BUSSEI B U D D H I S T T E M P L E O F S A N D I E G O

Happy New Year! Karen and I would like to thank the San Diego sangha for the wonderful experience we have had here this past year. We look forward to anoth-er joyous year. The New Year symbolizes a new begin-ning. Although there is actually no differ-ence in each day, we have designated December 31 as the old year, and January 1 as the New Year. The beginning and ending of each year, month, and week

are necessary and convenient designations to conduct conven-tional life. Isn’t it true that we could celebrate each moment as the ending and beginning of our life? We may actually do this as we acknowledge each day, week, or month. Looking over the past year, we may judge it to be good or bad according to how our life was affected. And, we look to the future with optimism toward our life events. However, this ba-sis of individual good or bad is played within the larger field of family, community, country, and world. With each increasing larger context, the criteria of good or bad becomes very com-plex. My bad fortune, may be in a family that enjoys material success, in a community that is suffering from a recession, in a country with economic growth, in a world of conflict. We can see how this gauge of “good or bad” is relative and depends on the context. This gauge of good/bad, right/wrong, is subjective and has no resolution. Yet many religions are based on this un-solvable condition of opposing duality. I think Shinran felt this contradiction in his life as a monk on Mt. Hiei. As he followed the teachings of Honen, he shifted his emphasis to another standard of life: a continual awakening and appreciation of the efforts of others (Amida’s compassion). This practice of grati-tude was not done for recognition, but to acknowledge what was received from others. Siddhartha Gautama also saw the unsolvable dilemma of good/bad and life/death, as he witnessed bugs being eaten by a bird, which in turn was caught by a cat, which in turn was eaten by a fox. Life depends on the death of others, as every birth will end in death. So, we know that the outcome of the life/death duality, ends in death. Does that mean that life loses to death? Under that system, life after death becomes more important than real life. But Shinran emphasized that a spiritual awaken-ing is a present life event. Since we are alive now, it is the quali-ty of life that is significant. In Gobunsho, “On White Ashes”, Rennyo states: “By so understanding the meaning of death, we

shall come to fully appreciate the meaning of this life…” Our Shin practice is to find joy in the gift of ordinary human life. The Nembutsu is the means by which this awakening takes place. But that experience may be so deep and profound that a process or steps may be necessary for us to appreciate its full meaning. Dharma talks, stories, chanting, and rituals may all point to the truth of the Nembutsu. The benefit of being in a Shin community or sangha, is a living experience and reminder of this truth. Being an active sangha member is the process of being on the journey of awakening. This process or journey is one in which one becomes fully aware of the gift of life provided by others. We recognize these gifts in the ordinary process of living. The beginning step on this journey, is to become aware of things that we have received from others. “Thank you” acknowledges what we have re-ceived. By incorporating this simple habit, we begin to shift our focus from what we don’t have (please) to appreciate what we do have (thank you). Wholesome views or perspective, is an initial step in the 8 Fold Path. “Thank you” or “Namo Amida Butsu” is that moment of awakening of “fully appreciating the meaning of this life.” The goal in Shin Buddhism is not to be in the “good” column of the good/bad duality. The goal is to be aware of being in the process of waking up and appreciating the effort of others for my benefit. Ironically, this process of awak-ening gratitude, invariably leads to a more joyous and “good” life. In my first year in San Diego, I have presented a basic struc-ture of Shin Buddhism in language and concepts that are famil-iar to all Americans. In the coming year, I will be relating tradi-tional Shin doctrine to this structure: of ME to WE; of achieve to receive; and “please” to “thank you.” The questionnaire that I used last year will be available again. Please fill out and return it, to help me share the Shin Dharma with you, most effectively. Shinran notes that he feels great joy in his appreciation of the Dharma. It is also the first stage of the Bodhisattva path. Let us use “joy” as our measurement of the quality of our lives. The old year may have been judged as good or bad. The New Year can be experienced every day, as we listen, hear, and act on the Dharma. “In a world of duality: of pain/pleasure, good/bad, life/death...

I become awake to a universe of Wisdom and Compassion. Great joy and gratitude are everyday gifts of the Nembutsu.”

Gassho, Kenji Sensei

SCRIPT 2929 Market Street, San Diego, California 92102 Web: www.btsd.net E-mail: info@btsd.net Phone: 619-239-0896

JOYOUS NEW YEAR

By Rev. Dr. Kenji Akahoshi, Resident Minister

VOLUME CXXV NO. 1 JANUARY 2015

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By Glenn Torio, Board President

On Thursday, December 11, 2014, the Board of Directors met and the following items were acted on or discussed.

1. Condolences to the family and friends of the late Mrs. Tokuko Huffman.

2. Rev. Akahoshi will be on vacation from December 18-26. 3. A parting gift was approved for Rev. Jim Yanagihara, who

will be relocating to Fresno, CA. After his retirement, Rev. Jim served BTSD as an associate minister.

