Oct - Buddhist Churches of America

WHEEL
OF DHARMA
Official Publication of the Buddhist Churches of America
VOLUME 32
1710 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
OCTOBER 2006
ISSUE 10
Gratitude
Celebrating
Rev. Iwanaga’s Legacy
Photo credit: Kumi Yamauchi, Hokubei Mainichi.
From left: Rio Iwanaga, Courtney Iwanaga, and Chizu Iwanaga.
T
hank you for this special recognition of my late husband, Rev.
Yoshio Iwanaga, and his contributions to the Obon Odori. It is exciting to see that the Obon Odori has not only continued for 75
years but has thrived, and it is my
wish that this Buddhist tradition
will forever be a part of our temples.
I would like to thank the sponsors for tonight’s celebration and extend special thanks to Rev. and Mrs.
Hiroshi Abiko and the committee
for making this all possible. Thank
you, Socho Ogui, for the commemorative Happi Coat. I will treasure it.
This is also an opportune occasion to acknowledge some people
to whom I am most grateful: Linda Akiyama — whose thesis documented this history celebrated
tonight; Rev. Masao Kodani of Senshin — who has made it his mis-
sion to spread the original intent
of Obon Odori as expressed by my
husband; Rev. Norimoto, Hokubei
Mainichi columnist — who has diligently worked to inform the Japanese — speaking population of the
true historical aspects of its American origins; and Babe Utsumi of the
Hokubei’s ‘Random Thoughts’ —
who always remembers to mention
my late husband’s contributions.
Finally, I would like to express
appreciation to all the dancers tonight, including those who came
by bus from so many far away areas, and also the spectators. I am
sure that my husband is watching
this grand Obon Odori and thanking you all for participating as he always wanted – with simplicity, enthusiasm and joy. Thank you.
Helen Chizu Iwanaga
BWA Report
13th World Federation of Jodo Shinshu
Hongwanji-ha Buddhist Women’s Convention Report
By BCA BWA Secretaries-General Terrie Tanino and Janet Kameda
The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii Federation of
Buddhist Women’s Associations
hosted the 13th World Buddhist Women’s Convention on
Sept. 1-3, at the new and spacious Hawaii Convention Center
next to Waikiki. The registered
3,859 attendees enjoyed the programs and activities following the
theme: “Buddha’s Vow, My Aspiration: May There Be Peace in the
World, May the Buddha Dharma
Spread!” Convention Co-Chairs,
Donna Higashi and Fusae Kiyokawa, efficiently orchestrated a
very meaningful and successful
event.
The World BWA Representatives Meeting was held on September 1st at the Ala Moana Ho-
tel. Carol Yamamoto, President
of the Hawaii Federation, presided. World FBWA President Lady
Noriko Ohtani and staff from the
BWA section of the Affiliated Organizations Department from the
Hongwanji, along with officers
from BCA, Canada, Japan, South
America and Hawaii were present. BCA representatives were Socho Koshin Ogui, Mayumi Ogui,
Secretaries-General Janet Kameda
and Terrie Tanino, and Executive
Secretary Rev. Ron Kengu Kobata. The agenda included:
1) A proposal by the Hawaii Federation encouraging that
as a means of strengthening and
achieving the objectives of the
World Federations as presented in past resolutions, a survey of
Bon Odori Chairperson Remarks
all past resolutions be conducted.
The representatives then drafted
a resolution for consideration by
the General Assembly, to have all
Federations conduct a survey on
the status of past resolutions and
submit a report of their findings
at the next Representatives Meeting in 2009. The summary report
with recommendations will then
The 75th Anniversary celebration of Bon Odori held on Aug.
26 was joyful and beautiful. With the colorful Buddhist flag on the
yagura, the Peace Pagoda as background to lighted lanterns, summer
blossoms on yukata, and most importantly, many, many smiling faces, it was a day to remember.
On behalf of the planning group, I would like to thank everyone
who supported and attended the event. Special thanks to Mrs. Iwanaga and her family for their attendance and support.
PLANNERS & SPONSORS
BCSF, Board, Rev. Abiko, BWA, Sangha
Bay District temples (Palo Alto, San Mateo, Southern Alame-
Continued on Page 4
Continued on Page 6
75th Anniversary of Bon Odori
By Teresa Ono
Dear BCA Temple Sangha,
be presented at the 14th World
Buddhist Women’s Convention
in 2011.
2) Japan BWA Chair, Junko
Nakashima announced that the
14th World BWA Convention
will be held in 2011 in conjunction with the commemoration of
Shinran Shonin’s 750th Memorial Anniversary, date and site to be
announced.
3) Donna Dubbelboer, Buddhist Churches of Canada Women’s Federation President, reported that the BCC WF has
consented to host the 15th World
BWA Convention in 2015 at Toronto.
Following the Representatives
meeting, some of the members
were designated to make courtesy calls to Governor Linda Lingle,
T
he 75th Anniversary of Bon Odori was celebrated on Aug. 26 with over 1,000 dancers and
500 spectators participating in the festivities. The
celebration started with a Commemorative Service
with Reverend Bob Oshita as the guest speaker. The
hondo was full with more people in the lobby and
Social Hall. The service was followed by a delicious
meal, prepared by the BCSF Buddhist Women’s Association and Dharma School, of pork and chicken
accompanied by nigiri, fruit and tsukemono.
The evening began with the San Jose Chidori band entertaining the crowd. Conch shells were
blown from the yaguras to signify the start of the
program. The emcees for the evening were Mike Inouye, weekday morning traffic anchor for NBC11
and an active member in the Mountain View Buddhist Temple, along with Teresa Ono, a past president of the Buddhist Church of San Francisco and
a member of the 100th Anniversary of Japantown
Steering Committee. The celebration was sponsored
by the Buddhist Churches of America, 100th Anniversary of Japantown and the Japantown Merchants
Association.
Socho Ogui and the Buddhist Churches of
America ministers chanted Sanbujo or “Three Respectful Callings” which is a ritual chanting that
Continued on Page 6
PAGE WHEEL OF DHARMA
Golf Buddhism - Minding Our Business
By Rev. Fumiaki Usuki – West LA Buddhist Temple
… and then there are those who, always conscious of eternity
and striving to live within the light of the Buddha, are prudent
in their speech and behavior. What they think or how they act
is the same whether they are alone or in a crowd.
Such people are superior. Let us try to be like them.
