January 1, 2024 Happy New Year! Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! あけまして おめでとう ２０２４ Congratulations on the beginning of a new year! Yesterday at our temple's New Year’s Eve service, we rang the kansho--the big  bell behind the altar--108  times. Everyone who attended in person was able to line up and ring the bell 4 times each. It is interesting to me how each person, using the same bell and mallet, manages to make a slightly different sound. Listening to the different tones and tempos we each create is a wonderful reminder of the uniqueness of each one of us. Image: Hitting...

As we approach the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, the days are getting shorter, the sun is making fewer appearances through the clouds, we spend more time inside, and life is just a bit darker.  As sunlight gets scarcer, it is a great time to intentionally appreciate the limited light that we do have.  Many cultures have holidays, such  as Christmas, Diwali, Kwanza, and Chanukah that celebrate light.  And even non-religious people will put up extra decorative lights to brighten the darker days.  In our tradition of Buddhism, on December...

NOTE:  For our blog this month, we wanted to share Rev. Anne Spencer's Dharma Talk for the November 2023 Shotsuki (Monthly Memorial Service).  As we get ready to sit down with friends and family for Thanksgiving, Rev. Anne's words remind us of the importance of sitting down together with others.    Image: Picture of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist temple in Nov 2023 after the altar has been cleaned and the new carpet and refurbished pews put in place.    Please put your palms together gassho as I read the English translation of three verses of Tsuicho...

My mother, Chistine (AKA "Aunt Chris" or “Ma”), died in January of 2022 at the age of 90. We were finally able to hold memorial service for her last month at the Presbyterian church in Washington that she had been a part of for more than 50 years. Ma was a kind and accepting person and, although she raised me Christian, she supported and encouraged me on my path to Buddhist ministry.  She attended the Buddhist temple with me whenever she had a chance and also came to several NW District Conventions. Ma loved meeting and talking with everyone.  One of my happy memories...

On Sept 15 last year, we posted the good news that our temple's altar was not structurally damaged by the fire, but it would need a very thorough cleaning. Today that cleaning has started. Professional altar cleaners from Wakabayashi in Kyoto, Japan have arrived and started work! We are so grateful for their expertise and for the support of our community!

Happy August! Image: Embroidered Butterflies on a Quilt Square created by our Buddhist Woman's Association Although it is hot and dry here in Eastern Oregon and Idaho, in many parts of the world, including India where the historic Buddha (Shakyamuni) lived 2500 years ago, it is the middle of the rainy season, the monsoon season. And during this season the insects take advantage of all the moisture to lay eggs-- which then hatch, creating swarms of even more insects.  During most of the year, the Buddha and his followers would travel through the country sharing the Buddhist teachings...