4. The Board approved reimbursement for two days lodging costs incurred by Rev. Dr. Ken Tanaka (Tri-Temple seminar and Eitaikyo speaker) on his visit to San Diego.

5. The Board approved reserving two tables for the Japan Society's Gala on January 29, 2015. BTSD will be receiving the Phillips Community Award. The Board approved paying the cost of Rev. and Mrs. Akahoshi and President Glenn and Mrs. Torio to attend.

6. The Board approved National Council Meeting registration fees and some lodging costs for our minister and delegates.

7. The Board was informed of the progress of Balboa Park Centennial planning concerning a possible Obon Odori at the Park, in association with the Japanese Friendship Garden.

8. The Board was updated on the status of the Kitchen Compliance Project and discussed outstanding work,

BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu!! I ended my last message with a Happy New Year wish, and will begin 2015 with the same; here’s to a healthy, fruitful and enlightening New Year! The Temple and organizations will begin the year with an eventful January. We have the Temple’s New Year Party, Gen-eral Membership Meeting, and we will also be preparing for the BCA National Council Meeting/Conference at the end of Febru-ary! The NCM meetings have evolved into more of a conference atmosphere rather than 2 full days of meetings. We (San Diego & Vista) are the first to offer this type of event. This is a national event made up of the Ministers and Leaders of all BCA Temples and/or Churches from around the nation! As co-hosts, we were hoping to make a change in the meeting format, and with the support of Bishop Umezu and BCA Governing Board, this has happened. They also feel a group of leaders attending these meetings should not be spending two full days in meetings without time for networking, learning opportunities and hear-ing the Dharma from a variety of Ministers and Dynamic speak-ers. The meetings will now be two, 3 ½ hour sessions. The event is open to all who are interested in attending, at no cost, with the exception to the banquet. I would like to thank you all, our great Sangha, for the sup-port given to making our Temple a place of enjoyment for all that attend. We now have a wonderful new kitchen area, re-strooms and office space to keep us moving forward for years to come. We hope to be able to pay off the remaining balance due for the kitchen project quickly, and with the continued sup-port of our Sangha, I am confident it will happen! Gassho.

BWA NEWS

ABA NEWS December started out with most of us attending the Bodhi Day service on the 8th, and had the delicious Chow Mein lunch hosted by the Jr. YBA. On the 15th, was Mochitsuki. Some of us were able to help. It was a very tiring day, but we made it! We would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year, and hope 2014 will be a healthy one. We will be having our Breakfast meeting in Chula Vista on Jan. 4, at 9:00 a.m. at the new restaurant (formerly known as Jimmy’s in the Park). Please let Motoo know if you can attend.

Thank you to our lucky buyers and craft workers of our “Lucky Cranes”! They have been a great success! So far, we have had 3 selling days and have sold out our stock. Don’t for-get that our next planned craft day will be on Wed., Jan. 14, 2015. We will continue to make the “Lucky Cranes”, but have lots of other ideas for different projects. Come join in the fun and learn something new! Our famous & delicious almond brittle has become so popu-lar, that we were sold out this year even before mochitsuki! We apologize if you were not able to purchase some this year, but please be on the lookout for it in a few months, and we will have more to sell the next holiday season, too. Thank you to all who came to help out on Sunday, Dec. 14 for mochitsuki, starting from 6 a.m., and throughout the day. It was fun to see old friends and make new friends, while working together to keep this tradition alive. You helped make many mochi-eating people very happy! Thank you to Groups C and D for providing delicious hospital-ity treats on Dec. 21! Several people came at 8:30 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. on Dec. 28, to learn how to prepare for Omigaki (annual cleaning of the altar items) in preparation for the New Year. This year again, Kenji Sensei will speak to us, and allow us to enter the Onaijin. It is a rare, moving, and inspirational opportunity, and one not to be missed. Our Shinnenkai, or New Year party, will be on Sat., Jan. 17, 2015 at Ichiro’s on Convoy. It’s not too late to sign up. Don’t miss out on what will be a fun celebration! Please contact Sue at (858) 565-6594 or sl.sd@roadrunner.com for more info. Qigong ~ heard of it? It’s coming up on Sat., Mar. 14, 2015, from 10 a.m. to noon! Qigong involves connecting breathing, body, and the mind. We are so fortunate to have Mr. Masa Nai-to from the Bay area come to offer a wonderful workshop. It will be hands on do-able, and open to everyone, so please help spread the word! Look for the flyer! Don’t forget to check the BWA website: southerndis-trictbwa.weebly.com/ for the latest on our BWA, as well as

(Continued on Page 4)

financials (costs and donations). 9. The Board approved 2014 Oseibo for our resident

minister, temple secretary, gardener and Rev. Aoyama. 10. The Board thanked the Muraoka Family for their

hospitality and sharing their beautiful home for the Bonenkai on December 4.

Page | 4 BTSD BUSSEI SCRIPT JANUARY 2015

DHARMA SCHOOL NEWS

JR. YBA NEWS

Thirty (30) Dharma School students rolled strikes, spares and gutter balls at the bowling day activity on Nov. 30 at Kearny Mesa Bowl. There were a total of 58 bowlers who participated and everyone had a great time! The youngest bowlers used bumpers to guarantee knocking down the pins. Temple mem-bers Margo Spears and Fred Nakatani joined in on the fun. Kenji Sensei was the number one cheerleader. Thank you to Bill Sannwald for organizing the event. Thank you to the 6th-8th grade class for providing the Dharma message during the Bodhi Day service on Dec. 7. Bowen Clark, Lucas Clark, Ayako Enochs, Makoto Enochs, Mark Iwashita, and Naomi Tanaka are our newest students, and were recognized during the service. SMILING FACES AT MOCHITSUKI: Many Dharma School stu-dents, parents and friends participated in the temple’s mo-chitsuki on Dec. 14. The kids helped grind and pound mochi, and cool and package the sweet rice cakes. Mr. Ralph helped the students find a fun job at the fun event. YEAR-END ACTIVITIES: On Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve), the temple will observe Joya-E (year-end) service at 7 p.m. The fol-lowing day is the Shusho-E (New Year’s Day) service at 10 a.m. Dharma School students attending these services will get extra credit. Our next staff meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 4 at 9 a.m. Dharma School also resumes that day. Hope everyone had a nice holiday! Have a Happy New Year!

Gassho,

(BWA NEWS: Continued from Page 3)

BWAs at other Southern District temples. Thanks to Group A for providing delicious snacks for our De-cember meeting. We will not be holding a January 2015 meeting, but hope to see you at our Feb. 1, 2015 meeting, host-ed by Group B.

Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had a great holiday season and look forward to the New Year. Speaking of holidays, we would like to thank everyone who made a donation towards the Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive during November. Your generous donations allowed us to pre-sent four (4) baskets of food to families in need during the holi-day season. The United Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) social service organization was able to distribute the food baskets to families in the community. We thank everyone who supported our yummy Chow Mein luncheon fundraiser on Dec. 7. We prepared 313 servings of chow mein and sold out! We wish to thank those who pur-chased tickets, and to the parents and friends who helped us with the preparations. On Dec. 14, members used their energy to help at the tem-ple’s mochitsuki. We helped grind and pound the mochi. During the mochitsuki, we had our monthly meeting. Members are asked to turn in your $5 membership dues to Hailey Sasaki, and sign-up for the volleyball tournament by our next meeting on Jan. 11.

ACTIVITIES REPORT LuAnn Lee, Activities Chair

BENEFIT DINNER/DANCE. On Nov. 15, we hosted our Second Benefit Dinner/Dance & Casino Night (“Enchanted Island”). Close to 140 people were in attendance for dinner, an oppor-tunity drawing, casino games and dancing. The Kitchen Compliance Project (KCP) has been completed, and the remodel is a wonderful upgrade for our Temple and Sangha. The project had some unexpected costs so we are do-nating the proceeds of the opportunity drawing that totaled $1,141, and $2,800 from the VIP Reserved Tables, to KCP. Thank you to these individuals and businesses that donated items to the Casino Prizes and/or Opportunity Drawing: Aki

Tomiyama; Beverly Yamamoto; Crazee Burger; Crowne Plaza

Hotels & Resorts, Mission Valley; Cygnet Theatre; Ellen

Miyashiro Sakagawa; Empress Hotel; Golfsmith; Harold & Lu-

Ann Lee; Janice Shigehara; Jeff & Kathy Sakai; John & Tsune Hashiguchi; Karen Akahoshi; Karen & Roy Okuhara; Kris Tokuna-ga; Miki Honda; Mildred & Trace Kawasaki; Miyo & Ed Hill; Nan-cy Martinez; Nancy Nakatani; Niban Restaurant; NINE-TEN Res-taurant; San Diego Air & Space Museum; Soap Designs by Syd-ney; Sprouts North Park; and Sylvia Hwa. We would also like to deeply thank and acknowledge our VIP Table Contributors: Rev. Kenji & Karen Akahoshi, Holly Hidinger, Fred & Nancy Nakatani, Ellen Miyashiro Sakagawa, Union Bank, Mani Yamaguchi, and Tom & Sumi Yanagihara. It was an evening to remember as it brought temple and community members together, making new friends and taking away fond memories. Thank you to those who supported this event and special thanks to Junko Kajita for chairing the event