O
ver the past
six weeks Tiger Woods won
the British Open, Buick
Open, PGA and Bridgestone Invitational -- four
consecutive golf tournaments, two of which are
golf’s elusive majors. We
can’t say that they were
easy or predictable wins
for Tiger because Phil
Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia
and many others were expected to challenge him
and at that time they still
had a chance. It was also
amazing that he won the
British Open shortly after the death of his beloved father, and his
emotion was clearly visible as he cried and revealed his rare human
side. But that soon disappeared and we were once
again watching him taking command of the golf
world by taking apart the
competition. Just as he
had done in 20 or so other tournaments when he
held the lead, he predictably won them all in the
end. Among his many
feats and records, this
is a remarkable accom-
plishment unmatched by
even the great Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer.
Now, golf psychology
questions how Tiger wins
these tournaments with
such formidable dominance while at the same
time his competitors fail
so miserably when competing against him. Commentators, opponents
and fans say that he is the
most intimidating competitor in all of sports
today. This thought is
strange to me because
golf is not a contact sport
like arm-wrestling, boxing, football or basketball. You do not physically and directly compete
against another athlete,
and strength, speed and
force are not the decisive
factors. Golf is won with
the lowest score over the
course of four days out
of 130 or so players. Although you may be on
the same course, the two
closest competitors may
not see each other all day
because they can be playing different holes. All
you have to do is score
the lowest round of the
tournament, so you’re ba-
sically competing only
against yourself. This is
not all that difficult to
figure out. So, how is it
that Tiger can intimidate
you if you don’t see him
at all during the course of
the day? He’s not there
to stare down at you during your six foot birdie putt, or your backswing on the 245 yard,
par 3 hole over the water.
Humans are a very
unique breed of animal
that can create tremendous psychological pressures and problems for
themselves. Some say
golf is 2% physical and
98% mental. Perhaps we
could make golf a contact sport, especially in
Canada where it could
be played like hockey and call it HockeyPutt. It would be interesting to play on a frozen
golf course with two players on skates wielding golf
clubs and fighting for the
ball while trying to advance it to the green and
putting out. They would
not be able to go backward and would have to
continue on until all 18
holes are played. The
time would be cut down
to about an hour from the
normal five hours played
by the pros, and the psychological factor would
be taken out of it because,
in such a fast-moving
game, the players would
be too intensely preoccupied to think about
what they were doing. It
would not be like golf as
we know it, where players survey the green and
stand over the ball for five
minutes at a time, overthinking the situation.
We could eliminate some
golf terminology such as
“yip,” “choke,” “gag,” and
“died on the course.” Of
course, this would also
minimize the amount
of time they would have
to be out in the freezing elements as well.
Another great example of sport psychology is basketball, in which
the best free throw shooters are successful 90% of
the time while some great
players like Shaq O’Neil
make less than 50% of
these shots. Mind you,
there is no one guarding him, whereas his hook
shot may be as high as
70% when there are three
players right on top of
him. Go figure. In golf all
we have to do is mind our
own business and simply
hit the same golf shot as
we do on the golf range
and putt the same putt
as we’ve done in the living room while relaxing
with glass of wine. Why is
it that when we’re playing
an individual game like
golf we can’t make that
same shot for 25 cents
or million dollars? Easily said and since we’re not
Tiger Woods, this problem is going to occur. I
think golfers are badly in
need of Golf Buddhism –
we should learn to forget
about others and think
only about what we’re capable of doing, concentrating only on the immediate task of hitting a
routine shot while minding our own business. Although I have always
said that golf is like religion and we never get it,
we’re forever hooked. You
can’t pray to a golf god,
you can only play. Fore!
OCTOBER 2006
We gratefully
acknowledge
contribution to the
Wheel of Dharma
by the
following donors:
Gardena BWA $100
Santa Barbara BWA
$100
corrections
Due to an editing error
in the September issue
of Wheel of Dharma,
we misspelled Ryukoku on the front page.
The Fuken panel photo
on page 6 switched
Prof. Takeda and Greg
Krech. The front page
group photo should
have been credited to
David Watanabe.
Wheel of
Dharma
(USPS 017-700)
Official Publication
of the Buddhist Churches
of America
1710 Octavia Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tel.: (415) 776-5600
Fax: (415) 771-6293
www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.com
Email: bcahq@
pacbell.net
BCA’s Newest Minister Assigned to Lodi
A monthly periodical with addi-
Harry Gyokyo Bridge—Personal History
mailing offices. Subscription free
I
was born on October 2,
1970, in Tokyo, Japan. I
spent most of my life back
and forth between Massachusetts
and Japan – elementary school in
Bedford (a suburb of Boston), junior high and high school at the
American School in Japan (Tokyo), and college back in Massachusetts at Clark University. Although my interests were
varied, I can safely say that I
found music to be the most interesting—I studied the piano for a few years, then took
up guitar and bass during junior high school. I played in various jazz and rock bands throughout high school and college.
Two significant events occurred during college: while visiting a friend from high school
out in California, I encountered Buddhism for the first
time. My friend’s mother invited me to a memorial service, and
May Peace and
Tranquility
Prevail Throughout
the World
I found the Dharma talk fascinating and intriguing. I wanted to learn more! Later that
year, I went to Japan on a study
abroad program, and was able to
study the history of Buddhism,
as well as visit the Nishi Hongwanji. Unfortunately, after I returned to college I was unable to
find any place to continue my
studies, and devoted myself to
playing in various rock bands.
At some point, though, I discovered used bookstores, and
picked up my study of Buddhism in earnest. I also happened
to find an advertisement for
the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley – studying Buddhism and becoming a minister felt like the right thing to
do. With my renewed interest in
Buddhism, I began to lose interest in the band, and my friend’s
mother put me in touch with Taitetsu Unno in Northampton,
Massachusetts. I began attending monthly Dharma gatherings
that he held at his home. I was
finally able to realize my desire to
study at IBS in the fall of 1996.
At IBS I was able to study
various facets of Jodo Shinshu,
including doctrine, history, and
ritual, as well as other sects of
Buddhism, such as Tendai and
Shingon. If I had to choose one
course that had the most impact
on me, it would be Kusada sensei’s liturgy class, because not
only did he teach the mechanics of chanting, giving me ample
preparation for ordination, but
he also demonstrated in his actions the life of Jodo Shinshu.
