Earth Day Service

Today's Dharma Talk was given by Rev. Bert Sumikawa. April is when we celebrate Earth Day, so along with that theme, Rev. Sumikawa talked about garbage.

Today we sort our garbage, placing recyclables in one bin, greens in another, and everything else in the grey bin. Then, every week, garbage trucks empty the bins. The same can be said about suffering. Suffering can be sorted into various "bins" of greed, anger, or ignorance. And, like garbage trucks, people may collect and eventually dump the garbage. Rev. Sumikawa had all in attendance pledge to not be garbage trucks. He showed us a windmill he had made with recycled materials - something good that was made from what was otherwise garbage. 

Also on display for Earth Day were various items that Prudence made by recycling common household items, such as empty laundry detergent bottles, old pants, and even natto containers.

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Eshinni Day Service with Guest Speaker Juliet Lee

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Our guest speaker for our Eshinni Day service was Juliet Lee, a retired associate professor and an award-winning author. Eshinni Day honors Lady Eshinni, the wife of Shinran Shonin, and her contributions to the Hongwanji. You can watch Juliet's Dharma Talk on our YouTube channel or by clicking on the play button below.

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Buddha Day Service with Guest Speaker Barbara Brennan

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We celebrated Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri), which marks the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha around 2,500 years ago. Our guest speaker was Barbara Brennan, who shared the truth, pratītya-samutpāda, that all things are interdependent, interconnected, and intricately joined together with one another. You can watch Barbara's Dharma Talk on our YouTube channel or by clicking on the play button below.

The hanamido was decorated mostly with flowers made out of recycled materials and with just a handful of real plumeria and greenery. Mahalo to the members who have been making the flowers over the past few weeks, donated the real flowers and greens, and assembled the hanamido on Saturday.

Sunday Family Service

For today's Dharma Talk, Dennis shared some of his favorite things with us: University of Hawaii sports (especially football and basketball), golf, and baking. These pastimes have allowed him to better understand interdependence and impermanence.

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First Sunday Family Service

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Joy gave us a picture-book summary of the Oscar-winning movie Coco. Many of the events of the  film from Disney/Pixar takes place around the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, which is a time for families to remember family members have died. Joy described the parallels to the Buddhist Obon, where we celebrate and honor the spirits of one's ancestors.

After the service, we celebrated Hanamatsuri (flower festival) by making flowers out of recycled plastic bottles and paper, as well as dyeing eggs in colorful shades of spring.

Happy Birthday to our April birthdays!

Sunday Family Service & Remembrance Day

Today's Dharma Talk was given by Rev. Sumikawa on the subject of compassion. He told us the old Buddhist story of King Shibi, the hawk, and the dove.

Today was also our first Remembrance Day at Kailua Hongwanji Mission. The fourth Sunday of each month will be Remembrance Day for those family members, friends, and pets who passed away during this month in any year. The names of those being remembered were called and incense was offered before the chanting of the sutra.

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Sunday Family Service with Guest Speaker Sheera Tamura

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We had a special guest speaker for today's Dharma Talk. Sheera Tamura is a senior at Pacific Buddhist Academy and, since 2017, president of the Jr. Young Buddhist Association (Jr. YBA) Hawaii Federation.

Sheera shared "It's a Small World After All," a photo album of her experiences through programs such as the Young Buddhist International Cultural Study Exchange (YBICSE), as a student at Pacific Buddhist Academy, and with the Jr. YBA. 

After the service, we had an encore of the bleeding tissue craft activity for those who weren't able to attend the First Sunday service earlier this month (and those who wanted to do it again).

Making Takuan for Taste of Hongwanji

Kailua Hongwanji Mission temple members gathered to prepare takuan (pickled daikon radish). The takuan will be available for purchase at the Taste of Hongwanji & Spring Bazaar on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at the Hawaii Betsuin.

Photos courtesy of Dennis Tashiro, Shirley Yanagisawa, & Roy Miyamoto