Eightfold Path

Who Is Amida Buddha? (January 5)

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Join us this Sunday, January 5th, for a Family Dharma Service at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple, where we’ll explore the profound significance of Amida Buddha, whose golden image adorns our main hall. Rev. Adams will share a Dharma Talk on why—among the countless Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges—it is Amida Buddha whom Jodo Shinshu Buddhists revere as our refuge of wisdom and compassion.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting (Click here for chanting text)
9:00 a.m. Sangha Social Hour
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Shotsuki Hoyo Monthly Memorial Service (Hondo)
10:30 a.m. Dharma Discussion (Dharma Room)

To join us for this hybrid service via Zoom, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

The First Turning of the Dharma Wheel (December 8)

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We warmly welcome you to join us in person at the San Mateo Buddhist Temple for our Family Dharma Service on Sunday, December 8. This Sunday, Rev. Adams will share appreciations for the first Dharma Talk delivered by Śakyamuni Buddha following his realization of Enlightenment, in which he shared the foundational teaching of the Four Noble Truths.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shōya Raisan Chanting
9:00 a.m. Sangha Social Hour
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Shotsuki Hoyo Monthly Memorial Service (Hondo)
10:30 a.m. Dharma Discussion (Dharma Room)

To join us for this hybrid service via Zoom, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Right Concentration: The Settled Mind (June 6)

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Featured image: Sangha member Ben Tsutaoka concentrating on his work at the 2019 SMBT Mochitsuki

We live in a world where we are bombarded all day long by sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings and opinions vying for our attention.  How can we settle our minds on the the great matter of liberation from suffering in the cycle birth and death?   This week we will look to the Buddha’s teachings on Right Concentration, the eighth aspect of the Eightfold Path, for guidance on how to focus the mind, free from doubt and distraction.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Shotsuki Hoyo Monthly Memorial

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Right Mindfulness

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May 16

The seventh aspect of the Eightfold Path, Right Mindfulness（Jp. shōnen 正念 ）is to live each moment with awareness of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion at work in our lives.  These days “mindfulness” has become a buzz-word with mindfulness practices being prescribed by doctors and taught in business settings and public schools. 

The Nembutsu (念仏）Recitation of the Name of Amida Buddha Namo Amida Butsu is one of the oldest and most widespread mindfulness practices in the Buddhist Tradition.  This Sunday we consider how Nembutsu practice relates to the present day mindfulness movement.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Dharma Discussion

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Right Effort

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May 2

The sixth aspect of the Eightfold Path, Right Effort is to direct our efforts tirelessly to the overcoming of ignorance and selfish desires in the midst of life’s challenges.  In Sunday’s Dharma talk, Rev. Henry will share memories of his high school Junior Varsity Tennis Coach, who inspired a losing team to stayed motived and continue to make their best effort.  

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Shotsuki Hoyo Monthly Memorial

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Right Livelihood: Hunting and Fishing

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April 25

The fifth aspect of the Eightfold Path, Right Livelihood is to earn a living in way that is in keeping with the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha, and avoids causing harm for others. Historically, people who made their living by hunting and fishing have suffered discrimination in Buddhist countries because their livelihood depended on taking the lives of animals. This week’s Dharma talk will share the story of Shinran Shonin’s kind teaching for a hunter’s wife, assuring her that she too is embraced by Amida’s Buddha’s boundless compassion.

Featured image: Goose Island (Ganjima) near the Gwannyuji Temple in Ibaraki, Japan.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Japanese Language Service 日本語法要

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Right Conduct: The Powerful Act of Bowing

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April 18

The fourth aspect of the Eightfold Path, Right Conduct is to act in a way that is peaceful, kind and compassionate. Joining one’s hands in gassho, bowing, and placing offerings before the Buddha are part of our daily practice of Right Conduct. This week’s Dharma talk will consider how these simple acts have the power to bring peace to the world.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Dharma Discussion

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Right Speech: The Words of Lady Takeko Kujo

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April 4

The third aspect of the Eightfold Path, Right Speech is to speak honestly and compassionately.  This week we will reflect upon the words of Lady Takeko Kujo who practiced right speech to advocate for the poor and oppressed people of her time.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Shotsuki Hoyo Monthly Memorial Service

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Right Thought and Zero-Sum Thinking

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March 28

The second aspect of the Eightfold Path, Right Thought is to consider the matters of one’s life free from prejudice and misconception. In this week’s Dharma talk, we will explore how the wisdom of the Buddha guides us to let go of our zero-sum thinking, which creates the misconception that sharing benefits with others requires losing benefits for ourselves.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. 日本語法要 Japanese Service

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Superstition and Magical Thinking

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March 14

This week we will consider the role that superstition and magical thinking play in our lives in light of the Buddha’s teachings on Right View. The first aspect of the Eightfold Path to Awakening, Right View is to see ourselves and our lives as they they truly are, illuminated by the light of wisdom.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Shoshinge Sofu Chanting
9:00 a.m. Taiso Morning Exercise
9:30 a.m. Dharma Service
10:30 a.m. Dharma Discussion

To join us for this online Dharma Service, CLICK HERE to sign up for “Live Broadcast of Services”.

Featured image by Yoshimasa Niwa