Fast forward to 2002: both
my parents having passed away in
the previous two years, I moved
back to Massachusetts. After
temporarily reuniting with my
old band and selling my house,
the next step was to resume my
tional issues; postage paid at San
Francisco, CA and at additional
to BCA members; $12.00 annual subscription for nonmembers.
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to “Wheel of Dharma,”
Buddhist Churches of America,
1710 Octavia Street, San Francisco CA 94109.
English Editor: Rev. Ron Kobata
path towards becoming a minister. I left for Japan at the end of
2002, and enrolled at Ryukoku
University in the spring of 2003.
While in Japan, I received Tokudo ordination and the Kyoshi license, and assisted the Shin Buddhism Translation Group and
the Ryukoku Translation Center.
During the summer of 2006,
I underwent a two-month orientation at the Sacramento Betsuin, under the guidance of Rev.
Bob Oshita. As of Sept. 1, I became the resident minister of
the Buddhist Church of Lodi in
Lodi, California, as well as the
supervising minister for the Walnut Grove Buddhist Church.
Japanese Editor: Rev.
Kodo Umezu
Print Production:
Jeffrey Kimoto
Live A
Life of
Awakening
2006 BCA Theme
www.bcayouth.org
OCTOBER 2006
WHEEL OF DHARMA
BOOK READING AND BOOK SIGNING
The Jodo Shinshu Center Dedication Celebration will include a special program introducing the new
Bookstore at the Center from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21. The Bookstore will present a book-reading and book-signing by five Jodo Shinshu authors. The attendees will be able to have their purchased
books signed by the authors, all of whom have written about Jodo Shinshu experiences. And, to capture
this special moment, bring your camera and take a picture with the authors. The book-signing will take
place after the readings.
1:00 – 1:10 PM
“The Great Natural Way”
One of Rev. Hozen Seki’s most popular book will be read by his
son, Hoshin. - President of Am. Buddhist Study Center – NY,
VP of Eastern Dist., Governing Board JSC Buddhist Studies
DR. GORDON BERMANT
“Seeing What Is Already There”
BCA President, 2006-2007, Ekoji Temple
How he came to “see” Jodo Shinshu path.
1:30 – 1:40 PM
HIROSHI KASHIWAGI
“Swimming in the American: A Memoir and Selected Writings”
A personal recollection of internment camp experience.
Member of San Francisco Buddhist Church.
1:45 – 1:55 PM
JERRY BOLICK
“Brushed by A Passing Sleeve”
BCA Buddhist Bookstore and Minister’s Assistant of San Francisco Buddhist Church. Haiku tells of Bolick’s reflections in his life.
2:00 – 2:10 PM
REV. HARUO SEIGEN YAMAOKA
“The Transmission of Shin Buddhism in the West:
Jodo Shinshu Religious Education Process”
How Amida and I are connected
Rev. Yamaoka is the minister of Oakland Buddhist Church.
Rev. Abiko’s Reflections
In reflecting the recently held 75th Bonodori, my thoughts are as follows:
Uncertain of the outcome, Buddhist Churches of America celebration of 75th Anniversary
Bon-odori in mainland USA took place on August 26th at the temple and on the streets of San
Francisco. The two day event concluded successfully with a special service held next day.
Superimposed amidst some 1,200 bon-danc-
ers, ancient smiles of Maudgalyayana, Ippen
Shonin, Iwanaga Sensei, and all the friends in
Buddha-Dharma were present, making the rings
of celebration a remarkably joyous gathering.
The event prove to be a lesson on one expression of true joy leads another, just like Onembutsu.
Gassho,
Rev. Hiroshi Abiko
Boundless Compassion
In following the Path of the Sages, we
must show pity and compassion, and give
spiritual support to all beings. No matter how
much pity and compassion one may feel for
others, it is difficult to save them as one may
wish. By understanding the Boundless Compassion of the Pure Land teaching, one can
utter the Nembutsu and quickly attain Enlightenment. Thus, with the Limitless Mind
of Great Compassion, one can save all other
beings. [Tannisho. Chapter 4.]
Every day, we see on television the wide
extent of human tragedy — the tremendous
destruction caused by natural disasters, the
loss of innocent lives due to senseless violence, the pitiful faces of terribly malnourished children suffering from widespread
drought, and other sorrowful sights, too
numerous to mention. Our own personal pain due to the illness or deaths of our
loved ones may be what touches us most
deeply. We stand profoundly helpless in
Utah goes to
the Bay Area
By PJ Nakamura
HOSHIN SEKI
1:15 – 1:25 PM
PAGE the midst of all this suffering in the world.
The Buddha, in trying to understand
why human beings suffer from pain, illness, old age, and death, realized that all
things in life come into being or cease to
exist dependent on certain causes and conditions. From this clear insight, he realized that if all observable phenomena are
in constant flux, all beings throughout the
universe then must be interrelated in myriad, complex ways.
When a pebble is dropped into a pond,
it causes a ripple that spreads out in everwidening circle of waves. Being concerned
mainly with relieving living beings of their
suffering, the Buddha did not speculate as
to the origin of life. Nevertheless, it seems
likely that from very simple beginnings,
such as a simple set of chemical reactions
involving certain molecules that interacted
in various ways with other molecules and
minerals on Earth, the amazing complexity
of living beings gradually developed.
Shinran Shonin, who established the
foundation of Jodo Shinshu, also thought
deeply about life’s suffering. The traditional explanation of the fourth chapter of
Tannisho points to the fact of our limited level of spiritual power that prevents us
from being able to help and support others
as fully as we would like. Only by reciting
the Nembutsu and attaining the enduring,
limitless compassion with full enlightenment in Pure Land, can we hope to relieve
all suffering. In other words, the focus of
this teaching is on the concerned, but helpless, individual who wants to help others
but cannot because of his/her state of enlightenment; but with the Nembutsu, we
can become All-Powerful and return to the
world to provide comforting relief to all
who suffer.
In the light of present understanding
of Shinran’s explanation of the Pure Land
teaching, we should proceed with a broader, actual view of life in which each of us do
not exist separately from each other but are
quite dependent on each other in various
and complex ways, as both the Buddha and
In 2004, the Salt Lake Jr. YBA had
the opportunity to take a trip to Southern California and meet with the Jr.
YBA from the Orange County Buddhist
Church. That trip was such a memorable one that our Jr. YBA decided to make
another summer trip. After two years of
fundraising and extensive planning, we finally had enough funds to go to the San
Francisco Bay Area this summer and to
participate in several Obon festivals.
