Northern California Koyasan Temple 1400 U St., Sacramento, CA 95818-1417 JULY 2016 NEWSLETTER

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A Special Visit! ... and then ... Good News!!!

June brought a couple of special visitors to our Temple! Reverend Ryuzen Hayasahi of the Los Angeles Koyasan Betsuin and Reverend Kyokan Iwasawa from Mt. Koya, Japan, visited our Temple in time for the annual Aoba Matsuri Service. They arrived in Sacramento on Friday, June 10th, and then joined our members and friends for a potluck luncheon on Saturday, June 11th. The luncheon was held so our members could meet and chat with these ministers. [Picture l to r: Rev. Ryuzen Hayashi, Rev. Eishun Shigetoshi and Rev. Kyokan Iwasawa.]

The visiting ministers then participated in our Aoba Matsuri Service on Sunday. This was a real treat for our congregation, and both ministers gave short sermons ... in English! In honor of the birth of Kobo Daishi, cake was served to all attendees after the service. This provided an additional opportunity for our members to chat with the ministers. Then the ministers stayed to watch and actually participated in our Obon odori practice in the Social Hall afterward. As you know, our Temple has been looking to fill the head minister vacancy, and we’ve all been praying hard that one would look upon us favorably. And guess what?!?!? Rev. Iwasawa was impressed with the welcome we offered and sees a lot of opportunity and potential at our Temple! He expressed his desire to be assigned to Sacramento to Mt. Koya and the Sokanbu, which have approved his decision. The Cabinet and Board express our most sincere gratitude to the members who so graciously welcomed Rev. Iwasawa and prepared so much good food for all to partake. Now the real work begins as the Cabinet and Board must prepare the R1 Visa application for Rev. Iwasawa and prepare for Homeland Security site visits. With Gassho, The Northern California Koyasan Cabinet and Board

New Member The Temple welcomes the following new member:

William Monahan, Sacramento, CA

Toro Nagashi Lantern Workshop – July 10, 2016 Will your family be having a floating lantern at this year’s Toro Nagashi ritual? If so, the Temple would like the families to create their own lantern shade, to make it a more personal memorial experience. For this, the Temple will conduct a Toro Nagashi Lantern Workshop on Sunday, July 10, 2016, starting at 1:30 p.m. in the Temple’s Social Hall. Family members are encouraged to attend to create their deceased loved one’s lantern shade. The Temple will provide the paper and paints to create your designs. The paintings can be either pictures or words, depending on your preferences.

Northern California Koyasan Temple 1400 U St., Sacramento, CA 95818-1417 JULY 2016 NEWSLETTER

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Obon Memorial Service The annual Obon Memorial Services and Segaki Rituals will be held in the month of July. See the attached schedule for specific dates and locations. An Obon Memorial Service Form is also enclosed. Special candlelight offerings will be made by the Hatsubon families during the Obon service. The Temple expresses its deepest sympathy to the following Hatsubon members who have passed on since the last Obon service. Hatsubon Member Age Hatsubon Member Age Mrs. Kiyoye Maeda 100 Mrs. Miyoko Faye Hiura 92 Mr. Joe Kimichika Kataoka 89 Mr. James Iwao Tanimoto 85

Mr. Donald Tsutsui 84 Mr. Yoshiharu Takaki 81 Mrs. Susie Wong 79

Our first Obon Odori performance will be held in the Temple’s Social Hall following the July 17th service. We encourage all members and friends to participate! Toro Nagashi ... A Different Location This Year The annual Toro Nagashi ritual and pot luck picnic will be held at Sacramento’s William Land Park on Saturday, August 6, 2016, but the location will be difference due to the draining and repair at the old site. So this year, we will be moving over to the “Duck Pond” located near the amphitheater. There are picnic tables already at that location, and the bathroom is within walking distance. There is parking on 15th Ave. and also in the lot behind Fairy Tale Town.

The event will start with the potluck picnic at 5:00 p.m. followed by a performance by the Taiko Group at 6:30 p.m. and then the Obon Odori performance following the taiko performance. The prayer service will start at

Northern California Koyasan Temple 1400 U St., Sacramento, CA 95818-1417 JULY 2016 NEWSLETTER

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7:30 p.m., and the floating lanterns ritual will begin at 8:00 p.m. The lanterns (Toro) symbolize the spirit of the deceased crossing the river and traveling to the pure land. Please bring your favorite dishes to share at the pot luck as well as your own lawn chairs, (no chairs will be provided by the Temple). Cold drinks will be provided by the Temple. See the enclosed flyer for additional information. Evening Meditation Classes The July evening meditation session at the Sacramento Temple is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, 2016, and the August session is scheduled for Tuesday, August 9, 2016. The evening sessions are led by Rev. Shigetoshi and begin at 7:00 p.m. ACC Nursing Home Visitation The Temple has scheduled a visitation to the ACC Nursing Home on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. There will be a short service. We encourage members to make an effort to attend and visit old friends with us. The nursing home is located at:

