The May 2020 Goji, the newsletter of the Hawaii Betsuin temple, is now posted to our website in English and Japanese versions. In this issue: Welcome Our New Minister, Rev. Masanari Yamagishi BWA Sewing Masks for Our Community President’s Message: Building Healthy Sanghas – Resilience Staying Connected While Staying Home Assistance Available: A Few Key […]
Submitted by Rev. Masanari Yamagishi Hi everyone. I hope this message finds you well. How are you doing? May has started. I am looking forward to seeing you again soon at the temple in summer although we face the issue of the coronavirus, COVID-19 for now. I know the issue is one of the sufferings […]
Hawaii Betsuin has traditionally held its Bon Dance the last Friday and Saturday evenings of June, one of the first events of the Bon season. The decision was recently made to cancel our in-person Bon Dance for 2020 due to ongoing concerns and uncertainty around the coronavirus outbreak. Ideas for online Bon Odori experiences are […]
Submitted by Rev. Yuika Hasebe As a net is made up of a series of knots, so everything in this world is connected by a series of knots. If anyone thinks that the mesh of a net is an independent, isolated thing, he is mistaken. It is called a net because it is made up […]
The Hawaii Betsuin Buddhist Women’s Association has been participating in a mask-making effort to help limit community spread of the coronavirus. The masks have been distributed to health care workers, residents of nursing homes, residential care homes, foster care families, Maluhia, Kuakini Health Systems and Hale Pulama Mau. In the collage below, the set of […]
Submitted by Rev. Shingo Furusawa Buddhism teaches us that the present is the most important. We should always be mindful how every moment is precious and unrepeatable. Due to the COVID 19, we must all stay at home. We cannot do the things we are used to doing. But we can do many things during […]
Submitted by Rev. Sol Kalu There is a saying: “A chain is as strong as its weakest link.” These words couldn’t be more appropriate in this critical time of the COVID pandemic. Humanity is facing a crisis of epic proportion and requires a collective defense against a perceived threat to our existence, a tiny virus […]
Submitted by Rimban Toyokazu Hagio Let us observe the light of a candle and self-reflect on our current lives. When we realize that our lives are illuminated by the light of the Buddha, we understand that we are not alone and that his compassion warms us. It is then that our body and mind become […]
Honpa Hongwanji ministers throughout Hawaii have begun to offer short video messages as one way to continue sharing the dharma with Hongwanji members and friends during the stay-at-home period. The series is organized by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii State Ministers Association. The “Senseis Say Hello!” videos are about 5-7 minutes long. The first […]
Submitted by Rev. Yuika Hasebe When times are difficult, sometimes we force ourselves to calm down and be steady. We often feel like we shouldn’t cry or shed tears and force ourselves to be strong and confident. Crying is not an expression of weakness. It means that you are strong enough to acknowledge fear and […]