On the night of Aug. 4, we gathered at
our Salt Lake Temple for a pre-trip meeting. It was just a few hours before leaving Salt Lake that we were informed that
we would be able to stay in the new (although not finished) Jodo Shinshu Center (JSC) in Berkeley. After a 12-hour bus
ride through the night we arrived at the
Marine World Park. After a fun day of
riding roller coasters, we continued on to
Berkeley where Mr. Rich Endo was waiting to welcome us to the JSC building.
The JSC was very nice and is similar to a
hotel. Though several things were not yet
complete, the JSC was still quite accommodating for our group.
The next day we ate breakfast at the
Berkeley Buddhist Temple, and we met
three members of their Jr. YBA: Matt,
Tiffany and Parker. Soon after, we took a
bus to San Francisco’s Chinatown where
we ate dim-sum for lunch and shopped,
and then walked to Fisherman’s Wharf for
more touring of San Francisco. Towards
the end of that afternoon, we took the bus
to Oakland, where we would be participating in the Obon that evening. After
eating dinners provided by the Oakland
Buddhist Temple, everyone got ready to
dance (including our friends from the
Berkeley Jr. YBA). We all were wearing
red Nihon Matsuri happi coats so everyone could tell we were from Utah. Dancing was extremely fun! Everyone in our
group was dancing and just having a great
time – regardless of whether we knew the
Continued on Page 5
Shinran pointed out with supreme insight.
Thus, the above message of Tannisho, chapter IV, could be understood as not each person thinking of solving the problems of the
world by oneself, but as each person taking a very simple first step of reaching out
to other concerned Buddhists within one’s
immediate area of existence, combining resources and setting in motion a gradual expansion of efforts throughout the world
to save suffering beings. The Boundless
Compassion is, thus, the interrelated unity
of all beings who are individually powerless
or limited in their compassion and ability
but jointly can accomplish much to bring
peace and happiness to all. By uttering the
Nembutsu, one can focus on Amida Buddha, who symbolizes this Boundless Compassion in which all beings are dynamically
interacting throughout the universe.
Forget yourself and become the Universe.
[Hakuin, 1685-1768]
Gassho,
Kimi Yonemura Hisatsune
PAGE WHEEL OF DHARMA
Parking
Retreat 06 “Buddhies”
By Travis Suzaka, Seattle Betsuin
S
ince becoming a member of YBA in high
school, I’ve had numerous
unforgettable memories of
conferences, retreats, and
social events. Meeting other young Buddhists, eating
delicious food, and everyone sharing in the Dharma
at these events have contributed to a remarkable
youth hood. The majority of YBA events I’ve been
to have been for solely social reasons, and up until
this past July, I was never able to fully gasp a good
understanding of the other
purpose of these activities;
to boost my knowledge of
Buddhism.
When I arrived at Sacramento Betsuin in July,
my whole outlook on Buddhism and my purpose
of going to church took a
sharp turn. In the description in the application, it
stated that there were three
services held each day. This
sounded a bit intimidating,
but at the same time I had
never experienced Buddhism at such an intense
level. I knew also, that I
would be in a group of several other attendees that I
would soon depart on this
journey with.
Throughout the retreat, the members of Sacramento Betsuin spoiled us
with delicious meals, and a
comfortable environment
to stay for a week. Walking from the hondo to our
rooms several times a day,
we would always see older men and women running back and forth from
the kitchen to dining room
with preparations for the
next meal, just after eating the one before. Their
cheerful voices made us feel
very welcomed and added
to our fond memories of
the retreat.
From being around
each other every minute of
the day, everyone was able
to create partnerships and
friendships with one another, while we all together
enriched ourselves with the
teachings of the dharma. I
never realized how much
of the Buddhism was embedded in our daily lives;
from eating our meals, going to school. This wondrous experience would not
have been possible without
all the sacrifices and causes
and conditions that made it
possible. The animals who
sacrificed themselves to
be eaten at the meals prepared by the kind hardworking elders who cooked
our meals, under the temple building built by many
people a long time ago.
On our day trip to the
Bay Area, we were able to
stop by and take a peek at
the new Jodo Shinshu Center. Everything looked so
new and high-tech, it was
hard to believe it belonged
to BCA. Seeing such a nice
facility makes me believe
that BCA is sure to have
a secure and successful future. From the Jodo Shinshu Center, we headed off
to San Fancisco and visited San Francisco Buddhist
Church. We held a service,
which there I heard the
Sambujo chanted like never before by Rev. Abiko.
It was satisfying to see the
continued richness of Japanese American and Jodo
Shinshu heritage still alive
in San Francisco’s Japantown.
I made several life long
friends who I share a long
list of memorable moments
during my participation at
the BCA YAC retreat. This
is truly an experience that
I will cherish for the rest
of my drive on the path of
life.
Thank yous
Continued from Page 1
da, Alameda, Berkeley, Enmanji, Oakland), 100th
Anniversary of Nihonmachi, Teresa Ono, Japantown Merchants Association, Richard Hashimoto,
BCA, Socho Koshin Ogui,
BCA President Gordon
Bermant and BCA Vice
President Jeffrey Suda,
BCA Reverends Dennis Fujimoto, Will Masuda, Bob Oshita, Shoyo and
Zuikei Taniguchi, Kodo
Umezu, and Seigen Yamaoka
MUSICIANS,
ACTORS and EMCEES
Chidori Band, The
Grateful Crane Ensemble,
Hideki Kai, Melody Takata
of Gen Taiko, Sakura Minyoo Doo Koo Kai, Teresa
Ono and Michael Inouye
COMMUNITY SUPPORT & VOLUNTEERS
Bay District Junior
Young Buddhists Association, BCSF Boy Scout
Troops 29, BCSF Cadette
Girl Scout Troop 2958,
BCSF Junior Girl Scout
Troop 3130, Japanese
Community Youth Council, JCCCNC, Kimochi,
Inc. shuttle
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom, SF Supervisor Ross
Mikarirmi, SF Assembly-
From left: Susan Bottari, Linda Ono, and Yumi Bellizzi.
Photo credit: Nick Bellizi.
man Mark Leno, Japanese
Consul General, Makoto
Yamanaka
DONORS
Comcast, NBC11, Japan Foods Corporation,
Nijiya, Super Mira, Uoki
PLANNING GROUP
Tara Mochizuki, Keith
Uyeda, Nanayo Silver,
Chizuko Kakiuchi, Jeff
Matsuoka, Erika Tamura, Susan Bottari, Karen
Suyama, Joyce and Don
Miyamoto
Thanks to the temple
representatives who sent in
photos and to those who
organized buses and itineraries for their temples.