along with the dedicated Dinner/Dance Committee. MOCHITSUKI. The Temple had its Mochitsuki on Dec. 14. It was well attended, and a tradition that I hope will continue for many more years. Thank you to Ralph Honda & Glenn Negoro for chairing, and to all the hard working volunteers! The ASIAN FOOD & CRAFT FAIR was an overall success. We netted approx. $13,000 dollars; half will go towards the KCP project. We may not have sold out of everything, but your hard work paid off. On behalf of the Activities committee, I would like to thank each and every one of you that came out to volunteer and sup-port our many fundraising events. It is greatly appreciated! Our next Activities meeting will be on Jan. 28, 2015 at 7 p.m. If you have any fundraising ideas, please contact me or any oth-er committee member via the temple (619) 239-0896.

During the first six month of 2015, we look forward to many activities, including our attendance at So. Dist. seminars I and III. More notable will be our chance to co-host Seminar II with Vista on May 2. On March 1, we will have a breakfast fundraiser during the BCA National Council meeting. We will also host our annual Mother’s Day breakfast in May, and host games at the annual Bazaar in June. Thank you again for your support. We hope that everyone has a prosperous and healthy 2015!

In Gassho, Breven Honda, 2nd VP

Page | 5 BTSD BUSSEI SCRIPT JANUARY 2015

There was a great turnout of the final Bingo session of 2104 held on Nov. 30. Since nobody throughout the year had won the $150 black-out game prize, they awarded anybody who won the regular blackout game that prize. We did have a lucky winner! Remember, the Temple gets 50% of all proceeds. Buy-in is $10 with extra cards and pull tabs at $0.50 each. A raffle for goodies is held just before first bingo break. HERE ARE THE 2015 DATES: 1/31, 2/21, 3/28, 4/25, 5/30, 6/27, 7/25, 8/29, 9/26, 10/31 and 11/28. Hope to see you there to have a fun night of playing Bingo, while supporting the VFW, and the Temple. Thank you!

UPDATE

BUDDHIST EDUCATION NEWS Special Dharma Talk with Rev. Harada. Please join us for a special Dharma talk with Rev. Marvin Harada of the Orange County Buddhist Church on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m., in our Sangha Hall. Save-the-Dates for More Dharma Talks in 2015. Our guest speakers for other major services have graciously agreed to provide additional Dharma talks when they visit San Diego.

Saturday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.: Rev. Carol Himaka, So. Alameda County Buddhist Church

Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m.: Rev. Peter Hata, Higashi Hongwanji

Saturday, April 11, 7 p.m.: Sensei Brian Nagata, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America

Sunday, May 17, 1 p.m.: Rev. George Matsubayashi, Emeritus

Tentative: Sat., July 25, 3 p.m.: Rev. William Briones, Nishi Hongwanji, Los Angeles

Saturday, Sept. 19, 7 p.m.: Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo, University of San Diego

Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.: Rev. Don Castro, Seattle Betsuin

Buddhism 1-2-3 Continues in January. Starting Jan. 7, each Wednesday Buddhism 1-2-3 continues at 7 p.m. in the Sangha Hall. Kenji Sensei will typically lead off each month for the first few sessions, with members of the Buddhist Education Com-mittee (including Maribeth Smith, Kaytee Sumida, and Bill Teague) will assist. Every session includes chanting, meditation, and Dharma. In January, Kenji Sensei will help us examine the struggles and issues in our own lives in light of some of the key concepts in Jodo Shinshu – what they are and why they work in our lives. Introduction to Buddhism - Jan. 28. For folks interested in learning more about the basics of Buddhism, our one-time Intro to Buddhism class will be offered on the Fourth Sunday through most months in 2015, excepting August and December. Ses-sions are typically led by Kaytee Sumida.

SCRIP NEWS The year has gone by quickly, and I would like to thank eve-ryone who has purchased scrip this past year. This year has been a year of building the Scrip Program by having a supply of

2015 MAJOR SERVICE GUEST SPEAKERS

Each year wonderful and dynamic speakers share the Dhar-ma at BTSD’s eight major services. During 2015, the lineup of speakers will once again be excep-tional. The temple hopes that you and your family will be able to take the opportunity to attend services and listen to these outstanding speakers. Here are the list of guest speakers, in-cluding the observance and service date:

Ho Onko (Shiran Shonin’s memorial) – Jan. 18: Rev. Marvin Harada, Orange County Buddhist Church.

Nirvana Day (Nehan-E) (Sakyamuni Buddha’s memorial) & BWA Memorial – Feb. 8: Rev. Carol Himaka, So. Alameda Buddhist Temple.

