COVID-19

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Reopening Update #3

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Effective Saturday, March 26, 2022, Windward Buddhist Temple will no longer require masks to be worn inside the temple. This is in alignment with the end of the State of Hawaii’s indoor mask mandate as of 11:59 pm on March 25, 2022.

  • Masks will be optional, and those who want to wear masks should continue to do so.

  • If you are not feeling well, please do not visit the temple.

As announced on March 3, we are no longer requiring proof of vaccination to enter the temple. However, as always, you are encouraged to consult with your doctor and if you are eligible to be vaccinated, please do so.

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Reopening Update #2

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Since Oahu is changing the guidelines of not requiring vaccination checks and distancing effective March 5, 2022, in consultation with Rev. Sumikawa, starting Sunday, March 6, WBT will only require wearing masks in the temple.

Effective Sunday, March 6, 2022 we will no longer be checking for proof of vaccination. Thank you to those of you who have volunteered to be "vaccine status checker" or "ushers" each Sunday.

I think this is good news and a step in a positive direction which will allow many who have been hesitant about attending live services to feel more comfortable about attending live services.

In gassho,

Prudence Kusano, President

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An Update on Reopening (January 2022)

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Dear Members and Friends,

Warmest wishes for a Happy New Year!

I am grateful that we have endured the many months of COVID restrictions with a positive attitude and knowledge that everything changes, even COVID will one day be controlled. Having the temple closed since March 2020 has been a challenge. The Board of Directors has continued to do its best to be in communication with members and friends and to share the Dharma through YouTube.

The effort to look for new ways to keep the Sangha together and to spread the Dharma, resulted in several positive outcomes. For example, despite the inconvenience and missing the Sangha fellowship, Windward Buddhist Temple’s online Sunday services have reached our friends and members as well as people outside of the Windward District and even people living on the mainland. Many of us learned to use Zoom and attended conferences and Dharma classes which we would not have been able to do prior to the pandemic. The Board learned how to conduct monthly Board meetings via Zoom.

In August we had a Bon Dance dinner sale that brought together members to safely prepare the dinner and to connect with people who came by to pick up their orders. The Fundraising Committee replaced the live fundraising events with an Online Store.

The temple has been able to weather this pandemic due to the support of the Board and the members who have generously contributed to the temple. I look forward to serve as President again this year with the goal of reopening the temple for regular services and fellowship.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, Safe and Peaceful New Year.

With Gratitude, Prudence Kusano

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In-Person Services: November & December

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Eitaikyo Service

November 14, 9 am

Bodhi Day Service

December 12, 9 am

Good news: the temple will be open for one in-person service each month in November and December!

Here are the details that you will need to know if you are planning on joining us at the temple for these special services.

Attendance is limited to those 12 years and older who can verify their COVID vaccination status. Everyone will need to be masked and physically distanced if not from the same household.

Everyone attending is required to:

  1. Present proof of their COVID vaccination status with a picture ID, and

  2. Sign in on the COVID tracking sheet as they enter the temple.

More services will be added as COVID restrictions are lifted. We look forward to your attendance to these services.

Online services will continue for remaining Sundays. See posted schedule here.

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An Update on Reopening (November 2021)

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Dear Members and Friends,

Good news: the temple will be open for some live, in person services!!

Since some of the COVID restrictions are being lifted, the Board has decided to slowly open the temple for live services. We will begin by having one in-person temple service a month and as more restrictions are lifted, more will be added.

The Eitaikyo Service on November 14 and the Bodhi Day service on December 12 will be held at the temple. The other Sunday services in November and December will be pre-recorded and available for viewing on Sundays via YouTube, WBT website and FaceBook.

We will continue to follow government guidance for in-person services by limiting the number of people in attendance to 50% of capacity and those 12 years and older who can verify their COVID vaccination status. Everyone will need to be masked and physically distanced if not from the same household. We will be allowed to chant and sing with our masks on.

Everyone attending the service is required to:

  1. Present proof of their COVID vaccination status and a photo ID, and

  2. Sign in on the COVID tracking sheet as they enter the temple

Nametags will not be used, so it will be interesting to see how many of us can recognize each other after almost 20 months since our last live service in March 2020. We look forward to meeting new people who may have been waiting for services at the temple.

There will be no fellowship after these services. Many of us look forward to meeting new people and to chat with old friends over refreshments; however, we need to be patient for the time when this will be possible again. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you at the Eitaikyo and Bodhi Day services.

In gassho,

Prudence Kusano

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An Update on Reopening

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Dear Members and Friends,

It has been 18 months since we closed our temple due to COVID-19. It has been a challenging time for all of us. With the availability of vaccines and the decreasing number of cases we were excitedly looking forward to having live services in September. However, as much as we are eager to return to “normal” with the increasing cases due to new variants of the virus, the WBT Board has decided that we will postpone reopening of the temple to protect all of us.