Thank you to the temple
Bon Odori teachers who
taught and led the dances.
Thanks to the many families and dancers that came
to dance!
So many hearts and
minds came together that
day. Even though the Anniversary came at the end
of hectic, busy summer activities, over 1,000 came to
dance in the street. Those
traveling by bus drove
through the night or early
morning and headed back
right after the dancing or
early the next morning.
Temple members prepared
from five in the morning
until two at night.
Such dedication and effort by so many can only
be explained by past, present and future regard for
the cherished traditions associated with Bon Odori.
I am very grateful to have
shared this joyful day with
so many.
Namo Amida Butsu
Gassho,
Linda Ono
OCTOBER 2006
By Rev. Bryan Siebuhr
Midwest Buddhist Temple
H
aving recently
moved from the
parsonage to a
nearby apartment we have
been able to observe many
different aspects of city
life. The neighborhood
surrounding the temple
and parsonage is very quiet and has an almost suburban atmosphere. People
walking their dogs, many
of whom we now know by
name; the dogs that is.
On most days, street
parking is not a big problem on the streets surrounding the temple and
parsonage except for the
poor soul who happens
to park on the street on
cleaning day or who have
had one too many tickets and get the boot. The
street on which we now
live is probably more typical of what the average Chicagoan experiences on a day to day basis.
Lincoln Avenue is a major through fare cutting
diagonally through the
city and carrying with it
the typical city traffic to
go with it. Anyone living in the city knows that
parking can be a real challenge in Chicago as in any
large metropolitan area.
Just yesterday we were
observing through our
apartment window one
full size van cramming itself into a parking space
too small for its size. Rather than giving up, the driver crunched the cars on
both ends as he maneuvered back and forth until he finally fit his van in
the much too small space.
Let’s take for example another parking situation you may find in Chicago or in any city this
size. Let’s say you were going to drop your dry cleaning off at your local store.
The problem is, your dry
cleaner is located on a major through fare and parking is difficult, to say the
least. Everyone is trying to
drop off their dry cleaning on the way to work
and parking is always nonexistent. So you try a new
cleaner and magically, it’s
your lucky day and there is
a parking space located directly in front of the store.
You park, hop in and
out of the dry cleaner,
and when you return to
your car you find a parking ticket on your windshield only to find that
you are in a no parking
zone. Looking for the sign
that might have tipped
you off, you search only to
discover that the sign was
hidden by some overgrown
branches the city has not
trimmed for quite some
time. You make a note to
yourself to complain to
your local alderman next
time you think of it.
Now, there is another customer that takes the
same open spot. Thinking it will be just for a moment, he drops into the
dry cleaner, and finds as
you did a parking ticket on his windshield. The
difference is, this person
had the same experience as
you did several days before
and decides to chance it.
Now here is the million dollar question. Who
is wrong? The man who
unknowingly takes the
spot and receives a ticket,
or the man who knowingly
parks and receives a ticket?
Who is wrong depends on
the perspective from which
you view the situation.
From a secular perspective, we would say that the
man who parked knowing it was a no parking
zone is clearly guilty. After all, he knew and he
took his chance and lost.
We would likewise
see the man who did not
know due to the obstructed No Parking sign as being completely blameless
since the No Parking zone
was not clearly visible.
Maybe he could even
beat the ticket if he decided to take it to court
claiming that this infraction was due to no fault
of his own but instead
the city for lack of proper maintenance. If you
agree with this assessment, I would agree that
from a secular perspective,
meaning the way we see
things in our everyday life,
you are probably right.
However, from the
perspective of true reality, who is guilty? From the
perspective of true reality;
meaning not through the
eyes of a judgmental superior being, the man who
could not see the sign is
“guilty.” This is not guilt
or blame from a moral perspective but an analogy for
the cause of the suffering
he endured; in this case,
the emotional turmoil of
feeling unjustly targeted.
There are some who
would argue that this
could not be so. How
can he be guilty for what
crime had he committed?
We might even say, “Yes,
I would take the city to
court and I would win!”
However, this is only seeing and making an argument for the validity of
the limited way we see
things in this world to justify our own moral convictions in which we so
much place our faith in.
It is this same misplaced
faith that prevents us from
doing anything about the
cause of our base suffering.
In Buddhism, sin is
not violating the precepts
established by a superior
being. Instead, sin in Buddhism is ignorance. Sin is
not something that brings
about moral retribution
from a “being on high,”
but ignorance is that
which brings about and
continues the cycle of suffering. Rather than ignorance being the object of
scorn, ignorance is of great
concern as the object of
great compassion, for out
of compassion for the suffering multitude of living
beings, sin or ignorance
is embraced within the
folds of great compassion.
Through the Nembutsu as the work of
great compassion, we are
brought to understand the
depth of what we do not
understand, the depth of
our own ignorance; not
the depth of the ignorance of others, the depth
of our own ignorance. We
may see through the discontent of our lives that
our own ego was that
which hid our ignorance
in order so that it may
be nourished and grow
and continue the cycle
of suffering and sorrow.
However, arrogance
prevents many from meeting or accepting their limitations and so they hold
ever so tightly to their own
viewpoints. Even if a great
religious teaching were
to direct them to a deeper dimension of life, they
would reject that teaching because it does not
suit their own interpretation or world view. And
so they may ask for a different interpretation that
more closely suits their
viewpoint or exists within their ability to master so they may feel accomplished and certain of
life as they know it. But
this is neither the point of
Buddhism nor any of the
world’s great religions.
Awakening to the
depth of what we do not
know is not a means to
an end but that which affects a transformation
in itself. A transformation resulting in the awakening to that which has
been there all along, the
workings of Infinite Wisdom and Compassion, the
workings of Eternal Life.
Namu Amida Butsu.
OCTOBER 2006
WHEEL OF DHARMA
PAGE Young Buddhist International Deep Hearing and Healing
Cultural Student Exchange An International Conference on Buddhism and Psychotherapy
F
Front row, from left to right: Stacy Matsuura, Kristyne Wada,
Lindsay Guerra, Lindsey Yoshimoto, Katherine Okamura, Melissa
Komoto, Samantha Nitta, and Ahnna Kesterson. Back row: Rev.
