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Interludes on Mindfulness concert at MBT on April 26 “It’s seesaw season, yin and yang. It’s stripping off old skin, it’s starting over. It’s tender and it’s green, beginning green. Everything feels tender all over. Even us, some days. Be kind to your tender spots—they just might be where essential truths seep in.” —Barbara Mahany on springtime from “Slowing Time: Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen Door” Author Barbara Mahany (left) will join Fused Muse pianist Soo Young Lee and cellist Sophie Webber at the April 26 concert. Story on page 7. Bulletin Midwest Buddhist Temple April 2015 Volume 70 Number 3 The monthly newsletter of the Midwest Buddhist Temple 435 W. Menomonee St., Chicago, IL 60614 • 312.943.7801 • mbtchicago.org • Resident minister: Rev. Ron Miyamura Ask Rev. Ron Tradition behind number of times we say Nembutsu Is there something you’ve been wondering about and would love to have some one-on-one time with Rev. Ron Miyamura to ask him? Here’s your chance—our new column: Ask Rev. Ron. Drop your questions off in the temple office or email them to bulletin. [email protected]. By Rev. Ron Miyamura How many times is “Namu/namo Amida Butsu” supposed to be repeated? It seems like, years back, we repeated it three times. Now, it’s one time? What are the reasons for the number of times it is recited? Q The tradition of repeating A the Nembutsu (Namo Amida Butsu) three times seems to be an American tradition coming sometime in the 1920s or 1930s. No one knows exactly when nor why. Continued on page 9 Siddhartha and our open-ended universe “Once Upon a Time” from “Buddhism of the Heart: Reflections on Shin Buddhism and Inner Togetherness” by Jeff Wilson (Wisdom Publications) By Jeff Wilson L et me tell you a story about a great man who lived about 2,500 years ago. This man was born to a loving mother and father in a family of considerable power and wealth, who named him Siddhartha. His mother passed away soon after his birth, but his stepmother continued to care for him as if he were her own son. He grew up with all his needs taken care of: people fed him, clothed him, stimulated his mind, encouraged him to seek righteousness and truth (as they understood it, of course), and gave him lots of love. Eventually, a marriage was arranged for him to a beautiful and loving woman, and she bore him a son. As a member of the royal family, he existed literally on the work and generosity and love of the entire MBT report from 2015 BCA National Council Meeting. Page 11 Continued on page 6 bulletin staff editor Elaine Matsushita production & distribution Sandra Dolan Sharon Harada Alvin Hayashi Donna Kobayashi Victor Miyata May Nakano Kathy Sakata Albert Sora Arlene Suekama Rich Taura Dorothy Yahiro contributors Sandra M. Adams Carol Baba Elaine Matsushita Rev. Ron Miyamura Kiku Taura Jeanne Toguri Jennifer Toguri Joy Zavala photographer Alvin Hayashi Proofreaders Rich Taura / Fumi Matsushita ~ Articles and photographs are welcome and will be published subject to suitability of content and availability of space. Please send submissions by the first Sunday of the month to: Midwest Buddhist Temple 435 W. Menomonee St. Chicago, IL 60614 or bulletin.mbtchicago@ gmail.com Rev. Ron Miyamura Resident minister 2 midwestbuddhisttemple.org happenings By Carol Baba A fter our snow hiatus last month, Happenings is back in hopefully warmer confines. Our movers this month include: Rich Taura, who on a recent Sunday, a day after moving into a new apartment in the city, was moving a little stiffly himself. He had to help his new roommate too. The roommate? Son Jacob! After two years of part-time consulting work, Gary Tsuchiyama has moved on too. He writes that he “has re-entered the land of the working stiffs with a full-time job with the City of Chicago as IT project manager.” His first assignment is to project manage the upgrade of the city’s huge data warehouse. Gary says he “works on the 27th floor of the Daley Building and has to look forward to walking through the metal detectors at least twice a day. And you thought flying out of O’Hare is a pain.” Mike and Yvonne Harada went to Hawaii in March—Mike for 6 days and Yvonne for 9 days. Yvonne was there to help her dad while her brother and his wife are in California. They also got see their daughter, Emily, now in graduate school at the University of Hawaii, as well as other relatives. Their other daughter Dana, who is in Austin, will be flying to the Tampa area to visit with her friends from Chicago, who are all going to one of her friend’s family vacation home. Mary Doi and Jac Cerney went on a weeklong sailing trip, stopping in on a variety of the British Virgin Islands—including Norman Island, which is located at the southern tip of the British Virgin Islands archipelago and is one of a number of islands reputed to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate novel “Treasure Island.” Harumi and Carl Ichikawa enjoyed the sunshine and azaleas during a trip to Savannah, GA, in March. Harumi was drawn by John Berendt’s book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” while Carl was in pursuit of cold, briny oysters. Their dog Spike enjoyed vacationing, too, at the doggie spa (otherwise known as Rev. Ron and Elaine’s house) with his doggie cousin, Julie. Kaye Shinozaki is on the move too, going for a week-and-a-half visit to Virginia to see son Michael Miyamoto, his wife, Sandy, and Kaye’s grandchildren Kaitlyn, Joshua and Bethany. Albert Sora returned to his native Hawaii for a monthlong visit in mid-March. Recharging his batteries, perhaps, before diving deep into preparation for our 60th Ginza Holiday Festival in August? And never one to sit still is May Nakano, who reports that “for a week in March, I am going to visit my mom, Hisako Kawamoto, in Burnaby, B.C. She’s 97 years old. She was just transferred from assisted living at Nikkei Home to an extended care facility. Hisako had been at Nikkei Home since 2002 (which May has only high praise for). It’s a big change for her but it also affects family as much, or more.” Amanda (Miyata) Marcus and family will be heading on a road trip down to the Gulf Shores for spring break. They’ll be spending a few nights in Memphis and New Orleans. “This will be our last trip as a family of five,” says mom Amanda, who is expecting a new baby brother for Dylan, Ava and Cory on Memorial Day, “so we are just looking forward to enjoying quality time together!” Our man of perpetual motion, Rick