Newsletter December 2007
Bodhi Day Celebration
"Bodhi Day" of December 8 is to celebrate
Buddha Syakyamuni’s attainment of enlightenment. This day has been also recognized
and celebrated as a holy day of the State of Hawaii since there are many Buddhists in this
state. Why do we call this day "Bodhi Day"? It is because, according to a
Buddhist legend, Gautama Siddharta attained Buddhahood under a bodhi tree. After he
attained it, he was called Buddha Shakyamuni which meant "the Awakened One of Shakya
clan".
As we have been doing for a long time, we will celebrate Bodhi Day as a
member of the Hawaii Buddhist Council on Sunday, December 9 from 9:00 a.m. at Jodo
Mission, 1429 Makiki Street. If you have time on that day, let us be there together to
celebrate the great day. (Rev. Imai)
Preparation for New Year’s Celebration in Japanese Culture
As you have been informed several times at the temple or in this
newsletter, the Nichiren Mission is doing a fundraiser of Special New Year’s Basket.
Inside the basket, there are many items that are related to New Year’s celebration in
Japanese culture, such as soba, crane, mouse (next year will be the year of mouse), rake,
dried sea weed, ect.
During assembling these baskets, I was asked a lot of questions about
those items. Therefore, I would like to explain the meaning of the items in this issue.
Soba... This is an main item in the basket. In Japan,
people eat soba on the last day of the year. The soba (any kind of soba, such as
kake-soba, mori-soba, tempra-soba...) is called "TOSHIKOSHI-SOBA", which literally means "over-years soba". As you know, soba is
long, and that means "long life". They pray for their long lives by eating soba
at the end of year.
Crane... "Tsuru wa sennen, Kame wa mannen" is a Japanese phrase to express long life, which means "a crane has a
thousand year’s life and a turtle has a ten-thousand year’s life".
Rake... The rake is used to collect leaves or such
things. There is a rake with new year decoration in the basket. That rake cleects good
luck and good buisiness.
Otoshidama... This is not in the basket. Children in this
country get presents at Christmas time. Likewise, in Japan, children get especially
monetary gift from adults. This gift is called "otoshidama". "o" is a prefix. "toshi" means year, and "dama (or tama)" means coin(s). So, otoshidama
used be coins, but, recently it has been becoming paper....!?
NOTICE BOARD
Fourth Dharma Circle
The fourth Dharma Circle will be held on Wednesday, December 5, 2007
from 7:00 p.m. We are planning to hold a short Shodaigyo practice, English chanting of the
Lotus Sutra and discussion with coffee, tea and refreshment.
Last time, we shared a discussion of why Buddha Shakyamuni left his
castle to pursue the truth of life. This time, I would like to share with you what he went
through before his attainment of the Great Enlightenment. Please feel free to attend the
Dharma Circle. You are always welcom.
Year-End Clean up
The mission is planning to clean up the temple and office buildings on
Dec. 16 as the Year-End Clean-up. Next year’s calendar will be assembling on that day
after the clean up. If you have some time to help us clean up and assemble the calendar on
that day, it would be appreciated very much. Luncheon will be served by Fujinkai.
Fujinkai’s Mini Bazaar
Fujinkai is planning to hold their Mini Bazaar on Sunday, December 2 at
the social hall of the temple after the Monthly Kito Service. There are a lot of nice
items hand-made by Fujinkai members. Please look forward to it.
Address Change
To assure that all of our mailings reach you properly, please notify us
if our address labels need changes. Corrections and updates are appreciated.
Preparation for New Year
We, Nichiren Mission of Hawaii, would like to start our New Year
celebration with MOCHITSUKI (Japanese traditional MOCHI making) on Friday,
Dec. 28 from 8:00 a.m. at the social hall. On the same day after the mochitsuki, we are
planning to arrange some GOODY BAGS for children who come to the temple at
the New Year Service. Then, we will prepare SOBA on Monday, Dec. 31 from
7:00 p.m. to serve whoever come to the temple at the New Year’s Eve Service held from
11:30 p.m. at the night.
If you have some time to help us make mochi, arrange goody bags,
prepare soba or donate something (such as contains of the goody bags, soba or soba soup)
for new year’s celebration, it would be appreciated.
Let us celebrate new year by attending these preparation. You will be
able to know the meaning of the celebration, too.
Hilo Nichiren Mission
Hilo Nichiren Mission is planning to hold a monthly service on
Saturday, December 22, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. Rev. Junsei Nagayoshi of Honolulu will be
officiating the service since Rev. Tetsudo Takasaki is now in the 100 days ARAGYODO in
Japan.
Appology and Correction
In the last issue of this newsletter, there was a mistake of a name
written in "Paid Full Membership Dues 2007". I would like to appologize and
correct the name of "Kenzo Miyauchi" to "Kenzo Miyasaki".
(Rev. Imai)
Donations for Flowers & Fruits for the Temple Altar
(The names of donars and their purposes of the donation have been and
will be announced by MC of the services at the temple whenever the services are held. If
you wish to make flowers or fruits donation on a certain Sunday in memory of the deceased,
please let ministers know and we will arrange it.) |