Tesshi Aoyama, Kerry Inokuchi, Blake Honda, Brett Nishimura,
Sen Sugano, Kendall Kosai, Kathy Nishimura, Landon Yamaoka,
and Michael Endo.
This Summer I had the
once in a lifetime experience
of going to Japan through the
Young Buddhists’ International Cultural Study Exchange,
which was primarily held at
the Nishi Hongwanji in Kyoto, Japan. 45 students from the
United States, Canada, Brazil,
and Hawaii attended this year’s
10-day trip. This exchange offered a tour around Kyoto
to the various historical Jodo
Shinshu Buddhist sites as well
as a home stay to experience
what life in Japan is like.
The home stay portion in
Miyazaki gave me a better understanding of what life in Japan is really like. I had the
privilege of being invited to be
a guest speaker for the English
classes at the local high school.
The students were very proper and well behaved as I found
most of the Japanese people I
encountered to be. I also got
the opportunity to tour a green
tea factory and learned how to
make soba noodles at a small
restaurant. Although Japan’s
culture is different, many traditions are actually quite similar
to those that have been passed
down through the generations
in my family here in the United States.
While I was in Japan, I
toured several historic sites
that are significant to JodoShinshu Buddhism. During
a rainy day, the 45 students
boarded two charter buses and
drove around Kyoto, visiting
those sites in the surrounding
area. We stopped to see Shinran Shonin’s birthplace, Mt.
Hiei where Shinran studied
intensely for many years, the
temple where Shinran received
Honen Shonin’s guidance, and
Shinran’s cremation and grave
sites. It was quite an experience
to actually visit the sites where
Shinran lived over 750 years
ago, and walk on the grounds
that I’ve only heard about in
Dharma talks. This experience
really gave me a better appreciation of the historic roots of
Jodo Shinshu.
The friendships that were
made were not only domestic,
but international too. Everyone got along with each other and bonded very well to become good friends. Although
each of us comes from very
different locations around the
world, we are all bonded by the
same glue of our common religious tradition.
My journey to Japan
through this special program
gave me memories and insights
into Japanese life along with
a better understanding of the
foundations of Shin Buddhism.
Thank you for this amazing
opportunity to experience not
only Buddhist history, but my
Japanese heritage as well.
In Gassho,
Kendall Kosai
or three days this summer a
group of practitioners and
scholars from the U.S. and
Japan gathered on the campus of
the University of Oregon to share
their understandings of the connections between the Buddhist
world view and the aims of psychotherapy. The conference emphasized the Shin Buddhist teaching of
deep hearing, as shown by the formal conference title, “Deep Listening, Deep Hearing: Buddhism and
Psychotherapy East & West.”
The conference was a joint effort of the University of Oregon,
the Open Research Center at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, and our
own Institute of Buddhist Studies. Professor Mark Unno of the
University of Oregon was the conference chairman. Dean Richard Payne of IBS will work with
Professor Unno on the publication of the articles that will emerge
from the work of approximately 30 conference participants.
Presentations and discussions
during the conference brought out
numerous valuable themes. In this
brief space we can consider only
one: how Shinran Shonin’s appreciation of deep listening and hearing has profound significance for
us as Shin Buddhists as well for
all psychotherapists and their clients.. This theme was beautifully presented by Professor Naoki
Nabeshima of Ryukoku University in his paper “The Emancipation of Evil Beings: The Story of
the Salvation of King Ajatasatru.”
Professor Nabeshima explained
that Shinran interpreted the story of Ajatasatru as it is told in the
Nirvana Sutra. Ajatasatru murdered his father King Bimbisara.
He subsequently suffered great remorse and became painfully ill.
Profs. Mark Unno and Naoki Nabeshima
Sakyamuni Buddha came to him.
In the presence of all who had
been attending the king, Sakyamuni said that for the sake of Ajatasatru, he would not enter nirvana
for millions of millions of years.
He then entered a state of deep
concentration (Samadhi), during
which a wonderful light shined on
Ajatasatru and cured his physical
illness. Then the Buddha presented Ajatasatru with a teaching that
removed Ajatasatru’s anger and
confusion, giving him the desire
to lead others to enlightenment.
Professor Nabeshima emphasized that Shinran’s interpretation
of this story teaches us that no one
is beyond the total embrace of the
compassion that is Amida Buddha. Ajatasatru, who committed
the most terrible crime of murdering a parent, is saved in body
and mind through actions that
are partly conducted in great silence, during the Buddha’s Samadhi. In a sense, the Buddha didn’t
do anything. Rather, he existed
Utah
Continued from Page 1
dances or not. When Oakland’s Obon ended, we were
already anticipating the Palo Alto Obon, which was
the following night!
We were awakened early the next morning to go
to service at the Buddhist Church of San Francisco,
followed by a bit of time to shop in Japantown. After shopping and eating crepes, we visited the San Mateo Buddhist Temple, where we met many more Jr.
YBA friends. After lunch at SMBT, we left for the Palo
Alto Obon which would be happening later that night.
The Palo Alto Obon was even bigger than the Oakland one, and even had a bazaar! Once again, we had a
great time dancing and afterwards helped clean up. We
were graciously allowed to stay for two nights at the
Palo Alto temple. We were exhausted from the busy
schedule.
On our last day, we visited the Great America
Theme Park with all of the friends we had made from
Berkeley, San Mateo and Palo Alto. It was fun riding
even more rides including many roller coasters and a
two-level merry-go-round. After a day at Great America we returned to Palo Alto where we had dinner with
the Bay District and hung out until everyone had to
leave.
On Tuesday morning, we woke up early, and got
all of our stuff together and prepared for the long ride
home. After saying goodbye to those who came to bid
us farewell, we left Palo Alto. Nearly half a day later,
we arrived in Utah, and returned to our homes, full of
many good memories!
Obviously this summary can’t replace the entire
experience, but that was basically our schedule for the
five days in Northern California. Though it was busy,
we were always doing something, so there wasn’t a lot
with Ajatasatru, side-by-side, incorporating Ajatasatru’s pain and
suffering as his very own. Feeling with and for another person:
this is the nature of compassion.
This religious theme elegantly described by Professor Nabeshima resonated with the experiences
of psychotherapists at the conference. There are times, they said,
when therapists can do nothing
else but silently hear and accept
the many layers of anger and anguish that their clients express. If
this receptivity to the other person is genuine, good things happen over time. As Shin Buddhists, receiving the compassion
that surrounds us in Amida, we
can express our gratitude by listening compassionately to others.
