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...

  Many of us are feeling stress from the current political situation. This stress includes feelings of frustration, anger and even hatred toward people with political views different from our own.   These frustrations and conflicts are a totally normal part of human life--the result of the 3 poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance.   Over 2000 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha offered this observation to help people respond to conflicts in their lives:   “Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hate alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.” (Dhammapada V. 5) PHOTO: Shakyamuni Buddha Statue (Photo Credit: Anne Spencer) Shakyamuni’s teaching remains useful today, and can be applied in our daily lives. In the course of my day, I hear many perspectives on the current political and social situations—I agree with some and strongly dislike others. Among friends, relatives, online, and on TV I hear harsh and insulting comments regarding   others’...

 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. ...

My husband and I have a birdfeeder hung on our garage just outside our back door.   The feeder has a big clear plastic cannister that holds a gallon of birdseed. There are four metal perches for birds to stand on while they peck seeds out through holes at the bottom of the feeder. The birds enjoy our feeder all year, but they especially appreciate it when it snows because the snow makes it hard for them to get to the seeds and bugs that they usually eat.   After a snowstorm I like to stand at our back window and watch all the action as the birds—mostly juncos and sparrows— “flock” to our feeder.   Although there are 4 perches, there are far more than 4 birds trying to eat birdseed. But with all the seeds the birds spill on the ground below, there is still plenty of food for everyone.   But the fact that there is plenty of seed doesn’t stop them from fighting. Sometimes, there will just be one bird at the feeder and another bird will fly in full-speed from a nearb...

NOTE: This article was co-written by Georgette I. Magnin and Rev. Kathy Chatterton IOBT started its “satellite” pilot program in 2011 for Sangha members in Boise. We met  at the First Congregational Church on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 pm and connected with many  Treasure Valley Dharma friends at those in-person gatherings. Then the pandemic happened, and  in 2020, we had to end our in-person meetings and moved to Zoom meetings.  The new format allowed us to connect with new Dharma friends  from Seattle, Port Townsend, and Florida and stayed in contact with several of Boise folks  . At our December of 2024 we talked about a good cry,  the benefits of tears, and songs that were meaningful to us. Our Dharma friend, Georgette, shared  the following thoughts on songs and especially a song about the carousel of life that provides a  starting point for us as we begin a new year (and another ride on the carousel): Georgette writes:  “This is ano...

A guest message by Keith Hopper Novice Buddhist Meets Subtle Mechanical Teacher—Insights Delivered with a Wink  Buddhism, a vaguely mysterious element of my childhood, happily included Sansei friends.  Their parents were kind, there was a sense of order in their homes and cool machine shops,  and an atmosphere of gentle welcome. Fresh pillowcases when I slept over; waves and smiles  from the fields, always in the fields in rubber boots. As I considered the IOBT online sangha, I parted with a precious Inspiration Yellow Thunderbird  named "Tweety." Well-kept and hard-driven, it was time. Getting in and out became a challenge  and a spectacle. In Tweety’s absence, my heart longed for one thing—a Japanese kei (small)  truck. My son "diplomatically" conveyed concern and asked about my meds; my daughter was  relieved I didn’t buy the hearse (lovely, elegant, with good cargo capacity). Why? Just look. When I park in a row of Corvettes, Mustangs, and mas...