs automatically at age 65 regardless of whether you have begun to claim Social Security benefits. Disabilities may allow earlier qualification. If you plan to retire before age 65 and will not have access to an employer-sponsored health care plan once you do, be prepared to buy a health care plan on your own until Medicare kicks in. - Traditional Medicare is divided into two parts: Part A, which covers hospital, hospice, and home care expenses; and Part B, covering doctor bills and outpatient fees. If you paid Medicare taxes while working, as most Americans have, Part A is free — that is, you’ve paid for your benefit. Part B is optional and requires that you pay a monthly premium to get it. If you don’t sign up for Part B when you turn 65, those premiums become increasingly more expensive the longer you wait. - Medicare beneficiaries have recently been given the option of enrolling in two additional programs: Part C, which gives the option to participate in “Medicare Advantage” plans administered by private insurers that are run like HMOs or PPOs, only paying benefits for care you receive in a predefined network of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers. The goal here is to lower total health care costs to you. Your individual considerations, however, should include whether you want or need direct access to specialists and whether you travel a lot or spend significant time away from home. - Part D, available since 2006, covers prescription drug costs. Part D is paid for by you, the beneficiary, and will cost more the longer you wait to sign up after age 65. Some Medicare Advantage programs offer Part D coverage while others do not. Stand-alone prescription plans are available. The most infamous shortcoming of Part D is nicknamed the “Donut Hole,” since a beneficiary would be left responsible for prescription costs after its initial benefits have been paid out and before crossing a subsequent out-of-pocket threshold. Detailed information on this and more is available at www.medicare.gov. - While Medicare is the most popular retirement insurance program, it has many coverage gaps leading to many out-of-pocket expenses. This is where “Medigap” insurance steps in. The National Council on Aging maintains a Medigap buyers guide at its website, www.ncoa.org, and outlines each plan available. Legacy Endowment Fund BoardTed Yoshimura Our second Legacy Endowment Fund Board (LEFB) grant will be to our temple to defray printing costs for the Metta/Padma Handbook. This is the excellent handbook prepared by our very own Courtney Kashiwagi that provides a simplified explanation and understanding of Buddhism. The handbook was so well received that the Buddhist Churches of America teachers federation will be using it throughout all of their temples for their 3rd and 4th grade classes. On behalf of the temple, we are ordering additional copies to have available to our members and the public for a nominal cost. All profits from this handout will be given to the temple. This is another example how LEFB funding will be used for temple programs and activities that promote the future welfare of our temple. We would like to introduce our newest LEFB member, Joyce Sahara. She will be serving as one of our lay temple representatives. Joyce has been active as a previous Dharma School teacher, Board of Trustees member, and temple Camp Fire Girls leader. Together with husband, Bob, and daughter, Jennifer, they have participated in many of our temple programs and activities. Special thanks go to Mike Nagai for installing the display case in the main hondo foyer to hold our endowment fund brochures and other items of interest. With the successful first workshop last November 2007 behind us, our second educational seminar, titled “Spring Financial Update,” will be held at Kamon Sushi Restaurant on Saturday, April 26, 2008 from 11 a.m. sharp to 1 p.m. Among the topics for this free workshop will be surviving a volatile market, stretch IRA benefits, and keeping your estate plan current. As a lunch is offered and space is limited, please call the church at 446-0121 to sign up for this event. All reservations will be made on a “first come, first served” basis. Thanks so much to all of our temple members for their support of the endowment fund program. Sacramento Buddhist Women’s Association Utako Kimura We had no service before the start of our March 5 meeting. Both Rinban Bob Oshita and Reverend Kaz Nakata were unable to be with us. While it left us with an unfulfiilled feeling, we understand perfectly. Rinban Bob was to be out of town. Reverend Kaz was occupied with the arrival of daughter Kanon. It is with much happiness that we add our sincere congratulations to Reverend Kaz and Michiko-san for this joyful event.Miss Kanon Nakata couldn’t have selected a more appropriate date than March 3, as it is a very special day — Girls