Weekly Dharma Services are held on Sundays at 9am at the temple. Click here to see the speaker schedule.

Hanamatsuri

Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri) Service

Rev. Barbara Brennan & Rev. Bert Sumikawa

Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri) Dharma Service for Sunday, April 14, 2024 with a Dharma Talk by Rev. Dr. Bert Sumikawa. The service was officiated by Rev. Dr. Bert Sumikawa. Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri) is held to commemorate the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini Garden. Attendees to the service got a chance to pour sweet tea on the Baby Buddha during the chanting of the Kanmoku-ge.

Buddha Day Service (Hanamatsuri)

Rev. Rev. Barbara Brennan, Rev. Marcos Sawada, & Rev. Dr. Bert Sumikawa

Buddha Day Service (Hanamatsuri) for Sunday, April 9, 2023 with a Dharma Talk by Rev. Marcos Sawada of Kaneohe Higashi Hongwanji Mission, at Windward Buddhist Temple. We welcomed our friends from Kaneohe Higashi Hongwanji for today's joint Buddha Day Service.

Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri) is held to commemorate the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, in Lumbini Garden.

Members of the Kaneohe Higashi Hongwanji Mission

Birthdays, Bingo, & Socializing AFter Service

Buddha Day Service

Rev. Irene Nakamoto & Rev. Dr. Bert Sumikawa

Buddha Day / Hana Matsuri Service for Sunday, April 10, 2022 with a Dharma Talk by Rev. Irene Nakamoto at Windward Buddhist Temple, a Shin Buddhist Temple in Kailua, Hawaii.

Buddha Day, also known as Hana Matsuri, commemorates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini Garden. This is a recording of the complete Buddha Day service, including the pouring of sweet tea over the Baby Buddha and Rev. Nakamoto's Dharma message.

  • 00:00 - Opening Remarks & Program

  • 00:28 - Ringing of the kansho (temple bell)

  • 02:34 - Meditation

  • 03:39 - Vandana & Ti-Sarana (page 7 in the red service book)

  • 06:01 - Buddha Day Aspiration

  • 07:11 - Sutra: Kanmoku-ge & Pouring of Sweet Tea

  • 18:59 - Gatha: Happy Buddha Day (page 56 in Praises of the Buddha)

  • 21:19 - Dharma Talk: Rev. Irene Nakamoto

  • 52:52 - Gatha: Floral Festival (page 46 in Praises of the Buddha)

  • 55:32 - Nembutsu (page 107 in Praises of the Buddha)

  • 56:43 - Closing Aspiration

  • 57:35 - Announcements

Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri) Service with Guest Speaker Rev. Kazunori Takahashi

Our guest speaker for our Buddha Day Service was Rev. Kazunori Takahashi. Rev. Takahashi is the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii’s Executive Assistant to Bishop Eric Matsumoto, and has has served at Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin, Kapaa Hongwanji Mission and Lihue Hongwanji Mission.

The hanamido was decorated using donated flowers the day prior temple volunteers. During the service, members and guests poured sweet tea on the statue of the baby Buddha, representing the gentle rain that fell on Lumbini Garden.

We were also fortunate to have Shakuhachi musician Katsumi in attendence, who accompanied Joy, our piano player.

The hanamido, or flower shrine, and the baby Buddha. Members poured sweet tea on the baby Buddha.

We celebrated April birthdays. Happy birthday Prudence, George, and Shirley!

Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri) Service

We celebrated Buddha Day, or Hanamatsuri, at our April 9th Sunday Family service at Kailua Hongwanji. Hanamatsuri occurs on April 8 and marks the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha around 2,500 years ago. It is said that sweet rain fell when he was born, so sweet tea was poured over the statue of baby Buddha. The hanamido was decorated by KHBWA the day before.

Rev. Umitani gave today's Hanamatsuri Dharma Talk, showing us how distance challenges our relationships (left side, with "me" in the center) and how the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha connect to ease those challanges (right side).

We also had a birthday in our Sangha to celebrate. Happy birthday Monte!

Rev. Umitani introduced has family. From left to right, his daughters Riho and Naho, and his wife Yoshiko. Eldest daughter Naho was born while Rev. Umitani was serving as Kailua Hongwanji's resident minister.