Morimoto, was recently elected to the Board of Trustees for the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. Rick was also selected for the 2015 Class of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation by the Foreign Ministry of Japan through the US consulates and the US-Japan Council (see page 4). He will meet with corporate and governmental agencies in Hiroshima and Tokyo in March. Great to see Dorothy Yahiro back at the temple. She suffered a fall last month and fractured her left knee cap as well as breaking a tooth, but is now doing well. On Sunday, March 8, there was a lovely celebration after service with cakes and song to mark the 88th birthday of Kaz Fujishima. Congratulations, Kaz! It was fun to watch the Dharma School students wish you a happy birthday, too! Get well wishes for Alice Yamamoto. She was hospitalized at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove recently and we are wishing her a speedy recovery. And it is with great sadness that we learned that Teruo Yamashita passed away in Vancouver, WA, on March 10. Mr. Yamashita and his wife, the late Terry, were active members of MBT before moving to Vancouver over 15 years ago to be by his younger son, the late Steven; his older son, Tom, is in the area. Mr. Yamashita was instrumental in starting the Mochi-Tsuki here at MBT. He was 94 years old. There will be a Sogi Memorial Service at 1 pm on Sunday, May 3. president’s message If you can’t say anything nice, come sit by me hope I got your attention with the title President Matsuda hosted a Presidents’ Breakfast at Imany to this article. This was one of the which the Board presidents of all the member temples learnings I took away from my first could network. This event—and the entire four-day experience at the BCA National Council Meeting. This year’s meeting took place from Feb. 26 to March 1 in San Diego and was hosted by the Southern District Council. The BCA tested a new format—reducing the Council Meeting time from what used to be days of nonstop meetings to a total six hours over two days—in order to make time for workshops and activities. The meetings were well-run, and I was impressed by the efficiency of President Kent Matsuda and the BCA Executive Committee, as well as the good input from many of the 160 delegates from member temples. Back to this article’s title. This came from the symposium sponsored by the IBS/CBE (Institute for Buddhist Studies/ Center for Buddhist Education). Titled “Buddhism and Counseling,” the symposium was held the first day and featured talks from three different perspectives. My quote comes from Dr. Carmela Hirano of Salt Lake City, who has integrated the principles of Jodo Shinshu into the creation of SHIN (Sanctuary for Healing and Integration). She opened her talk with Amida Buddha’s Invitation that starts with complaining (our familiar “monku, monku, monku’). In this way, the patient begins the journey toward the trust necessary to confront his/her suffering. MBT Committees and Groups MBT BOARD COMMITTEES Religious Committee Sunday service, classes and seminars Roger Suekama, chair Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) and Eastern District Council (EDC) representatives Kiku Taura, MBT Board president Roger Suekama, representative Joy Zavala, chair / events Albert Sora, chair / mochi-tsuki Outreach Committee Connection with members, friends and community Dan Peterson, chair Technology Committee Current and new technology maintenance, policies, strategy Dan Peterson, chair Investment Committee Management of MBT investments TEMPLE (NON-BOARD) COMMITTEES & AFFILIATED GROUPS Pledge/Revenue Committee Annual membership pledge, donations Maintenance Committee Temple infrastructure, operations Rick Morimoto, chair Rick Morimoto, chair Sharon Harada, co-chair Legacy Garden Committee Maintenance, education, events Terry Cichocki, co-chair Donna Kobayashi, co-chair Gary Tsuchiyama, project manager Events Committee Yard Sale, Book Sale, Cooking Classes, Mochi-Tsuki Vic Miyata, chair Ginza Committee Annual MBT fundraising event Al Sora, chair Rich Taura, deputy dhair Joy Zavala, publicity Bon Odori Committee Annual festival celebrating Obon commemoration of ancestors Jim Chikaraishi, chair Council Meeting—offered a tremendous opportunity to meet counterparts from throughout the country. I learned how much other temples share the same challenges and changes we are experiencing at MBT: meeting the needs of a diversified Sangha, engaging younger generations, remaining relevant in a changing world. Back here at MBT, we have had a busy and productive month in February despite the cold, and look forward to a wealth of activities in the coming months, including the Slowing Time concert on April 26, featuring the Fused Muse Ensemble and author Barbara Mahany (see page 1). To provide insight to our many activities, we are publishing a list of temple committees and affiliated groups and their leaders. If you have questions and want to be more involved, please see any of these folks. Looking down the road a bit, the Eastern Buddhist League Conference will take place in Cleveland on Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4–6). We hope to have enough representatives from Chicago to charter a bus, so please look for the signup sheet or contact the office. As I learned from the San Diego experience, a few days together is a great way to share experiences and deepen friendships. In Gassho, Kiku Taura President, MBT Board of Trustees Women’s Association Toban (meals for special services), New Life for Old Bags and other special projects, conferences Jeanne Toguri, president Joy Zavala, vice president May Nakano, recording secretary Kathy Sakata, corresponding secretary Helen Ideno, treasurer Elaine Miyamura,adviser MBT Bulletin Monthly temple newsletter Elaine Matsushita, editor Alvin Hayashi, photographer Rich Taura & Fumi Matsushita, proofreaders Jerry Matsumoto, treasurer Dharma School Services and activities for children and parents Elaine Miyamura, teacher Jennifer Toguri, teacher MBT Minyo Group Preservation and performance of traditional folk dance Elaine Miyamura, instructor Joanne Tohei, secretary and treasurer Yvonne Harada, music MBT Taiko Japanese drum performance group Elaine Miyamura, business manager Ho Etsu Taiko Japanese drum performance group Jason Matsumoto, musical director Zen Shin Sangha Zen meditation practices Dr. Susan Gilkey Terry Cichocki Golden Agers Club Outings and events for seniors Joanne Tohei, treasurer June Aragaki, corresponding secretary