Day in Japan! Reverend had diaper duty, as well as probably other night duties new arrivals seem to require, along with being certain Michiko-san was resting comfortably. We did receive a “directive” from Rinban Bob that in the event Reverend Kaz came to the meeting in the role of one of two ministerial advisors, he was to be asked politely to please return home to continue his position as “head taskmaster.” Reverend Kaz may have already heard these words of wisdom, for he was absent. Again, we extend our heartiest congratulations to Reverend Kaz and Michiko-san for the arrival of the healthy young lady, Kanon-chan!Molly Kimura led the meeting opening gassho. President Fusako Takahashi thanked everyone for attending the meeting. CORRESPONDENCE, DONATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe would like to continue to share with you the loving kindness of fellow members and friends for their gifts in remembrance of family and friendships.Florence Lutfi................................................. Thank you card/koden acknowledgment (Mother Tomiko Yokoi) Family of Janet Haruko Shintaku.................. Thank you card and koden acknowledgment Heidi Sakazaki............................................... Donation in memory of Tazuko Kamikawa Reverend Kodo Umezu................................. Thank you for FBWA donation to Jodo Shinshu Education Center Richard and Pearl Kai.................................... Special - Appreciation Donation HISTORIAN/Vi Hatano Members are invited to please send articles and photos concerning SBWA activities to History Chair Vi Hatano. CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS/Hiroko Tsuda and Alice Kataoka 2009 FBWA Conference – October 9, 10, 11 at the Doubletree Hotel, Sacramento - Reverend Diane Johnson of Anchorage Alaska has been scheduled to be the guest speaker (English) for the 2009 FBWA Conference.- Reverend Mariko Nishiyama is the guest speaker (Japanese). Reverend Nishiyama has returned to the U.S.A. from Japan and, effective March 2008, is with the Lahaina Buddhist Temple in Maui. - Conference Workshops Committee Chairs Shirley Kato, Lynn Kurahara and Ruth Seo announced that there will be a meeting on Tuesday, April 29, at 1 p.m. at the Sacramento Buddhist Church classroom. Members are invited to attend to assist in this important assignment to decide on workshops and leaders. Northern California District Council and Buddhist Women’s Association Conference – April 19 - Placer Buddhist Church – “Kokoro to Kenko [Healthy Mind and Heart]” - President Takahashi has asked that the SBWA telephone tree be activated to invite members and family to attend this conference. A registration form has been provided to assist the tree members to record information in their calls. On March 23 or 24, President Takahashi, Lynn Kurahara or Virginia Uchida will be in contact with the tree members for the phone call notes. Based on this, SBWA registration will be submitted to the Conference Planning Committee by the April 3 deadline date. Registration fee is $25. - Keynote apeakers are (Japanese) Reverend Tesshi Aoyama of the Placer Buddhist Church and (English) Reverend Patricia Usuki of the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. - Workshops are: Emergency Preparedness – Reverend Tesshi Aoyama and Michi Mitani; Challenges of Aging – Reverend Doctor Ryo Imamura of the Florin Buddhist Church; and Yoga – Sue Whitaker. Religious/Midori Ito and Fusako Takahashi - February 10 - President Takahashi thanked the committee for the successful day — the memorial service for Eshinni-ko, Kakushinni-ko and Lady Yoshiko Ohtani, as well as the luncheon. Accolades to Midori Ito, Machiko Kimura, Molly Kimura, Reiko Kurahara, Norrine Okamoto, Jean Ota, Heidi Sakazaki, Tomi Tanaka, Gerry Tsukiji. The dana collection totaling $200 has been donated to the Dharma School. - March 16 - Ohigan service guest speaker is Reverend Doctor William Masuda of the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple. Service chair is Alice Kataoka. Oshoko representatives for the 9:30 a.m. service are Shirley Kato and 11:30 a.m. service is Misako Oshiro. Refreshment servers following the 11:30 a.m. service are Shirley Kato and Lynn Kurahara. - April 13 – Hanamatsuri service guest speaker is Reverend Dennis Fujimoto of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple in Ontario, Oregon. Oshoko representative is Reiko Kurahara. Social Services/Marcia Matsuda, Vi Hatano and Mitzie MuramotoArrangements are being made for the visitations to nursing homes, assisted living facilities as well as home-bound friends. Chair Vi Hatano remains in need of assistance from Board members to update the visitation list. Get well card has been sent to Lillian Ishii. Special Events/Frances KondoChair Frances Kondo is pleased to report news regarding our events:- Eshinni-ko, Kakushinni-ko and Lady Yoshiko Ohtani Service Luncheon: A special thank you to Mollie Oto for the yummy dessert — mochi ice cream. - Spring Food Festival – March 9 – Beginning of Daylight Savings Time: Co-Chair Virginia Uchida reported a meeting had been held with committees involved in this festival on Friday, February 29 with 24 in attendance. Food preparation times are - March 7, Friday, 1 p.m.; Saturday, March 8, 6 a.m.; Sunday, March 9 at 1:30 a.m. SBWA members were reminded to wear headgear and aprons. - Tamale Fundraiser: To celebrate the great fundraiser, arrangements are being made to attend the Music Circus matinee Sound of Music show and lunch or dinner. Please contact Mary Inouye for details. 