June 30: DEADLINE: Chutoba & Chochin Orders June 30: O-Toba Set Up & General Cleaning - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED July 12-14: O-Bon Services Aug.16-17: Bon Dance Friday, July 12 10:00 am (Hatsubon only) 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm Saturday, July 13 10:00 am (Hatsubon only) 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm Sunday, July 14 10:00 am O-Bon Service Schedule Important Dates SEE Page 9 for Chutoba and Chochin order forms >>>> (#1199-0613) Jodo Mission of Hawaii 1429 Makiki Street Honolulu HI 96814 Address Service Requested Jodo Mission of Hawaii Bulletin - JUNE 2013
The monthly newsletter of the Jodo Mission of Hawaii for June 2013.
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June 30: DEADLINE: Chutoba & Chochin Orders
June 30: O-Toba Set Up & General Cleaning - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
July 12-14: O-Bon Services
Aug.16-17: Bon Dance
Friday, July 12 10:00 am (Hatsubon only)
2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Saturday, July 13 10:00 am (Hatsubon only)
2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Sunday, July 14
10:00 am
O-Bon Service Schedule
Important Dates
SEE Page 9 for Chutoba and Chochin order forms >>>>
(#1199-0613)
Jodo Mission of Hawaii
1429 Makiki Street Honolulu HI 96814 Address Service Requested
Jodo Mission of Hawaii
Bulletin - JUNE 2013
Page 2
O-Bon Service Schedule
O-Bon Services will be held as follows:
Friday, July 12 – 10:00 am (Hatsubon Families Only)
2:00 pm & 7:00pm
Saturday, July 13 – 10:00 am (Hatsubon Families Only)
2:00 pm & 7:00pm
Sunday, July 14 – 10:00 am
Sign up for O-Bon Service will begin 1 hour before 2 pm and 7 pm services. This is on a first come first serve basis. NO phone orders will be taken.
Closing Service will be on Sunday, July 14 at 10:00am. After Closing Service, cleanup will begin.
Parking Attendants Needed: We are in need of at least 6 parking attendants for each 2 pm and 7 pm services. Please call Jodo Mission at 949-3995 if you are able to help direct cars to parking spaces. We appreciate your help.
O-Toba Service Appointments: If you wish to have prayers offered in front of your O-Toba, appointments will be accepted from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Wednesday, July 3 to 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 14, 2013.
Parking Lot Repaving: From July 22 to August 1, there will be no services held at Jodo Mission due to the
repaving of our parking lot.
As you can see, we have done a lot of patch work here and there to cover holes due to rain. We are finally going to repave our entire parking lot. Anyone needing to have memorial services held during this period will be asked to schedule them either before or after these dates.
We apologize for this inconvenience but we do want to complete this job before our next big event which is the Bon Dance in August and before more rain comes in winter. Thank you very much for your patience!
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Introduction of Sho-ryo Dana in O-Bon
Butsudan
1) Incense: Purify the area of Sho-
ryo Dana with the smoke of in-
cense
2) Flower: Flower is a symbol of
purity. There are numerous flow-
ers in the Pure Land.
3) Water: Water is a symbol of of-
fering. The offered water is
called “AKA” that is translated
from a Sanskrit word “Argha”,
the most valuable thing.
4) Candle: A candle light is show-
ing us the light of wisdom and
compassion of Amida Buddha.
5), 6) Cucumber and Eggplant
with sticks: With a Cucumber,
make a horse (using sticks) for
your ancestors to return home
early. Make a Cow with an Egg
plant (using sticks) for them to
return to the Pure Land slowly.
7) Mizu-noko: The fresh cut egg-
plant and cucumber with washed
rice. Offering food in prayer to
help everyone from hunger in any
realms. (Optional)
8) Some rice in a bowl of Water
and a leaf of Lythrum ancepts:
This expands food limitlessly.