Whether as therapist or parent
or friend or citizen, we can listen
to voices of suffering, take them
in, and respond to them with the
gift that we have been given.
Gordon Bermant
of down time or times that we would just sit around.
Looking back to the trip we took two years ago, it was
still memorable, but during that time, there was a definite age gap between the Jr. YBA of Utah and Orange
County (Jr. YBA is Middle and Junior High School
age in Utah). But this trip, we were all older, and many
more of our group’s members had closer ages to that of
the people we met.
Though the time was short, we got to spend several days with our friends from the Bay Area, which was
great! Matt and Tiffany Hamasaki (from Berkeley’s Jr.
YBA) were even our “honorary members” because they
were with us for all of our trips and activities around
the Bay Area! Not only was this a trip for meeting new
people, it was one for seeing old friends – our advisors/chaperones saw people they knew (who lived in
the Bay Area) at the Obons, and Sean Sekino and I
even saw someone we met in Japan last year at Oakland’s Obon! We all became closer as a group as well –
we got to know more about people we didn’t talk to as
much before, as well getting to know people we hadn’t
known from our own temples!
Though we were all different in some ways, the fact
remained that we were all Buddhist. There are only
three temples in Utah (Salt Lake, Ogden and Honeyville), so our Buddhist community and YBA groups
are smaller in numbers when in comparison to the
many in California. Because of this, it felt good to be
meeting other people who were our age in the Bay District, who we could relate to in regards to religion.
Much gratitude and thanks to the Utah and Bay
District temples and YBA’s, the BCA, Socho Ogui,
our advisors and parents and everyone else who supported us during this trip. Without them, this would
have never been possible! We all have great memories
of this trip!
PAGE Obon Report
Continued from Page 1
is used at the beginning of many Jodo
Shinshu Buddhist services.
The first Bon Odori in the United
States was performed in Hawaii in 1910.
Twenty years later, the Jodo Shinshu
Buddhist priest Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga introduced the odori to temples in
California, Oregon, Washington and
Canada. The first organized Bon Odori in the continental United States was
held in the auditorium of the Buddhist
Church of San Francisco in 1931.
Reverend Iwanaga is considered
the Father of Bon Odori in the United
States and the event honored his legacy.
Mrs. Chizuko Iwanaga, Rev. Iwanaga’s
wife, was in attendance as the Honored
Guest. Socho Ogui presented her with
a commemorative happi coat and Mrs.
Iwanaga expressed her appreciation for
the honor and for the remembrance of
her husband.
Consul General Makoto Yamanaka
gave a welcome speech as well as Mischa Wyatt, Comcast Regional Staffing
Director. Comcast provided funding
for a noren banner and commemorative
tenugui towels which will be distributed to temples later this year.
San Francisco Supervisor Ross
Mirkarimi was in attendance and participated in the dancing. Assemblyman
Mark Leno created a resolution for the
75th Anniversary of Bon Odori and a
representative from his office presented
it. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
was unable to be at the event but he sent
a Proclamation which was read.
Five dances were performed: Obon
FBWA Report
Continued from Page 1
first woman governor for the
State of Hawaii, and to Honolulu Managing Director,
Wayne Hashiro, representing
the Mayor’s office. Honolulu
Mayor Mufi Hannemann attended and spoke at the Saturday evening banquet. Carol Yamamoto presented each
official a convention tote
bag as a gift from the World
FBWA.
The convention began on
Sept. 2, with an opening service. FBWA President Terri
Harada and President-elect
Yuki Otake, representing the
BCA, participated in the offering of flowers and lights
ceremony. Keynote speaker of
the convention was Rev. Dr.
Kenneth Tanaka. Rev. Tanaka attended the Mt. View
Buddhist Temple as a youth,
was on the faculty of the Institute of Buddhist Studies,
served as the Resident Minister of the Southern Alame-
WHEEL OF DHARMA
no Uta, Shiawase Samba, Yuiyo Ondo,
Soma Bon Uta and Tanko Bushi. Obon
no Uta was danced with an uchiwa
(round fan) at the end of the evening
and all other dances were hands only.
NBC11, one of our sponsors, generously donated 1,000 uchiwas.
The first dance was Obon no Uta or
“Song of the Lantern Festival” and is a
very traditional Obon dance and usually the first dance. The music and lyrics are by Seisui Fujii and was choreographed by Rev. Yoshio Iwanaga. It was
produced by Jodo Shinshu Bukkyo Ongaku Kyokai in 1934. This is a joyous
dance for it brings us together with everyone, past and present. Those who
have passed away remain a part of us.
The uchiwa which is used in the dance,
and the circles which are formed with
our arms as we dance in a circle, all
symbolically reinforce the interdependence of everyone, “past lives’” as well
as “present lives” with no beginning and
no end.
The San Jose Chidori Band performed the first three songs and last two
numbers. The band’s leader is Duane
Takahashi and their President is Shigeru
Tashiro. The band was founded in 1953
to provide musical entertainment to the
post-World War II Japanese American
community of San Jose. There are two
members of the band who have been in
the group since its inception – Mas Arii
and Kay Tani.
The next dance was Shiawase Samba,
which is a contemporary Obon dance.
Shiawase Samba was created by a Jodo
Shinshu temple minister in Oahu, Hawaii. He felt fortunate and happy because of the workings of the compassion
and wisdom of Amida Buddha.
da County Buddhist Church,
and is presently a professor at
Musashino University in Tokyo. Rev. Ken addressed the
convention theme by elaborating on some of the insights from his popular book
Ocean, where he uses the example of the sailor who falls
into the ocean and realizes
he is being buoyed up by it.
In this awareness he exhorted the convention delegates
to “Think BIIG!” (Life is a
Bumpy road, is Impermanent, is Interdependent, and
can be Great.)
Somehow the almost four
thousand delegates were efficiently guided to one of nine
workshops including the featured session, a “Sing-along
Sermon” led by Rev. Ken
and Mrs. Carrie Tanaka, and
eight other sessions that presented various activities from
Hawaiian culture.
Another highlight of the
convention was a panel of
speakers representing each
of the five Federations. Four
of the presenters were wom-
Next was Yuiyo Ondo which is also
called the “Just Dance” Bon Odori. The music and lyrics are by Nobuko Miyamoto and Reverend Masao Kodani in 1984. It was choreographed by
the Southern District Dharma School
Teachers League and Reverend Kodani.
