Calendar

MAY SERVICE: May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM, Rev JP deGuzman
Shotsuki Hoyo Memorial Service (祥月法要) and Gotan-e Shinran Shonin Birthday Service (宗祖親鸞聖人降誕会)
No Lunch and Learn afterwards, but sangha gathering and snack. All are welcome.

COMING:
SAVE-The-Date June Service: June 14, 2025, 10:00 AM
SAVE-The-Date OBON on July 19 (Practices in June & July, weekends, virtual and in-person)

Shotsuki Hoyo May Memorial Service

Will be held for:

• MRS. AYAKO HAYASHIDA
• THE TAMURA FAMILY
• MR. CHIYOJI TAKEUCHI
• MR. SAKUHEI YOKOMATSU
• MR. SHOGORO SHINOHARA
• MR. KURAICHI TAMURA
• MRS. SHIZU UYESAKA
• MR. KISABURO YOSHIDA
• MRS. SHIZUYE HIDE
• MRS. MISAO YOSHIDA
• MR. SHIGEKICHI ARIMA
• MR. KENJI MORIHISA
• MRS. ITOYO TAKEDA
• MR. HIROSE NAKASHIMO
• MRS. MIKAYE TOMITA
• MR. TOKIO YONEDA
• MRS. SHIN OTSUKA
• MRS. YASUYE YAMADA
• MR. FUJISUKE HAMADA
• MRS. BEVERLY WATANABE
• MRS. TOMIYE MUNENO
• MRS. MASUNO TAMURA
• MR. MOTONORI INO

Contact us:
Phone: (805) 962-3633
Email: Mail@buddhistchurchsantabarbara.org
Website: https://www.buddhistchurchofsantabarbara.org/
Facebook: SBBuddhist

Treasurer’s Report – Sets Furuike

April Donations: $2,675

The temple gratefully acknowledges the following donations (Orei 御礼):

• M/M Dennis Furuike (F. Tsunoda, M. Tabata)
• Susie Okada Nakata (Y. Okada)
• Susie Okada Nakata (A. Okada)
• Lonny Ishihara (Otsuka Family)
• Fujii Family (Dorothy Fujii)
• Dave Tabata (Miyo Tabata)
• Junko Torigoe (Ichiro Torigoe)
• Dennis Ito (Monday Qigong)
• Rev. Henry Adams and family
• JJ Uyehara, Doug Wilson
• M/M Ted Muneno
• Mary Saito
• Tomoye Tokumaru
• Obon: Susie Okada Nakata

April Service: Hanamatsuri (Flower Festival)

Hanamatsuri celebrates the birth of the Buddha. Legend says his mother, Queen Maya, gave birth in Lumbini’s Garden where all the flowers bloomed and sweet tea rained from the sky. A hanamido (花御堂, flower hall) was decorated and sweet tea poured over the statue of the baby Buddha.

Thanks to Junko Torigoe, Jodi Miles, and Miko Tollefson for arranging the flowers. Thanks to TJs for donating multiple days’ worth of flowers. Thanks to Christophe Sautot for setting up the Facebook stream. 25 people attended virtually.

The service opened with Rev JP ringing the bell and offering a Dharma message on how our ancestors bring us together as sangha. He demonstrated bathing the Buddha statue with ama-cha. Photos include Emiliano at the hanamido and group pictures of participants.

Dharma Message – Rev JP deGuzman

May 2025 – “Can I Get a Wakeup Call?”

One day a harried traveler asked the front desk attendant at her hotel, “Could I get a wakeup call?” Instead of asking “what time” or “what room are you in?” the attendant said:

“My eyes being hindered by blind passions,

I cannot perceive the light that grasps me;

Yet the great compassion without tiring,

Illumines me always”*

“What does that mean?!” asked the confused traveler. The attendant said, “even though we are foolish beings, an infinite web of wisdom and compassion is always supporting everyone, tirelessly!”

“Wow! Now that’s a wakeup call!” The traveler looked at the staff member’s name tag and joyfully said, “Thank you, Shinran!”

To the best of my knowledge, Shinran Shonin, the founder of our school of Buddhism, never actually worked in a hotel. But, I’d like to think the timeless wisdom he shared has been a wakeup call for me and countless others.

We live our lives thinking that we can do it on our own: from getting that promotion to chasing our own spiritual peace. But, in reality, that’s our deluded ego at work. Rather, limitless light and life is guiding us always! In uttering Namo Amida Butsu, we’re not saying “please give me X” but “thank you for all that I’ve received!” When we awaken to the work of infinite wisdom and compassion grasping us, we can begin to live a more meaningful life.

As we remember Shinran this month in one of the most sacred of Shin Buddhist holidays, his birthday, or Gotan-e, let’s all reflect on the wakeup call he clarified for all of us.

* “Hymns of the Pure Land Masters,” No. 95, Collected Works of Shinran, pg. 385.

Church News

Rev Henry Adams and his family visited during spring break. He had previously revived Obon in Santa Barbara and Oxnard.

UCSB Nikkei Student Union is hosting a Japanese Cultural Night: May 17, 7 PM at Campbell Hall, UCSB. Members of the NSU will also help plan the July 19 Obon.