Sometimes the behind-the-scenes operation of our temple (and other religious organizations) can be a little confusing.  So we thought it might be helpful to give you all a short run-down of what we are doing behind-the-scenes.  Our temple president, Mike Iseri, recently wrote a short article regarding funding and temple leadership that might help make our processes a little clearer. We wanted to share it here as well.   Some may wonder where Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple gets money to operate.   First, and probably most obviously, we have several fund-raising activities throughout the year. Our biggest event of the year is our Obon Festival.  Obon is a very important holiday in our tradition--during this time we celebrate our ancestors. In fact, the dancing that we do at Obon is a way to "dance with our ancestors."  Even though this is primarily a religious and cultural event and a time to share our traditions with the community, it is also a time...

       May and June are typically graduation season here in America.   We talk about “high school graduations” or “college graduations.” Recently there has been the addition of   middle school and kindergarten graduations.   In a few weeks I will participate in a graduation ceremony for the genetic counseling graduate students that I have been teaching at Boise State University for the last two years.   I have heard the word “graduation” my whole life. But I never stopped to wonder where this word comes from.      So this year I looked it up. I learned that the word “Graduate” comes from the from Latin “ graduatus ” which in English means  "a step.”    “Graduation” conveys the idea of climbing up on a ladder or stairway—so “graduation” means a “step up,” to move toward a higher goal. When you graduate you are rising by stages; you are “leveling up;” you are “starting a new adventure” at a higher level. ...