<![CDATA[Pasadena Buddhist Temple - Dharma School Messages from Lynne]]>Sun, 03 May 2026 11:22:09 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[October 10, 2021]]>Tue, 19 Oct 2021 22:51:50 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/october-10-2021​Good Morning.
On this beautiful Fall morning, I would like to introduce a concept I came across recently.  
It is Together we can "make kindness loud".
While looking through a magazine called Magnolia Journal, I came across an interesting article.
I would like to share a portion of the article with you:
     All of us know how good kindness can feel - to give and receive.  Yet in our everyday lives we sometimes need a nudge toward making the move, giving the compliment, asking the question that shows we care.  Last year at Magnolia, we began wondering how we could give more of those nudges.  We wanted the line from our manifesto - We believe in human kindness, knowing we are made better when we all work together - to come to life.
    And so we started Make Kindness Loud.  There was no rocket science involved - just a group of people walking around and hanging up simple flyers all around our offices.  Each flyer had prompts for acts of kindness.  Some were small ideas that cost nothing, like calling an old friend to see how they were doing.  Others suggested sending flowers for no reason or buying coffee for a stranger.
     We hoped these small daily actions would make a difference for the people in our workplace.  Very soon we found these moments were reaching far outside our own little world.  Stories of chain reactions started by these kindnesses were coming back to us.  A new friendship forged with a neighbor.  The old friend who got a call, then decided to coordinate a larger reunion with people from all over the country.
     It's easy to think new friends and class reunions don't change the world.  But on the other hand, it's just as easy to think that maybe they can.  And so we thought, why not share our flyers with people who might like to start some chain reactions of their own.
     Just imagine if kindness got so loud that everywhere we turned, it was all we could hear.

I have attached the flyer from Magnolia Journal.  Take a look and think about how you can spread "kindness" to the world.  We have touched on the subject of "kindness" many times at Dharma School.  So this is just a reminder that even small gestures of kindness can make a difference.  So if you can, print out the flyer and hang it up somewhere so it can be a daily reminder to "Make Kindness Loud."

Stay healthy and safe.
Lynne M. 
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]]><![CDATA[July 4, 2021]]>Tue, 19 Oct 2021 22:48:20 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/july-4-2021​Good Morning.
It's July already.  July means the beginning of Obon season.  I came across a passage from the Traditions of Jodoshinshu Hongwanji-ha book by Reverends Masao Kodani and Russell Hamada.
The passage reminds us of the origins of Obon.  I thought it would be a good reminder to all:

The origins of Obon can be traced to the Ulanbana Sutra which relates the story of Mahamaudgalyayana (Mogallana in Pali), the most gifted of Shakamuni Buddha's disciples in the area of extraordinary sense perceptions.  A very filial son, Mahamaudgalyayana one day used his extraordinary powers to visualize the whereabouts of his mother who had died.  Searching all the realms, from the highest of the heavens to the lowest of the hells, he was surprised and horrified to find his mother suffering the torments of the realm of Hungry Ghosts.  With his powers again, he filled a bowl with food and sent it to his mother.  The food burst into flames each time she put it to her mouth.  Finding himself helpless in aiding his mother, he ran to the Buddha seeking help.  

The Buddha tells Mahamaudgalyayana that he needs the combined help of all the monks to help his mother.  He was told to bring offerings of food from land and sea, and sweets piled on a platter to the Sangha at the end of the Pravarana.  The Pravarana was a period of retreat for the Buddha and his disciples during the rainy season in India.  This was from the 15th of April to the 15th of July by the western calendar.  Monks were forbidden to travel in order to avoid the killing of insects which multiplied greatly during the rainy season.  They were to stay in one place to listen to the Buddha's talks, study and meditate.  This tradition of study and meditation continued in China and Japan and was known as the uango (rain-quiet-stay) or Ango.  Mahamaudgalyayana made the prescribed offerings and his mother and seven generations of his ancestors were relieved of their sufferings.  Mahamaudgalyayana was so overjoyed that he clapped his hands and danced for joy. 
This is said to have been the beginning of the Bon Odori.

Since that time, offerings of food and clothing were made to the monks at the end of their retreat on the 15th day of the 7th month.  This custom was first observed in China in 538 AD, by the Liang Emperor Wu-ti.

In Japan, outdoor dancing called Bon Odori was added to the Obon observance and "welcome" and "sending off" lanterns or lights in various forms were lit for the spirits of one's ancestors.  Jodoshinshu again does not look upon Obon as the time when the "souls" of one's ancestors return, and that the services, offerings, dancing, lights, etc. are for the benefit of one's dead relatives.  It is rather a time to remember and honor all those who have passed on before us and to recognize the continuation of the influence of their deeds upon our lives.  Obon is a time for self-reflection - an important Buddhists practice, for it is only when man becomes aware of his imperfections and insufficiency in contrast to his ideals that religion becomes a matter of personal concern.