O Higan (Spring Equinox observance) – March 15: Rev. Peter Hata, Higashi Hongwanji

Hanamatsuri (Birth of the Buddha celebration) – April 12: Sensei Brian Nagata, BDK America

Gotan-E (Shinran Shonin’s birthday observance) – May 17: Rev. George Matsubayashi, BCA Minister Emeritus

Hatsubon and O Bon (Memorial service) – July 26: Rev. William Briones, LA Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

O Higan (Fall Exquinox observance) – Sept. 20: Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Professor, Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Diego (USD).

Eitaikyo (Perpetual Memorial observance) – Nov. 8: Rev. Don Castro, Seattle Buddhist Temple.

Japanese messages and BEC lectures: Some of the guest speakers will provide messages in Japanese. Monetary Donations: BTSD is accepting monetary dona-tions from the Sangha to help underwrite costs for the guest speaker’s expenses. If you wish to make a donation or sponsor a guest speaker’s visit, you may send your kind gift to the tem-ple. Simply mark on the envelope “2015 Guest Ministers’ Dona-tion.” In the past, the generosity from the Sangha, as well as the affiliated organizations has allowed the temple to bring very dynamic speakers to share the Dharma. The temple looks forward to your participation and support with the guest speakers program in 2015. In Gassho.

different gift cards available for purchase, as well as building the bank account to accommodate orders. Thank you to Jamie, Nancy, and Ann who help out with the Scrip Program. Just remember that gift cards (or scrip) is a great way to help the temple as well as purchase items safely from retailers. It is also a way to buy things when you don't have any cash on hand. For those of you who shop at Famous Footwear, they have joined the Great Lakes Scrip Program! Once again, thank you for purchasing scrip. Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

All temple members and friends are encour-aged to attend the annual New Year’s Party on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015, following the Ho Onko

service. Attendees will can choose from a traditional

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Temple New Year Party

Page | 6 BTSD BUSSEI SCRIPT JANUARY 2015

JAPAN SOCIETY TO HONOR BTSD AT ANNUAL GALA

The Buddhist Temple of San Diego will be recognized with the Phillips Community Service Award at the Japan Society of San Diego & Tijuana’s 21st annual Leadership Awards Gala on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at the San Diego Marriot Del Mar. BTSD has reserved two tables and is accepting reservations for the event. The cost is $125 per person. If you would like to be a part of the festivities, please call or email the office with your reservation. You may make your payment by writing a check made payable to the Buddhist Temple or by credit card. Reservation deadline is Jan. 25. With the temple receiving such a prestigious award, the Board of Directors is suggesting that up to two representatives from each affiliated organization attend the gala. Other gala honorees include Jerry Sanders, CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and former Mayor of San Die-

go (Business Leadership Award), and Dr. Yoshiko Higurashi, San Diego State Professor (Reischauer Int’l Education Award). The temple has been well-recognized at the Gala with recent past recipients including members Dennis Otsuji, Agnes Benson, Tom Yanagihara and Roy Muraoka for their dedicated service to the community. Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with registration, reception and silent auction. Dinner and award presentations begin at 7 p.m.

(NEW YEAR PARTY: Continued from Page 5)

Japanese-style New Year’s bento (box) lunch, a vegetarian-style bento lunch, or an alternative non-traditional Japanese-style lunch. Please fill out the form with your meal selection, include your payment and mail it to the temple to ensure your reserva-tion. The deadline is Sunday, January 11. During the luncheon, there will be presentations and enter-tainment. The temple looks forward to your participation as it cele-brates 2015 – the Year of the Sheep.

BCA NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING UPDATE

In the December Bussei Script, I described the activities that will take place at the February BCA Ministers and National Council Meetings. I hope that as many members and friends from our temple take advantage of the opportunity to come out to listen to numerous guest speakers and ministers who will share the Dharma. Now, I would like to briefly describe some of the responsibili-ties that BTSD has during the five-day event. As you know, our temple and the Vista Buddhist Temple are collaborating as co-host temples for the meetings. The South-ern District Council of the BCA is serving as the host district. Close to 200 ministers, delegates representing the BCA’s 60 temples, BCA staff, BCA executive committee, committee chairs and boosters will gather for the meetings. San Diego and Vista are combining efforts with hospitality, transportation, registration, booster activities and general ar-rangements. Getting involved: As the dates for the meetings get closer, I am pleased when Sangha members come up to me and say, “Ralph, please let me know what I can do to help!” This tells me that our Sangha is anticipating to host the BCA to our fine city. I really appreciate the positive reaction, especially when I have approached members asking for help. Do not be concerned if you have not been asked to help. Either a committee member or I will be approaching you soon. Active Committee: On San Diego’s end we have an enthusi-astic committee who are working hard at making things happen for the meetings. Karen Okuhara & Karen Akahoshi are heading up hospitality. For transportation, Glenn Negoro is working on the details to get delegates from the airport to the hotel. Ann Ong is coordinating non-delegate (booster) activities. Tim Kajita is our audio visual/sound system go-to guy with the hotel. Avis Honda is our secretary and has been documenting each meeting with detailed notes. Roy Okuhara is our “Mr. Every-thing.” Nancy Martinez will be coordinating an exhibit on our temple’s history. President Glenn Torio is our meetings ambas-sador, and Kenji Sensei is our advisor and liaison with the min-isters. On your next visit to the temple, check out the storyboard that describes all of the opportunities for the National Council Meetings. I am hopeful that as many members of our Sangha will get involved with the annual BCA meetings either as volunteers, seminar/workshop attendees and observers. The committee’s next meeting is Sunday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. following the temple New Year’s party.

