Orange County Buddhist Church
Orange County Buddhist Church
A Way Of Seeing (Gratitude)
This is somewhat in the way of a letter of gratitude to all of you who support the temple. This past week or so, as I write this, my wife and I were enabled by the Dharma School and your Board of Directors to accompany the Choir, led by David and Lisa Yamamoto and board president Irene Yamanishi and her husband, Louie, to the island of Oahu. Thanks, too, to Reverends Miyaji and Harada for giving me the opportunity in their places. Our capacity was something like chaperones and, because the choir was representing the temple, I was their ministerial equivalent, as it were. Most, if not all, of the hard groundwork was done by Tracy Yamashita Perry and, of course, David and Lisa, who prepared the choir to give what turned out to be very successful performances at the Moiliili Hongwanji, ministered by Rev. Eric Matsumoto, and at the Honolulu Hompa Hongwanji Betsuin, headed by Rimban Shigenori Makino. Both temples treated all of us to great potlucks, besides showering us with their famous hospitality.
At the Betsuin, we all attended the Sunday morning service. Rev. Hozan Hardiman, formerly of Berkeley Buddhist Temple and now with the Hawaii Kyodan, was the speaker. What a nice surprise! We had time only for a few words, but it was good seeing him.
We also attended, and most of our group, including my wife (!!!), also danced at the Bon Odori held by the Jikoen Hongwanji, a self-described Okinawan temple ministered by Rev. Bruce Nakamura. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more musically interesting, or seen a more exhausting, Bon Dance. Much of the music was Okinawan, as you might expect, of which I’ve been a fan for some time, and it was live! There were a couple dances during which I thought a few of our people might keel over, they were so strenuous. Everyone, I think, had a great time. As for me, I’d like to go back every couple years just to hear the music, or maybe go to Okinawa! I was trying to get Nancy Shibata to have her Bon Odori committee incorporate at least one of their dances into ours. I hope many of you are able to go in the future and see for yourselves how exciting it is.
For the opportunity the temple afforded my wife and me, we thank you very much, as one of the choir songs goes.
My wife and I also met for the first time in ages one of my Kyoto dorm mates and fellow student at Ryukoku University, Rev. Thomas Okano, who is presently heading the Hawaii Buddhist Study Center, something like our Institute of Buddhist Studies, and his Oku-sama, Michiko. If you ever have the opportunity to meet him, see if he doesn’t look like The Last Samurai’s Watanabe Ken! We also met, again for the first time in ages, Rev. Toshio Murakami, who ministers the Pearl City Hongwanji, and his Oku-sama, Yoko. He was instrumental in my meeting my wife, or the young lady who became my wife. They each took us to scrumptious lunches, while we all reminisced. We also met one of their daughters, Mari, who sang with the Betsuin Choir.
We thank you all for the opportunities to see them again.
Koko and I also climbed Diamond Head! It took us awhile, but we finally made it. It was one of the hottest days of our stay. And muggy! We were sweating, or at least I was, when we stepped off The Bus! But the view from the top was great. The weather for the rest of the week was pretty good or, maybe, we got used to it. Does one get used to tropical weather in a couple days? On the one hand, the climb emphasized for me how old I was becoming, and that reminded me (as if I needed reminding!) of the sufferings of old age, just as the Buddha taught. On the other hand, it also made me think of the evanescence of life, which in itself is bearable, but it reminded me also to consider again the meaning of my life before it was too late to do anything about it.
Thank you all for giving me another opportunity to hear the Buddha Dharma. I’m sure I need not remind you that a sermon is not the only occasion to hear/listen to the Buddha Dharma.
There must have been other memorable situations during our Hawaii trip, but age has robbed me of their content, at least as I am writing this. Don’t laugh! One day it will happen to you as well, if it hasn’t already (lol=laughing out loud). I’m sure President Irene will give you a more substantial report.
Again, thank you everyone for enabling my wife and me to accompany the Choir to Hawaii. We will treasure our memories. When we can remember them!
Gassho,
Donkon Jaan, Rev. John Doami
