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.
Buddha Day Service with Guest Speaker Barbara Brennan
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.
First Sunday Family Service
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.
Sunday Family Service with Guest Speaker Sheera Tamura
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).
Spring Ohigan Service with Rev. Hiramatsu
Spring Ohigan marks the change in seasons, from winter to spring. Our guest speaker was Rev. Sandy Hiramatsu, who served as the resident minister of Kailua Hongwanji Mission from 1990 to 1993.
Rev. Hiramatsu shared her memories of the original temple building, marching in the Kailua 4th of July parade and spreading word of our bon dance to the community, and starting a children's choir, highlighting the importance of music.
On display in the temple were two uchishiki (altar cloths) that were made by member Carrie Kawamoto.
Rev. Hiramatsu asked the children in attendance to pick a stuffed animal that most closely represented the way they feel when they come to church.
At the end of the service, Rev. Sumikawa lead us in singing words of Thanksgiving.
First Sunday Family Service
We welcomed (back) Rev. Bert Sumikawa to Kailua Hongwanji Mission for his first family service as our resident minister. Rev. Sumikawa most recently was the resident minister of Mo’ili’ili Hongwanji Mission. For his first Dharma Talk, Rev. Sumikawa shared his journey from growing up in Pearl City and Kailua, to becoming a pediatric dentist, and, after retiring from his dentist practice, becoming a Shin Buddhist minister. Read more about Rev. Sumikawa in the March newsletter.
After the service and refreshments, members of all ages participated in a First Sunday craft activity. We used bleeding tissue paper to create colorful spring artwork, each one individual and unique.
We celebrated our March birthdays. Happy birthday!
4th Annual Founders' Day Service
KHM President Prudence Kusano with Rev. Kevin Kuniyuki and Dayle Kuniyuki
Kailua Hongwanji Mission celebrated its 4th annual Founders’ Day during the Sunday Family Service on February 25, 2018. It is a day to remember our past lay leaders for all that they have done over the years – from the founding of our temple in 1968 – to make Kailua Hongwanji Mission what it is today.
In his Dharma Talk, Rev. Kevin Kuniyuki mentioned that we should remember the founders of Kailua Hongwanji Mission and express our gratitude for what our temple is for all of us today – a wonderful place to listen to the Dharma and to enjoy fellowship with the temple Sangha. Rev. Kuniyuki also shared some numbers related to the Dharma teachings and their significance: 3 Treasures, 4 Noble Truths, 8-fold Path and 3 Poisons.
The temple members thanked Rev. Kuniyuki for serving as the interim temple minister during January and February and expressed appreciation for his presence as a minister and a friend of Kailua Hongwanji Mission. The members also expressed their gratitude to Mrs. Dayle Kuniyuki for attending the services whenever Rev. Kuniyuki conducted the Sunday Services.
Sunday Family Service
Bob enjoys history and his Dharma Talk included several bits of historical information. Bob showed three kanji (Chinese characters) and how from ancient times the first two were combined to make the third kanji.
門 – Mon (“Gate”)
耳 – Mimi (“Ear”)
聞– Kiku (“Listen”)
The third kanji suggests “putting your ear to the gate and listen.” Perhaps, in modern times the third kanji would suggest that we open the gate to the temple and listen to the Dharma.
In past centuries, foreign countries had influence on Japanese food.
- Portuguese sailors introduced kabocha to Japan bringing it from Cambodian. The Portuguese name for the squash, Cambodia abobora, was shortened by the Japanese to kabocha. In some regions of Japan, it is called bobora.
- Tempura and Anpan are also the results of Portuguese influence.
- For tempura, the Portuguese introduced the frying technique of using flour and egg as a batter.
- The dessert anpan is derived from part Japanese, an – bean paste, and Portuguese, pan – derived from pao, the Portuguese word for bread.
The above are examples of our interdependence and interconnectedness with others.
Dayle Kuniyuki, friend Grace, and Rev. Kevin Kuniyuki