The purpose of this letter is to update you by sharing some of the opportunities that the pandemic has created for us.

  • Weekly on-line Sunday service began in August 2020. Since the temple was closed for Sunday service, we decided to bring the Dharma to you. This required many of us to learn new skills to record and post the weekly Sunday services. Many of you and others from the mainland and other countries have been tuning in to the weekly services link. In this way the pandemic has allowed us to spread the Dharma far and wider than we have ever been able to do so in the traditional format. We hope to continue on-line services to allow those who have been relying on our weekly service the opportunity to continue their Nembutsu path with us.

  • On-line Dharma education has flourished during the pandemic. WBT has conducted virtual Adult Dharma Classes that reached people who live outside of the Windward area. Many temples in Hawaii and on the mainland have also made available virtual Dharma education. Those of you who have access to a computer will find many opportunities to hear various Dharma messages, from New York, California, all the neighbor island temples, the Buddhist Study Center and the Buddhist Churches of America.

  • The use of the computer and technology has allowed the usual conferences such as the Lay Convention to continue virtually. More people across the State have been able to “attend” these virtual conferences since the cost of travel and housing was replaced by a free connection through the use of Zoom and other virtual means. These methods have allowed many to feel safe in their own homes and be able to take part in these conferences.

  • Rev. Sumikawa led a limited group of people to conduct an Obon service at the Waimanalo Japanese Cemetery which is on the Marine Corp land. It was an opportunity for people with family members still buried there to visit them after many years. Hawaii Herald newspaper had an article about this visit.

  • During this time the Board continued to meet virtually to ensure that necessary regulatory requirements, finances, and other obligations were met while keeping the Board members safe.

Fund raising has also been on-line. The WBT Country Store items were posted on the WBT website. In July takuan was sold and in August WBT bon dance dinnerplates were also sold.

The Board will continue to monitor the number of COVID cases and restrictions to determine when it is safe to return to live services. While you are sheltering in place, you can talk with Rev. Sumikawa for spiritual support by calling him at 808-492-7254. He is available to share the Dharma with you. Until the next time, please continue to be safe.

In Gassho,

Prudence Kusano, President

Windward Buddhist TempleDear Members and Friends,

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Reopening Windward Buddhist Temple

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Dear Members and Friends,

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After weeks of sheltering in place, I am glad to share with you what the WBT Board has been working on to be ready to return to “normal” when the time is right. In early May when the number of COVID-19 cases were decreasing we started to be optimistic about reopening the temple for service within a few months. However, after the Memorial Day holiday the cases have been increasing, not only in Hawaii, but across the nation. Therefore, the Board has decided to be more cautious about reopening the temple and wait until the pandemic is under control.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of what the Board has been planning in preparing the temple and the service format to ensure that the temple and its activities will be as safe as possible in the event that there is a need to gather in the temple while the COVID-19 is not under control.

Following the government’s guidance on reopening religious facilities, Windward Buddhist Temple has made adjustments to our temple layout and service format to accommodate safe practices to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition of High-Risk population is: person 65 years of age and older; people of all ages with underlying medical conditions(particularly not well controlled, including people with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, people who have serious heart conditions, people who are immunocompromised, people with severe obesity, people with diabetes, people with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, and people with liver disease, people who live in nursing home or long term care facility.

The City & County of Honolulu has five phases of “Impact to Daily Life from Stabilization to Resilience” that determines how long “Stay at Home” directives are in place. Currently Honolulu is in Phase 3: Act with Care. This Phase is followed by Phase 4: Recovery, and Phase 5: New Normal. The directive recommends that High-risk populations stay at home until New Normal Phase is proclaimed.

Since a large number of our members fall in the High-risk category, the Board is considering waiting until Honolulu is in Phase 5 which may not be in the near future.

This is what WBT is doing to prepare for the time when we can have live Sunday services. The temple will reopen for Sunday service after cleaning, sanitizing, and modifying the temple and the service format to meet the government recommendations for reopening. The following are the modifications:

  1. Everyone (including visitors) is welcome to attend and is expected follow established safety procedures.

  2. A sign will be posted outside the entry requesting people not to enter if they have the following:

    1. Fever

    2. Cough

    3. Sneezing

    4. Body ache

    5. Difficulty breathing

    6. Have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus or traveling in the last 2 weeks

  3. Sign-in, provide contact information, and attest to the above information.

  4. Everyone attending the service should notify WBT if they test positive for COVID-19 after attending the service. WBT will contact all who may have been exposed to the individual.

  5. New service format:

    1. Wear required face masks.

    2. Allow volunteer to take your temperature before entering. Those with temperature of 100.4 F or higher will not be permitted to attend the service.