Kono Fund Grants provided to eligible religious educational endeavors Carl Ichikawa, chair Rev. Ron Miyamura, adviser MBT Bulletin 3 Morimoto named to Japanese American Leadership group Excerpted from the Rafu Shimpo Feb. 16, 2015 T en distinguished Japanese Americans, including Richard I. Morimoto [past president of the Midwest Buddhist Temple Board of Trustees], were selected to participate in the 2015 Japanese American Leadership Delegation. The group met for an orientation Jan. 30–31 at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. From March 6–10, they will travel to Japan and visit Tokyo and Hiroshima. The JALD program provides the opportunity for a select group of Japanese American leaders from across the U.S. to travel to Japan to engage with Japanese leaders in the business, government, academic, non-profit and cultural sectors. The trip also allows Japanese leaders to gain a greater understanding of multicultural America through the experiences of a diverse group of Japanese Americans. Upon their return, delegates collaborate with program alumni, the local consulates, the U.S.-Japan Council and local and national community organizations to continue strengthening ties between the U.S. and Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented in the U.S. by the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. and 17 consulate general offices, sponsors the program. The U.S.-Japan Council provides administration and organization for the program. A total of 166 delegates have participated to date. Richard I. Morimoto (Chicago) is among the 10 2015 delegates. He is the Bill & Gayle Cook professor of biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, and director of the Rice Institute for Biomedical Japanese American Leadership Delegation: (front row, from left) Sach Takayasu, Lynn Hashimoto, Yoshie Ito, Linda Taira; (second row, from left) Kaz Maniwa, U.S.-Japan Council senior vice president, Priscilla Ouchida, Tracy Tsuetaki, Irene Hirano Inouye, U.S.-Japan Council president; (third row, from left) Toshiki Masaki, Robin Yasui, Richard Morimoto, Tyler Tokioka Research at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. He has been continuously supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has been a visiting professor at several international universities, including Osaka University and Kyoto University, and is a founder of Proteostasis Therapeutics Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., a biotech company developing small molecule therapeutics for age-associated degenerative diseases. As a faculty member, Morimoto helped found the Asian American Studies Program at Northwestern University in 1995. In 2010, he was selected by the Japanese American Citizens League as recipient of its Japanese American of the Biennium Award. He holds a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Chicago, and trained at Harvard University. The other 2015 delegates include: ENDO COMMUNICATIONS Inc. www.endocommunications.com Complete Installation and Service for Commercial & Residential Telephone, Data and Camera Systems & T1 Reseller Alan Endo [email protected] Phone 847-558-2700 Fax 847-965-6620 Morton Grove, IL 60053 4 midwestbuddhisttemple.org • Lynn Hashimoto (Seattle), senior attorney, Worldwide Sales Group Microsoft Corporation. • Yoshie Ito (New York City), assistant director of Global Initiatives at the Asia Society. • Toshiki Masaki (Detroit) government affairs manager, Ford Motor Co. • Priscilla Ouchida (San Francisco), executive director, Japanese American Citizens League. • Linda Taira (Los Angeles), senior manager, internal and CEO communications, Boeing Defense, Space & Security Unit. • Sach Takayasu (Washington, D.C.), president and CEO, Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship. • Tyler Tokioka (Honolulu), vice president for external affairs, Island Insurance Companies. • Dr. Tracy Tsuetaki (Chapel Hill, N.C.), senior vice president of PAREXEL International, a global life sciences services and technology organization. • Dr. Robin Yasui (Denver), director of geriatrics at Denver Health and Hospitals. Women’s Association making mats, reorganizing MBT kitchen By Jeanne Toguri ishing for spring and hoping we W are seeing the end of the snow/ ice...our February Board meeting was blizzarded out although a few die-hards did make it to church. So we held a very informal meeting, discussing the tobans and the need for new participants. We are open to anyone wishing to learn and help out. You do not need to commit to a particular toban group; if you can just help on the day of otoki, your assistance would be welcomed. We will be working on the toban rotation for 2016 and will have it for the annual meeting in October. NLOB: The New Life for Old Bags (NLOB) work sessions are going quite well.To date, folks participating in NLOB at the temple have completed 28 sleeping mats for the homeless. Elaine Matsushita and I went to the 5th Anniversary party for NLOB at the United in Faith Lutheran Church in February. There were about 100 or more participants in attendance working together while listening to various musical groups playing during the day. It is amazing how so many individuals—young and old—gather together and enjoy themselves and each other while contributing to such a worthwhile cause. We were given statistics of the numbers of homeless in Chicago: 138,575— from young children to adults—are listed as homeless with 22,144 of these being students are enrolled in the Chicago Public School system. I will post the stats on the bulletin board in the Social Hall for those interested. It is truly eye-opening information. We will continue to have NLOB work sessions at the temple every second Sunday of the month after service with a few exceptions. We will not have an NLOB work session in April, due Photo by Jennifer Toguri Boys just wanna have fun: Dr. Ben Chikaraishi and David Toguri were working hard at the March New Life for Old Bags session. To date, MBT has completed 28 sleeping mats for the homeless. to Hanamatsuri, nor in August, due to Ginza, nor October if the marathon falls on the second Sunday of the month. Kitchen reorganization: The kitchen at MBT has been decluttered and reorganized. We have been working with the MBT Board on this project and hope that everyone will find not only it a better working area but also will help us keep it organized and tidy. We have posted some simple quidelines to assist everyone regarding its usage. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the following for donations: • Michi Hirota and May Nakano • Refreshments for NLOB: Golden Agers, Nancy Nishimura and Kiyo Chikaraishi, Elaine Matsushita, Elaine Miyamura and Jeanne Toguri. We would also like to thank the Morton Grove Knitting Group at the Morton Grove Library for their donation of plastic bags, as well as many employees of the Creative Department at Crate and Barrel. • Volunteers needed: The following committees are in need of volunteers: 1. Nominating Committee: Establishes slate of officers for coming 2016-2017 year. 2. Annual Luncheon Committee: Plans and organizes annual Women’s Association Luncheon and meeting for the fall. Kaz Fujishima in memory of Mits Fujishima We welcome any suggestions, concerns or interest in any of our activities. Feel free to contact the Women’s Association at: [email protected]. HOME & AU TO • BUSINE SS • HE ALTH • LIFE The RobeRT T. MiTa agency RobeRt t. Mita Agent Marie C. Nishijima 5432 MAin Street Skokie, iL 60077 p 847.966.0991 f 847.966.0982 c 847.899.7065 e [email protected] MBT Bulletin 5 Siddhartha Continued from page 1 nation. Everything he had and was, he received from others. As an adult, he wished to understand life beyond the simple fulfillment of his own desires. Venturing forth from the rarefied environment of palace life, he learned from the life of commoners the truths of old age, sickness, and death, and from a wandering holy man he learned of the age-old path of spiritual pursuit. Siddhartha’s mind was opened to the suffering of other people, and suddenly all he could think of was his wish to end this suffering, for himself and all others. He left the palace, and was borne away by his faithful steed and horseman, till he crossed the Anoma River and left the world he knew behind. For six years, he wandered from place to place, learning from others. He learned how to fast, how to meditate, how to mortify the flesh. Siddhartha strove mightily to achieve his own enlightenment for himself, to understand the Self, which was the highest spiritual pursuit in ancient India and believed by many to be the path to release. Finally, as his body wasted away nearly to nothing and his efforts to quell suffering once and for all proved fruitless, he gave up his attachment to asceticism and the idea that his own efforts alone could free him. Siddhartha went down to the stream and bathed. Its flowing 6 midwestbuddhisttemple.org waters cleansed and supported him, and as he bathed, a young outcast girl offered him a meal. The food nourished and restored him, and with a mind of gratitude he walked through the forest. A young outcast boy appeared and offered him fresh grass for a meditation seat, and sitting down beneath the sheltering branches of a tree, he relaxed back into an easy and natural state of reflection. Now that he had stopped trying to win enlightenment through his own extreme effort, his mind was clear and he began to see into the nature of all things. He saw how in innumerable past existences he had traveled toward this moment, supported by the work and kindness of others, and learned to perfect the virtues by helping them in turn. He saw into the emptiness of all things, their interdependent and mutual co-arising, and saw that there was in fact no essential Self after all. A rainstorm arose, and the giant Serpent King spread his cobra’s hood to protect the seated man. The evil god Mara appeared to frighten and tempt Siddhartha. When this failed, he challenged the young man’s right to liberation. Siddhartha simply bent and touched the earth with his hand. Mother Earth trembled and sprang up, wringing the ocean from her hair and washing Mara away. Siddhartha sat serenely, his eye on the rising morning star, and he came ever after to be known as the Buddha, the One Who Awakened. The Buddha became the Buddha because of his father and mother, because of his courtiers and the peasants in the fields, because of the horse that he rode to the forest, the sages who encouraged his pursuits, the ascetics who taught him mortification and also ultimately let him see that mortification isn’t the answer, the stream that bathed him, the girl who fed him and the food, the boy and the grass, the tree, the Serpent King, and the earth, because of the star that rose and shone just-as-it-was, because of the air that Siddhartha breathed in as he sat, because of the sun that provided him heat and nourished the plants he ate—everything everywhere came together to produce the Buddha. And most of all, the Buddha became the Buddha because he was already held by the liberated nature of reality to begin with—he only discovered what had been the true state of himself and all things, all beings all along: vast emptiness, nothing set aside and holy, nothing outside of the inter-connected embrace of reality. The Buddha did not discover something unique and special about himself. He did not become something different from other things or people. He awakened to the true nature of all things (himself included) as liberated suchness. This awakening came after he had been supported in innumerable ways by countless beings and conditions, and after he had ceased to strive after enlightenment and relaxed back into his natural state. As a much later Japanese Zen thinker named Dogen said, “To study the Buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the ‘self.’ To forget the ‘self’ is to be enlightened by all things.” I’m not saying that the Buddha put out no effort. But effort too is empty of independent-nature and arises interdependently from the contingency of all things. Siddhartha could only put out “his” effort after and while being supported by the entire universe. Likewise, our own efforts toward deeper insight and understanding can only take place within an infinite matrix of supportive actions by others. How lucky we are to live in such an open-ended universe, where we can receive what we need from others and contribute toward the happiness and awakening of one another. Interludes on Mindfulness Concert April 26 By Elaine Matsushita There’s something undeniably magical about reading insightful looks at life in words full of rhythm and soul. There’s something even more magical hearing those words spoken in the writer’s own voice. We will be able to experience that magic when Wilmette author Barbara Mahany reads from her recently published book “Slowing Time: Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen Door” at MBT on April 26. But the magic will go even further when Mahany is joined by Fused Muse