(Continued on Page 7)

BTSD GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The temple’s annual General Membership meeting will take place on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 12 noon in the Annex Hall. This once-a-year meeting gives the Sangha the opportunity to gather to listen, ask questions and comment on the summary of 2014 activities and the events planned for 2015. Reports will be provided by Rev. Akahoshi, President Glenn Torio, the Board of Directors, various committees and affiliated organizations. The assembly will be asked to vote on the 2015 fiscal year budget and approve the Board of Directors slate. Noteworthy activities for 2015 include the BCA Ministers and National Council meetings that will take place Feb. 25-March 1 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and BTSD, and the possible venue change of the 2015 Bon Odori (August 1) to Balboa Park, to be held in conjunction with the Balboa Park Centennial celebra-tion. According to temple bylaws, meeting notifications will be sent to all dues paying members at least 10 days prior to the meeting. A quorum of 25 members is needed to qualify as offi-cial. Potluck luncheon: Everyone attending is encouraged to share their favorite dish for the potluck luncheon. Rev. Akahoshi, President Torio and the Board of Directors look forward to seeing many temple members at the annual meeting. Gassho.

Thank you very much to all of the temple members, their families and friends from the community who participated with the Mochitsuki held on Dec. 14. For the past 37 years, rain or shine, BTSD has conducted its annual Mochitsuki, sharing a Japanese cultural experience and our Jodo Shinshu practice of Okagesama-de, or deep apprecia-tion and gratitude. The outpouring of support was tremendous for the temple’s tradition of making mochi, the bite-size circular sweet rice cakes, for the New Year. In addition to our temple Sangha, a special thank you is ex-tended to the following community groups for their volunteer efforts: Torrey Pines High School Key Club; Japanese Nat’l Hon-ors Society from Canyon Crest Academy; SDSU Japanese Stu-dent Association; Japanese Friendship Garden& Japan Society. All of the workstations were filled with volunteers through-out the day. The men were steaming the mochigome, sweet rice, to its fine texture. Dharma School children and other youngsters were grinding the rice into a doughy consistency. A throng of energetic and eager youths led by the Jr. YBA pound-ed the mochi adding to a finishing touch. Many ladies headed by the BWA, ABA and YABA groups cut and molded the mochi into bite-size morsels. Then, it was on to the cooling station where more Dharma School children, parents and adult volun-teers cooled the mochi. The final part of the production was packaging and weighing the mochi. Many children were seen

Page | 7 BTSD BUSSEI SCRIPT JANUARY 2015

(BCA MEETINGS: Continued from Page 6)

Expand the experience. San Diego will be the place to be in February 2015.

Gassho, Ralph Honda, Co-chairperson

MOCHITSUKI: A HUGE THANK YOU!

delivering the packaged mochi to the pickup/selling area, where the crew there, were bagging and distributing the mochi. A special thank you is extended to the ladies who prepared lunch for all of the workers, and to the families who shared their favorite dishes and desserts to compliment the meal. With everyone’s efforts over 1,300 pounds of mochi was produced. There were over 1,000 pounds of pre-sale orders, plus more walk-up purchases. Thirty four Kasane (2 piece set) mochi offer-ings were made through orders from families for their home O Butsudan. Five kasane (3-piece sets) mochi offerings were pro-duced for the temple’s Onaijin. When you attend the services on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 you will notice the kasane mochi placed in front of the Amida Buddha, Shinran Shonin and Rennyo Shonin. Thank you to the crew who came out on the Friday prior to Mochitsuki, braving the rain, to wash 900 pounds of rice. When the rice-washing was finished, the sun began to peak through the clouds. Many thanks to the crew who came out the next day to set up the equipment. THANK YOU DONORS: The temple wishes to thank the fol-lowing for their monetary donations: Agnes Benson, Holly Hidinger, Miki Honda, Ralph/Avis & Breven Honda, Chieko Mori-yama, Glenn Negoro, Janet Ochi-Fontanott, Susan Schraeder, Maribeth “Smitty” Smith, Dr. & Mrs. Terry Tanaka, Bill & Joyce Teague, Motoo & Angie Tsuneyoshi, Ruth Voorhies, Tom & Su-mi Yanagihara, BWA, ABA, Jr. YBA, and Dharma School. EXTRA MOCHI AVAILABLE: The temple has extra mochi on sale for $4.50 per bag. If you wish make a purchase, please call the office. Mochitsuki 2014 was definitely a heartwarming and memo-rable experience. Everyone’s volunteer efforts and purchases are deeply appreciated. For the regulars who missed out, your presence was definitely missed. Looking forward to seeing eve-ryone at Mochitsuki 2015 scheduled for December 13!