ACC Nursing Home 7801 Rush River Dr. Sacramento, CA 95831

Obon (Guest article by Carol Fuchigami-Ito) Each year during the summer months, Buddhist temples hold Obon services and perform Bon odori or dancing. Obon is a special memorial service to honor and express gratitude to all those, parents, elders and generations of ancestors, who have passed on before us. For without them, we would not exist. The meaning of Obon is found in the Ullambana Sutra which tells the story of Moggallana, who was one of the Buddha’s great disciples. In this story, it is told that Moggallana was endowed with spiritual powers. One day while in a state of deep meditation, he had a vision of his mother dwelling in the realm of the hungry ghosts. He saw her emaciated and starving because she was unable to eat or drink. Feeling deep pity and sadness, he filled a bowl with food and offered it to her. However, before she could eat the food, it turned into burning coal. Shocked and filled with great sorrow, Moggallana asked the Buddha what he could do to save her. The Buddha told Moggallana that his mother was in the realm of hungry ghosts because she lived a life of selfishness and greed. The Buddha then told Moggallana that he should prepare a great feast of food and other offerings of the best incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds and bedding for the great sangha of virtuous monks when they assembled for the end of their summer retreat on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The Buddha further tells Moggallana that his offering is not only for the sake of his mother but also for the sake of all fathers and mothers living and deceased, and ancestors who are suffering. After hearing this, Moggallana prepared the offerings to the sangha as the Buddha instructed. On the day known as Pravarana, the Buddha and the great sangha of monks assembled and received the offerings prepared by Moggallana. At that moment, Moggallana saw a vision of his mother being released from the realm of hungry ghosts. Overwhelmed by the vision of his mother’s liberation, Moggallana jumped with great joy and began to dance.

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As we observe Koyasan Temple’s Obon memorial service on Sunday, July 17th, let us honor and pay our respects to those loved ones who have passed on before us. Through our offerings to the Buddha, let us express our deepest gratitude for the life they have given us. A Successful Summer Pancake Breakfast! The Temple had a very successful Summer Pancake Breakfast, and we thank all those who came to enjoy a delicious hot breakfast and good company. The Temple would like to express its sincere gratitude to:

• The Fujinkai for making a whopping 189 mini pies to sell, and the Fujinkai Workshop crew for making so many beautiful and useful craft items;

• Chiyoko Saiki and Betty Rivera for donating additional beautiful crafts (dress hand towels, lap quilts, baby bibs, fabric purses, and pre-decorated gift boxes);

• Fumi Shigetoshi for her delicious spam musubi; • The Fujinkai ladies for making the chirashi sushi; • George Sakurai for donuts and lunch items for the crew; • And a big THANK YOU to the guys who helped so much in the kitchen – Larry, Michael and Dennis

Sunahara for pie baking, and Bill Taylor, Jerry Hiura, Stuart Noda, Kevin Nakashima, and Don Tateishi for pancake and egg cooking.

Special thanks go to our Taiko Group volunteers: Sofia Parino, Yuuto Van Loben Sels, Ian Rodriguez, Ryan Okimoto and his dad Derrick, Sharon Araki, Calen McCormick, Laura Mullen, Max and Sora Ezzell, Lisa and Eugene Kim, Masanori Yasuto, and Taiga Okabe. Special thanks also to the Karate students for helping set up and take down tables and chairs, cooking and clean-up in the kitchen, and lending their muscles for all the heavy stuff! Our sincere gratitude to all the others who helped with the pie making, set up the tables and chairs, set out the condiments and placemats, and helped wherever help was needed. We could not have succeeded without you!

From The Fujinkai The Fujinkai would like to extend its gratitude to the ladies who made some delicious food to sell at the Summer Pancake Breakfast:

Northern California Koyasan Temple 1400 U St., Sacramento, CA 95818-1417 JULY 2016 NEWSLETTER

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• Betty Okimura, Tokie Sunahara, Margie Sunahara, and Bettie Tsuda for baking delicious cakes and cookies as well as donating home-made jams, jellies, and Japanese tsukemono to sell;

