A Gala Fundraiser Dinner is planned for the evening of Saturday January 31, 2009 at the Manitoba Buddhist Temple. The dinner will be prepared by Chef Lau Young of Southwood Golf and Country Club. Proceeds of the money raised will go towards Shinran Shonin’s 750 Memorial Celebration. Hongwanji has requested of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada (formerly BCC) a contribution of $50,000.00 to assist in the celebration. Manitoba Buddhist Temple’s portion is $3255.00.

The cost for the Gala Fundraiser will be $50.00 per person. A tax receipt of $25.00 will be issued for a portion of the purchase price. See Sensei Ulrich or any board member for tickets.

This week, my wife asked my daughter what she did at recess. Her response was that she "meditated." This practice probably came to her after Sensei Ulrich began introducing children's meditation into our weekly Sunday service.

"Think of your head shooting like a fountain, watering the flowers and grass around you."

A couple of the most popular internet searches that bring people to this website are "Eightfold Path for Children" and "Buddhist Stories for Children." This just shows the growing popularity of parents and teachers looking for Buddhist lessons for their kids.

In the fall 2008 issue of Tricycle magazine, a special section titled "Bringing Up Buddhists" explains some of the interest that exists in North America. It is a sampling of how Buddhists in the United States are teaching the dharma to children. The contents of the section includes an article on a Florida family trying to live a Buddhist life, a Dharma School in Portland and a meditation teacher working in the New York public school system. There is also information and inspiration for those who want their children to have a Buddhist educational experience.

Originally modeled after Christian Sunday Schools, Jodo Shinshu Temples in Canada and the United States have been offering a "Dharma School" children's program for decades.

The Level 8 Buddhist's blog has a great posting about bringing up a child in a Buddhist family. He also has many nice things to say about the Jodo Shinshu tradition that captures its "family friendly" culture.

Jodo Shinshu, among Buddhist sects, is among the most family-friendly. It emphasizes gratitude and humility, and is geared toward working-class people given its roots as a lay-Buddhist organization from 12-13th century Japan. So, we take her to the Sunday School there, and she plays on the slide, eats snacks and occasionally makes crafts. The themes are not overtly Buddhist, but just being in a wholesome Buddhist environment works wonders. She learns to be thankful for the food she receives, she learns to speak kindly to others, and to be nice to other children. That’s the real secret of raising Buddhist children. -Level 8 Buddhist

In the "Traditions" section of this web site, we have written, "In teaching small children, we should convey a feeling of reverence and gratitude. Children will learn through the examples set by parents and teachers."

Reciting the Nembutsu will live with them forever.

READ THE INTRODUCTION TO THE TRICYCLE ARTICLE ONLINE...
READ "RAISING BUDDHIST CHILDREN" AT THE LEVEL 8 BUDDHIST...

It's back and better and than ever!

The third annual Calgary Buddhist Film Series kicks off on Thursday, October 30. It features seven films followed by discussions led by Ministers of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism including Sensei Ulrich of the Manitoba Buddhist Temple. It's probably the best deal in town... FREE!

Also check out DharmaFlix. Its a new collaborative wiki web site listing films with Buddha dharma content. It also features a top 100 list based on participants' reviews. So what's your favorite Buddhist film or TV series?

VISIT THE CALGARY BUDDHIST TEMPLE WEB SITE...
SEE THE TOP 100 BUDDHIST FILMS AT DHARMAFLIX....

Our organization used to be called the BCC (Buddhist Churches of Canada), but as we have officially changed the name to Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada (JSBTC) this spring, we are commemorating the 103rd JSBTC Day in 2008. Simply put, it has been 103 years since Jodo Shinshu was first introduced by Senju Sasaki Sensei in 1905.
  
May I join all the Dharma Friends across Canada in paying my tribute of appreciation to the pioneers and predecessors for their vision and commitment to guide us in the teaching of the Nembutsu.  
  
Today, if you go to internet and check Buddhism in Canada, you will be surprised to know there have been hundred of groups in many Buddhist traditions mushrooming throughout the country , which never existed 40 years ago. Therefore, I think it was a good choice to put the name of Jodo Shinshu in front to clarify our mission. At the same time, however, we have to be prepared to explain what is Jodo Shinshu Buddhism to the general public. Especially ministers, temple leaders and officers are responsible to take the lead.
 
Let me remind you of the 750th Memorial Service of Shinran Shonin, the founder of Jodo Shinshu tradition, which will be observed in Kyoto from April 9, 2011 to January 16, 2012 under the theme of “AN-NON”, Peace and Tranquility. We, the JSBTC are also planning to observe our national service one year before, in 2010, to promote our tradition. 
  
May each and everyone be aware of this important event which is only observed once in 50 years and participate with good understanding and support.  
  
In gassho,
Socho Orai Fujikawa, Bishop of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada

The Midwest Buddhist Temple in Chicago is posting dharma talks online. They feature Sensei Bryan Siebuhr who was assigned to the Midwest Buddhist Temple in 2004. He replaced Sensei Ogui who became the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America.

A former space shuttle programmer at the JFK Space Centre, Siebuhr discovered Buddhism through the yellow pages. A phone book gave him the listing for a Jodo Shinshu Temple. When Siebuhr first came to the temple, he was genuinely touched by the teachings of the Buddha.

Sensei Siebuhr went back to school to study Japanese language and Jodo ShInshu teachings in 1991, and in 1994, received his BA in Religious Studies from California State University, Fullerton. He went to Kyoto to attend the Jodo Shinshu Seminary in 1996.

The talks are recorded during services and sometimes include guest speakers. Search for "Midwest Buddhist Temple" in iTunes to locate an archive of recent podcasts.

VISIT THE MIDWEST BUDDHIST TEMPLE WEB SITE...
DOWNLOAD THE MIDWEST BUDDHIST TEMPLE PODCASTS...

When you read the scriptures, there is no use just passing your eyes over and over them. Rennnyo Shonin advised, "Make a point of reading the scriptures over and over." Also, there is a saying, "If you read a passage a hundred times, its meaning becomes clear by itself."

Sensei Miyakawa chanting at the Kamloops Buddhist Temple

In August, we had our second 12-Hour Marathon Chanting Event in memory of the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Last year we had a similar event in Kelowna on August 9th marking the anniversary of the tragedy of Nagasaki. This year, in the Kamloops community, we honored the memory of the victims of Hiroshima. This event was supported by many of our dharma friends within the BC Interior. We had planned this for the previous three months, and had asked people to fold a paper crane as a symbol of peace and hope.

We all remember the story of Sadako, a child who died of leukemia as a result of the radiation effects of the bomb, who began the tradition of folding paper cranes in her hopes to regain her health. As we prepared the temple hondo for the event, we were all deeply touched by the sheer numbers of paper cranes that we received. These were carefully placed throughout the hondo, shrine areas, windows and floor. We estimated that there were more than 15,000 paper cranes that had been folded by members of our community throughout the province. This outpouring of effort was indescribable, casting an aura of reverence among all of us.

Throughout the chanting, visitors were invited to offer incense, strike the bell, fold a paper crane, or join with us in chanting the Pure Land Sutras. We began at 6.00am and continued non-stop until 6.00pm.

Towards the back of the Hondo, a film documentary on the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was also shown. The film included interviews with a number of the survivors, who described their experiences. The degree of devastation caused by the bombing of Hiroshima will remain vividly in our memories. Those who have visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Japan know the degree of destruction. Most find their visit to the Memorial an unforgettable and emotionally moving experience. Participants came and went throughout the day, some to watch, others to participate in the chanting. A small group of anti-nuclear activists participated in the chanting for a period of time. Although non-Buddhist, and unfamiliar with chanting, some described their experience as "deeply spiritual" and that it ìallowed a sense of connection with the victims of Hiroshima and the survivors. Someone said after about half an hour, "I began to feel very comfortable with the flow of the chant and the spirituality that was built into it." This gave me a sense of humility and privilege in sharing a spiritual connectedness with all of them.

Over the 12-hours, we chanted in English almost three complete cycles of our three Principal Sutras the Larger Sutra, the Contemplation Sutra, the Amida Sutra, as well as Shinran’s Shoshinge. For some participants, this represented the first real opportunity to directly encounter, in English, the words of Shakymuni Buddha and Shinran Shonin. For others, each repetition seemed to bring increased understanding and insight, and a sense of appreciation to the participants.

As we mark the anniversary of the tragedy of Hiroshima, we remember those who lost their lives, and those whose lives became forever changed. Let us not forget Hiroshima and the horrors of nuclear war. As we read the scriptures over and over, we are also reminded of Shinran Shonin’s wish for humankind as he wrote, "May there be peace in the world and may the Buddha’s teaching spread."

In Gassho, Rev. Yasuhiro Miyakawa

(Sensei Miyakawa is the Minister at the Kelowna Buddhist Temple serving the interior of the province of B.C. He is also the former Minister at the Manitoba Buddhist Temple.)

COURTESY THE NEW DHARMA EXPRESS, THE NEWSLETTER OF THE KELOWNA BUDDHIST TEMPLE...
READ MORE IN THE B.C. LOCAL NEWS....

Photo by Ko Sasaki for The New York Times
Ryoko Mori, a Buddhist priest, visited a household, marking the anniversary of a forbear’s death.

Here is an excerpt from an interesting article from the New York Times. It suggests that interest in Buddhism is declining in Japan.

When it comes to funerals, though, the Japanese have traditionally been inflexibly Buddhist — so much so that Buddhism in Japan is often called “funeral Buddhism,” a reference to the religion’s former near-monopoly on the elaborate, and lucrative, ceremonies surrounding deaths and memorial services. But that expression also describes a religion that, by appearing to cater more to the needs of the dead than to those of the living, is losing its standing in Japanese society.-New York Times

And that may be true for North America as well. Many Jodo Shinshu temples in the west are struggling with declining memberships.

“If Japanese Buddhism doesn’t act now, it will die out,” he said. “We can’t afford to wait. We have to do something.” -Ryoko Mori, Chief Priest at the 700-year-old Zuikoji Temple in northern Japan

Temples throughout North America are constantly trying to find the balance of cultural traditions from Japan, while at the same time, trying new ideas to make Buddhist practice more relevant in today's world. Some temples now have ministers who are more fluent in English and have begun to introduce meditation (not a true Jodo Shinshu practice).

During its path around the world and over time, the dharma remains the same. Let's just hope the journey continues.

READ THE ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES...

The former Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of Canada has passed away. Rev. Toshio Murakami's life ended on May 26, 2008 at the Pali Momi Hospital in Hawaii. He was 77 years old.

Toshio Murakami was born in Fukuoka, Japan on October 5, 1931. He came to North America in 1959 after receiving his kyoshi certification. His first assignment was at the Berkeley Buddhist Church in California. He was the minister at several temples on the U.S, west coast before working at the BCA headquarters in 1977.

On March 15, 1986, Rev. Murakami began his term as the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of Canada. Here's a short video clip of Bishop Murakami during a short documentary produced in 1989. In it, he explains his vision for the future of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in Canada.

Canada's current Bishop, Socho Fujikawa writes, "He will be remembered as the Bishop who had helped the 1990 World Buddhist Women’s Convention in Vancouver."

After serving the BCC for seven years, Rev. Murakami served the Australian Jodo Shinshu community. He would eventually retire as the minister of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, but continued to be the resident minister of the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission.

His funeral was held on June 6, 2008 at the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin. It was officiated by Bishop Thomas R. Okano and sponsored by both the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii and the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission.

Rev. Murakami leaves behind his wife, Yoko, two daughters, Mari and Rumi and two grandchildren. If you would like to make a donation, the Murakami family has requested that it should be made directly to the Pacific Buddhist Academy.

The newly renamed Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada held their 2008 annual general meeting at the Vancouver Buddhist Temple on April 25-27th.

Two new people were added to the Board of Directors. They replaced Kent Suzuki of Vancouver (formerly of Hamilton) and our own Jim Hisanaga of Manitoba. Jim did an outstanding job as President bringing new issues to the forefront of discussion. Jim will continue as President of the Manitoba Buddhist Temple.

The Jodo Shinshu BTC Women's Federation, Living Dharma Centre and Ministerial Association also held meetings.

The Saturday night banquet honoured Sensei Kyojo Ikuta of the Calgary Buddhist Temple. He has served the Buddhist Churches of Canada for over fifty years. It was a touching evening highlighted by a spontaneous gathering of people who were married by Sensei Ikuta.

Sensei Ikuta and his family


The Manitoba delegates sing a retirement song.


Some of the many people that were married by Sensei Ikuta

The weekend closed with a closing service on Sunday followed by a discussion on "Greening the Environment and Buddhism" led by Dr. Leslie Kawamura of the University of Calgary and the Jodo Shinshu BTC-Living Dharma Centre.

The Board of Directors, Ministers, temple delegates and guests were warmly welcomed by the members of the Vancouver Buddhist Temple. Congratulations on a job well done!

The 2009 annual general meeting will take place at the Buddhist Temple of Southern Alberta which is still under construction in Lethbridge. The 2010 meeting will be held in Winnipeg.

May I send my New Year’s Greetings to all the Nembutsu friends from east and west wishing your good health and spirit in this cold winter. Also I would share grief and sorrow with those who have lost their loved ones. May you find the peace and comfort in the Light of Compassion of Amida Buddha.

If you have a chance to see the statue of the Buddha closely, you will notice that his eyes half open and half closed, which is one of the numerous outstanding features of the Buddha, the Enlightened One. It is called HAN-GAN (half eyes), which symbolizes that he can see himself and also see outside.

It is important for an individual living as a responsible citizen in the society to be aware of what’s going on outside today, while it is good to cultivate the inner peace and tranquility.

However, it seems to me that we are surrounded with such a huge amount of information from radio, TV, newspapers and computer that we have some difficulty to pick and choose right information. This is one big reason that I would like to encourage everyone to have a quiet time before the shrine of the Buddha to meditate and receive the wisdom from the Buddha-Dharma.

One of the priorities in the New Year seems to be the awareness of climate change caused by global warming which may affect the life of each one of us directly or indirectly, as we are closely interrelated to each other.

Let us continue our effort to learn from Buddha-Dharma, while we can think of the best way to cope with climate change to take care of our own planet Mother Earth.

Namoamidabutsu,
Orai Fujikawa
Bishop, Buddhist Churches of Canada

Makes a Great Bodhi Day Gift!
The Buddhist Churches of Canada calendar is on sale soon. Makes sure to get one for you, your friends, and your family.
This is a preview of the Manitoba Buddhist Temple page. Proceeds go to the BCC Sustaining Fund and the Manitoba Buddhist Temple.

In Alberta, the amalgamation of the southern Alberta temples into the Buddhist Temple of Southern Alberta continues. And with that project, comes the building of a new temple in Lethbridge.

Architect drawings are near completion and construction should start in December. The building is expected to be completed by October 2008.

From the October issue of the Hikari - Newsletter of the Buddhist Federation of Alberta:

As everyone is aware, the Taber Buddhist Church has been sold with possession by the new buyer to take place on October 1st. Monday, September 17th was a sad day for Taber members as a group of volunteers gathered to dismantle the Butsudan. The only bright spot was that The Galt Museum has indicated that it will be honoured to accept donation of the Butsudan and will develop a display where it will be available to members well into the future. The kansho (bell), reputed to have the best sound of all the bells in southern Alberta has been selected for the new temple.

Seven films in four days. In you are in the Calgary area, go, see, and participate in the Calgary Buddhist Film Series. Each film will be followed by discussion moderated by Buddhist teachers, including Sensei Ulrich of the Manitoba Buddhist Temple. Did we happen to mention that admission is FREE!

For an interesting historical look at Jodo Shinshu and how it came to Canada, here is a report conducted by students at McGill University. The Montreal Religious Sites Project was set up to give the public an understanding of our multicultural society in Canada. They did this by documenting the religious sites of the ethnic and religious minorities in the city of Montreal.

The project was conducted by Prof. Victor Sogen Hori, who was ordained in Japan as a Zen monk in 1976. He is a professor of Japanese religions in the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University. Hori was the guest speaker at the Buddhist Churches of Canada annual general meeting in 2006.

The reports were done by students as part of a course in Religious Studies. In most cases, several students studied a single religious site. Moarco Ovolio reported on the Montreal Buddhist Church.

Ovolio writes in his conclusion:

The difficult situation that the MBC (Montreal Buddhist Church) finds itself in today is largely a consequence of the fact that the experience and function of Jodo Shinshu in North America has been more or less the opposite of other Buddhist schools that migrated here in the twentieth century, such as Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. Where others were welcomed by and opened up to affluent North American culture, Jodo Shinshu was the focal point of an oppressed, alienated and far from wealthy demographic. Even its Christianization, paradoxically, was part of the effort to preserve a Japanese national consciousness. However, with this experience receding further from the present reality for Japanese Canadians and turning more and more into history, Jodo Shinshu temples and churches no longer need to function as the anchors of their communities’ social life and culture. If the Montreal Buddhist Church and others like it are to survive, they will have to shed the skin of their former functions and discover a new niche in North American society.

It's something to think about as we continue into the future.

Prof. Hori is currently working on a major exhibit at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, titled "Buddhism in Canada."

Recently, we were in Calgary for the Buddhist Churches of Canada annual general meeting. One of the changes that came out of that meeting was that the BCC will change its name to the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada (JSBTC).

The Manitoba Buddhist Temple would like to thank all the organizers and volunteers in Calgary for their work that weekend. They were wonderful hosts and now, good friends.

One of the ideas we heard that interested us, was creating a Buddhist Film Festival. The Calgary Buddhist Temple organized one last year that was a big success. It was held at a public library and included discussions about the films. Would the general public in Winnipeg be interested in an event like this?

Here's an example of an International Buddhist Film Festival in Singapore. I would attend just to see Lisa Simpson on the big screen. In the meantime, here she is on the computer screen.

We would also like to thank Calgary for creating at link on their web site to us. So right back at you, go to the Calgary Buddhist Temple web site for more information on Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in the Calgary area.