In Gassho, Ralph Honda & Glenn Negoro, Co-chairs

B W A P R E S E N T S

chi (energy)

gong (cultivation)

Qigong Workshop with Masanori Naito,

Japanese Qigong teacher/practitioner

*Date: Saturday, March 14, 2015 *Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12 noon *Place: Buddhist Temple of San Diego

Annex Hall

*Suggested $10 donation gratefully accepted.

*Cultivating energy & healing through gentle, easy movement.

BUDDHIST TEMPLE OF SAN DIEGO

2015 NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Happy New Year!

The Buddhist Temple of San Diego and Rev. Kenji and Karen Akahoshi, cordially invite our members and friends to attend the Temple’s 2015 New Year Party following the Ho Onko Service on Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 12 noon in the Annex Hall.

You may reserve a traditional Japanese-style bento lunch, regular or vegetarian, for $15. A children’s bento is $6.50. Our program will include a taiko, a slide show of 2014 temple highlights and other performances.

We would like to provide a complimentary Bento for our ministers; all temple members who have attained (or who will attain this year) the venerable age of 88; couples celebrating their 50th year anniversary; and all new individual or family members who have joined the temple in the last year. We will have reserved seating for our honorees and their families. Though your lunch is complimentary, we do ask that our honorees turn in a reservation if you plan to attend to assure we will have a lunch waiting for you!

We sincerely hope you will be able to join us at the celebration. Please fill out and return the form below, or call the office at 619/239-0896 to RSVP by SUNDAY, JANUARY 11.

In gassho, 2015 New Year Party Committee

NEW YEAR PARTY LUNCHEON RESERVATION

Please fill out and mail this form with payment in the enclosed envelope BY SUNDAY, JANUARY 11. All orders except those from our special guests must be paid for in advance.

NAME(S) ___________________________________ PHONE ______________________

E-MAIL ____________________________________________________

*PLEASE RESERVE: Regular Bento ______ x $15 = $__________ Vegetarian Bento ______ x $15 = $__________ Children’s Bento ______ x $6.50 = $__________

TOTALS: ______ $__________

_____ I am “88 & Great!” and will attend, so please reserve a complimentary bento for me.

_____ I/we became new members in 2014 and will attend the party, so please reserve the complimentary bento(s) indicated above.

BUDDHIST TEMPLE OF SAN DIEGO Membership Pledge for 2015

Renewal New Member* Sponsorship* Change of Address

Mr. Mrs. Ms. NAME: ________________________________________ BIRTHDATE: _________________

Mr. Mrs. SPOUSE NAME: _______________________________________ BIRTHDATE: ________________

ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________________________

CITY: _____________________________________________ STATE: _____________ ZIP: _____________________

PHONE: (_____) _______________ CELL PHONE: (_____) _______________ WORK PHONE: (_____) _______________

E-MAIL: _____________________________________________ OCCUPATION: ________________________________

Membership Pledge: The temple has an annual campaign to raise funds that go towards the Operating Budget. This budget

pays for ministerial salary, part-time staff, programs, utilities, maintenance and the day-to-day expenses of running the temple. This tiered membership offers members the opportunity to choose their level of donation.

Sponsorship Pledge: Individuals are invited to sponsor a new or existing member under the current membership program.

Sustaining Dana Wisteria Bodhi Member Member Member Member

Individual / Senior / Youth (All Ages)

Couple / Family

Optional: Senior Reduced Cost (75 years and older)

Optional: Youth Reduced Cost (30 years and younger)

Recommended Annual Donations (Optional): FLORAL OFFERING FUND (Suggested annual donation of $40) ......................................... This fund helps defray cost of regular fresh flowers for the Onaijin (Central Altar).

GENERAL MAINTENANCE FUND (Suggested annual donation of $40) .............................. The fund helps provide upkeep of the Temple properties.

SCHOLARSHIP FUND (Suggested annual donation of $20) ................................................ The fund rewards members’ deserving high school graduates and college students.

DHARMA SCHOOL (Suggested annual donation of $20) .................................................... Dharma School does not conduct fundraisers. Your annual donation helps sustain its activities.

