NON-PROFIT ORGAN.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 22
EL MONTE, CALIF.
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GEDATSU COMPANION
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GEDATSU CHURCH USA
Edited by: LOS ANGELES BRANCH
7850 Hill Drive
So. San Gabriel, CA 91770
_ CURRENT RESIDENT
Vol. 61 No. 11 NOV. 2010
Thought For The Month:
“ Your sincerity will move people
and accomplish your ends.”
Gedatsu Kongo
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHEDULE
5
NOVEMBER 2010
Sun 14 9:30A Gedatsu Kongo’s
Birthday Service
Joen-no-gi
Sun 28 9:30A Sunday Service
DECEMBER 2010
Sun 12 9:30A Sunday Service
Sun 19 Church Clean-up
5
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHEDULE
5
NOVEMBER 2010
Sun 7 10:00A Gedatsu Kongo
Memorial Service
Sun 14 10:00A English Service
Holiday Crafts Faire
Sat 20 Stateline Bus Trip
Sun 21 10:00A Gedatsu Kongo’s
Birthday Service
Shichi-Go-San
Tue 23 8:00P GROW Meeting
Sun 28 10:00A English Service
DECEMBER 2010
Sun 5 10:00A Sunday Service
Kishida Sensei’s Memorial Service
Sun 12 8:30A Church Clean-up
Sun 19 10:00A Kanshakai &
Christmas Party
Tue 21 8:00P GROW Meeting
24(Fri) – 31(Fri) CHURCH CLOSED
GEDATSU EVENTS 2010
Nov. 7 LA Gedatsu Kongo’s Memorial
Nov. 14 Sac’to Gedatsu Kongo’s Birthday
Joen-no-gi
LA Holiday Crafts Faire
Nov. 21 LA Gedatsu Kongo’s Birthday
LA Shichigosan, or Children’s 7-5-3
Year Celebration
Dec. 5 Kishida Sensei’s Memorial
Dec. 12 LA Church Clean-up (Sac’to－12/12)
Dec. 19 LA Christmas Party
12/24-31 Church Closed in LA
12/24-25 Church Closed in Sacramento
AUGUST OFFERINGS
No. Calif.
$5.00-$25.00: S. Tanaka, R. Nakatani, R. Ide, S. Bush, M/M R. Hu, M. Kubo, C. Tagawa, M. Hopkins, M/M C. McSwain
$26.00-$50.00: J. Tanaka, H. Sekikawa, M. Hirayama, F. Mills, T. Harada, M/M S. Sekikawa, M/M A. Akashi
$51.00-$75.00: N. Johnston
$76.00 and up: M/M C. Tanaka, Nishino, G. Kaneko, J. Davies, Jr., Senkakukan Kendo, T. Johnson, S. Taketa
SPECIAL OFFERINGS:
G. Kaneko Marie's 3rd Year Service
J. Davies, Jr. Gratitude for my Grandchildren
T. Johnson Memorial for Harvey Johnson
S. Taketa Steve Taketa's Memorial
So. Calif.
$5.00-$25.00: M/M T. Fukushima, Mizutani, M. Mori, R. Nakamura, Numata, E. Ogawa, Onishi, U&A Shiroishi, M/M J. Takara
$26.00-$50.00: K. Chinen, T. Hirami, Karaoke Club, M/M K. Kimura, M/M K. Kuritani, M. Michiuye, T. Mizokami, M/M V. Mizokami, S. Mukai Family, Rev. Noguchi, P. Ogawa, T. Okimura, Shaklan Family, K. Taniguchi, M/M H. Tsujimura, M/M R. Tsujimura, W. Young
$51.00-$75.00: T. Murakami
$76.00 and up: K. Fujii, Gedatsu Kendo Dojo, Rev. Ishida, J. Ito, M/M L. Ito, Katako Family, Y. Kitagawa, Matsumoto, Minyo Club, M. Murakami, T. Nakamura, Odori Group, M. Okada, M/M S. Sato, D. Shiroishi, M/M R. Tomita, T. Tomita
SPECIAL APPRECIATION:
Katako Family Katako Ancestor Kuyo
U. & A. Shiroishi Safe Return from Japan
M/M R. Tomita Tomita Ancestor Kuyo
M/M R. Tomita Katako Ancestor Kuyo
T. Tomita Tomita Ancestor Kuyo
M/M H. Tsujimura Omairi for Old Car
W. Young Appreciation for Old and New Car
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
November 2010
“Your sincerity will move people and accomplish your ends.”
