April 2023

Welcome Spring! The arrival of spring brings a sense of renewal and rebirth, and the blooming of flowers is a beautiful reminder of this. The abundance of rain we've had can definitely contribute to a super bloom, which can be a spectacular sight to behold, which is just in time for Hanamatsuri, also known as the Flower Festival or Buddha's Birthday, an important Buddhist holiday. Hanamatsuri celebrates the birth of the Buddha, and the Hanamido will be covered with colorful flowers symbolizing the beauty and purity of the Buddha's teachings. The pouring of sweet tea over a small statue of the Buddha is an act of purification and gratitude. Overall, Hanamatsuri is a wonderful celebration that reminds us of the beauty and significance of the Buddha's teachings, and the importance of renewal and growth in our own lives, and we will celebrate this holiday on April 9th. To top off this celebration, the PBWA is taking pre-orders for take-out box lunches with the famous PBC teriyaki chicken. Last month I had the opportunity to attend the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) National Council Meeting, along with temple leaders throughout the country and even Canada. This year’s theme is “The benefits of following the Shin Buddhist path,” by focusing on the benefit of a life of self-introspection. (See Bishop Harada’s article.)

It's heartening to hear about the sense of community that is still present in many Buddhist temples, despite the unique challenges they are facing. We are all working at retaining current members while also attracting new members to learn about the teachings of the Buddha. BCA provides temples with ministerial support and the education for both the ministers and sangha. The BCA's efforts to train more ministers is also a positive step towards addressing the shortage of ministers in the country, ensuring that Buddhist temples have the resources they need to continue providing guidance and support to their members. There are numerous committees and organizations of the BCA providing resources for temples and sangha, and each of those committees and organizations gave reports of their progress and achievements which is in a 256-page report! Next year’s National Council meeting will be held both virtually and in-person at the Sacramento Betsuin, and our former president, Allan Yamashiro, is the chair. Overall, it's important for Buddhist communities to continue working together to address the challenges they are facing, while also embracing the sense of community and support that is so central to Buddhist teachings. To help support our community and neighboring Buddhist communities, we will have information about events happening in nearby temples so we can support their efforts as they have always been so supportive of ours. Keep checking the PBC website for information at PlacerBuddhistChurch.org.

Once again, thank you to everyone that has given so much time and energy for keeping the programs going at PBC so we can continue offering our community a place to gather and take care of one another.

In Gassho, 

Rene' Yamashiro, PBC President