In 2008, I was certified as a Minster’s Assistant—a first step in a long and often surprising journey to ordination and my current position as an Assistant Minister here at IOBT.   At the time of my certification,   I received my Homyo or Dharma name.   The name I received was Ren Sho 蓮生 “to live as a lotus.” The first character “ren” means “lotus” and the second character “sho” means “to live.”   The lotus is known for its beautiful flower, but what is especially impressive about the lotus is that the vibrant beautiful flower grows out of dirty, muddy ponds.   Image:   A beautiful pink lotus thrives in the mud As I was beginning my path into Buddhist ministry, my Homyo honored the challenges I had faced in my life so far as well as the challenges and frustrations I would likely face in my studies and in life.   These challenges were the mud, but they were not necessarily bad.    Just like the lotus draws nourishment out of the mud, we hu...

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 adj...

Registration Q&A 1) How do I register for the Convention Email mikeiseri@fmtc.com   or  info@iobt.org  with name.  Payment can be made at  iobt.org  with the donate button on the right, noting that it's for convention.  2) What do remote registrants need to provide us in order to receive the link to the convention website?   Is there a deadline for online participants?  Best to  register at least 2-3 days prior.  Last minute may work  but I don't want to depend on it. 3) Is there a deadline for meal orders?   7 days ahead is best.  Any less and there may be problems ordering more of some ingredients.  If you prefer vegetarian, please note that when you email Mike 4) Do I need to register for Rev. Jerry Hirano's Intro to Buddhism talk and the Sunday closing service?  The plan will be to have these available from a link on our website--no need to register 5) Anything else? Not really.  ...

               Thanks for your consideration in attending the 75th Northwest Buddhist Convention September 16-18,  whether you are in person or virtual. This hybrid event brings the ability to attend not only in person, but  virtually, with the ability for two way communication when appropriate and ability to move from one session  to another at will. We'll be at Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario, Oregon. We are pleased to have Bishop Marvin Harada as our keynote speaker. And, Stuart Hirai, native of IOBT  and expert on 442nd/100th will be on hand for one of the sessions. The covid protocols we plan to be following encourage wearing a mask indoors except while actively eating  or drinking. For those who choose not to mask, social distancing will be required. We want to give our guests every opportunity to come, and to cancel if the need arises. Convention  registration will be refundable if cancelled by Sept...

This year’s celebration of the 75 th anniversary of IOBT coincides with our hosting the NW District Buddhist convention and it also marks 20 years since my first visit to IOBT.  These milestones, along with the recent fire that destroyed most of our temple basement, have me thinking more deeply about our convention theme: “Reflecting on the Past, Looking to the Future.”   Photo: Fire trucks outside Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple on 7/10/2022. This incident reminds us of the Buddhist teachings or impermanence and also our gratitude for the compassion of the first responders and generosity of our community.  Here are a few things that have been on my mind: Reflecting on the Past:   Summer is Obon season!   Every July, we take time to honor the people who have come before us. We have our annual Obon service at the temple and we travel to cemeteries throughout the region to visit the graves of our ancestors, relatives, and friends.   As we hold these ser...

We held our 2022 Obon/Hastubon service at the temple on June 10.  It was an extra special Obon because it occurred in the wake of a major fire at our temple.  The fire occurred in our basement on July 8th due to an electrical malfunction. We are still assessing damage, but we are pleased that our Onaijin (Altar) seems to have survived undamaged.  These circumstances helped remind us of the teachings of impermanence and interconnection that are so fundamental to Buddhism.   In Japan, Obon is an important season where the spirits of loved ones who have died return to their homes to join the living in feasting and dancing.  Picture: Historic photo of Obon Dancing  (courtesy of Seiko Go) Obon is also a time when people put aside their work and travel back from the cities to their family homes in the countryside.  It is a homecoming, a time to reminisce and celebrate.  It is a time to reflect on how interconnected we are with each other.  It ...