Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
Our Parent’s Day Dharma Service will be led by our Sangha members. San Mateo Buddhist Temple President David Chin will share a Dharma Talk.
Schedule
(Shoshinge chanting will resume on May 21)
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service with talk by David Chin
10:30 a.m. Dharma Discussion
To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.
As we begin to view the Covid-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror of our lives, we look forward to welcoming Rev. Blayne Higa via Zoom to share his perspective on the aspects of temple life that remained constant through the pandemic, as well as the lasting changes to temple life that have resulted from our Covid-19 experience.
This month marks two years that we have been living through this pandemic experience. Temple activities, family gatherings, and our friendships have all been affected, but looking back on the ways Covid-19 has impacted our lives, it seems to me that the greatest challenge for me was having our kids out of school and studying from home for over a year. Doing our best to support their online learning, while also attending to our responsibilities with work and household matters made us feel pushed to the limit. We struggled daily to set boundaries to keep our sons on task with the work they needed to do and steer them away from the distractions and mischief that would interrupt their learning.
Continue reading “The Kind Eyes of the Buddha”
This Sunday our service will be led by our Sangha members. San Mateo Buddhist Temple President David Chin will share a Dharma Talk with reflections on how the Buddha’s wisdom has supported him through the challenges of this past year.
Schedule
(Shoshinge chanting will resume next Sunday on Oct. 3)
9:00 a.m. BCA Art Exhibit Virtual Tour with Dharma School Superintendent Yuko Suruki
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service with talk by David Chin
10:30 a.m. Dharma Discussion
To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.
As we turn the page on the truly extraordinary year that was 2020, some of our Sangha members will be adorning their homes with branches of pine, bamboo, and plum (shōchikubai) to welcome the New Year 2021 with these auspicious symbols that embody the virtue of resilience in the face of adversity.
Pine remains ever green, even in the cold of winter. It expresses consistency and stability. Bamboo does not break when bent by winter storms or piling snow. It shows us that there is great strength in remaining flexible during challenging times. Plum flowers blossom in the cold months and remind us that winter gives way to springtime. Just as our pleasurable experiences do not last forever, neither do the times of pain and difficulty. The beauty of the plum flower blossoms in the season of cold and darkness.
Continue reading “Pine, Bamboo, and Plum”At the time of writing this article, the students and staff at the Adams Ichinomiya Elementary School are enjoying fall break. This week, we have happily traded our usual Covid-19 distance learning routine of online meetings and trips back and forth between our desks and the scanner to submit schoolwork online for days spent freely playing samurai in the backyard, splashing around in the river at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and digging for sand crabs at the beach.
Even as I recognize how fortunate we are to be in good health and living in a neighborhood that has not been threatened by the Hurricanes and wildfires that have impacted so many people across the country in recent weeks, I have to admit that there have been times when I have felt exhausted by all the precautions that we have had to adopt over the past eight months to prevent the spread of coronavirus. When I think about a Halloween with no trick-or-treating, and a holiday season without the big gatherings of family and friends that we look forward to each year, at times it can be difficult to feel gratitude.
Continue reading “Gratitude in the pandemic”
To join us for this online Dharma Session, CLICK HERE and sign up for “Study Classes and Seminars”.
Each year during our Obon and Hatsubon Service, I am reminded of the power of the Buddhadharma to provide guidance and support for us as we navigate our feelings of grief. As school for my sons usually begins a few days after our San Mateo Buddhist Temple Obon Observance, I have come to associate our Obon with the end of summer. Opening the freezer at the temple to put away the Obon service manju for an occasion when we can all enjoy them together, I noticed three large bags of frozen hamburgers. I was suddenly reminded of the delicious hamburgers grilled at the temple picnic and all the experiences that we did not get to have this summer: bazaar—which marks the start of summer in my mind, the annual BWA service at the Japanese Cemetery in Colma, followed by brunch with BWA members at Denny’s in South San Francisco, a family trip to Japan, our summer Terakoya day camp, spam musubi at Obon Odori practices, and chanting together with a Hondo full of attendees at our Obon and Hatsubon service.
Continue reading “When we meet, we will smile”