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Showing posts with the label About us

“I’m curious…what is Buddhism?”

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Recently, some of us were discussing how we handled the question of Buddhism as youngsters and teenagers. I didn’t have a specific answer because I don’t remember ever talking about going to a Buddhist “church” when I was in grade school.  Image: Rev. Kathy and her friend Sandy celebrating the Buddha's Birthday at "Church" Maybe I didn’t think I was different from my classmates because we all went to “church” on Sunday. Later when I was in high school, I might have referred to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. I attended Northwest Nazarene College (now a university), and I did get the question from professors and students. I was required to take religion classes related to the Old or New Testament and Christian thought, and I had to examine my own beliefs. Prayers or hymns were often offered before classes began.  We were required to attend chapel three days a week. I did take an upper division world religions class, and of course, I was assigned the topic of ...

Come Join the Party!

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   Buddhism is, and has always been, deeply rooted in community. From the very beginning of Buddhism, monks and nuns have relied on the communities around them for food and support. In return, the monks and nuns offered teachings and blessings for the community, sharing the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha’s teaching to help communities find happiness and meaning in their lives. Image: Two volunteers help unload a truck of napa cabbages that were donated to our temple's bazaar.  In Buddhism, one of the most basic practices is to express one’s faith through the 3 Treasures by saying:   “I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma (the Buddhist teachings), I take refuge in the Sangha” (NOTE: “Sangha” traditionally refers to the Community of ordained Monks and Nuns, but “Sangha” in our tradition also includes anyone who follows the Buddhist path). Without these three things supporting each other—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—Buddhist teaching...

Back To Temple!

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by Rev. Kathy Chatterton  This is the time of the year when, in my previous life as a 4th grade teacher, I was preparing for the new school year. There was plenty to do: putting up bulletin boards, arranging desks, stacking textbooks, preparing lesson plans, studying the list of student names.  Since our temple will be returning to weekly Sunday services, we might also want to prepare ourselves with a review of key elements in our service.  We want everyone who attends service to participate and feel comfortable .   If our veteran service goers happen to be seated next to a newcomer, please introduce yourself and offer your assistance with the service elements.  Here is a refresher course on some of the terms and rituals that are used in a typical service Before service begins, we enter the “Hondo” or Buddha Hall. It is an expression of respect to stop in the doorway and do a small bow before stepping in.  The start of service is signaled by a tolling...

The Temple is Open Again! Now What?!?

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  A basic teaching of Buddhism is: Everything changes.   Nothing stays the same.   Our temple’s experiences over the last 5 years really demonstrate this principle of impermanence! In 2020, our temple, like millions of institutions around the world, had to rethink how we operated to reduce the risk of spreading COVID in our communities.    For us, that meant moving to online services.   In the beginning, we had just one service a month online, but we gradually moved to online services twice a month.  And once a month we would have take-out lunch pick-up in the parking lot, which allowed for a little social time.  Photo:  Even on a cold winter day, our sangha stayed connected We began offering face-to-face services at the temple in early 2022. But then, in July of 2022, the temple had a major fire.   We held our 2022 Obon service in our parking lot, just two days after the fire. The service was brief, but it reassured our community that...

Appreciation for Our Nisei Generation

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  “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....

Temple Reopening Reflections 2024

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  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...

Happy New Year 2024: The Year of the Dragon

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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, ...

Our Refurbished Pews and the Value of Sitting Together

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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 bac...