Download President`s message - Vista Buddhist Temple

GIVING: From the Heart, For the Soul
I have never viewed myself as a generous person and giving is something that has been an
acquired skill for me. As a younger man, an entrepreneur and supporting a growing family, I was
focused on the “getting”. I think that “giving” became more comfortable as I matured and learned
the concept of gratitude. When I stopped to realize what I had in my life; the love, the family, the
support, as well as the material, how can I not be overwhelmed with gratitude?
I turn to the things that really matter in my life and an expression of gratitude is giving.
Among the core things I am grateful for is being part of our Vista Buddhist Temple Sangha. So
when it is my time to do toban, to prepare manju, to staff a festival booth, it is so much easier
than it might have once been. And when it comes time to donate money I do it from the heart
and it’s good for the soul.
There is this Buddhist concept of Dana; the practice of giving. Our VBT pioneer families
had it deeply rooted in them. The next generation understands it by example, witnessing all that
their parents gave and sacrificed to build the Temple. But many of us newcomers have not been
witness to it and it is not entirely obvious. The awkward thing is that part of Dana is not asking; it
is an unspoken part of Buddhist culture. Well, I hope you will forgive me (after all I am a relative
“newbie”), but I think it is helpful to communicate to those who are not “in the know” and would
like to better understand.
At VBT, the culture is “come as you are” and “donate as you can”. Volunteerism is
something that can be easily observed and joined in on. Temple members and friends readily
give their time and their effort to help our cause. Monetary contributions, however, are not
entirely spelled out at our Temple. Many of our newer members and friends don’t know the
appropriate contribution; the how’s, the when’s and the how much’s. Sometimes we are
questioned about it. So I thought it would be helpful to spell it out. No gift is too small or too big
and everyone’s capacity to give is different. At VBT no one is keeping track of individual giving
other than recording membership. Here are some examples of Dana that provide financial
support to the Temple.
 Sunday services: Osaisen is the offering you place in the box prior to burning incense. It is
the Temple’s hope that the osaisen donations collectively cover the basic costs of the
Sunday service. There are generally many $1 and $5 bills, some $10 bills and
occasionally a few more generous donations.
 Special Services: Ever notice an envelope included with the newsletter? They serve as
reminders of special Buddhist observances in which members traditionally make a
somewhat larger donation. Most envelopes contain a donation of $35 or more. Some
members follow this tradition, some don’t.
 Temple membership dues:
 There is a fixed schedule for annual Temple dues — $200 for individuals, $350 for
families and $120 for seniors. The Temple annually pays $109 per member to the
Buddhist Churches of America which comes out of your VBT dues.
 Supporting/Sustaining Membership: Those who are inclined to step up to the category
of Supporting or Sustaining Annual members with a $500 or $1000 contribution
respectively.
 Many Temple members and friends give an annual donation above and beyond their
weekly giving and annual dues. The Temple receives generous donations throughout the
year, some of them anonymous, mostly not; some of them earmarked for the Temple
building maintenance projects, mostly not. Many people make a donation at the end of
the calendar year as a tax deduction.
 Eitaikyo Perpetual Memorial: Families often make a one-time donation to the Eitaikyo Fund
in the name of their deceased love one. The loved one’s name is included on a special
Eitaikyo Memorial list that is presented during the annual Eitaikyo Service. The minimum
Eitaikyo Fund donation is $200. This donation goes into a special Eitaikyo reserve
account, only to be used in case of emergency to sustain the Temple.
 Weddings, funerals, memorials – These can be held at our Temple facility and there is a
fixed fee schedule for each of them. Available for the asking.
 Capital Campaigns: The Temple will choose to run a capital campaign for a significant
project. The last campaign was in 2009 when we successfully retired all our debt, made
significant repairs to the Temple and honored our founding minister Rev. Art Takemoto
with a permanent presence in our lobby.
I want to reiterate for those who might bristle at just the mention of this that any and all of
these donations are options and should be within your personal means. We have guidelines
because we need guidelines for those who want to know. Keeping the Temple financially
sustainable is a reality, but as a place of Buddhist practice, we each do what we can, we give
from the heart, it’s good for the soul.
…Ricky