The fourth dance was Soma Bon Uta
which is a relatively new Obon dance.
The music for this dance, based on
Buddhism, is a song about Eizu, an area
south of Fukushima, where Shinran
Shonin’s Father, Lord Fujiwara, lived.
He was a peace loving Buddhist. The
Minyo Doo Koo Kai from Sacramento performed this song and they were
accompanied by Hideko Nakajima and
Melody Takata.
The fifth dance was Tanko Bushi,
or the Coal Miner’s Dance, which is a
very traditional Obon dance. This is a
folk dance of Fukuoka-ken in Kyushu,
Japan; the song was hummed by some
resident foreigners and gained popularity among the native Japanese. Today,
many tourists to Japan are taught this
dance when they visit. It is simple and
pantomimic in choreography. This is an
example of a traditional folk dance as
done in Japan.
The planning committee, lead by
Linda Ono, was praised for their outstanding job and successful program.
Jeffrey Suda, vice president of the Buddhist Churches of America, led everyone in a moment of silence for the
countless individuals that have come
before us and contributed to circumstances leading up to the 75th Anniversary of Bon Odori. The evening ended
with dancers heading back to BCSF for
a light snack.
en Kaikyoshi and the speaker from Japan was an officer with the Kyoto District
BWA. They each spoke in
their preferred language. A
simultaneous translation was
available through FM receivers that were included in every delegate’s gift bag. Each
speaker shared her reflections
on convention theme very
thoughtfully and movingly,
transcending the cultural differences. Rev. Patricia Jisho
Usuki of the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, representing
the BCA, gave an especially
inspirational message sharing
her own spiritual journey to
and appreciation of the nembutsu path.
At the General Meeting, held on Sunday morning, Sept. 3, the Convention
Declaration was read by the
BCA Secretary-General, Terrie Tanino as follows:
“The 13th World Buddhist Women’s Convention
with the theme, “Buddha’s
Vow, My Aspiration”, and
slogan, “May There be Peace
in the World, May the Buddha Dharma Spread”, took
place in Hawaii. United in
spirit and purpose, an impressive program of activities and fellowship prevailed
as Shin Buddhist women
gathered from Japan, South
American, Canada, United
States and Hawaii. As members of the World Federation of Hongwanji-Ha Buddhist Women’s Associations,
awakened by the Wisdom
and Compassion of Amida
Buddha, everyone was encouraged to return to their
respective Federation units
to promote peace and harmony though programs and
activities.”
The resolution to do a
general survey on the status
of past resolutions, drafted at
the Representative’s meeting,
was unanimously passed.
The convention concluded with an entertainment
program following the Aloha
luncheon. Each Federation
prepared a special presentation. The BCA was wellrepresented by Sachi Kawahira, Hisako Dairokuno,
Mieko Keating, Yasuyo Kikuchi, Hideko Minami, Kiyoko Uchida, Chie Sakauye,
Mieko Shindo, Fusako Yonemitsu from the Coast District/Buddhist Temple of
Salinas. Their lively dance
performance of “Kagoshima
Haiyabushi” and “Hongwanji Ondo” attracted people
from the audience to come
to the front of the stage and
join in the dancing. Everyone joined in for the finale:
the singing of “Hohoemi to
Tomoni,” written by Lady
Noriko Ohtani, and dancers
filled the convention hall as
all sang “Aloha Oe.”
373 delegates from the
BCA enjoyed a well-organized and inspirational program filled with the Aloha
spirit joined in the nembutsu.
OCTOBER 2006
Fresno Betsuin
Announces
Scholarship
Recipients
Fresno Betsuin Scholarship winners, back row,
from left to right: Rex Honda, Kevin Miyake, Derek
Honda, Jason Okajima, and Glenn Hamamoto.
Front row, from left to right: Lindsey Yoshimoto,
Lindsay Gurrera, Rinban Nobuo Miyaji, Rev.
George Shibata, Corrie Fukuda, Nicole Takeda,
Elise Maltose, and Leslie Hamamoto.
The Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple Scholarship Committee has announced
the scholarship recipients for 2006. These
students have been actively involved at
their temple, school and community.
Lindsay Guerra (Selma High School)
is the daughter of Henry and Carol Guerra.
She will attend UC San Diego as biology major. Guerra was awarded the Alan Akiyoshi Masumoto Memorial Scholarship and the Fresno Buddhist Women’s Association Scholarship.
Lesli Hamamoto (Edison High School)
is the daughter of Yas and Florence Hamamoto. She will attend UC Davis. Hamamoto is the recipient of the Kanichi Komoto and George Taketomo Scholarships.
Blake Honda (Fowler High School)
is the son of Craig and Tayoko Honda. He
will attend Reedley Junior College. Honda was awarded the Matsuo and Ida Okumoto and Saikichi and Setsu Yamada Scholarships.
Elise Maltos (Edison High School) is
the daughter of Rudy and Diane Maltos. She
will attend Fresno City College. Maltos has received the Shigeto and Shizuko Ito and Alice Morishita Memorial Scholarships.
Kevin Miyake (Washington Union High
School) is the son of Robert and Lynn Miyake.
He will attend Fresno City College. Miyake was
awarded the Gunzo Miyamoto Scholarship.
Jason Okajima (Kingsburg High
School) is the son of Ken and Linda Okajima. He will attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
as a computer engineering major. Okajima is
the recipient of the Nobuye Doizaki and the
Sukeichi and Michie Ikuma Scholarships.
Nicole Takeda (Clovis West High School)
is the daughter of Jeff and Linda Takeda. She will
attend UC San Diego as a biology major. Takeda was awarded the Byakudokai and the Seisou and Yoshiye Watanabe Scholarships.
Lindsey Yoshimoto (Kingsburg High
School) is the daughter of Glenn and Lynne Yoshimoto. She will attend UC Santa Cruz as a biology
major. Yoshimoto is the recipient of the Lynn Araki and Harry and Shizuko Takeuchi Scholarships.
Corrie Fukuda is the recipient of the
Torii Scholarship given to college sophomores. Her parents are Kevin and Lynn Fukuda. She is currently attending UC Berkeley.
Derek Honda of Fowler, California is
the recipient of the Regional Numata Scholarship. His parents are Craig and Tayoko Honda.
Robyn Yokoyama of Richmond, California is the recipient of the
National Numata Scholarship.
The Scholarship Committee would like
to thank all of the donors for their continued support of the scholarship program at
the Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple.