3/17/2023 – CBE News – Center for Buddhist Education
BUDDHIST CHURCHES OF AMERICA
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3/11/2022 – BCA Connect Newsletter – March 2022
- BCA Connected is the monthly newsletter from the Buddhist Churches of America
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Greetings from BCA Connect! Stay connected to the dharma and each other:
- NEW! – Visit the BCA Connect blog to read and share BCA news, announcements, and individual articles from Wheel of Dharma.
- Go to the BCA YouTubechannelto view the most recent Bishop’s Message and other dharma content from throughout BCA.
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Bishop’s Messages
Reflections of the Invasion of Ukraine
It has been disturbing to see the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. To see a country without any provocation be invaded by another country is appalling.
When we look back at the history of the world and of civilization, isn’t this a recurring theme, like a broken record? Conquerors, dynasties, kingdoms, war after war, battle after battle. Where does it end?
Read the full message here
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A Vision for the Future
Bishop Marvin Harada
I would like to borrow a wonderful metaphor that Rev. Akio Miyaji, whom I served with for a number of years, used often in his memorial service sermons.
Rev. Miyaji used to talk about the importance of our rearview mirror when we drive in our cars. Rev. Miyaji used this metaphor to illustrate the importance of seeing our past, where we have been, and paying respect and gratitude for those who lived before us.
When we drive, we can’t just look in our rear view either, or else we will crash into something. We have to look at what is right in front of us. That is our present. We have to look further down the road ahead of us. That is our vision. To me, vision must also have aspiration.
Read the full message here
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Fresno Buddhist Temple’s new Hondo casts a striking glow at night. This nearly completed building will open for Dharma services soon. (Photo: Greg Tsudama)
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Terri Omori Breaks New Ground
as First Woman BCA President
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Jon Kawamoto
Terri Omori, a lifelong Shin Buddhist with deep ties to the San Diego and Vista temples, will become the first woman BCA President — a major milestone in the Buddhist organization’s 123-year history.
The formal appointment will be made March 13, after the Eitaikyo Service at the BCA’s National Council Meeting.
“I’m very humbled and honored to be given this opportunity,” she said. “When I said yes, it was out of gratitude. It was just the result of the deeper appreciation that I had growing up, and of all the years that I have been able to have the Dharma as part of my life. And, it was also recognizing all those who have come before me.”
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‘Seemore’ — and Listen More
Rev. Ryuta Furumoto
At Senshin, I see several animals. I like animals, so I feel a sense of peacefulness whenever I see them.
Temple members bring their dogs, and one dog barks at everyone without any discrimination (it can represent Amida Buddha’s non-discriminating mind). Stray cats or the neighborhood cats take a walk and nap in the courtyard. Also, I enjoy watching a squirrel.
The squirrel living on the Senshin grounds is named “Seemore.” The spelling is not “Seymour.”
Read the full article here
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Buddhist Values and Leadership
Rev. Dr. David Ryoe Matsumoto
in conversation with Dr. Leroy Morishita
Dr. Leroy Morishita has guided the Institute of Buddhist Studies as the Chair of its Board of Trustees since January 2021, following a distinguished career of leadership in higher education.
Leroy was born in Fresno and raised on a family farm in Del Rey, California. He flourished during a 29-year career at San Francisco State, and recently retired as President of California State University, East Bay, where he served from 2011-2020.
Read the full article here
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Visit the BCA Connect blog to read and share BCA news, announcements, and individual articles from Wheel of Dharma:
Visit Wheel of Dharma online to read this month’s issue in newsprint format and access the digital archives:
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BCA National Council Meeting & Service
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Friday, March 11, 2022 – All Day!
Panda Express Fundraiser for BCA Dharma Forward & IBS
Online Orders from your nearest Panda Express.
28% of sales will benefit the BCA Dharma Forward campaign.
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Eitaikyo Service – 10:00 AM PDT
Guest Speaker: Rev. Kenji Akahoshi – BCA Minister Emeritus
Eitaikyo Service open to conference attendees and the general BCA membership.
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Buddhist Education Events
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Shinshu At The Movies:
Trapped in a Cycle
March 19, 2022, 11:00am PST
Rev. Turner is currently serving as one of the resident ministers at the Orange County Buddhist Church
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Essentials of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
March 26, 2022, 11am – 1pm (PST)
A discussion hosted by Reverend Dr. Takashi Miyaji.
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Take Refuge in Amida, The Music of Purity
April 2 2022, 11:00am PST
Reverend Yuki Sugahara hosts this Japanese Language Seminar.
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Universal Inclusivity in Japanese Pure Land Buddhism: LGBTQ+ and Jodo Shinshu
April 5, 2022, 4:30 pm
A discussion about Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and LGBTQ+, hosted by the Cleveland Buddhist Temple. If attending in person make sure to register before.
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For All CBE Events:
Registration required to receive Zoom link. All times listed are Pacific time.
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3/1/2022 – Women In Buddhism Seminar

- Tuesday – April 26, 2022 – Zoom Online Program
- Presented by Kappa, West Kauai & Lihue Hongwanjis – Hawaii
- Program Flyer (Link)
- Registration Required (Link)
2/24/2022 – Schedule – BCA Center for Buddhist Education
BUDDHIST CHURCHES OF AMERICA
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PLEASE SHARE THESE UPCOMING EVENTS…
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DONATIONS TO CBE ARE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED HERE
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3/5/2022 – BCA Town Hall Meeting & Eitaikyo Service

2/15/2022 – BCA Jr YBA Summit – April 2022
” Jr. YBA leaders will discuss the challenges they have had to overcome over the past 2 years. And together will develop new ways to
engage and grow our organization.” – Koichi Mizushima, CBE Youth Coordinator.

- April 16, 2022 – 2pm – More Information (Flyer)
2/11/2022 – BCA Connect Newletter – February 2022
Greetings from BCA Connect! Stay connected to the dharma and each other:
- NEW! – Visit the BCA Connect blog to read and share BCA news, announcements, and individual articles from Wheel of Dharma.
- Go to the BCA YouTube channel to view the most recent Bishop’s Message and other dharma content from throughout BCA.
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Bishop’s Message
In Memory of the Venerable Buddhist Master Thich Nhat
On Jan. 22, 2022, the Venerable Buddhist Master, Thich Nhat Hanh, passed away in Vietnam. Besides the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh has to be considered as the most significant propagator of Buddhism during our lifetimes.
He wrote 100 books on Buddhism. Over the years of my ministry, I have used his books countless times for study classes, adult discussions, and as a source for my own Dharma talks. His books are so beautifully written, easy to understand yet profoundly deep, and relatable to anyone.
Today, I would like to pay my deep respects to this wonderful teacher of the Dharma.
Read the full message here
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Shakyamuni Buddha’s
Parting Words of Wisdom
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Rev. Henry Toryo Adams
February is the month when we observe our annual Nirvana Day memorial service marking Shakyamuni Buddha’s passing from this world of suffering approximately 2,500 years ago at Kuśinagara in Northern India.
The Buddhist sutras teach us that when Shakyamuni Buddha departed from this world of suffering, he entered the state of final peace that is called parinirvana.
Shortly before realizing parinirvana, Shakyamuni laid out a set of guiding principles for those who would continue their study of the Buddha-Dharma after he departed from this world:
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Choosing Your Dana
Michiko Inanaga
At the BCA Endowment Foundation, a common question is: Should I give to the Dana Program or Dharma Forward campaign?
Typically, the question tries to address whether there is a difference and what is the best way to show my support of the Buddha-Dharma.
The BCA is a community of thousands of Dharma followers, learners, leaders, and members. This national Sangha creates a space for learning and engagement with each other to develop purposeful and meaningful lives with interconnection. Both these programs serve to financially support the BCA in these goals.
Read the full article here
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True Teachers of the Way
Rev. David Ryoe Matsumoto
On Feb. 26, I will have the honor of being able to speak about Rev. Haruyoshi Kusada, Rev. Takamaro Shigaraki, and Rev. Jitsuen Kakehashi, three teachers who have influenced the spiritual lives of countless Jōdo Shinshū followers for many years.
Through innumerable causes and conditions, I was also able to meet and learn from these wonderful teachers. I am grateful to the Center for Buddhist Education (CBE) SOFA Series for allowing me to reflect on these three revered teachers and consider how rare it is to meet a true teacher of the Way.
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Sounds of Taiko Drew Her to Vista
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DeeDee Just
How did a nice Jewish girl from Chicago end up in a place like the Vista Buddhist Temple? I was the proverbial seeker and investigated and tried a number of religious and spiritual practices, unable to find anything that truly touched my heart.
Then, at a time when I had stopped searching, I experienced the sound of the taiko drum. I was immediately mesmerized. The sound, the vibrations and reverberations reached me emotionally and physically. I wanted to experience that again.
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Visit the BCA Connect blog to read and share BCA news, announcements, and individual articles from Wheel of Dharma:
Visit Wheel of Dharma online to read this month’s issue in newsprint format and access the digital archives:
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Buddhist Education Events
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Buddhism Beyond Gratitude
February 18, 2022, 7:00pm – 8:30 pm (PST)
Our Impermanence & Namo Amidabustu?
Presented by Rev. Candice Shibata (Stockton Buddhist Temple)
March 4, 2022, 7:00pm – 8:30pm (PST)
Our Karma & Namo Amidabustsu
Rev. Patti Usuki (San Fernando Valley Buddhist Temple)
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Uen No Chishiki:
“My Revered Dharma Teachers”
February 26, 2022, 11am – 1pm (PST)
Reflections by Rev. Dr. David Ryoe Matsumoto, president of IBS.
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Shinshu At The Movies:
Trapped in a Cycle
March 19, 2022, 11:00am PST
Rev. Turner is currently serving as one of the resident ministers at the Orange County Buddhist Church
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CBE News
More useful links:
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For All CBE Events:
Registration required to receive Zoom link. All times listed are Pacific time.
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Tidying Up
By Marisa Wong | She/Her/Hers
Mountain View Buddhist Temple
I am a pretty messy person. If you enter my room at any given time, you’ll likely find piles of random things scattered about, or if I know people will be over, I shove them into random nooks and crannies. I really try to be neat, but it’s so hard to find a place for every little thing I own and it feels like I’m endlessly putting away things. Last month, I graduated from Seattle University and had to move all of my stuff from Seattle back to Davis. I had accumulated so many things in the past four years since moving to Seattle that it was really difficult to pack everything. I did, however, go through everything there and I gave quite a bit of clothes and other things to friends, local mutual aid groups, and Goodwill. After cleaning out old papers, tests, and clothes I hadn’t worn since freshman year, I still had a lot of boxes and they barely fit in the car we rented to drive home. It was so stressful and the entire move I kept thinking that I just wanted to get rid of everything so I wouldn’t have to deal with moving.
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1/20/2022 – CBE E-News: January Sessions
- Center for Buddhist Education – January 2022
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CBE SOFA Series: (Seminars Online For All)
There is still time to sign up for these upcoming sessions!
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For more past videos and classes:
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Thank you for your generous donations to support CBE.
Donations are received by the BCA Endowment Foundation
to benefit CBE programs.
Online donations may be made at this link.
Checks are also welcome,
made payable to “BCA Endowment Foundation”
with a check memo: “CBE.”
Mail to BCA Endowment Foundation:
1710 Octavia St., San Francisco, CA 94109
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1/19/2022 – BCA Update Number 859 January 19, 2022
1/12/2022 – BCA Connect Newletter – January 2022 |
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Greetings from BCA Connect! Stay connected to the dharma and each other:
- NEW! – Visit the BCA Connect blog to read and share BCA news, announcements, and individual articles from Wheel of Dharma.
- Go to the BCA YouTubechannelto view the most recent Bishop’s Message and other dharma content from throughout BCA.
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Bishop’s Message
New Year’s Greeting
May I extend a warm Happy New Year to all of you. Our BCA theme for 2022 is the same as our campaign theme — “Moving the Dharma Forward.”
Our metaphor for the campaign is the monarch butterfly, whose annual migration from Mexico to the northern United States and Canada and back, takes four generations of butterflies to complete. Each generation of butterflies does its part to perpetuate its species and to make that annual migration to the north and back.
I think this is a most fitting metaphor for our campaign, as we have worked hard to keep moving forward amongst the challenges of our time.
Read the full message here
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New Year’s Greeting from Gomonshu Kojun Ohtani
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Happy New Year, everyone! At the beginning of this New Year, I would like to extend my best regards to you all.
Over these past couple of years, we have had to adjust our lives in accordance with the scale of the spread of COVID-19. I would like to offer my deepest condolences to those who fell victim to the disease and express my sympathies to those who are undergoing treatment. I would also like to express my respect and sincere gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and frontline medical professionals who have been engaging in the treatment of infected people, as well as all essential workers who have made it possible for us to continue with our lives.
Read the full article here
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No Need for Proof
Rev. John Iwohara
Chapter 2 of the “Tannisho” can be described as a description of faith, especially within our uncertainties.
One uncertainty is, “Does saying the Nembutsu actually work?” Although asked badly because it assumes that my saying the Nembutsu is what makes it “work,” Shinran Shonin answers this uncertainty by expressing it as well:
“I am entirely ignorant as to whether the Nembutsu is really the cause of Birth in the Pure Land, or whether it is the karma which will cause me to fall into hell.”
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Hearing the Call of the Nembutsu
Julie Robertson
There’s something about the age of 35, right? Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened at the age of 35, after years of seeking without truly finding. I can’t claim enlightenment, but I am at least gratefully able to recognize pivotal moments and chew on slippery ideas until I finally understand them — and this, I think, is the essence of Jodo Shinshu practice.
When I was 35, I traveled solo to Cambodia to run a half marathon through Angkor Wat.
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Virginia Nishita
Nov. 27, 2021 at 4:39 a.m. was a moment that changed Kevin Nishita’s life, and our family would never be the same again. This is the date and time my husband Kevin lost his life.
On Nov. 24, he was shot while protecting a Bay Area TV news crew from a person who wanted to steal the news crew’s camera equipment. He succumbed to his injuries a few days later.
On Nov. 30, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, read a tribute to Kevin’s bravery while protecting others into the Congressional Record.
He lived his life according to the Nembutsu teachings.
Kevin was born, raised and received his primary education in Yuba City, California. His parents, Dan and Mary Nishita, were involved in the farming industry. Kevin grew up with the Buddhist teachings in a family of a brother and four sisters.
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Visit the BCA Connect blog to read and share BCA news, announcements, and individual articles from Wheel of Dharma:
Visit Wheel of Dharma online to read this month’s issue in newsprint format and access the digital archives:
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Buddhist Education Events
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Reflections on the life and work of Rev. Gyomay Kubose
January 22, 2022, 11am- 1pm PST
Speaker: Bishop Rev. Marvin Harada.
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Buddhism Beyond Gratitude
January 22, 2022, 10:30am – 12 pm (PST)
What is Namo AmidaButsu?
Presented by Rev. Ko’e Umezu (West LA Buddhist Temple)
February 5, 2022, 7:00pm – 8:30pm (PST)
Our Interconnectedness & Namo Amindabutsu
Rev. Nariaki Hayashi Ekoji of Virginia
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BCA Tech Squad Workshop
January 29, 2022, 11am – 1pm (PST)
How to better understand online resources at your disposal. With guest speakers Andrea Chapman of Ekoji Buddhist Temple and Rick Kawamura of Palo Alto Buddhist Temple.
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Finding the Antidote to Greed, The First of Three Poisions
February 9, 2022, 11:00am – 1 pm PST
Finding the Antidote to Greed,
the first of the Three Poisons
Addressing drug and alcohol addiction & introducing a Dharma Recovery Program
The first in a series of in-depth lectures and interactive discussions on the three poisons: Greed, Anger & Ignorance
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CBE News
More useful links:
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For All CBE Events:
Registration required to receive Zoom link. All times listed are Pacific time.
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Return BCA Archive Home
2022 BCA Archive Posts
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