KITCHEN COMPLIANCE PROJECT ........................................................................................

TOTAL AMOUNT

AMOUNT ENCLOSED

*PLEASE INDICATE PAYMENT SCHEDULE: _______ Annually _______ Semi-annually _______ Quarterly _______ Monthly

$275 $375 $500 $

$450 $650 $1000 $

$125

$150

$

$

$

$

$

$

To use credit card:

____ Visa ____ MasterCard Acct# __________________________________________ Expires (MM/YY) ________/________

Authorized signature (if charging): ____________________________________________________________________________

Billing address (if different from above): ______________________________________________ Zip ___________________

Please make checks payable to the BUDDHIST TEMPLE OF SAN DIEGO. A percentage of your dues support the Buddhist Churches of America and is remitted annually to the BCA via the Temple. Benefits include a year’s subscription to the BCA publication, “Wheel of Dharma” and a printed copy of our monthly newsletter, the “Bussei Script.” THANK YOU!

Mailing address to send your pledges: Buddhist Temple of San Diego 2929 Market Street San Diego, California 92102

For any questions about membership, please call the Temple at 619-239-0896 or send inquires to the Membership Chair at info@btsd.net.

*For NEW MEMBERS and SPONSORSHIPS, proration is available.

$

(Membership Amount)

$

２０１５年一月 仏教婦人会議事録

１）一月手芸の日：１月１４日（水）

手芸教室で作りました折鶴は、売り切れてしまいました。

手芸教室は、皆様に喜ばれています。ご参加下さい。

２）アーモンドブリトルは、皆様に好まれすぐに売れてしまい

ました。後日、また売られますからよろしくお願いしま

す。

３）１２月１４日（日）午前６時から終日行われた。餅つき大

会にご奉仕有難うございました。

４）１２月２１日（日）ホスピタリティ茶菓の用意を、グルー

プC, D で用意いたします。

５）１２月２８日（日）午前８時半から、内陣の仏具のお磨き

をいたします。今年も内陣内に入れていただきます。

６）１月１７日（土）婦人会新年宴会は、カンボイの一郎レス

トランで行われます。参加希望者は、森部スーまで申し込

ください。電話：８５８－５６５－６５９４まで。

７）来年３月１４日（土）午前１０時から正午まで、気功の練

習を行われます。講師は、内藤マサ氏。健康法、民間体

育、体操、呼吸法、イメージ トレーニング等。

８）婦人会ホームページ：southerndistrictbwa.weebly.com

サンディエゴ仏婦会、南加教区仏婦会行事記録。

９）１２月７日（日）会議への茶菓の用意は、A組の当番。

１０）一月の定例会議はありません。

１１）二月の定例日：２月１日（日）当番B

SHUSHO-E/New Year’s Day SERVICE (January 1), JANUARY SHOTSUKI HOYO (January 4),

HO ONKO SERVICE & TEMPLE NEW YEAR PARTY (January 18)

The January Shotsuki Hoyo (monthly memorial), to commemorate loved ones lost during the month of January, will be in conjunction with the Dharma School/Family Service on Sunday, January 4. Our Ho Onko Service will be held on Sunday, January 18, 2014, at 10 a.m. Ho Onko, “a gathering to express our gratitude,” is a special service in memory of the founder of Jodo Shinshu, Shinran Shonin, who died January 16, 1262. As followers of Shinran’s teachings, we gather each January to express our thanks that we are able to receive and share the Wisdom and Compassion of Amida Buddha. Rev. Marvin Harada, Orange County Buddhist Church, will be our guest speaker for this ser-vice. Rev. Harada will also be giving a Special Dharma Lecture the evening before, on Saturday, January 17 at 7 p.m. in the Sangha Hall. Our annual New Year Party will be held immediately following the Hoonko Service. Let’s all get together to usher in the New Year! Attendees can choose from a delicious, traditional Japanese-style bento lunch (regular or vegetarian) at $15/each. There is a children’s bento available for $6.50/each. Lunches must be reserved and paid for in advance. Please use the reser-vation form included with this issue. Deadline for reservations is Sunday, January 11. We hope you will be able to attend these January events. For your convenience, envelopes for a Ho Onko offering and your New Year Party reservation are included with this mailing. If you are reading this issue online or as an e-mail attachment, we invite your Ho Onko offering or New Year reservation, too.

We welcome and treasure your continued support of the Temple and its services, programs and activities. Gassho.

Happy New Year!

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu…

**Please note that the JOYA-E (year-end) SERVICE will begin at 7:00 p.m., with toshikoshi soba noodles to follow. At 11:30 p.m., please meet at the Shelter Island Friendship Bell for JOYA NO KANE (bell-ringing

ceremony), to “ring in” the New Year!