Spiritual Life

You may ask . . .

How does one connect with spirituality in our tradition?

Our approach on the Nembutsu path is to embrace the spirituality in the midst of everyday life. Should this seem unusual? Upon his enlightenment, the historical Buddha proclaimed that from that instant forth, all sentient beings were enlightened, and not just in Temples or meditation halls.

That does not mean we are passive in the process. Rather we discover and develop existing Buddha-Nature through thoughtful everyday living. For guidance we benefit from our teachers and especially the wisdom and compassion of Buddha.

In our Temple the Sangha is especially important, as we are all ordinary people, benefiting from each others’ presence. Not only do they remind us we are all ordinary people, but we are sometimes inspired by the unself-conscious reflection of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion of Buddha reflected in their commitment to the Temple.

We also benefit from the Dharma of both the historical Buddha and later teachers in our tradition, as shared by our living teachers. Our living teachers especially include our resident minister, Rev. Dr. Kenji Akahoshi, and Minister’s Assistants including Laverne Imori, Noriko Kawai, and Maribeth Smith, all of whom have various levels of ordination.

To receive the full benefits of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, we can take advantage of Sunday services, memorial services, funeral services, anniversaries, parties, and other celebrations at the Temple. We also can take advantage of ongoing classes, seminars or lectures, and other events throughout the year.