Your Good Dharma Friend Talks:
Rev. Chiemi Onikura-Bly
From the Temple Bazaar to the Nembutsu at Home
Discovering the Spirit of Ondobo and Ondogyo
On June 28 and 29, I had the privilege of participating in my first San Mateo Buddhist Temple Bazaar. Before coming to California, I had heard many wonderful stories about this annual tradition. What I witnessed was far more than a fundraiser. It was a living expression of the Jodo Shinshu spirit.
For days before the bazaar opened, volunteers of every generation worked side by side. They prepared food, sorted donations, set up booths and the venue, welcomed visitors, and cleaned up long after the event had ended. There was laughter, hard work, and countless quiet acts of kindness that often went unnoticed.
As I watched everyone working together, one phrase continually came to my mind: Ondobo and Ondogyo (御同 朋・御同行)—fellow travelers on the Nembutsu path. Rather than seeing people as followers or disciples, Shinran Shonin cherished them as Ondobo and Ondogyo,- companions walking the Nembutsu path together, all embraced by Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow.
Rennyo Shonin, the Eighth Monshu (Head Priest) of Hongwanji, later described Shinran Shonin’s attitude in these words:
“Shinran Shonin respectfully addressed people as Ondobo and Ondogyo.”
The honorific “On” ( 御 ) expresses deep respect. It reminds us that we meet one another not as people above or below each other, but as fellow travelers who receive the same boundless compassion of Amida Buddha. That spirit crossed the Pacific with the Nembutsu teaching and continues to live here at San Mateo Buddhist Temple. I felt it everywhere during the bazaar.
My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who volunteered before, during, and after the Bazaar. Your generosity and joyful spirit showed me the true meaning of Ondobo and Ondogyo. Thank you for welcoming me into this wonderful Sangha.
The bazaar is, of course, an essential fundraiser. As our temple buildings continue to age and our Amida Buddha statue and the Naijin altar furnishings undergo refurbishment in Japan, financial support is essential to preserve our temple and pass it on to future generations. Equally important, however, are the relationships that sustain our Sangha. Our greatest treasure is our shared commitment to care for one another and to ensure that this temple remains a place where the Nembutsu is heard for generations to come.
One experience during the bazaar especially touched my heart. Many Buddhist altars, ritual implements, nenju, and other sacred items found new homes. This was far more than cleaning out storage rooms. These objects had been treasured in the homes of earlier generations before being entrusted to the temple. Through the bazaar, they found new homes, continuing to connect people with the Buddha-Dharma.
Six hundred years ago, Rennyo Shonin hand-wrote countless Myogo scrolls (bearing the Name of Amida Buddha). Those scrolls gathered people around the Nembutsu and helped establish many temples throughout Japan, including my own family temple in Fukuoka. In much the same way, every altar or Buddhist object leaving San Mateo Buddhist Temple creates a new connection with this Sangha.
As a minister, I sincerely hope more families will welcome a Buddhist altar into their homes. Previous generations of Shin Buddhists gathered before their altars each morning and evening to recite the sutras and say the Nembutsu. While modern life may not allow the same routine, even a small home altar or a Myogo scroll can remind us of Amida Buddha’s compassion in daily life. It offers opportunities to pause, place our hands together in gassho, and say Namo Amida Butsu—not only on Sundays at the temple, but throughout the week at home.
A home altar does not have to be large. A Myogo scroll and a few simple altar fittings are enough to create a place for listening to the Dharma. We have preserved many altar accessories that are available for future use. If you have ever considered creating a Buddhist space in your home, I would be honored to help you find an arrangement that fits your home and your family.
The future of San Mateo Buddhist Temple will certainly require financial support. Even more importantly, it will depend on the spirit of Ondobo and Ondogyo—people carrying the Nembutsu from the temple into their homes and everyday lives. May the Nembutsu continue to live in our temple, in our homes, and in the hearts of generations to come.
In Gassho