Ensemble members Sophie Webber and Soo Young Lee, who will combine the poetry and emotion of cello and piano with Mahany’s spoken words. The Fused Muse Ensemble, led by cellist/musical director Sophie Webber, is made up of “innovative and top-ranking international musicians... interested in increasing classical music’s engagement with the public and with important global issues.” The Fused Muse Ensemble, led by cellist Sophie Webber (right), will share the MBT stage with Barbara Mahany at 1 pm April 26. Each year, Fused Muse themes its performances to a different global concern and partners with local charities that represent that concern. This year, the group is dedicated to working to help the homeless. Because of MBT’s involvement with New Life for Old Bags and our Clothes and Food Donation programs, Fused Muse is especially excited to bring this program to the temple, says Webber, cellist and Fused Muse musical director. Their work integrates classical music with other media such as film, science, dance and, now, spoken word. Save the date APRIL 4 Tempura Cooking Class: Learn how to make the delicately fried shrimp and vegetables with May Nakano. Maximum of 10 participants. Hours: 10 am–noon. Cost: $25 for MBT members, $30 for non-members. For more information or to register, contact the office at 312.943.7801 or sign up on the bulletin board at the temple. APRIL 12 Hanamatsuri, literally flower festival, is a day commemorating the birth of Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha became Enlightened as Shakyamuni Buddha and this marks the release of sentient beings from suffering and sorrow. Service is at 10:30 am, followed by otoki lunch in the Social Hall. APRIL 18 An MBT Creative Writing Workshop will be led by Eduardo Cruz Eusebio, novelist and former publishereditor of magazines and newspapers. He will teach participants how to write a story, script or screenplay. Lee, who earned her doctoral degree from Northwestern University after studying with Dr. David Kaiserman, has taught and performed piano across the United States and currently teaches piano, chamber music and theory at The Music Institute of Chicago and at the MIC Academy. She also is on the piano faculty at Lake Forest. While Barb’s perspective is from a Catholic background and her blended family with her Jewish husband, Chicago Tribune architecture critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Blair Kamin, what comes through in her essays are some fundamental Mr. Eusebio also has taught fiction writing and small-press publishing at Columbia College. Hours: 9:30 am–noon. Cost: $25 for non-members, $20 for members. Class capacity is 10 students. Please contact the office at 312.943.7801 or sign up on the bulletin board at the temple. APRIL 25 Ginza Food Service Seminar: Receive your food service certification from the City of Chicago to work at Ginza 2015. Hours: 10 am–noon. Where: MBT Conference Room. Free for Ginza Staff; $30 for non-staff. Contact Albert Sora or call the office at 312.943.7801. APRIL 26 Interludes on Mindfulness concert with author Barbara Mahany and members of the Fused Muse Ensemble (see above). Hours: 1–2 pm in the Social Hall. MAY 10 The Women’s Association and Golden Agers hope you’ll come to cut plastic bags, make plarn or crochet mats at their next New Life for Old Bags Buddhist teachings—mainly about mindfulness. This Interludes on Mindfulness concert will be held in the Social Hall from 1 to 2 pm. While there is no admission fee, a $5 donation and a canned good for donation to MBT’s Food Donation program and Cornerstone Community Outreach, which distributes the sleeping mats made by New Life for Old Bags, will be welcomed. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call 312.943.7801 or visit mbtchicago.org. gathering after service on Sunday, May 10. (There will not be a session in April due to the Hanamatsuri celebration.) NLOB collaborates with other nonprofits to make sleeping mats for the homeless. So far, MBT has produced 28 mats. You don’t have to bring anything—all materials will be provided. But if you have plastic bags you would like to recycle, all are welcome. Cornerstone Community Outreach, which runs shelters and provides services for the homeless, distributes the mats we make. MAY 16 A Hawaiian Party featuring Pesi Mauga and his Royal Polynesian Revue will be held at the temple on May 16, from 5–8 pm. Food will include a whole roasted pig, luau style, with plenty of other food for children and vegetarians. It will definitely be kid-friendly with games and activities for children. Tickets are $30 for adults; $15 for children under 12. For more information, MBT Bulletin 7 Start the year off right and make your pledge by simply sending Help us get to our goal. Don’t forget to pledge! THE 2015 MIDWEST BUDDHIST TEMPLE PLEDGE YEAR HAS BEGUN Start the year off right and make your pledge by simply sending or bringing in your check with “Pledge 2015” on the memo line. Or donate online at midwestbuddhisttemple.org. Those wishing to support the temple without becoming a member may specify their donations under the “Friend” category, which, for the minimum annual donation of $50, provides all membership privileges except voting rights. 2015 Pledge Drive Goal: $90,000 $4650 As of 2/28/15 Special Funds When you donate to the Flower Fund, you help pay for the fresh flowers that are delivered to the temple every week, twice a week, for the altar. People who have hojis or memorial services do not necessarily need to buy flowers. They can buy their own, use the flowers provided or donate to the Floral Fund. Money donated to the Nokotsudo or Columbarium Fund helps maintain the room and purchase new shelves in which the urns of loved ones are kept. 8 midwestbuddhisttemple.org Midwest Buddhist Temple Membership Pledge Dear Members and Friends: The Midwest Buddhist Temple appreciates your participation in our temple activities. It is at this time of year we ask for your annual pledge of financial support to continue these activities. Your financial commitment enables us to hear the Buddha Dharma at weekly services, monthly memorial services, Dharma School, Zen Shin Sangha, Buddhist education classes and seminars. It allows us to gather for major Buddhist holidays, remember loved ones at Bon Odori, work together at Ginza Holiday and enjoy traditions like mochi-tsuki. We can reach others through our monthly Bulletin newsletter and via the internet, where we post the Sunday Dharma talks that are approaching 300 downloads a month. And, we can enjoy the fellowship that comes from the Golden Agers, Womens Association, Taiko and Minyo Groups. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see some of activities and programs that your Pledge helps support each year. Our 2015 Pledge Goal In 2014, we achieved 84% of our goal of $90,000. Given the many calls for donation from many organizations and causes, we are grateful for this achievement and sincerely thank our Sangha. We will maintain $90,000 as our goal for 2015. At MBT, we have a system of pledges rather than set dues. We do not publish donor amounts and regardless of amount, every expression of Dana is accepted with the same deep sense of appreciation. Thanks to the efforts of our temple staff and many volunteers we have been able to keep operating costs to a minimum. Despite these efforts, costs continue to rise. For 2015, an average pledge of $400 per member will be needed to meet our pledge goal. Not all are able to contribute at this level so any who are able and willing to pay more are encouraged to do so. Our Board of Trustees has set a minimum $150 pledge per person for voting membership. Non-voting membership applies for pledges under the minimum. All MBT supporters are asked to give what they can financially, as well as your much-appreciated non-financial contributions. How to Make Your Pledge Please complete our Pledge Form (see opposite page) with the requested information—this is an important step to help us maintain our membership records. Please mail in your completed Pledge Form with a check payable to Midwest Buddhist Temple (please put “2015 Pledge” on the memo line) to: Midwest Buddhist Temple Pledge 435 W. Menomonee St. Chicago IL 60614 Alternatively, you can go to our website, mbtchicago.org and make your pledge and payment online. Thank you for considering a pledge of support to MBT. Of course, if you are not ready to pledge a financial commitment at this time, we welcome and encourage your continued participation. Be assured that you will be welcome at all times. If you have any questions or would like more information about the pledge process, feel free to contact Jesse Zavala by email at [email protected] or call 312.943.7801. Or contact our 2015 Pledge Co-Chairs Rick Morimoto or Sharon Harada. Gassho, Kiku Taura, president, Board of Trustees Rick Morimoto & Sharon Harada, Pledge co-chairs MIDWEST BUDDHIST TEMPLE 435 WEST MENOMONEE STREET CHICAGO, IL 60614 TEL: 312.943.7801 FAX: 312.943.8069 EMAIL: [email protected] Website: MBTChicago.org PLEDGE/DONATION REGISTRATION Please include my/our name(s) as (select one category): Pledge Member(s)* for the Year 2015 MBT Friend for the Year 2015 (min. $50 donation) *$150/person minimum pledge required for Voting Membership; no minimum required for non-voting Title: Mr. Mrs. Ms. Mr. & Mrs. Dr. ________________ Please PRINT the following: Name:______________________________________________________________________________________ Last First M.I. Occupation:_________________________________________________________________________________ Spouse/Partner:______________________________________________________________________________ Last First M.I. Spouse/Partner Occupation:_____________________________________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip-Code:__________________________________________________________________________ Phone:_(______)_________________________ E-mail Address:____________________________________ I wish to receive my mailings via e-mail. PLEASE NOTE: by checking this box you will no longer receive physical mail from MBT. PLEDGE MEMBERS ONLY: Please PRINT and list all other individual(s), under the age of 18 years, & their occupation(s) & e-mail address(es) that take residency in your household: Last Name First Name & M.I. Occupation E-mail Address 1. _________________ _________________ _________________ _____________________ 2. _________________ _________________ _________________ _____________________ 3. _________________ _________________ _________________ _____________________ 4. _________________ _________________ _________________ _____________________ (If you have persons living away from home who wish to receive the Bulletin, please list their names and email addresses on the BACK of this page. List name, address, phone, email address) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ PLEDGE AMOUNT Total for Year 2015 $______________________________________ Payment enclosed: $_______________ as partial payment payment in full I submitted payment online Check #:_______________ Make checks payable to ‘ Midwest Buddhist Temple’ with ‘ 2015 Pledge’ on the memo line. In Gassho, ______________________________________ Signature (if form submitted electronically just type your name, we will use your check or online payment as your signature) ____________________ Date The Midwest Buddhist Temple is a 501(c)(3) IRS registered organization. MBT Bulletin 9 domo Garden Fund In Memory of Mits Fujishima Sharon Harada In Memory of James Inouye Mrs. Jean Inouye In Memory of Janina Bikulcs and Eugenia Tomasulo Mr. John Bikulcs Ms. Theresa Cichocki Nokotsudo April memorials The Midwest Buddhist Temple gratefully acknowledges the following donations received between Feb. 8, 2015 and March 1, 2015. Please notify the Bulletin staff or the MBT Office of any omissions or corrections. Mr. & Mrs. Harold Nakaoka Zen Shin Meditation Ms. Theresa Cichocki January Memorial Ms. Emiko Morimoto February Memorial Mrs. Yayeko Adachi Mrs. Sachi Kato Mrs. Fumiko Matsushita Mr. Masao Miyata Mr. & Mrs. Tom Miyata Dr. & Mrs. Rick Morimoto Mr. & Mrs. Takashi Murakami On the first Sunday of each month, the Midwest Buddhist Temple holds a collective Monthly Memorial Service during the regular Sunday Family Service, when loved ones can be remembered and honored. Although memorial services are held in memory of a loved one who has passed away, the purpose of the memorial service is for 1922 1930 1931 1935 1941 1943 1946 1957 1959 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1973 1974 1976 1977 1981 Hikoichi Miyata Kine Masai Suekichi Tsuji Shigetaro Fujii Sato Chikaraishi Kuhei Nakamoto Toichi Shishida Hidokachi Kunisada Teiichi Ono Isao Fukui Hagino Mizuki Yoshi Nishioka Kiyoshi Tsusaki Fujie Kanameishi Rev. Kenji Itahara Chizuru Oda Nai Isono Harry Hideo Miyake Itoyo Onishi Tomoyuki Saida Sato Matsumoto 10 midwestbuddhisttemple.org 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1988 1991 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Ms. Tsune