Craft Day Workshops The May workshop focused on learning to bake mini pies. As we have never made them before, it was a fun learning experience for all. Special thanks to Larry Sunahara for manning the convection oven for this workshop. The Craft Day Workshops are usually held the fourth Saturday of each month, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the Temple’s Social Hall. Everyone is invited to join us. Instructions, refreshments and a fun time will be provided. If you would like to donate skeins of yarn, please drop them off at the Temple or call Seiko Okimura at (916) 221-1142. Taiko Performances The Koyasan Taiko Group started off in May by performing at the 2016 Pacific Rim Street Festival on May 14, 2016. After a one year break, the festival resumed their celebration of all things Asian at Southside Park in downtown Sacramento. As part of the entertainment Koyasan Spirit of Children Taiko provided a high spirited and energetic performance for the audience at the festival. The drummers were blessed with a slight cool breeze to support the group’s tight fit on stage. All the heat was provided by the speed and excitement of the drummer’s execution of technically challenging songs! Members from 7 to 67 years old all proved that drumming is for anyone with drumming in their hearts.

The Koyasan Taiko Group also performed at the Gedatsu Church’s Rokujizo Festival and Food Bazaar on Saturday, June 25th. A small group of 11 drummers had the audience cheering and applauding with appreciation. The Koyasan Spirit of Children Taiko group is 35 members strong, but on this hot day, the 4 youths and 7 adult members performed with enthusiasm and smiles allowing the occasional breeze to carry

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away the heat as the songs Kodama, Hanami and Raku to name a few were played. Koyasan Taiko Group always enjoys returning year after year to support the church's festival.

In August, the group will be performing at our own Toro Nagashi Ritual at William Land Park on Saturday, August 6th, their performance starting at 6:30 p.m. and at the Sacramento Betsuin Bazaar (2401 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento) on Saturday, August 13th. 44th Inter-religious Memorial Day Service The Temple participates in the annual Inter-religious Memorial Day Service at the Nisei Pioneer Monument located in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Sacramento. The monument was dedicated in 1971, and the first service was held in 1972. Sponsored by the Sacramento JACL, this year marked the 44th anniversary of this community event. This is a multi-faith memorial service involving Buddhist (Gedatsu, Jodo Shinshu, Nichiren, Tenrikyo, Koyasan) and Christian (Methodist, Presbyterian) faiths. Chairmanships and sermons rotate among the various churches, and this year’s service was chaired by the Christian churches. The service includes floral offerings from representatives from the participating churches and many community organizations. The service is held every Memorial Day from 9:00 a.m. and is open to the public.

Pictured l to r: VFW (Mr. Kent Nakashima) floral tribute; Rev. Motoe Yamada-Foor (far right) chairs the service and Rev. Dr. Aart Van Beek (seated far right) served as emcee.

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Pictured l to r: Rinban Bob Oshita, Rev. Akira Sebe, Rev. George Matsuhashi, Rev. Eishun Shigetoshi, Rev. Patti Oshita, Sensei Grace Hatano, Rev. Tim Castle, Rev. Carol Castle, Sensei Keith Kato, and Sensei Kelvin Mark

Want to see the Newsletter in full color? Check it out on the Temple’s web site: www.nckoyasan.org

Newsletter Staff Editors:

Rev. Eishun Shigetoshi Bettie Tsuda

Editorial Contributors:

Carol Fuchigami-Ito Margie Sunahara

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JULY 2016 CALENDAR 6 (Wed) 7:00 p.m. Cabinet Meeting 9 (Sat) 4:00 p.m. Goeika Practice 10 (Sun) 1:30 p.m. Toro Nagashi Lantern Workshop 12 (Tue) 7:00 p.m. Evening meditation session 17 (Sun) 1:30 p.m. Obon Memorial Service & Obon Odori 23 (Sat) 11:00 a.m. Obon Service at Oak Hill Cemetery, San Jose, CA 2:00 p.m. San Jose Daishiko at Miyahara residence 23 (Sat) 1:00 p.m. Fujinkai Crafts Workshop (Sacramento) 31 (Sun) 9:00 a.m. Memorial Service at East Lawn Memorial Park, Sacramento, CA 10:30 a.m. Memorial Service at Sacramento Memorial Lawn, Sacramento, CA

AUGUST 2016 CALENDAR 3 (Wed) 7:00 p.m. Cabinet Meeting 6 (Sat) 5:00 p.m. Picnic & Toro Nagashi Ritual, Obon Odori at William Land Park, Sacramento 9 (Tue) 7:00 p.m. Evening meditation session 13 (Sat) 4:00 p.m. Goeika Practice 16 (Tue) 11:00 a.m. ACC Nursing Home Visitation 27 (Sat) 1:00 p.m. Fujinkai Crafts Workshop (Sacramento)

Koyasan Ramen Sale* Come for some good eats!

Sunday, September 4, 2016 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

∗ All food is pre-order only (Order Forms will be available soon at www.nckoyasan.org).