Obon is also called the Gathering of Joy by Jodoshinshu Buddhists.  It is not the happiness of getting what you desire, but the joy of being shown the Truth of what one is, no matter how damning that truth is to the image of our-ego-self.  It  is the joy of the awareness of being embraced in the Truth, in Amida Buddha, in Namoamidabutsu.  Bon Odori too is not a dance of happiness, but rather a Dance of Joy. 

Less us reflect on the true meaning of Obon.

Gassho,
Namu Amida Butsu]]><![CDATA[June 6th]]>Tue, 19 Oct 2021 22:47:24 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/june-6th​Happy June everyone!
The weather has warmed up so it feels like Summer has arrived.  As the school year ends, I want to congratulate all our high school and college grads.  It has been a tough year so I am very proud that everyone persevered through the obstacles and completed their academic studies.  OMEDETOU!!!

Now that the Covid restrictions are easing and we are starting to venture out more,  I would like to share this lesson from the Buddha is our Teacher book.  It is important for children to learn to distinguish between real needs and mere wants.

What to do when you feel dizzy with greed?
Have you ever wanted something so badly you couldn't stand it?  Did you ever ask for a new toy or videogame over and over again?  Maybe you felt sad when your parents didn't buy what you wanted.  Even so, did you really need it?  Or did you forget about it the very next day?  

In the heat of the moment, you might think you can't live without something.  But the truth is, you don't really need everything that you want.  Your heart has a mind of its own.  If you're not careful, you might find yourself wanting a great many things.  If you ever feel greedy, try to remember the phrase, "I'm fine without it."

"Whenever you feel full of greed and want something your eyes can see, ask yourself, ' Do I really need this?'  The answer is almost always, 'No'."

Now that we don't need to "stay home" and are venturing out more, we may see material items that we think we have been deprived of getting this past year.  Although it's okay to celebrate our new "normal", let's ask ourselves, "Do I really need this?"

Stay safe and healthy.

Gassho]]><![CDATA[May 16, 2021]]>Tue, 19 Oct 2021 22:44:13 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/may-16-2021As I was thinking about the care packages and the Gotanye goody bags, I came across a story that Rev. Marvin Harada had written.  

The Importance of Friends in the Dharma
(Reverend Marvin Harada)
Once, Ananda, the Buddha's disciple and personal attendant, asked the Buddha whether association with good friends was of value in pursuing the Way.  Sakyamuni replied, "Ananda, association with good friends is the whole Way.  
From this passage we can see that the Buddha considered having good friends as the most important thing in following the path of Buddhism.  I was struck by reading this from the book, "The Disciples of the Buddha," which goes into the biographies of some of the Buddha's closest disciples.

Rev. Harada goes on to explain how his friendships that developed through the temple, studying Buddhism in Japan, and during his service as a minister, has guided him along the path of the Buddha-Dharma.  Rev. Harada expressed, "When Shakyamuni Buddha told Ananda, that "association with good friends is the whole way," that message was true over 2600 years ago and it is true for us today.  Whether we have been a Buddhist and a temple member  for 60 years or for only 6 months, association with good friends is the whole way.  The important thing is to have friends, or a friend, with whom you can share and discuss the Dharma.  Together you can take classes in our BEC program, attend services together, eat together at one of our many luncheons, or socialize together even outside of temple activities."

All the more, that is why it is important for us to continue reaching out to our Dharma friends that have difficulties coming to the temple.  Our "super" Seniors are important to our temple community.  I am extremely grateful that we are able to touch base with them and offer them the care packages. I was fortunate to speak to a few of our Seniors over the telephone and it was very uplifting  to hear their voices and how they were doing.  

Let's cherish our friendships.

Gassho,
Lynne M.
]]><![CDATA[May 1st Message]]>Thu, 06 May 2021 19:26:39 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/may-1st-message​Good Morning!
It is May 1st today. I can't believe how time flies.  I'm sending this "Sunday" message one day early because I won't have internet service tomorrow. Amazing how much we rely on the internet now.

Watching news coverage, reading news articles, social media and experiencing everyday life, we encounter negative and hateful speech. I came across a lesson from the Buddha is our Teacher book today. It's titled, "Words are Weapons."  Here is what it says:
Have you ever said something mean to a friend in an argument?  If you said something mean, I bet your friend said something mean in return.
When you get in an argument, your words hurt not only yourself but also those nearby. If you hit someone, they will likely hit you back. The same is true for arguments. If you hurt someone with your words, they will say something that hurts you in return. It's important to avoid hurtful words, and instead, always be kind when speaking to others.