Gedatsu Kongo always stressed the importance of one’s sincerity. He said your Gedatsu study should be expressed as your sincere practice in your daily life. Gedatsu is not only to go to church and pray, but to live daily with sincerity to everyone and everything. This is what Gedatsu Kongo wished for us. Your sincere heart and practice will positively influence people around you. Without sincerity, nothing will be accomplished. Please understand this simple truth, and try to live with sincerity each day.
REFORMING OUR FAMILY TRADITION
9/19/2010 at LA Church
Rev. H. Taki
Good morning. Today we sincerely performed the Higan service for our ancestors. Gedatsu Church has performed this service twice a year together with the Obon service. The Higan is a Japanese custom from ancient times. During the season of Higan, Japanese people prepare delicious foods and sweets for their ancestors, and all family members get together and express their gratitude towards their ancestors. I believe this is a beautiful custom. We do not have this custom here in America. But, regardless of any nationality or race, we all have our ancestors without exception, and receive immeasurable blessings from them. Therefore, I believe it is important for everyone to be aware of their ancestors’ blessing and express gratitude for them.
Today I would like to talk about the family tradition. This is one of Gedatsu Kongo’s basic teachings.
When you visit someone’s home and step into the entrance, you may feel some peculiar atmosphere of the house; cold, warmth, something negative or positive, etc. Visitors can feel it immediately, but it is hard for the residents to feel it because they have gotten used to the atmosphere of the house. This is the tradition of the family. And the question is that it is hard for us to be aware of our family traditions.
Our home is covered by the family’s tradition. When you walk through mist, your whole body will unknowingly get wet. Similarly, we are all born and raised in the tradition of our families, and we will be unknowingly influenced by the family tradition physically, mentally and spiritually. This is expressed as our characters and habits. Therefore, it is very hard for us to correct our bad habits.
We have to understand this first, and we should appreciate the family tradition we have received from our ancestors. When you find bad points within you, try to correct them. This attitude will lead you to true happiness.
However, our minds are already greatly influenced by our family traditions, which are more or less egotistical. Therefore, it is hard for us to be aware of our self-centeredness and to correct it. But, if you do not correct this, the negative tradition of your family will be transmitted to your descendants. They will then repeat the same mistakes forever. If you wish true happiness of your descendants, you should correct your bad habits through your daily life. Gedatsu Kongo left us the sacred methods for it. Today I would like to introduce you to three basic methods and explain their significance.
1. Morning and evening prayers
2. Amacha Kuyo for ancestors
3. Hiho Meditation
Morning and evening prayers: Prayer is the most basic practice in our daily lives. Fortunately, we, Gedatsu members, have home altars to pay our respect to God and deities. If I did not join Gedatsu, I might not have had an altar at home to pray to God and ancestors. We are very fortunate to have the time to pray everyday. When we go to the altar and pay our respects to God and ancestors, we can get back to the heart of appreciation and gratitude. Each day when you wake up in the morning, you pay your respects to God and Gedatsu Kongo and say, “Thank you very much for giving me this precious life. I will do my best in my duties today. Please guide me to the most appropriate way.” When you pray, you should leave everything to God. And you try to do your best in your duties during the day. You will then be guided most appropriately. Before you go to bed in the evening, pray at the altar and say, “Thank you very much for the day.” Even when you have difficulties during the day, do not complain. Just say thank you. This is your daily practice. That means, you start the day with appreciation, and end the day appreciation. This practice will change your life to the positive way, and lead you to true happiness. Please understand the importance of daily prayers, and try to sincerely practice it.
Amacha Kuyo for ancestors: Together with our daily prayers, we perform the Amacha Kuyo for our ancestors and other spirits everyday. We all have many ancestors. The ancestral spirits are unseen, but they always protect and guide us from the spiritual world. We express our gratitude for their daily guidance and protection by performing Amacha Kuyo. Every morning, after we pray to God and deities, we pay our respects to our ancestors and say, “Thank you very much for your daily guidance and protection. I will do my best in my duties today. Please guide me most appropriately.” You then perform Amacha Kuyo for the ancestors. Before you go to bed, you pray to your ancestors and say, “Thank you for the day.” Then you perform Amacha Kuyo for them with appreciation. This daily practice will cultivate your heart of appreciation and thoughtfulness more and more deeply. This heart will lead you to true happiness.
