Assistant Ministers Message: “Learning from our Sangha/Buddhist Community”   By Rev. Anne Spencer        Buddhism emphasizes the importance of the “3 Treasures” that support Buddhists on our spiritual path.   The 3 Treasures are 1) “Buddha,” a fully enlightened being dedicated to helping others become enlightened,   2)   “Dharma,” the fundamental nature of reality, and 3) “Sangha,” people who share the Buddhist path with us.        In many Buddhist traditions “Sangha” refers specifically to ordained monks/nuns who follow very strict rules (including not marrying or eating meat).   But in Jodo Shinshu (the form a Buddhism that we follow at IOBT) we use the word “sangha” to refer to pretty much anyone—near or far--who participates in temple services and activities with us.        So to us the Buddha is fully enlightened , and the Dharma is ultimate truth , while ...

       Most of you are aware that I am currently recovering from surgery to repair  a dislocation of a bone that connects my pinkie finger to a wrist bone. I initially  (and mistakenly) thought my pinkie finger was turning the wrong way because of  swelling in my hand, but the pinkie continued to look odd after several weeks had  passed. There were shooting pains down the side of my hand, too, so I thought  there might be something else going on. The dislocation was not detected until I  had an MRI in December. Almost 5 months had passed since the dislocation, so the  fix required more than putting the bone in place. Scar tissue needed to be cleaned  up, and the bone needed two pins to hold it secure in the correct position. I had the  surgery done in Arizona since that is where my caregiver, my husband Bob, would  be. I knew I would need help since my right hand was affected. The first two  weeks after surgery I...

Lovingkindness By Rev. Anne Spencer You may be familiar with the Metta Meditation, which expresses our loving kindness toward all living beings. When we held our pet memorial service at the temple in February, we included a version of the Metta meditation as the final slide of our pet appreciation slide show: May all beings be well May all beings be happy May all beings be loved May all beings prosper Metta reflects the Buddhist understanding that all beings regardless of size, shape, lifespan, or intelligence should be treated with kindness and respect. Buddhist teachings grow out of Hinduism. Both traditions share an understanding of the world that involves rebirth or “reincarnation.” In this view, when any being dies it is reborn in another form. The form it is reborn in depends on the karma (the positive or negative energy) it has created by its actions in past lives. If it has lived a good live—being kind, patient, and generous—it will be reborn as a “higher” animal. But if it has...

November brings thoughts of Thanksgiving. What are we grateful for? It’s easy to say family, friends, our home, having food on the table. What happens when we change our view and look at the things we might not consider as something to be grateful for?  For example, we had a fire at our temple in 2022. The fire wiped out our basement and its contents. Smoke damage permeated the main floor rooms, hondo and onaijin. Such an event doesn’t seem like anything to be grateful for. However, as we look around our temple today, we see upgrades andrenovations that have made this temple a building to be proud of. These projects were needed, but would have been put off for the future. We can be grateful for the disaster clean-up crews, contractors, donors, volunteers, and Mike Iseri. Out of the disaster rises a reinvigorated temple. Another example is that I had a series of unfortunate events during the last month. I am going to try to find something to be grateful for amidst the chaos. Hopeful...

The Nenju or O-nenju is a circular set of beads worn/carried on the left hand. The length of the O-nenju might be small (worn like a bracelet around the wrist) or larger and carried in the left hand.  In Buddhism, these beads represent our negative and selfish thoughts and feelings that motivate us in ways that hurt ourselves and others.   A full-sized bead chain has 108 beads, but at our Jodo Shinshu temples most people wear or carry a much smaller O-nenju. During certain parts of our temple services, people place the palms of their right and left hands together (in a gesture called “gassho” which literally means “palms together”) with the o-nenju around both hands while bowing.  Carrying/wearing the beads on the left hand is a reminder that we are incomplete/imperfect—that no matter how hard we try, as humans, we will experience the “3 poisons” of greed, anger, and ignorance.  And putting our left and right hands together, surrounded by the circle of beads, re...

In the spring, I received news that the Ireicho  book was coming to Idaho and I signed up for the opportunity to stamp the names of my  maternal grandparents and my parents in the book. I was able to participate in this event in July of this year.  It was important to me to make this  connection to family members who are a part of the causes and conditions that  made me who I am today. If you’re not familiar with the Ireicho, here is some information from the Ireicho website: “Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration is a multi-faceted project to address the erasure of the identities of individuals of Japanese ancestry who experienced wartime incarceration and to expand the concept of what monument is through three distinct, interlinking elements:  A sacred book of names as a monument ( Ireichō ),  A website as a  monument ( Ireizō ),  Light sculptures as monuments ( Ireihi )." Photo: The Ireicho Book  The Ire...