I know there are times when we feel hurt and lash out at someone. Hard as it is, we still need to try not to use hateful words. It is said that Buddhism teaches that purity of the heart is equal to purity of speech.

You should not speak harshly to anyone.
Those who are spoken to harshly
would answer back in the same harsh way.
Angry words are painful, so they would come back to you as revenge.

(Dhamamapada 133)

Gassho,
Lynne M. ]]><![CDATA[A Note from Rev Unno to our Young Buddhists]]>Mon, 19 Apr 2021 00:01:01 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/a-note-from-rev-unno-to-our-young-buddhistsGood morning!
Wow, it's a beautiful day outside.  Although things are not quite back to normal yet, I am optimistic about our future - as I gaze out at the mountains from my backyard.  Hope you are able to take a few moments to enjoy some fresh air and wonderful weather outside. I would like to share another story from Reverend Unno's book.  I think it is a lesson worth repeating for our young members.

"A Note Especially to Young Buddhists"  by Reverend Tetsuo Unno

     When I was about fifty, I developed a kink in my neck. Trying to get rid of it by stretching my neck this way and that didn't work.  So my wife suggested that I go see a Chiropractor.  But I said, "No, I'll work it out . . ." and didn't go.
     One day, we were having dinner at a restaurant which was close to a Chiropractor's office.  Suddenly my wife said, " I made an appointment for you with the Chiropractor who's close by. And the appointment is today, right now . . .."
     I said, "Really?" and with some misgivings went to the Chiropractor's office. The Doctor was an elderly man and talked to me in Japanese.
     He proceeded to tell me to lie face down on the masseur's table. He then ran his fingers up and down both sides of the neck and said, "It's a little off center . . . I fix it for you. . . ."
     Relieved that the kink was going to be fixed, I relaxed. I noticed that the Chiropractor was approaching me with a wooden mallet.  Seeing the mallet, I asked, "Doctor, what're you going to do with the mallet?" to which he said rather softly, "I'm going to bang your spine into place . . . ."  I then asked, "Doctor, where did you learn this technique?" to which he replied, "I thought it up all by myself . . ." at which point, I should've said, "No, no; I don't mean to disrespect you, but I'll have my neck problem treated another way."
     But I hesitated in saying that before I knew it, the Doctor banged my neck area about three or four times. Strangely enough, the treatment did work. Regardless of that, however, there's little doubt that things could have gone wrong. If I had overly porous bones, the banging might have chipped or even broken the bones that were being hit. But I didn't have the wisdom and gumption to say "NO" and put myself in potentially serious jeopardy.
     So Young Buddhists, in the fact of a situation which may lead to placing yourself in jeopardy, have the wisdom and "spine" to say "NO."  Whether it involves the taking of drugs, getting into a car being driven by a drunk driver, or pulling off a prank that breaks the law, etc., etc.
     With regard to Buddhism, it's extremely difficult or, to be realistic, impossible to "Listen to and Hear the Dharma" when you're physically or ethically or mentally damaged.  Gassho.]]><![CDATA[March 28, 2021 - Sharing a story from Rev. Unno]]>Sat, 03 Apr 2021 03:41:35 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/march-28-2021-sharing-a-story-from-rev-unnoGood Morning!
I wanted to share a story from Rev. Unno's Notes, Articles and Translations on Shin Buddhism book.  I really miss the Sundays where Rev. Unno would sit down with the Dharma School students and have a meaningful and interesting discussion.

"Three Fables and Their Shin Buddhist Lesson"
  • First fable: Once a frog and a scorpion were attempting to cross over to the other side of a river. The scorpion turned to the frog and said, "Listen, there's no way I can make it across this river; I'd appreciate it if you would be good enough to let me ride on your back . . .."   To which the frog said, "Well, all right, but promise me that you won't sting me."  The scorpion, of course, promised not to sting the frog.     And so the frog, with scorpion on its back, began to swim to the other side of the river. But in midstream, the scorpion stung the frog, with deadly results. Before they both drowned, the startled frog turned to the scorpion and said, "Hey, you promised that you wouldn't sting me, so why did you do that?" Whereupon, the scorpion said, "Well, I'm a scorpion; that's what I do ...."
  •  Second fable:  A frog had been kissed and turned into a Prince. As the Prince, he and his bride rode off into the sunset. During which, a huge housefly flew by.  All of a sudden a long, ribbonlike tongue shot out of the Prince's mouth and snagged that housefly. 
  • Third fable:  A monkey was trained to act in a Kabuki play as a human being. He became so adept at it that the patrons could be heard saying, "Hey, he's just like us; he's almost human ...."  This went on for some time, until one day a mischievous patron threw a handful of peanuts onto the stage. Seeing the peanuts, the monkey forgot all about being a human and scampered after the peanuts and shoved them into his mouth, as monkeys will do.  The monkey had reverted back to being a monkey.

