Gathering of Joy (Kangi E)

Gathering of Joy (Kangi E)

Obon, Obon it’s festival day!

We will gather friends all along the way

and bring fruits and vegetables for the shrine.

Like Mogallana many, many years ago.

Obon, Obon it’s festival day!

All our humble thanks we will here convey,

to our dearly loved ones who lived in the past.

With nembutsu, nembutsu ‘pon our lips.

Obon, Obon it’s festival day!

O’ the streets are lined with our lanterns gay,

and the wind bells twinkling a top the trees.

Sway to and fro, to and fro in the breeze.

Obon, Obon it’s festival day!

Words and music by Yumiko Hojo


Why Shinran?

Why Shinran?

“Faith, then, is a quality of human living. At its best it has taken the form of serenity and courage and loyalty and service: a quiet confidence and joy which enable one to feel at home in the universe, and to find meaning in the world and in one’s own life, and meaning that is profound and ultimate, and is stable no matter what may happen to oneself at the level of immediate event. Men and women of this kind of faith face catastrophe and confusion, affluence and sorrow, unperturbed; face opportunity with conviction and drive, and face others with cheerful charity.”

The meaning and end of religion Wilfred Cantwell Smith

How Do You Live?

How Do You Live?

I recently discovered this book How Do You Live? first published in 1937. It was written in Japan by Genzaburo Yoshino. The Japanese title is Kime tachi wa do ikiru ka? In English, it is translated as How Do You Live? After I read it, I couldn’t believe I had never heard of this book before. It was one of those surprises when you find something amazing. I found this book quite by accident. I was searching for another book by my favorite author Neil Gaiman and in the google search, this book came up because he had written a foreword to the first English translation of this book published in 2021.

Year of the Water Tiger 2022, Buddhist Year 2566

Year of the Water Tiger 2022, Buddhist Year 2566

It has been said by some, that originally the lion was on the Chinese zodiac. Most of the zodiacs have stories about how the various animals came to be represented. In the past, I have told you about the mouse and cat and why the mouse is the first animal in the zodiac and the cat is not even on it. There is also a story about why the Tiger is on the zodiac and I would like to share this story with you.

Gratitude and Sparking Social Justice

Gratitude and Sparking Social Justice

What is it about Jodo Shinshu that has made many of us who in our youth worked for civil rights, move into lives and work based upon religion and identity, such as the Jodo Shinshu ministry? As I had expressed in the last couple of articles, the Social Justice of liberation theology (Catholic) and also the African America Church are different than our Buddhist ideals of social justice.

The Painful Truth

The Painful Truth

This pandemic has given each of us so much to think about. I know that there has been a great deal of suffering and that does make me sad. But I believe that in many ways, the pandemic has forced me to really look at what I’m doing with my life. I really enjoyed my life before the pandemic. I traveled a lot and met a lot of different people. However, in retrospect I realize my life was so fast!