Hiho Meditation: We performed the Hiho meditation after the opening prayer together. I would like to explain how to do the meditation. This is very important. So, please listen to me carefully without any preconceived ideas. When we perform the Hiho Meditation, we hold the Holy Hiho between our palms. The Holy Hiho is a symbol of the universal life that makes all living things on earth alive. So, holding the Holy Hiho means that we leave everything to the Holy Hiho or the universal life when we perform the meditation. This is the most important point of the Hiho Meditation. Therefore, when we perform the Hiho Meditation, we do not have to imagine anything or dispel delusions in our minds. Just sit and keep your physical posture in the right manner. Breathe naturally and recite Namu-Gedatsu-Kongo in your mind. Try to focus your attention to your recitation of Namu-Gedatsu-Kongo. When you perform the meditation, you may have some ideas arising in your mind. It is very natural for a human. You don’t have to suppress the ideas in your mind. But, do not attach to or chase the ideas. When you have an idea arising in your mind, let it go and come back to your recitation of Namu-Gedatsu-Kongo. You will then have another idea arising. Then let it flow and come back to your recitation again. You repeat it again and again. Then your physical and mental status will be adjusted to the universal life cycle by the mysterious power of the Holy Hiho and Gedatsu Kongo’s guidance. This is the Hiho Meditation. If you try to perform the Hiho Meditation in your daily life, you will not be influenced by your emotions, and will be able to judge everything with objectivity. It is really mysterious, but this is the holiness of the Hiho Meditation. If you actually practice the meditation, you will understand the mystery of the meditation. Whenever you come to church, please perform the meditation for five or ten minutes before you leave.
I introduced you to three basic methods to correct your bad habits that Gedatsu Kongo left for us and explained their significance. As mentioned before, our minds are greatly influenced by our family traditions, which are more or less egotistical. Therefore, it is hard for us to be aware of our self-centeredness and to correct it. That is why Gedatsu Kongo left us many holy methods to correct our bad tradition and start afresh. Fortunately, we met Gedatsu and we are allowed to use those holy methods to live happily. Let us utilize those methods without hesitation, and practice Gedatsu for the betterment of society and people’s happiness.
ANOTHER YEAR AND ANOTHER END TO A SUCCESSFUL AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL
This year’s festival was especially tough – not only did we have to brave the intense heat, but we also had to brave the 3-hour visit by the heath inspector. This long visit inadvertently affected our chicken production. Although our chicken sales dipped a bit, we are extremely grateful for those of you who stuck around and waited for your order to be processed. A quick note – all of the food booths passed inspection with flying colors – a major accomplishment!
We would like to thank those of you who donated plants, rummage goods, produce and monetary donations to the Church.
We would also like to give a special shout-out to the following individuals/groups who tirelessly contribute their time and effort every year behind the scenes. I must say that when I reviewed the list, I was shocked to notice that most of them were senior citizens (over 60 years old)! Amazing, right?!
So, in no particular order, here are a few of the “behind the scenes” crew who make this event run smoothly every year:
Rev. Ishida - for pruning the pine trees and helping in the kitchen.
Rev. Taki - for making the Huli Huli sauce and preparing the curry dinner for Friday.
Judy Hamamoto - for arranging the entertainment, preparing lunch on Friday and making the tsukemono for the chicken dinners.
Scott and Kyle Shiroishi – for putting up the stage and booths in the 100+ degree heat and also for your efforts to keep our chicken booth running in tip-top shape.
Cookie Takara – for managing the production of our famous Huli-Huli chicken, for taking the time to escort the health inspector, and taking care of all necessary health regulation certificates for all the food booths.
Dr. Robert & Bonnie Shimasaki and Linda Sanchez - for your generous donation each year.
Mrs. Nakamura and the Sushi Ladies – for the time and effort to make the most outstanding sushi on the planet!
June Kizu - for coming to the church for one week prior to sort out the donated items and to Janice and Ron Wakasa, Hisato and Loretta Tsujimura – for your time and patience in running the always successful rummage area!