Butsu Butsu

Can you believe we’re at the end of another year? In a matter of days, we will be ringing the temple bell to say goodbye to our old habits, evils and human frailties and foibles and to welcome in a whole new set of habits, evils, human frailties, and foibles.

This past year and during the past several years of the pandemic, I am sure so many of us have lost something — we’ve lost loved ones, friends and community members, perhaps we’ve lost employment and opportunities and, most certainly, we have all lost unreclaimable time, but that’s life as the wise One so taught us.

But as we come to this holiday season, I hope we can take a moment and think about our fellow Nembutsu brothers and sisters in Lahaina who have suffered so greatly in these past few several months.  

To paraphrase Lahaina’s sensei Rev. Ai Hironaka — “the white shirt, tie, pants, socks and shoes I am wearing today are all brand new, (everything except the underwear), all of these things were purchased with donations from the Hompa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii and many others … ” (including from many of our fellow BCA members and temples).  Sensei, his family, many temple members and citizens of Lahaina lost everything except the clothes on their backs.

Most of us today really don’t need to receive any holiday gifts, and in the spirit of the season, in the spirit of compassion to our fellow Nembutsu followers and Dana, I’m going to ask my family and friends who normally give me a gift to please make a contribution to the BCA Social Welfare Fund or directly to the Hompa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii for their Lahaina Fund. 

Our fellow Buddhists can most certainly benefit from our Dana to enable them to provide for their everyday necessities, more than I need another shirt or pair of socks. And after that, we all need to support the rebuilding of a new home for the Lahaina Sangha.

In the spirit of the season, giving to others is certainly the greatest gift we can receive. A happy and grateful now to all .... Namo Amida Butsu.