“I will gather the true words so they may help others to practice the way for Birth. My wish is that those who have attained Birth may lead those who come after them and those who aspire Birth may follow their predecessors, thus following one after another, endlessly and uninterruptedly, until this boundless sea of Birth-and-Death is exhausted.” (From Doshaku’s Anraku Shu quoted by Shinran Shonin toward the end of his Kyogyoshinsho)        I think of this quote from Shinran Shonin’s Kyogyoshinsho when I think about our Issei (1 st generation Japanese immigrants) and our Nisei (2 nd generation Japanese-Americans). The Issei knew the importance of religion and temples as they took up residence in America. They built our temples and invited Buddhist priests from Japan to lead their Sanghas. Photo:   1965 cabinet photo: Rev. Takemura pictured with the 1965 leadership. Our Issei leaders are seated in the front row with Nisei leadership standing behind. We have already mourned th

  On January 7, 2024 Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple held our Reopening/Dedication Service, celebrating our recovery after the fire in July of 2022. Rev. Jerry Hirano officiated the service and invited our two Assistant Ministers, Rev. Kathy Chatterton and Rev. Anne Spencer to share their thoughts as the temple reopened.    Photo (left to right): Mike Iseri (Temple President) Rev. Anne Spencer, Rev. Jerry Hirano, Rev. Anne Spencer at the Hoonko & Grand Reopening Service on Jan 7 2024.  In this blog, we are sharing summaries of Rev. Kathy's and Rev. Anne's reflections on the reopening and the history and the future of the temple.  Rev. Kathy Chatterton: Our temple was officially dedicated on February 9, 1958, and officially rededicated on January 7, 2024. As a Sangha member who has been a part of the temple for over 60 years, I am very proud of our IOBT community for working together to bring the temple back to life. In my mind, the temple was on life support during the two

January 1, 2024 Happy New Year! Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! あけまして おめでとう ２０２４ Congratulations on the beginning of a new year! Yesterday at our temple's New Year’s Eve service, we rang the kansho --the big   bell behind the altar--108   times. Everyone who attended in person was able to line up and ring the bell 4 times each. It is interesting to me how each person, using the same bell and mallet, manages to make a slightly different sound. Listening to the different tones and tempos we each create is a wonderful reminder of the uniqueness of each one of us. Image:  Hitting the kansho bell on New Year's Eve.  I think everyone, young and old alike, enjoyed getting to be a part of this once-a-year tradition.   According to Buddhist tradition, this bell ringing activity purifies the 108 bonno , our many attachments to the world of suffering. Ringing the bell cleared away the greed, anger, and ignorance we accumulated in 2023.   And as we rang the bell, we were reminded of t

NOTE:   For our blog this month, we wanted to share Rev. Anne Spencer's Dharma Talk for the November 2023 Shotsuki (Monthly Memorial Service) Image: Picture of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist temple in Nov 2023 after the altar has been cleaned and the new carpet and refurbished pews put in place.  Please put your palms together in  gassho as I read the English translation of three verses of Tsuicho no Uta , a song that we sang regularly in Japanese at many of our in person Shotsuki Monthly Memorial services in the past . Though you have gone to Buddha land, my thoughts are on you.  As I long to see you, your face floats before my eyes as I intone the Buddha’s name. Today, when spreading the mat to hear the teachings, I turn to you.   Come to us now at this gathering for friends who remain. How joyous! The Compassion of the Buddha now fills our being.  As for us, we turn to you while intoning the Nembutsu. Isn’t it fun to watch our temple being put back together after the fire

Sometimes people ask Rev. Kathy and me how to share the Buddhist teachings with families and children.  The truth is that all people, no matter our age, ability, or status, face problems that the Buddhist teachings can help us with.   Photo: Children have always been a part of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple community .  People of all ages share the same kinds of feelings--we all have hopes and fears and we all experience a wide range of emotions.   We all get frustrated, feel lonely or hurt, and get angry and upset.   We all suffer in similar ways no matter how old or young we are.    And we all feel   better knowing that we are accepted by our family/community...that we belong. These simple observations are actually the Four Noble Truths taught by Shakyamuni Buddha:  Life is difficult and sometimes painful (suffering).    Suffering usually occurs because we want things to be different than they are.    We actually don’t have to suffer nearly as much as we usually do.    There a

This question, “Can something can be both bad and good?” was running through my head last month when temple president Mike Iseri gave Rev. Jerry Hirano, Rev. Carmela, Rev. Kathy, Sandy (our temple treasurer),   and me a tour of the progress of the restoration of the temple building.                Photo:  Temple Basement without Stage and showing new ductwork Photo: Rev. Jerry Hirano and Mike Iseri in front of  pass-through to the kitchen in basement I clearly remember how my heart sank the day in July when I learned that there had been a major fire in our temple.    I thought of all the happy memories I have of the temple and the fun times I had in the basement with the Sangha and larger community.    I thought of all the supplies, equipment (including the taiko drums) and historic documents and materials that were lost to fire, smoke, or water damage. I wondered what the future would hold for the temple. I felt relief and gratitude when I learned that the  Onaijin  (altar) was safe,

A special guest article by temple member and friend Melody Smit During November’s BWA memorial service (which I was able to attend remotely by Zoom from my new home in South Carolina) I was reminded of so many wonderful memories and ladies that I love in the temple and the many Nisei ladies that were so wonderful to me.   They took me under their wing, showed the ins & outs of temple life, and made it possible for me to be a true member of IOBT. Photo: Several of our Buddhist Women's Association Members with Rev. Dennis taken in 2016 During the BWA memorial service, when our guest speaker, Rev. Melissa Opel  of the Spokane Buddhist Temple   spoke of the importance of sharing and keeping alive the memories and connections we have with one another, it prompted me to think of my early days in the temple when I was new to the tradition, coming to services and meeting new people. And I wanted to share a few of these memories with you.   I have such fond memories of Sanami Nakano w

Photo: 1958 Northwest Convention (Left Half)   Photo: 1958 Northwest Convention (Right Half) NOTE:  Feel free to leave the names of folks you recognize in our comments section! This summer has been a whirlwind. We started with the promise of in-person services inside our temple. That changed with the July 8 th fire, but we adapted and moved outdoors to hold services under the awning in the parking lot. Along with all the work to inspect and assess the damage of the fire, we had to plan for a convention. No one from IOBT gave any thought to canceling the convention. It was our “baton” to pass on in the convention relay circuit. We continued having convention planning meetings to discuss this Northwest event. We continued our temple board meetings to hear updates on the basement rebuilding and the smoke damage to the upstairs portion of the temple. No one skipped a beat. That is especially true for Mike Iseri. He is a multitasker extraordinaire. He was at the temple to meet adjusters, d