December 2024 Newsletterđ
Dec 1 Sunday 10:00 Sunday Service
Dec 8 Sunday 9:30 Social Sunday – Bodhi Day
Sesshu Foster is a Japanese-American writer in Los Angeles
Writing a book on Japanese on Central Coast discussion
Dec 15 Sunday 10:00 Shotsuki – Bodhi Day – Celebration
Dec 15 Sunday 11:00 Otoki
Dec 18 Wed 12:00 Board Meeting
Dec 21 Saturday 9:00 Omigaki – Altar cleaning
Dec 21 Saturday 1:00 Dungeons & Dragonsđ
Dec 22 Sunday 9:30 Social Sunday
Dec 29 Sunday 9:30 Social Sunday
Jan 1 Wednesday 9:30 New Yearâs Day Service
The Passing of Roy Minami
I am sad to announce the passing of Roy Minami Friday evening November 22, 2024.
Speaking for myself I will miss Royâs discussions before services while he was drinking a cup of coffee. I feel fortunate to recently spend time with Roy going up to Salinas to celebrate their 100th anniversary. I sat beside Roy at the luncheon and listened as he reminisced with many people about their past interactions and their relatives. He had so much fun and talked to so many people that day, we were one of the last folks to leave the temple. On the way home, before he nodded off to sleep, he said he initially did not think he would enjoy the day but it turned out he enjoyed reliving so many memories about people he has not remembered for many years. Another memory for me was of a nostalgic Social Sunday when the folks wanted music played from the 40âs and 50âs and everyone talked about their lives in the 50âs and 60âs. Roy was talking about his time in Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the 60âs, getting in to see several members of the âRat Packâ mostly Frank Sintra. It was fun seeing the folks talking back and forth, each memory from one spurring a forgotten memory from another.
Even in his passing Roy is reinforcing Senseiâs lessons on impermanence, reminding me, I need to call my sister while I can.
Roy had so much life and so much energy, I will miss him.
Lee Humphrey
Donations:
Thank You All for All Your Kind Donations Financial, Materials, and
Labor. It takes us all to carry on the work of our forefathers and keep our church viable.
Buddhaâs Awakening
Bodhi Day is when Siddhartha Gautama awakened to become Sakyamuni Buddha. Siddharttha was
35 when he realized Truth sitting under a Bodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa). Sakyamuni shared the Dharma for
45 years until his death at age 80.
New Year
Cleaning out the old year to be ready for the New Year.
Omigaki is an annual event where we deep clean the temple for the new year. All are welcome! We
appreciate everyone who lends a hand helping the onaijin shine in preparation for the new year.
Dues: For individuals, it is $225. For a family, it is $400. For members over 80 years old, it is $180. If
dues are received September 30th and before, it will count for the current year. If dues are received October 1st and after, it will count toward the next year.
At Social Sunday, Dec 8,2024
Sesshu Foster is a Japanese-American writer in Los Angeles who wants to write a book about pre-WW
II Japanese American life, especially women’s lives, on the Central Coast. His family were the Agawas,
specifically Otokichi Agawa, Umeko Yamaha Agawa, Mary Tsuneko, Lena Hinako, John Heiji, Annie
Tomiko, Bill Yozo, Jim Agawa (who raced hotrods and owned Jim Agawa Radiator Service), and Ray and
Ruth Tatsuno and their kids.
Lena and her best friends were members of the SLO Young Womenâs Buddhist Association, which
often met in Guadalupe, and included family members of prominent families like the Etos and the Inaos.
Some of Lenaâs friends from Guadalupe included George Aratani, Jimmie Hamasaki and Akira Miyoshi,
who is buried in the Guadalupe cemetery. Brian Masatani told Sesshu he remembered that his cousin,
David Tatsuno, worked as a cook in a restaurant in Guadalupe years ago.
Sesshu is interested in any comments that people might have about his aunt Lenaâs many photographs,
which he will bring with him when he joins GBC for Social Sunday on December 8, 2024. Even if no one
can identify the exact people in the pictures, Sesshu is really interested in whatever they may have to say
about those years and that local history. His main questions are: What are peoples’ memories or thoughts
on what Japanese Guadalupe was like before World War 2? What do people recall, if anything, about
Japanese American people who lived in Guadalupe or Santa Maria before the war?
The Our Roots Our Routes project I am part of is planning to have a videographer recording that Social
Sunday, with the recording to be accessible on our website: https://ourrootsourroutes.org/
From Santa Maria Times Saturday Nov 23rd
The Santa Maria Japanese Community Center is preparing to open its doors to the public this spring,
offering a space dedicated to cultural education and awareness.
The center, in Enos Ranch Park just west of the historic Smith-Enos House on Bradley Road, will
provide opportunity for people of all backgrounds to learn about and appreciate Japanese culture and its
historical impact on the Santa Maria Valley.
âI think there’s a real need as far as educating people within the city about where different groups come
from,â said Wes Koyama, the centerâs vice president. âThere’s a history that the Japanese brought to this
Valley that has not necessarily been brought forth. I believe this is true with all the groups that have come,
and all groups should have a say in preserving that history and telling people exactly how it came to be.
This is our chance, when we partner with the city, to make our story known.â
The center will provide a space for cultural exhibits, classes, and events.
