temple

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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

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Annual General Membership Meeting & Members' Lunch

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Following our Bodhi Day Service, we held our Annual General Membership Meeting. The meeting minutes from last year’s meeting were reviewed and accepted. Treasurer Gerald Matsuda reviewed the Treasurer’s Report and President Prudence Kusano shared the President’s Report.

The Officers and Directors for 2020 were announced and confirmed by the board and membership.

President: Prudence Kusano

Immediate Past President: Dennis Tashiro

Vice-President: Cynthia Rodriguez

Secretary: Joyce Nishita

Treasurer: Gerald Matsuda

Auditor: Joy Nishida

Directors: Dana Arakaki, Jean Fukumoto, Keiji Kukino, Allen Kusano, Ryan Miyamoto, Jennifer Kane

Following the general membership meeting, the annual members’ lunch was held at Yen Yen restaurant in Kailua.

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Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!

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I am again honored to serve as your President for a second year. I look back on 2018 and am grateful for the support I received from the Sangha as we worked together to create a place where we can not only learn but to practice the Dharma.

Some of the changes that occurred last year include changes in the altar. The Buddha’s statue graced by the scrolls of Shinran Shonin and Rennyo Shonin now fills our main altar. The photo and writing of the new Gomonshu are hanging in the main hall. The beautiful altar cloth is used at all of the major services.

Reverend Sumikawa has office hours on Saturday and Mondays. In addition, he has started early Saturday morning chanting and walking meditation on Monday evenings. Several people interested in learning Buddhism have participated in these activities.

I believe that our members find support from one other as we gather after each service to enjoy refreshment that fellow members have prepared. I am grateful for the many members who work “behind the scenes” such as the temple grounds maintenance crew, the newsletter editor, those who change the weekly service program, the team leaders of the temple prep teams, to name a few. There are many others who volunteer to fill various needs for Sunday service. To all of these members, thank you. To all of you who attend Sunday services and other temple sponsored activities, thank you. Without you we will not have the third Treasure: The Sangha.

We begin to use our new name Windward Buddhist Temple this year. With this change our community expands to include the other Windward communities and we need to find ways to spread the Dharma to those communities.

I am grateful for what we have accomplished this past year to share the Dharma through our services and programs. I look forward to work with the Board of Directors to find more ways to meet the spiritual needs of the members and the community.

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

In Gassho,

Prudence Kusano

President
Windward Buddhist Temple

Mahalo Rev. Umitani

The year-end service also marked the conclusion of Rev. Toshiuki Umitani's assignment as Kailua's interim minister. Mahalo Rev. Umitani and family for being a part of our temple in 2017!

KHM Officers & Directors 2018

From left to right: Joyce Nishita, Merle Tashiro, Dennis Tashiro, Keiji Kukino, Bob Nishita, Geraldine Ochikubo, Gerald Matsuda.

2018 Board of Directors

Directors:

  • Allen Kusano
  • Keiji Kukino
  • Jean Fukumoto
  • Joy Nishida
  • Daikichi (Bob) Nishita
  • Merle Tashiro

President: Prudence Kusano

Vice President: Shirley Yanagisawa

Secretary: Joyce Nishita

Treasurer: Gerald Matsuda

Auditor: Geraldine Ochikubo

Immediate Past President: Dennis Tashiro

Interim Minister Rev. Toshiuki Umitani

Rev. Toshiyuki Umitani has been assigned to serve Kailua Hongwanji Mission (KHM) as an interim minister while Rev. David Nakamoto is on leave. Rev. Umitani is not a stranger to KHM as he served as our resident minister from January 2004 to February 2005. He and his wife Yoshiko lived in our parsonage down the lane next to the temple.

Rev. Umitani is from Hiroshima, Japan. He has an extensive education background which includes Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Central Institute of Buddhism, the Hongwanji Institute of Liturgy and Musahino University. While in Japan, he received his Tokudo Ordination in 1998 followed by a Kyoshi Certification in 2000.

Rev. Umitani arrived in Hawaii in 2001 and began his ministerial duties at the Honpa Hongwanji Betsuin before his KHM assignment. Makawao Hongwanji Mission was his next resident minister assignment. The Umitanis relocated back to Oahu in 2011 when Reverend received his current position of Executive Assistant to the Bishop. He also serves as the Chaplain at the Pacific Buddhist Academy.

On the personal side, Rev. Umitani and Yoshiko have two daughters; Naho (12) and Riho (9). He has a PADI (Professional Assn. of Diving Instructors) Master Scuba Diver License and enjoys taking pictures, watching movies and playing with children.

As noted on our temple calendar, Rev. Umitani will be our speaker twice in the month of April. We encourage everyone to come to temple to meet him! Welcome back sensei! 

For ministerial services, please contact Rev. Umitani at 227-1653 and for all other temple matters continue to contact temple president Dennis Tashiro (226-0339).