family service

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First Sunday Family Service

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Rev. Sumikawa gave today’s Dharma Talk. He shared that the appeal of Buddhism is that we are able to apply many Christian or other belief systems principles to our own. There are many similarities and differences in each other’s approach in words.

We celebrated December birthdays today. Happy birthday Betty and Margaret!

After service, there was a very special guest. Santa (and his 100% recyclable beard) visited with the kids and adults and gave everyone a bag of holiday treats.

Our “First Sunday” craft activity was decorating ornaments with glitter. Each ornament was unique based on the colors that were mixed.

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Bodhi Day Service with Guest Speaker Sherman Thompson

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Bodhi Day celebrates the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha under the Bodhi tree. Our guest speaker for today’s service was Sherman Thompson. A member of Lahaina Hongwanji Mission and their Kyodan board, Mr. Thompson also serves on the Hawaii Kyodan board, Pacific Buddhist Academy Board of Trustees, and the Honpa Hongwanji board.

Watch his Dharma Talk below or on our YouTube channel.

Sunday Family Service & Remembrance Day

For today’s Dharma Talk, Shirley Yanagisawa shared three things in November that help us to remember and give thanks:

  1. Veterans Day: we are reminded of the many sacrifices of the past and present members of the Armed Forces for our freedom.

  2. Eitaikyo: we held this special service last week as our expression of gratitude to the many members of our temple whose dedication, sacrifices, and support have made it possible for Kailua Hongwanji Mission to be what it is today.

  3. Thanksgiving: we all enjoyed our turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and other food items, some of which we are all still enjoying as leftovers days later. Shirley made her broccoli casserole on Thanksgiving, and she made it again to share for today’s refreshments.

Shirley asked each member to note three things we are thankful for. The notes will be strung together and placed on display in the temple.

Our next Family Service will be on Sunday, December 9, 2018, which will be followed by the Annual General Membership meeting. There will be no service on Sunday, December 2.

Shirley’s broccoli casserole, the recipe to which remains a secret

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Eitaikyo Service with Guest Speaker Rev. Alan Urasaki

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We held our Eitaikyo service today, a special service where we remember all the members who have come before us and their many contributions that have allowed us to continue spreading the dharma today.

Our guest speaker was Rev. Alan Urasaki. Rev. Urasaki is the Supervisory Chaplain at the Federal Detention Center. When he joined the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2002, he was the first Buddhist chaplain in the Federal Prison system.

Click below to watch the complete Eitaikyo service on our YouTube channel.

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Sunday Family Service

Today’s Dharma Talk was given by Keiji Kukino. Kuki just returned from a trip and shared his observations as he attempted to win it big in Las Vegas. Kuki also noted that we’ve entered November, when those in the East and West gather together and take time to give thanks, Eitaikyo and Thanksgiving, respectively.

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First Sunday Family Service

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Today’s Dharma Talk was given by Dr. Michael Jaffe. Mike’s talk was about the trials and tribulations of a man in his 50s. He identified the different stages of his life with that of The Buddha. He is using the Teachings to help him understand and cope with his current phase in life. 

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Sunday Family Service

As we get ready to enjoy the Halloween festivities this week, Rev. Sumikawa spoke of the hungry ghosts and the three poisons, greed, hatred, and delusion. Living your life free of greed, hatred, and delusion allows for the release of ignorance and the way of wisdom.

Sunday Family Service

Dennis Tashiro gave today’s Dharma Talk, sharing how he finds inner peace.

Peace begins with me.

I try to achieve my inner peace and tranquility

…By doing regular and frequent activities

…By assessing my activities and eliminating those that create stress and anxiety

…By being positive while doing the activities and

Being aware of limitations - of mine especially and others, and

Being appreciative of efforts used to do the activities - my own and particularly of others

Another way Dennis finds inner peace is through music, and he shared several video clips from the recent 2018 Choralfest. Dennis was one of several Kailua Hongwanji members who participated in this year’s Choralfest at Hawaii Betsuin in September.

Sunday Family Service

In his Dharma Talk, Rev. Sumikawa explained the role of the sangha in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and its importance to our temple.

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First Sunday Family Service

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Joy kicked off her Dharma Talk about interconnectedness by leading the congregation in the Baby Shark Dance, the YouTube phenomenon with over 1.7 billion views. She closed with the question, “Can you imagine if Buddhism spread like Baby Shark did?”

For our First Sunday family activities, we made paper-strip pumpkins and mixed up a batch of colorful slime.