âIt started with our grandparents’ generation, who first came from Japan and they’re called Issei,â said Jo
Anne Nishino Spencer, president of Japanese Community Center, Inc. âThey came here all different times
and everything, but they all had different kinds of jobs, from gardeners to produce workers.â
The centerâs gallery will showcase the evolution of Japanese-American life in the valley, allowing visitors
to explore the heritage and contributions of the Japanese community.
The gallery will feature primarily permanent displays, but Spencer said that sections of the exhibit may
change to reflect different cultural events, such as Boys’ Day and Girls’ Day.
âWeâre thinking of using the video system or something and changing that up for different Japanese
holidays,â she said.
The center will also host a variety of cultural activities and educational opportunities. Koyama talked
about plans for quarterly luncheons, Japanese language and cooking classes and cultural workshops. The
center will also offer bonsai and Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) classes, allowing visitors to deepen
their understanding of traditional Japanese arts.
âWeâd like to have more classes once we have the center,â Spencer said. âIt’s going to be perfect,
because we can do our luncheons there. We can have, like Japanese cooking classes, just a variety of
things that we weren’t able to do because we didnât really have our own place.â
The center, with a 7,800-square-foot meeting space, will also feature a Japanese garden, created with
the help of Nishimori Landscape & Design.
âItâs going to have a bunch of Japanese foliage, such as Japanese maple trees and different Japanese
landscaping,â Koyama said, offering a peaceful space for visitors to connect with nature and appreciate the beauty of traditional Japanese garden design.
Alex Posada, Santa Mariaâs recreation and parks director, said the building is expected to be completed
by the end of December or early January, with final landscaping work taking another month. A spring
dedication event is anticipated.
Posada highlighted the importance of the communityâs donations to the project, noting an initial
$300,000 donation from Japanese Community Center, Inc. helped secure development of the site.
âWithout that $300,000 initial investment, there really was no plan to do anything in that area of the
property,â Posada said. âTheir donation to the building was the catalyst that got the project moving.â
The city has invested $1.3 million in the project, with the total cost expected to be around $1.6 million for
the building alone. Japanese Community Center, Inc. continues to support the project through donations
and fundraising efforts.
âThere are about 70 members in the club and we would like to grow to even more than that. That would
be nice, the more the merrier,â Koyama said.
âWe welcome anyone at any time,â said Spencer.
For information or to become a member, contact the center via mail at 237 Town Center West #110,
Santa Maria, CA 93458 or email Spencer at fruit01@msn.com, or Koyama at weskoyama@gmail.com.
Reverend’s monthly message:
Although my eyes, blinded by passions,
Do not see the brilliant light which embraces me,
The Great Compassion never tires, always
Casting its light upon me.
~Shinran Shonin
Reverend Gyodo Haguri was the second minister at Guadalupe Buddhist Church. He served from
1909-1911. After his term in Guadalupe, he went on to serve at several other temples/churches. He
eventually returned to Japan but would return to the United States for visits. It was during one of his visits
that Rev. Haguri felt and saw the strong necessity for more books in English for the future generation. He
was encouraged by several ministers/scholars to have one of his books translated into English. The book
that was chosen is titled, The Awareness of Self.
In one of his chapters, Rev. Haguri refers to the topic of the ten major concerns of ALL people. They are
clothing, food, housing, money, honor, knowledge, family, love, pleasure, and death. With the nearing of the holiday season, we are preparing for such an event that will involve many of these concerns.
During this holiday season, there may be parties to attend, family gatherings or whatever event and food
is involved. In the book, Rev. Haguri writes that, âFood is more basic to man than clothing andâŚshould pay closer attention to it.â Throughout our lives, we have eaten several hundred varieties of food, some we enjoyed and some we would not eat again. The smell, appeal and taste appeals to our natural instincts, yet do we truly appreciate what is set before us and accept it with gratitude and thankfulness?
When we sit down to eat, our ego plays a large part in our basic senses. We tend to âoverindulgeâ, but
we continue to fill our tummies until it hurts. We are not satisfied until we have overextended our
indulgences. We know better, our tummies are saying enough, but our ego tells us to keep eating. We all
do this, where the top button of our pants must be undone.
Food is important. It brings family and friends together as One, this food also nourishes our body, keeps
us healthy and improves our cognitive functions (relates to the mental process that involves knowing,
learning and understanding of things). Food brings pleasure. Especially if it is one of our favorites. It can
bring a family home where love is always present. We are content, happy, at peace and our desires are
fulfilled.
Yet during this feast, many of us forget âitadakimasuâ or âgochisosama deshitaâ, before and after
partaking of food and drink. We forget ALL the many components that have contributed to our gathering of extended family. This natural process extends to the tiniest microscopic organisms to the cashier at the
stores and of course, to the person who puts on the feast.
It is Nembutsu/Namu Amida Butsu in thankfulness, gratitude and appreciation for your reasons. You are
the only one who knows what is in your heart and mind. Whatever your Nembutsu is for, may Namu Amida Butsu bring you peace, joy, love and happiness, even if it is for a short time.
Do not forget the little olâ man in red!! Yes, I still believe.
Gassho
Rev. Seijo Naomi Nakano
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