Nakagawa Mr. & Mrs. Keith Nakamoto Mr. & Mrs. Harold Nakaoka Mrs. Yasuko Okigawa Mr. & Mrs. Teruki Okubo Mrs. Kaye Shinozaki Mrs. Lucille Tokuno Mr. & Mrs. Chiyeko Tsuji March Memorial Mr. Roy Hashimoto Mrs. Jean Inouye Mr. & Mrs. Michael Naito Ms. Tsune Nakagawa Mr. & Mrs. Mario Paguirigan Mr. & Mrs. Roger Suekama Mr. & Mrs. David Toguri Mr. & Mrs. Dale Umeki Mrs. Dorothy Watanuki Mr. & Mrs. Tom Yamashita Special In Memory of Mits Fujishima Mrs. Marilynn Alsdorf Mrs. Kazuko Fujishima Mr. & Mrs. Neil Kanemoto Ms. Tsune Nakagawa Toronto Buddhist Temple Ms. Pamela Yoshida us, the living, the ones who remain behind. The memorial service provides an opportunity to express appreciation and gratitude for the many benefits we have received from the person who passed away. These are the names of temple friends who have passed away in the month of April and whom we will be remembering. Charles H.Takeshita Katsu Higashigawa Tomiyo Morita Ayako Taniguchi Masao Bill Koyanagi Kimi Umeko Tamiko Matsushita Koso Matsushima Suzanne K. Weiss Roy T. Sakaye Shizue Wakasa Jerry Okazaki Sumio Ikoma Coolidge Tanino Asao Frank Minato Tom Kazuo Nakagawa Setsuko Kobayashi Hayano Oda Jeff Masaru Sonoda Masaru Isshiki Gerald C. Miyata 2000 2004 2006 2007 2008 2011 2012 2013 2014 Mickey (Miuki) Fujii Evalyn T. Cromwell Rose T. Mukai Shigeyo Mizuno Doris Patton Sue Shizuko Fujisawa Yoshiwo Fujita Masaki Mizuki Sumio Gray Nakamoto Toshi Hieshima Ayako Hamamoto Janice Maekawa Shunso Sera Alexander Wybrow Kazuichi Okigawa Jewel Miyoko Kanai Mitsuo Kodama Grace Fusako Motooka Akiko Toba Hiram Maekawa Ask Continued from page 1 In Japan, the tradition has been that saying the Nembutsu should be natural and spontaneous. But in America, it is not spontaneous, so it was thought that the ministers would “force” the habit to have the members repeat after the minister; if once was good, then, three times was better. Interludes on Mindfulness Words and Music for Slowing Time Sunday, April 26 | 1 – 2 pm Midwest Buddhist Temple | 435 W. Menomonee St. Join us for a special concert of music and words. Words by Barbara Mahany, author of “Slowing Time: Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen” Music by Fused Muse Ensemble Sophie Webber, cello | Soo Lee, piano No admission fee / $5 donation and a canned good will be welcomed. Refreshments available. Handicapped accessible. Parking in the temple lot is free. For more information, call 312.943.7801 or visit mbtchicago.org. Is there something you’ve been wondering about and would love to have some oneon-one time with Rev. Ron Miyamura to ask him? Here’s your chance—our new column: Ask Rev. Ron. Drop your questions off in the temple office or email them to [email protected]. The Way of the Boddhisattva May I be a medicine for the sick and weary, nursing them until their afflictions are gone forever. I would be a protector of the helpless, a guide for travelers and their means for crossing a stream, a lamp for those who need a lamp, a bed for those who need a bed, a slave for those who need a slave. May all find happiness through my actions and let no one suffer because of me. Whether they love or hate me, may those feelings be the source of their fulfillment. Those who mock, accuse or wrong me, may they all attain enlightenment. Yes, please include my donation in support of the Midwest Buddhist Temple Japanese Garden Name / Company (optional) _______________________________________ Address ________________________ City. State ZIP Code _____________ Phone (optional) _________________ Email (optional) ________________ Donation Amount _______________________________________________ (Make checks payable to Midwest Buddhist Temple, with Japanese Garden in the memo field) Mail to: Midwest Buddhist Temple 435 W. Menomonee St. Chicago, IL 60614-5244 Attn: MBT Japanese Garden Donation In Memory or In Honor of (optional/circle one) Your contact information is requested to mail a receipt for your donation. We will not call, or send email or USPS mail to you without your permission. We will not sell or distribute your information to other organizations.The Midwest Buddhist Temple Garden is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible. Consult your tax professional. Your canceled check will serve as your receipt for tax purposes. Thank you for joining us in this beautiful endeavor! MBT Bulletin 11 There’s more to learn than cooking in May’s tonkatsu class By Sandra M. Adams M ore than a dozen MBT sangha members and friends gathered in the MBT kitchen on Saturday morning, March 7, to learn how to make tonkatsu and kare rice with May Nakano. After hand-washing and receiving recipe handouts, we gathered in front of cutting boards piled with potatoes, carrots and onions. Packages of pork and chicken from Mitsuwa Market in Arlington Heights stood ready—along with panko bread crumbs, eggs, flour, salt and golden curry mix. Photos by Sandra M. Adams “Chop those potatoes into cubes the size of your thumbnail,” May instructed. Tsune Nakagawa, Myrna Hogan and Kathy Sakata watch as May Nakano teaches how to tenderize pork loin for tonkatsu. “Saute those chopped onions until they are opaque!” As the tonkatsu browned and the rice cooked, students helped set the lunch table and chatted about favorite Chicago restaurants—Sunshine, Cho Sun Ok, Hema’s Kitchen, Mizu. There was friendly controversy about Chicago’s best tonkatsu: Renga-tei? Sunshine!. Making tonkatsu for 18 people challenges the cook to try to serve it while hot so the breading remains crispy! Tonkatsu and tempura should always be crisp, said May. “Don’t make those carrot slices too fat. They’ll take too long to cook!” “More vegetables add more texture to the kare [curry] sauce,” said May. To the sounds of chopping, May also offered Japanese cultural wisdom: · Always slice apples and bananas before eating them so you do not eat like a monkey! · Slurping your food is important. Do not cut your life short by cutting your noodles! As May pounded the pork loin and chicken tenders with a wooden mallet to tenderize them, she told us about an NHK Hawaii video that describes making tonkatsu and even how to raise the pigs! As the fragrance of simmering vegetables filled the air, May gave us the lowdown on tonkatsu: · Adding a dash of salt in your egg assures your tonkatsu will not taste flat! · Before dipping meat slices into beaten eggs, be sure to add water to the eggs so you will not have globs of cooked egg on your tonkatsu! · Dip your meat into flour, egg and then panko crumbs, in that order, before cooking in a very hot electric frying pan. May and Ryan Toguri began dipping the pork and chicken slices into the hot oil. Brandishing long cook’s chopsticks, May told us about the circulating water system underneath MBT’s giant gas woks that cools them safely while preparing beans for kintoki, and parboiling chicken for the Ginza holiday. 