My mother, Chistine (AKA "Aunt Chris" or “Ma”), died in January of 2022 at the age of 90. We were finally able to hold memorial service for her last month at the Presbyterian church in Washington that she had been a part of for more than 50 years. Ma was a kind and accepting person and, although she raised me Christian, she supported and encouraged me on my path to Buddhist ministry.   She attended the Buddhist temple with me whenever she had a chance and also came to several NW District Conventions. Ma loved meeting and talking with everyone .   One of my happy memories of one convention was how much she enjoyed listening to, and getting to chat with, Taitesu Unno—she never forgot him.   For my message this month I wanted to share the reflection I delivered at my mother’s memorial service. Photo: Ma loved to go camping!  This picture was taken on a camping trip to celebrate her 88th birthday A Remembrance of Ma Ma was born in 1931 in Petersburg Alaska. Just 17 months l

  NOTE:   In this is a special guest article by temple member and friend, Linda Tanaka who lives  in North Idaho, reflects on interconnection and all the relationships, causes, and conditions that make life in the country possible. Greetings from North Idaho or as my brother, David, calls it ‘the wilderness’.   Our fall season was short lived.   Snow arrived before Thanksgiving and didn’t let up until Christmas.   We were doing snow management for days in a row.   Toss in having to buy a new snow blower before Christmas and a low of -24 degrees [that’s “minus”] with frozen pipes, Winter 2022 will be one to be remembered. Are you wondering how a person born and raised in the Eastern Oregon desert then 30+ years in Northern California could end up about 6 miles from the Canadian border?   That’s a long story but I will give you the condensed version.   My husband, Vic Cherven, is a geologist with extensive knowledge of California geology from his jobs during his career.   We had mo

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

Editor's Note:   In this guest blog Melody Smit, a long-time resident of Idaho and member of IOBT, shares her thoughts on Buddhism and her recent move to South Carolina I am so pleased to be writing to you but I do not come to you as a minister's assistant or a scholar of Shin Buddhist teachings, but as a fellow member of Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple (IOBT) who would like to share with you some of my thoughts and experiences.  Some of you may know that I recently moved from Southwestern Idaho--where I enjoyed membership at IOBT--to South Carolina.   I know what you must be thinking, “why?”.  Well it has to do with long term retirement plans that would not work out in the cold winters of SW Idaho, and as beautiful as the Treasure Valley is, the Midlands of South Carolina are just at beautiful, albeit very different.  I can ride my horses all year long in relative comfort, that is a big plus, I don’t have to deal with dust and mud, and I still can’t get used to the idea that I do