(Optional)
9) Nishime without meat: A tradi-
tional Japanese food used as mon-
asterial food called Sho-jin
Ryo-ri.
10) Somen noodle: Somen noodle is
a symbolic food for longevity.
11) Fruits and vegetables: Offer
gifts of nature to Buddha and
ancestors.
12) Mochi or any favorite food: Offer gifts of nature
to Buddha and ancestors.
13) Bamboo grass: Protection to keep away the bad
spirits from the Sho-ryo Dana.
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Getting Ready for O-Bon: In the May issue of our Bulletin, we
asked if you would share some of your family’s tradition regarding
offerings at your O-Toba. Most people offer flowers, fruits and vegetables,
candies and drinks. Each O-Toba has about a 6 inch by 6 inch
space for you to work with; otherwise you are into someone else’s space. The photo at left shows someone with flowers and fruits
and as you can see there is not a lot of space.
Marie Otani was gracious enough to share some of her family’s customs:
While the O-Tobas are up during the O-Bon season, it is important and customary
to attend to the O-Tobas, similar to caring for gravesites or niches. Over the many O-Bon seasons that our family has observed at Jodo Mission, we
have developed our style of caring for our O-Toba. We typically attend to those tasks
as soon as the O-Toba is set up, usually on the Sunday before O-Bon services start.
Flowers are placed at the base of the O-Toba. The temple sets up a basin and
makes available empty glass jars near the fence facing the freeway. But during the
year, our family sets aside suitable jars and we use those instead, leaving the available
jars for others who forget or don’t have suitable containers. To keep them from tipping
over with our trade winds, we tie the jars loosely to the base of the O-Toba. Tall peanut jars fit nicely in the space below the O-Toba and have an indentation in the middle
which keeps the rope from slipping off. To help the flowers stay fresher longer, we cut
the flower stems under water.
Food for the ancestors is placed on the shelf in front of the O-Toba. We typical-
ly get oranges since they last longer and are resistant to the weather. To prevent the
orange from rolling on the shelf, we put the orange in a paper bowl. To allow rain
water to drain, we poke holes in the base of the bowl. Then we attach the bowl to the shelf with a little tape, being careful not to block the drain holes. Blue painter’s tape
leaves little or no residue.
THANK YOU Marie for sharing. Please note that everyone is welcome to use
the empty bottles provided near the water basin usually located near the fence fac-
next year, it will be the same ritual, but different. You will be older, stronger or weaker, but
wiser. So we should cherish and treat each person, each daily activity and encounter with
courtesy and kindness. Maybe not so comfortable, but soon, part of us.
So, today, this is the first time for me to offer amacha to Oshyakasama here with you,
and to remember, “Ichi go ichi e.” COL Walter Ozawa
Kurtistown Jodo Mission First Step Preschool
Kurtistown First Step Preschool: On April 28, 2013, Kurtistown Jodo
Mission had a dedication of their new First Step Preschool. Rev. Bunyu Shirahata,
Chairperson of Jodo Shu Preschool/Kindergarten Association in Japan sent the follow-ing message:
Mr. Neil Gyotoku,
Director, First Step Preschool
I would like to express my congratulations on the opening of the First Step Preschool.
On behalf of Jodo Shu Preschool/Kindergarten Association, consisting of about 430
schools that provide early education with the spirit of Honen-sama, I would like to of-
fer a message of solidarity.
I understand that church members, all the parties concerned, and Rev. Miyazaki have
overcome many hardships in order to open the First Step Preschool. This is a very
happy occasion not only for you but for us, the Jodo Shu Preschool/Kindergarten
Association members, that your effort has borne fruit today.
Hawaii and Japan are physically very far from each other; however, I am hoping to
build good relationships under the one spirit of Honen-sama. I am praying that the First Step Preschool prospers as an indispensable facility for the local community and
its children.
In Gassho,
Rev. Bunyu Shirahata
Chairperson of Jodo Shu Preschool/Kindergarten Association