12 midwestbuddhisttemple.org Soon a large pan was lined with golden slices of tonkatsu ready to be placed on each plate next to a scoop of steaming rice. The cooks lined up at the stove with their plates to each get a ladle of fragrant brown sauce for the kare [curry] rice. We carried our plates to the Social Hall, where the table had been set nicely with pots of green tea, chopsticks, dishes of rakkyo [crunchy pickled pearl onions] and kizami beni shoga [pink pickled ginger]. “You need something piquant next to the food”, said May. “It really pumps up the taste, along with a blob of hot mustard on your plate.” There was also the Bulldog sauce to season the tonkatsu, the same as is used in Japanese restaurants. To complement the flavors, there also were plates of beautiful pink grapefruit-flavored kanten made by May. Sensei Ron Miyamura and office manager Jesse Zavala and his wife, Joy, joined us. We all said, “Itadakimasu!” and dug into the crisply breaded, tender tonkatsu and perfectly seasoned kare rice. Cups of tea were poured and contented sighs were heard. “A certain magic happens when May gets her hands on food,” one student said. If you want to join in the magic in the MBT kitchen, the April Japanese cooking class with May Nakano will feature tempura. Look for the signup sheet near the kitchen and ink yourself on before the spaces fill up. MBT report from 2015 BCA National Council Meeting By Roger Suekama T his year’s National Council meeting was held in sunny and warm San Diego. It was hosted by the Southern District temples of San Diego and Vista. I have been to many National Council meetings, and I was expecting the same business meetings and workshops that meant very little to us in the Eastern District. But I was pleasantly surprised that this year’s meeting had much more relevance than in past years. We arrived Thursday afternoon just in time to attend a symposium on Buddhism and counseling. The symposium was divided into three panels. The participants all spoke of counseling programs they were involved in and how it related to Buddhist teaching. The programs can be helpful to any community, however, they do warn that they must be carried out by qualified practitioners who hold their sessions in confidence. If a temple has associations with such personnel, the programs can be a great asset to the temple and community. The next morning focused on the meeting’s main business with 160 delegates and ministers listening to reports from the bishop, BCA president and myriad reports from various organizations. BCA President Kent Matsuda kept the meeting on track by limiting the speakers to two minutes. The budget was presented, and it was decided that the 2015-16 dues assessment would not exceed $1,600,000 (the 2014-15 assessment was $1,598,942). That meant that the BCA Board had to keep a tight rein on their expenses. organizations such as FBWA, Scouting, etc. The meeting was to have gone on until 2 pm, but we surprisingly finished the business agenda before lunch and we had a second Dharmathon of four ministers in the afternoon. This was a treat because we normally do not get the chance to hear from different ministers. Additionally, most of these ministers were new to the BCA and would not normally have the opportunity to speak to a large group. Speaking of other activities, the afternoon was devoted to additional workshops on “What Can the BCA Do for You?” and “E-Polling.” The budget passed. And before we knew it, the morning session was over and we adjourned for lunch. In past years, the council would reconvene for more meetings. But this year, they had the first of two Dharmathons, where we were able to hear 15-minute dharma talks from four ministers. That took us to the evening workshops, which had varied topics that pertained to the individual temples. Among the workshops was “Archiving Temple Documents,” “EcoSangha: Being Ecologically Aware,” “BCA Endowment Foundation Planned Giving” and “Ministerial Affairs—Minister’s Health Plan.” These workshops provided an opportunity for temples to hear about success stories from other temples and organizations. The next morning, we started again with the council meetings, consisting of mainly reports from the districts and I, along with many older attendees, would recall meetings going from 9 am–5 pm on Friday and Saturday and even voting on the budget Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, the current administration is able to condense the meeting time so we could have more time for workshops and other activities. One final surprise was the Saturday evening banquet, which in the past was a coat-and-tie occasion. This year, because the hotel was designed with a Hawaiian theme, the dress for the banquet was much more comfortable aloha attire. We were able to talk to many other delegates and compare notes about our temples and bring ideas home to try out. I think this year’s council meeting was a great success, and I look forward to future council meetings to use their template to promote more programs that can help the individual temples. Gassho, RS Chicago Aikido Club 4427 North C lark Street, C hic ago, Illin oi s 6 0 6 4 0 P.O. Box 180224, C hic ago, Illinois 60 6 1 8 - 0 6 1 7 k e i k o — Sun 1 1 :3 0 am M on 6 :3 0 pm Fr i 6 :3 0 pm [email protected] • 773-634-9824 • www.chicagoaikidoclub.com find us on Facebook • visit our blog - chicagoaikidoclub.wordpress.com MBT Bulletin 13 14 midwestbuddhisttemple.org 8:30 am Zen Shin Meditation 10:30 am Monthly Memorial Service / Dharma Talk by Rev. Ron Miyamura 15 Zen Shin Meditation Board of Trustees Hanamatsuri Service / Dharma Talk by Rev. Ron Miyamura Otoki 6 pm Zen Shin Meditation 8:30 am 9 am 10:30 am 11:30 am 6 pm Zen Shin Meditation wednesday sunday 08 12 wednesday 05 sunday 29 10 am Sanitation Seminar for Ginza workers –1 pm 6 pm Zen Shin Meditation 8:30 am Zen Shin Meditation 10:30 am Family & Dharma School Service / Dharma Talk by Rev. Ron Miyamura wednesday 26 sunday saturday 6 pm Zen Shin Meditation 8:30 am Zen Shin Meditation Events Committee Afternoon 91am pm Saturday & Dharma 10:30 am Family Movie Japanese School Service / Dharma Talk by Susan Gilkey wednesday 22 25 19 sunday april 2015