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Hawaii Buddhist Council
Buddha Day Service

Sunday, April 7, 2019 | 9:30 a.m.
Hosted at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin

Speaker: Dr. Willa Tanabe
“Sparking Joy by Preserving the Past”

Free and open to the public

A Note on Parking: Besides the parking on the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin grounds (enter from Lusitana St.), there will be additional parking spaces at Hongwanji Mission School (1728 Pali Hwy), Soto Mission of Hawaii (1708 Nuuanu Avenue) and Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School (49 Funchal Street).

“Japanese Buddhist Temples in Hawaii” Banner Exhibition at Hilo Betsuin on July 12, 2018 (co-sponsored by BDK America). At right, Dr. Willa Tanabe gives a slide presentation. We are fortunate to have Dr. Tanabe speak at Hawaii Betsuin on April 7, 2019. Banners will be on display in the Social Hall.

About Dr. Willa Tanabe

After having received her doctorate from Columbia University, Willa Tanabe taught Japanese and Korean Art History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for 29 years. She has published books, articles and catalogs on the arts associated with The Lotus Sutra, Shingon, and Pure Land Buddhism as well as on textile arts She also curated exhibitions on Korean art, Japanese embroidery, Shingon art, and Japanese prints. Dr. Willa Tanabe also served for a number of years as Dean of the School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies at UH.

After retirement, she and her husband George, a Professor of Japanese Religions, published a book on the Japanese Buddhist Temples of Hawaii and presented an exhibition of temple art at the Japanese Cultural Center. Banners from this exhibition will be on display in the Social Hall.

About Buddha Day

Buddha Day (Hanamatsuri / Flower Festival) commemorates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini Garden.

Temples hold Buddha Day services on or near this date. Services often featuring a hanamido, a miniature floral altar with a figure of the baby Buddha. Attendees use a dipping cup to bathe the figure in sweet tea (see image).

Each year, the seven denominations that make up the Hawaii Buddhist Council (HBC) hold a joint Buddha Day Service in Honolulu at one of the member temples. This year the HBC Buddha Day Service will be hosted at Hawaii Betsuin. Arriving is early is recommended as temples often fill up on joint service days.

For more information, please call
Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii (808) 522-9200
Higashi Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii (808) 531-9088