     What we Shin Buddhists might learn from this is that although it's crucial to try to be moral or egoless, etc., in the end, we cannot change our fundamentally egocentric nature. And therefore, ultimately, we can only be saved by a "Power Other Than Our Own" (Tariki," "Other Power") which is none other than the Buddha known as Amida.

Note:  All three fables are recounted from memory, of which I can't recall the source.  Both the first and second fables might be from Aesop.
Gassho,
Reverend Tetsuo Unno-
Namu Amida Butsu]]><![CDATA[March 14, 2021]]>Fri, 02 Apr 2021 22:34:55 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/march-14-2021Good Morning.
Hope everyone remembered to change your clocks forward 1 hour. I can't believe it's been an entire year since we've been under a social lockdown due to Covid-19. But just as Spring is approaching, we are also welcoming a glimpse of normalcy.
As things start to slowly open up, we will be able to interact with each other. I understand that we will be observing Hanamatsuri (4/11) service via Zoom/YouTube, but will be able to offer sweet tea to the Baby Buddha in person if we wish. More official news will probably be announced through the temple. I believe the temple will ask for flower donations as well as volunteers to decorate the hanamido. On the same day, we will be officially burying our Time Capsule. So for those who have not finished, please take this time to make your finishing touches to your Time Capsule project
I also want to share a story I recently read from the book, Jewels by Kenneth Kenshin Tanaka.

GRATITUDE TO A BAMBOO THICKET  
In a bamboo thicket at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains, there once lived a parrot together with many other animals and birds. One day a fire started in the thicket from the friction of the bamboo stalks rubbing against each other in a strong wind, and the birds and animals were frightened and confused. The parrot, feeling compassion for their fear and suffering, and wishing to repay the kindness he had received in the bamboo thicket where he was allowed to shelter himself, tried to do all he could to save the other creatures. He dipped himself in a pond nearby and flew over the fire and shook off the drops of water to extinguish the fire. He repeated this diligently with a heart of compassion out of gratitude to the bamboo thicket.  
The spirit of kindness and self-sacrifice was noticed by a heavenly god, who came down from the sky and said to the parrot, "You are a gallant mind, but what good do you expect to accomplish with a few drops of water against this great fire?"  The parrot answered, "There is nothing that cannot be accomplished by the spirit of gratitude and self-sacrifice.  I will try over and over again and then over again in my next life.: The great god was impressed by the parrot's spirit and together they extinguished the fire.
(Samyukta-ratna-pitaka-sutra)

Dr. Tanaka's comments:
We cannot help but be moved by the parrot's determination and effort to put out the fire, even though it seems like a lost cause. We may feel the same way about how much each of us can contribute in tackling huge social problems, such as poverty, mass shootings and climate change. But the parrot teaches us an important lesson. That lesson is that if all of us did our small part, then we collectively will become a huge force to accomplish what appears to be an impossible task.
*****
In closing, even a small gesture, task, or action can bring a collective change in this world. Let us continue to strive to live the buddhist way in our daily lives.

Namu Amida Butsu]]><![CDATA[February 28, 2021]]>Fri, 02 Apr 2021 22:32:10 GMThttps://www.pasadenabuddhisttemple.org/dharma-school-messages-from-lynne/february-28-2021Good Morning! 
It's the last day of February. With the coming of March, the weather is looking more like Spring. I was looking through Dr. Ken Tanaka's book Jewels and came across a passage I would like to share this week.

Value This Moment
"Do not regret what happened in the past.
Do not long for what has yet to come in the future.
By not suffering,
By fully planting oneself in the present
You will be healthy in mind and body."
                                (Majjhima Nikaya)

Dr. Tanaka's comments:
It's true that we are a product of the past and that we must prepare for the future. Many of you are studying or in training in order to realize the dreams you have for the future. However, at each moment we live only in the here and now! The Buddhist teachings help us to live fully in the here and now. We have already seen the modern American version of this passage, which concludes with a clever pun: "Yesterday is history, and tomorrow is a mystery. But this 
moment is a gift, and that is why we call it the present!"

Recently I've been longing to travel to Japan. Watching YouTube videos and reading articles, I've been dreaming of a trip to Japan. Which is fine, but at the same time, I need to appreciate "today." I should be happy that I am healthy, have food on my table, have a roof over my head, able to enjoy the sunshine, and most of all, have a great network of family and friends. Arigatai, that is my word for today.
*******
Update on our Time Capsule:
I have sent a request to the temple Board for permission to bury the Time Capsule in the Beer Garden area (under the Oak Tree.)  I also asked if we could have the social distanced burial of the capsule on Hanamatsuri day.  I will let you know any updates.
Gassho,
Lynne Masumoto]]>