2008 tamale-making dates have been set for October 4 and 5. Scholarship/VI HATANOIt was reported that 13 applicants have been interviewed for the scholarships. Crafts for Church Bazaar/SHIRLEY KATOWe wish to say a huge thank you to May Kurimoto for the rice bags donated to the craft project. Sally Hamatake has sewn these bags into aprons and one shirt to be put on display and sale at the summer Bazaar. Thank you many times over, Sally. PHOTO SESSION/MARY INOUYE On February 24, members stood poised with their million-dollar smiles for individual photographs taken by two young men — Dr. Jeff Wong and Dr. Gordon Lee. Doctors Wong and Lee set aside this date from their busy schedule to do this for us. Although we did learn that photography is their hobby, we are so fortunate to have had their time and care. We note with appreciation their fine camera and equipment set up in the Hondo. Mary Inouye delivered the portraits at our March 5 meeting. To Dr. Wong and Dr. Lee, thank you again and again for the exceptional portraits — each will be treasured! Thank you, Mary! 2008 BONENKAI REPORT/MIDORI ITO, NORRINE OKAMOTO The 2008 Tsuito Hoyo Service and the Bonenkai has been set for December 7, the first Sunday. TIDBITS/PRESIDENT FUSAKO TAKAHASHI- We thank fellow members’ “special treats for good health” for our meeting: Gladys Adachi, Vi Hatano, Midori Ito, Molly Kimura, Utako Kimura, Frances Kondo, Reiko Kurahara, Mitzie Muramoto, Diane Muranaka, Patti Oshita, Heidi Sakazaki, Gerry Tsukiji. - President Takahashi urged us to please make an extra effort to greet new and “super senior” members for coming to help at the Spring Food Festival on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9. We are indebted. - Frances Kondo shared with us a valued comment about a fellow member on Jean Kashiwada’s telephone tree. The member tells us of the enjoyment she receives reading the monthly newsletter about SBWA. We are gratified to learn of this complimentary comment, and add a thank you to our fellow member for taking the time to tell us of her good feeling. - April 2 is the next SBWA meeting with the service to begin at 6:45 p.m. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at our church. Molly Kimura led the closing gassho. John Yoshikawa The tentative plan: Japanese baseball players from the Sacramento Valley will be honored during the River Cats game on June 15 at Raley Field. Prior to the game, there will be a BBQ for the honorees, and Kerry Nakagawa’s film, “The American Pastime,” will be presented on the center field screen. I am assisting Wayne Hironaka, who is coordinating this event. Please assist me in identifying those players who played in Camp and in an organized team, such as JACL, Florin AC, etc., in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. We will need their names, addresses, telephone numbers and the period of time they played. The River Cats organization will be mailing the invitations thereafter. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me. Please e-mail, telephone or mail the information to me. Thank you for your time, John Yoshikawa 8645 Glenroy Way Sacramento, CA 95826 (916) 383-4755 (home) (916) 320-2111 (cellular) ABA Sponsors Signups for Kundalini Yoga Beginner’s Class ABA will be sponsoring the second in a series of Kundalini Yoga classes, beginning on Wednesday, March 19, and continuing through May 21. Held from 10-11 a.m. in the kaikan, the cost is $5 per class; if the entire 10-class series is paid in advance, the cost is only $40 ($4 per meeting). Jim Deneff was certified to teach Kundalini yoga by Dr. Siri Gian Singh Khalsa in 1998 and has been teaching for almost 10 years. He currently instructs Kundalini at the Sacramento Yoga Center and at the Sacramento City Parks and Recreation Department. People of all ages and levels of ability will benefit from this ancient practice. Active movement and stretching is combined with many powerful and effective breathing techniques. Kundalini Yoga tones and strengthens the body, creates flexibility in the spine, improves and maximizes breathing and circulation and generally promotes a state of well-being, while inducing a natural, calm, meditative state of mind. Bring a small, firm cushion for sitting, a thick blanket and a yoga mat. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring a bottle of water. It is advisable to eat only lightly, if at all, for two hours prior to class. For more information about Kundalini Yoga, please visit www.PriyaYoga.org. Join our fun exercise class and meet old and new friends! Please contact: Buddhist Church office: Meri or Tak, (916) 446-0121 ABA: Sharon Yoshimura, (916) 421-4740/601-3000 Funerals George Aoki Family In Memory of Sakaye Aoki Howard Sakai Family In Memory of Frances Sakai Mae & Kathryn Shigaki In Memory of Dale Shigaki May Fujinaka Family In Memory of May Fujinaka Tommy Fujinaka In Memory of May Fujinaka Naomi Handa In Memory of Tadao Handa Heidi Sakazaki In Memory of Frances Sakai Shig Shimazu In Memory of Frances Sakai Nicole Tomimatsu, Sarah Tomimatsu, Ryan Nakamura In Memory of Dale Shigaki Melvyn Maeda In Memory of Tadao Handa Roy Higashino In Memory of Sakaye Aoki Hideko Sakazaki In Memory of May Fujinaka Hideko Sakazaki In Memory of Frances Sakai Hiroko Arimoto In Memory of Tadao Handa Masako Fukuda In Memory of May Fujinaka Joey Ishihara In Memory of Jean Miyano Shiro & Nellie Kawamura In Memory of Tadao Handa Akito Masaki In Memory of Tadao Handa Akito Masaki In Memory of Jean Miyano Tom & Pat Matsumoto In Memory of May Fujinaka Bob & Terry Sumida In Memory of Tadao Handa Shigeko Tanaka In Memory of May Fujinaka Tom Tanaka In Memory of May Fujinaka Katsumi & Helen Yamamoto In Memory of May Fujinaka Shuny Sagara In Memory of May Fujinaka Memorial Shig Shimazu 3rd Year for Mary Masako Shimazu Tomiko Yokoi Family 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi George & Masako Okabe Okabe Family Service Rose Iseri 1st Year for Jack Iseri Kimiko Masunaga In Memory of Kinzo & Mutsuye Masunaga Takashi Miura Family 3rd Year for Chiyoko Miura Tomiko Yokoi Family In Memory of Henry Yokoi Jim & Masae Arima 1st Year for Jack Iseri Matsumi Kawada Family In Memory of Matsumi Kawada Akio Miura 49th Day for Hajime Miura Kenneth Miura 49th Day for Hajime Miura Yoneo Miura 49th Day for Hajime Miura Mar Nakata Family In Memory of Sage Nakata Bette Nakatomi 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Alice Otani 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Howard Sakai Family 3rd Year for Mary Masako Shimazu Hideo & Helen Ikenoyama 3rd Year for Mary Masako Shimazu Gary & Janice Matsumoto 3rd Year for Chiyoko Miura June Omori 3rd Year for Mary Masako Shimazu Shimosaka Family Tomoda Family Service Louie & Emi Watanabe 1st Year for Kyuichi Wakayama Frank & Peggy Iida 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Hiroko Hayashi 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Reginald & Judy Ikebe 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Tom & Carol Kudow 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Sam & Mary Shimono In Memory of Grace Miura Feb & Amy Yokoi In Memory of Henry K. Yokoi Feb & Amy Yokoi 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Florence Jeong 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Joe & Alice Kataoka In Memory of Father, Kanichi Kataoka Joe & Alice Kataoka In Memory of Mother, Fusa Takeda Florence Lutfi 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Debra & Bob Miyamoto 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Barbara Nakatomi 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Doug & Sharon Nakatomi 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Sharon & Doug Nakatomi 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Hiroshi & Tsugino Oto 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Gertrude Sato In Memory of George Sato Judy & Ricky Schlesinger 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Sally Yamaichi In Memory of Miyuki Tanaka Steve & Beverly Yokoi 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Tom & Diane Yokoi 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi James & Debbie Allie In Memory of Rosie Tomoda Bob Ariyasu In Memory of Masahiro "Butch" Kozumi Isamu & Toshie Kobata In Memory of Butch Kozumi Masae Murai In Memory of Brother, Tsutomu Yamauchi Mark Curtis Otani 3rd Year for James Nakatomi Yoshiko Sasamoto In Memory of Butch Kozumi Tomio & Michiko Shimizu 49th Day for Tomiko Yokoi Cynthia & Kenneth Tanaka 3rd Year for Mary Masako Shimazu Mickey Tanaka 3rd Year for George Matsumoto Yoshiko Okabe Okabe Family Service Special Misao Abe In Appreciation of Recovery Michael Watson Special Donation Frank & Ellen Ito Ministerial Assistant Fund – In Memory of Rosie Aiko Tomoda Ken Takata Ministerial Assistant Fund - In Memory of Rosie Aiko Tomoda Cheryl Watanabe Special Donation Anonymous Frank & Fumiko Uchida In Memory of Tom Tamotsu Shimada Building Fund Naomi Handa In Memory of Tadao Handa Tomiyama Family In Memory of Kaneyoshi Tomiyama Richard Nelso & |