    3. Follow physical distancing markers on entry area.

    4. Use hand sanitizer upon entering.

    5. No name tags.

    6. Take a seat as directed by volunteer. Chairs are set in physically distanced groups. Family may seat adjacent to each other.

    7. No Gatha and Sutra books. Service program will be projected on the screen.

    8. No chanting or singing. Only minister will chant and sing while using a face shield.

    9. Sanitize hands after monetary offering and before offering incense. (Offertory bowl and automatic dispensing sanitizer will be available before approaching the altar.)

    10. Minister will give Dharma talk using a face shield. Lay speakers will do the same.

  6. No fellowship and after service activities. No community sharing materials. Library is closed.

  7. Use physical distancing as much as possible in the temple and when using the restrooms.

In the meantime, the Board is pleased to announce that WBT will be posting recorded services on its website beginning in August. You will receive further information about the details as soon as they are finalized. For those of you who are not able to access our website we hope that you have family members who would be able to allow you access to their computers.

One of the recorded Sunday service in August will be the WBT’s Obon service. This year we had to cancel the Bon Dance which also served as one of the major fundraising events for WBT. We hope that you will consider a donation to WBT in August to commemorate Obon. Please send your donation to:

Windward Buddhist Temple

268-A Kuulei Road

Kailua, HI 96734

Until the next time, please continue to be safe.

In Gassho,

Prudence Kusano, President

Windward Buddhist Temple

COVID-19 / Novel Coronavirus Temple Advisory

“Let us go to the Buddha-Dharma for guidance to keep a balanced perspective. Do not let ignorance and fear overwhelm us and at the same time let us be very mindful of the interconnected and interrelatedness of all matters.”
— Bishop Eric Matsumoto

Remain Connected

The health and safety of our temple members and guests are of utmost importance. Rev. Sumikawa and the Board are monitoring the COVID-19 / Novel Coronavirus situation and will follow the guidance from Headquarters (Honpa Hongwanji COVID-19 Advisory Page).

Latest Updates

August 2, 2020:

  • Starting in August, we will be recording an Online Dharma Service. The video will premiere on our YouTube channel and Facebook page each Sunday at 9 am and will be available for playback anytime after that on YouTube, Facebook, or on our website.

July 19, 2020:

  • Read our Temple Reopening Plan in Prudence Kusano’s letter to members

  • We will be posting recorded Dharma Services with Rev. Sumikawa starting on Sunday, August 2nd. Subscribe to our channel on YouTube to receive notifications when new videos are posted.

May 24, 2020:

  • The City & County of Honolulu has announced that religious entities may reopen beginning May 23. Based on that, we will be able to reopen the temple office beyond Minimum Basic Operations and begin implementing plans for reopening.

  • With guidance from Headquarters, we have created a task force to develop plans to reopen WBT. We want to assure you that the temple will be safe for you and any new procedures will also follow CDC guidelines to ensure safety for all who use the temple.

  • The plan will be presented to the entire WBT Board at the June 10 Board meeting. Upon approval a detailed communication will be shared with you.

  • Keep safe in the meantime. We plan to see all of you at the temple in the very near future.

April 25, 2020:

  • With the extension of the stay-at-home orders by the State of Hawaii and the City & County of Honolulu through May 31, activities at Windward Buddhist Temple will remain suspended for the month of May. Keep saying the Nembutsu in gratefulness that we are being kept safe even if we cannot have our Sunday services for now.

March 28, 2020:

March 18, 2020:

  • Headquarters Update #3

  • In alignment with Headquarters Update #3, the previously announced suspension of activities at Windward Buddhist Temple has been extended through May 15, 2020 (extended through May 31, 2020).

  • The situation with COVID-19 is so fluid that matters could change anytime and very rapidly.

  • Please continue to visit our website and follow us on social media to remain updated.

  • Let us be safe, but not full of fear. Let us go to the Buddha-Dharma for guidance.

March 15, 2020:

  • Effective March 16 through April 30, 2020 (extended through May 15, 2020), the use of the temple for religious services, activities and meetings are suspended as a way to mitigate the transmission COVID-19 virus. Updates on when temple use will resume will be available on:

  • During this time Sunday services, Monday meditation, Tai-Chi, Ikebana and Japanese classes are cancelled. Adult Dharma Class will be cancelled for March 21, April 4 and 18.

  • Please use this opportunity to check out the WBT websites and the websites of our various Hongwanji temples to hear recorded Dharma talks, read Dharma messages and read books on Shin Buddhism.

  • This event provides us many opportunities to realize the Buddha’s teaching of impermanence, interdependency, and compassion as we all help each other through this global pandemic. Please follow the CDC guidelines and keep each other safe.

March 11, 2020:

March 7, 2020:

  • The Taste of Hongwanji at Hawaii Betsuin originally scheduled for Sunday, March 29, has been postponed due to COVID-19 / novel coronavirus concerns. A new date has not yet been announced.

March 3, 2020: