Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple – 1155 Noche Buena Seaside, CA 93955 - 831-394-0119 www.montereybt.org
Is That a Buddha in the Lotus?
“When persons doubt as they plant roots of good, the lotus in which they gain birth will not open; but for those whose shinjin is pure, the flower opens, and immediately they see the Buddha.” KGSS.
I was recently at the temple cleaning
the Onaijin (altar) and I noticed the lotus
flower in the scroll with the characters
namoamidabutsu – 南無阿弥陀佛. I looked at
it carefully and saw what appeared
to be an outline of the Buddha.
I wondered to myself if the artist who made the scroll had done this
intentionally. Whether he did or not may
not be the issue, but what I see as the
Buddha in the lotus.
As you may know the lotus flower represents the Buddha. Most scrolls as seen here and statues in our temples have at the base a lotus flower. A fully opened lotus represents the Buddha or enlightenment.
Atop the lotus in the scroll pictured here is the Chinese characters that read namoamidabutsu. Amida Buddha the Buddha of infinite wisdom and compassion is represented with those characters. The second picture is a statue of Amida Buddha atop a lotus.
If you look carefully, the lotus flower has an outline of what appears to be a Buddha. Within the lotus resides the Buddha ready to appear again. Within the nembutsu, namoamidabutsu the Buddha appears.
When we recite the nembutsu it is an
acknowledgment of something that has already taken place. It is acknowledging and expressing gratitude to the Buddha as he embraces each and every one of us just as we are.
When we recite the Nembutsu we are never alone, Shinran and all others are one within the Nembutsu. I believe this is the reason for the Buddha in the lotus. Notifying us that in namoamidabutsu the Buddha is with us, embracing us.
Gassho,
Rev. Hosei Shinseki
Newsletter June 2020 Vol 19 Issue 6
Nembutsu Wave
June 2020
2019
JUNE SHOTSUKI HOYO
On Line Live Stream Service Only – (montereybt.org) Sunday, June 14, 2020 – 10:00 A.M.
Deceased Family
Tomizo Takahashi & Suye Takahashi
Takahashi Family Hatsuko Hirabayashi Yoshiyama Family
Koichi Tanaka Mr. & Mrs. Edward Tanaka Sashiro Yamashita Mrs. Meiko Yoshida
Ichiro Gota Mr. Cary Gota & Janis Gota Eto
Kazuo Oka Oka Family
Isamu Narasaki Narasaki Family
Setsuyo Sumida Mr. & Mrs. Ray Sumida
Keizo Ogura Mr. & Mrs. Tom Ogura
Robert Akira Mirikitani Mrs. Sonoko Mirikitani
Aijiro Tokubo Ms. Naomi Takigawa
Otomatsu Enokida Enokida Family
Ben Satoshi Sasaki Sasaki Family Hisakichi Newton Omoto & Mr. William Omoto Buheiji Nakamura
Nakayo Kadani Mrs.Linda Kadani
Mitsuo Miki Haruki Ms. Joyce Haruki
Sakano Ishida Ishida Family
Hidenori Matsubayashi Matsubayashi Family Yoshiharu Yokogawa Mrs. Sayoko Yokogawa
Hiroto Fuji & Misato Fuji Mr. & Mrs. Jung & Yoshiko Hong Mikie Ishida & Midori Ono Mr. & Mrs. Alan & Barbara Okimoto
Tsumae Tatsumi Mr. Craig Higashi
William Torabayashi Torabayashi Family
Mitsuye Hashimoto Fumi (Hashimoto) Kawasaki Stanley Federick Hahn Dr. Gregg and Julie Satow Jeffery J. Shinseki
Roy Kaminori
Rev. Jay & Jane Shinseki Kamimori Family
Tadashi Aoki Mrs. June Aoki Trachsel
Dean Whiteman Denise Onitsuka
Nembutsu Wave
June 2020
JULY SHOTSUKI HOYOOn-Line Live Stream Service Only – (montereybt.org) Sunday, June 14, 2020 – 10:00 A.M.
Deceased Family
Matsusaburo Kawasaki Mr. Stanley Kato
Shoichi Yoshiyama Mr. & Mrs. Andy Yoshiyama Toshiharu Sasaki & Yuka Sasaki Mr. Robert Komatsu
Miyoko Honda Ms. Lisa Honda Haruo Kodama, Mitsuro Harold
Kodama & Fujiko “Fudge” Kodama
Mr. George Kodama & Kurt Kodama Kengo Oda Mr. & Mrs. Larry Oda
Kotaro Kitahara Mr. Junki Kitahara
Same Oka Oka Family
Carmie Cronin Cronin Family
Yataro Hori Hori Family Satoru Tanaka Mrs. Tomiko Yorita
Masao Yokogawa Mrs. Sayoko Yokogawa George Saiki Mrs. Miyo Saiki
Eiko Watanabe Debbie Janssens
Hatsue Shibasaki Mr. & Mrs. Jim Shibasaki Hisako Louise Oka Oka Family
Yoneko Satow Mrs. Margaret Satow Robert Nakamura & Mr. & Mrs. Gary Nakamura Rose Kiyomi Nakamura
Keiko Coake Coake Family
Fumiko Shingu Mr. & Mrs. Garrett Shingu Etsuko Esther Higashi Mr. Craig Higashi
Sadano Minami Mr. & Mrs. Martin Minami Wataru Waco Shintani Mrs. Mary Shintani
Kazue Shibata Jordan Mr. Sidney Jordan
Mitsuye Kanaya Dr. Sadayo Kanaya Lurie & Mrs. Junko Kanaya Adams George Uyeda Mrs. Toshiko Uyeda
Michie Jean Esaki Mr. John Esaki & Amy Kato Kazu Yamazi Yamazi Family
Danny Tanaka Ms. Jane Naito Tomine Ann Tomiko Sasaki Sasaki Family
Koyomi Tanaka Tanaka Family Margaret Chiyomi Shinseki Rev. Jay Shinseki Alice Yoshimi Kadani
Yoshimasu Yamashita Herbert Setsuo Tanaka Miyoko Fukunaga Shigemi Uchida
Mrs. Diane Kadani Mrs. Fumi Yamashita Mrs. Susie Tanaka
Mr. & Mrs. Tom & Eileen Fukunaga Mr. Jeff Uchida
Michiko Aoki
Mitsuko “Mitzi” Kamimori Ms. June Aoki Trachsel Kamimori Family Yas Yaguchi Ms. Carle Hirahara
Nembutsu Wave
June 2020
2019
April Shotsuki Hoyo Donations
Akemi Ito Lisa Honda Roy & Sydney Yamashita
Ray & Betsy Sumida
Hanamatsuri Service Donations
Itsuo & Keiko Nakasako Akemi Ito Lisa Honda
Robert Silva Patricia Hori Kurt Kodama
Hidetake & Rimiko Ogura Roy & Sydney Yamashita Linda Kadani & Dr. Alan Amemiya
Special April Donations Received
Sachi Akaba, Shotsuki Hoyo donations, in memory of Hiroshi Nishi & Hideko Nishi Randolph & Jeanne Onitsuka, Shotsuki Hoyo donation in memory of Isamu Sakai Karen Sakai & Charles Dene, Shotsuki Hoyo donation in memory of Isamu Sakai
The Sakino Family (Ron, Irene & John), Shotsuki Hoyo donation in memory of Margaret Ayako Sakino
Robert Silva, Ohigan Service donation
Akemi Ito, Ohigan & Gotane service donations
Hei Takarabe, donation in appreciation for facility use for Tai Chi Workshop Marlyn Johnson, Special donation for April general activities
Hans Royer, Special donation to temple
June Matsuoka, Sogetsu Ikebana facility use donation for March Nathan Grijalva, April facility use donation
Robert Silva, 2020 Membership dues
Roy & Sydney Yamashita, 2020 Membership dues Hidetake & Rimiko Ogura, 2020 Membership dues Patricia Hori, 2020 Membership dues
Akemi Ito, 2020 Membership dues
Thank you for all your Generous and Thoughtful Donations
We hope everyone is Staying Safe and Healthy.
HUGE SPECIAL SHOUT OUT OF “THANK YOUS”
The temple would like to send a huge THANK YOU to our following members:
Linda Shingu and her Granddaughters, Lily and Zoe Shingu for pulling all the weeds from the front of the temple every week. Without their dedicated HARD WORK, the front of our temple would be overgrown by weeds and look abandoned and
unoccupied. But, instead, it looks neat and free of unsightly weeds.
Nathan Grijalva for pulling weeds throughout the temple grounds every week. Thank you for helping us take care of our temple garden.
David, Dawn, Isabel & Michel’le Correia for sanitizing the inside of the temple after we closed the temple because of Covid-19 and their continued efforts to watch over the temple and help with its maintenance while we are closed. Thank You
Nembutsu Wave
June 2020
NOTES OF INTEREST
Online Live Stream Sunday Services
The Monterey Buddhist Temple will offer live streaming services each Sunday at 10:00 am until further notice. Log into the temple website at montereybt.org. On the home page, you will see a link to the “Sunday Service Live Stream”. Please join us each Sunday at 10:00 am.
On Line Donation Option Available on Temple Website
Make a one time donation to the Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple using a credit card via PayPal. No PayPal account is required, except to setup a recurring (monthly) donation if that is something you would like to consider.
Please view our website at montereybt.org. This option appears on the footer of every page of our website. We appreciate everyone’s generous donations and we hope this option will make it easier to forward your donations to our temple in the future.
If you have any questions, please contact our temple through our email:
montereydec@gmail.com
2020 Membership Forms
Please find in this newsletter our 2020 Membership form. The temple dues have remained the same as 2019. However, we once again are asking those who can participate to send in the additional $155.00 BCA membership dues. The BCA dues have increased this year due to the increased 2020 Budget for the BCA.
Also, Thank You to all our members who have sent in their 2020 dues.
The temple will remain closed due to the Covid-19 virus until the end of June. We will follow the guidelines put forth by the State pf California and Monterey County Health Department. Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding. Please note the information below on how to join us for Sunday On-Line Live Stream Services and Chat times online. We hope to keep in touch with all of our members and friends through the internet. Please note below the options to send in your thoughtful donations through our on-line Pay Pal account option through montereybt.org.
Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple
Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple E-Chat
Rev. Shinseki has set up an E-Chat session every other Tuesday at 7 pm – 8 pm (PDT). If you would like to join in on the E-Chat session, please contact Rev. Shinseki at 1-650-868-9883. As this is a meeting set up through the Zoom meeting application, Rev. Shinseki will need to add you to the list of participants. Thank you for your interest.
Request for Sandbags
Now that the rainy season is over, anyone having filled sandbags to get rid of can bring to temple and dump at base of oak trees at side of driveway. The sand is needed
Nembutsu Wave
June 2020
2019
CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES
We are very proud to announce that Ms. Mika Gordon is the recipient of the $1,000.00 MPBTScholarship awarded to a graduating Senior. She was very active in our Dharma School Program and participated in helping us with our Obon Festival and danced every year on the Yagura. We want to wish her all the best and success in all her new endeavors and adventures.
In this issue, we are featuring three of our recent graduates and next month, we will feature three more of our scholarship recipients and bring everyone up-to-date on all their accomplishments and future plans.
MS. MIKA GORDON
Due to Shelter in Place, my last few weeks of high school have been relatively relaxing. My
mornings start much later and instead of a stiff chair and desk I can participate in classes online from my bedroom in my pajamas.
For my graduation ceremony this year, instead of walking on the Pacific Grove High School football field, I will be taking laps on the Laguna Seca
Raceway. Keeping up with the quarantine has not been the most social time of my life, but I look forward to seeing everyone running out of their cars on the racetrack to take a single photo and getting their diplomas.
As for my next step forward, I will be attending Saint Mary’s College. It is a small, private college nestled in the hills of Moraga, CA near Walnut Creek. I’m going in as an Art History major and considering a minor in digital studies. For now, Saint Mary’s is planning to have students on campus in the Fall so I will be living there for the time being. Even though I’m not sure what my future holds, I am very honored to be part of the St. Mary’s community and look forward to the next four years.
I will have special memories of my 2020 graduation year with getting my diploma on a racetrack plus having Barack Obama as my commencement speaker.
Nembutsu Wave
June 2020
\\MR. BRUCE ARAO
MS. CORY TRACHSEL
Bruce is graduating early (next month) from UCSB as a double major in Economics & Sociology.
He is currently doing an internship (remotely) with a think tank in Washington DC. He is applying for jobs and internships for summer and/or fall.
He also had his first article published in a well-known education website called “The 74 Million” Here is the link:
A Student’s View: Thinking Outside the Device — With a Little Ingenuity, Libraries Could Keep Kids Loving Reading While Schools Are Closed
Please join us in congratulating Bruce for this extraordinary accomplishment.
.
After four years of study at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, I graduated this past May with a Bachelor of Arts in Technical Theatre.
In the future I hope to continue my work in scenic and lighting design as a resident artist at a
regional theater, while currently I have moved back to Pacific Grove and am open for
commissions or other freelance design projects. I want to thank everyone at the Monterey
Peninsula Buddhist Temple for their constant support and encouragement during such a large portion of my formative years.
While the transition hasn’t been easy, I am grateful for so much, including that I can continue to call this peninsula my home.
