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“Japanese Mausoleum at Montrose Cemetery”The Buddhist Temple of ChicagoMay2021 Those Who Leave Before Us by Rev. Patti NakaiMemorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, for most Americans means a time to honor those who died fighting for the United States. It originally was called “Decoration Day” when families in the north decorated the graves of Union soldiers who died in the Civil War (the southern states held a separate commemoration for the Confederate soldiers until World War I). In the 20th century it became known as “Memorial Day” to honor the Americans who had served in the U.S. military. But for the Japanese American community Memorial Day is an occasion to gather and honor all loved ones, non-military and even non-Americans. In Japan there are the two Ohigans and Obon when people get time off work to visit family graves, but here in the U.S., Memorial Day is the one holiday when cemetery visits are customary.In Chicago the Japanese Mutual Aid Society hosts the annual Memorial Day program at Montrose Cemetery where many Japanese Americans are buried or in the mausoleum (see picture above). Even if your own family members are in other Chicago-area cemeteries, at Montrose you are bound to see the names of several people you knew at our temple. Our ministers Rev. Gyomay Kubose and Rev. Gyoko Saito have their burial plots not far from each other. Last year the Memorial Day program was cancelled due to the pandemic and this year, there is going to be an online gathering (BTC will be open at 11am Monday, May 31 to watch the video). But the event is an important one – for the community to come together across faiths and generations with representatives of several organizations making flower offerings at the mausoleum.Probably due to the influence of Buddhism, Japanese culture focuses much on the impermanence of life and honoring the dead is an ongoing concern, not something over and done with after the funeral. “Those who leave before us are as countless as the drops of dew,” Rennyo says in his “Letter on the White Ashes” which we read at memorial services. Though as we get older and more and more of our family members and friends pass away, the increasing number indicates how much others were involved in supporting and influencing our life. And so we honor them by expressing gratitude for what they have thought, said and done – the karmic acts that continue to have power in this world. Some Westerners may think Asian heritage Buddhists are morbid to spend so much time and attention on the dead, but actually it is the Buddhist teachings that tell us to confront the fact of death and appreciate our life and the lives of others before the inevitable parting.In Namu Amida Butsu, we honor all lives but not in a way obsessed with the past. “Those who leave before us” are encouraging us to go forward in our lives, to use what they have given us to bring benefit to the world. We bring the merits we received from the past into our active engagement with the present.IN THIS ISSUE Minister’s message By Rev. Patti Nakai………..1 President’s message By Bill Bohlman……………..3 Acknowledgments………...4 Monthly Memorial..……...5 Calendar………………….…...6 ADDRESS1151 W. Leland AveChicago, IL 60640-5043TELEPHONE(773) 334-E-MAILBulletin.btc@ LETTER SENT TO THE LOS ANGELES HIGASHI HONGANJI TEMPLE (aka “Betsuin”) (which had been vandalized on February 25, 2021)Dear Bishop Ito and members and friends of Higashi Honganji Betsuin,Our apologies for taking so long to write with our formal acknowledgment of the terrible experience your congregation recently had with vandalism to the building and exterior lanterns. We were horrified and continue to be dismayed by the ongoing attacks against Asian American people, businesses and institutions in many parts of the country. Because Betsuin has been so helpful to us over the years, most recently with COVID relief aid, we want to not only pay it forward, as we have seen it suggested, but also to return your kindness. Please accept this small token of our appreciation, knowing that you are sharing your resources with local congregations and others whose safety and livelihoods have been affected by increased threats of ethnically and religiously targeted violence.In gassho,Bill BohlmanPresident Board of DirectorsBuddhist Temple of Chicago Scheduled activities – subject to change (TBD = to be determined later) Note that in-person activities are subject to COVID-19 restrictions (mask required)Weekly services – Sundays 11am - in-person, online Facebook Live. Second Sunday is Children’s Dharma School service (no in-person classes Sept. 2020-June 2021)Qigong (Chinese exercise) – Tuesdays 11am - online Zoom and in-person Iaido (martial art) –Mondays 6:30pm – in-person onlyThursday Meditation - 7:15pm online Facebook LiveSunday Meditation 9:30am – In-person onlyAikido – Sundays 5-7pm – in-person onlyAsoka Society – Saturday May 22 at 1pm – first meeting in over a year!Kokyo Taiko – Friday evenings, Sunday afternoonsFor more information, see our website or contact BTCSpecial Event – Monday May 31, watch the Memorial Day Gathering video at BTC at 11amDeepest SympathyTo the family and friends ofShuyo MatsumotoApril 8, 2021 The Three MothersIn the life of Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha, three mothers had a distinct influence on the path to his awakening: his birth mother Queen Maya, his stepmother Prajapati, and Yashodhara the mother of his son. Each played a role in shaping the man who would become the Buddha.Although there are fantastic legends surrounding the birth of the Buddha, one reality is that Queen Maya died shortly after giving birth. Gautama would never know his birth mother. Perhaps this early loss later led to his deep understanding of the idea of impermanence. It was now that the second mother entered his life: Prajapati, the younger sister of Queen Maya.Gautama’s father was King Suddhodana. A king could not be left with an infant son and no wife, so Prajapati, Queen Maya’s younger sister, had no choice but to fill these roles. It mattered not what she wanted, this was what was to be. Prajapati became the woman the Buddha would regard as his mother. Her influence upon the young Gautama is thought by a number of scholars to be the beginning of his spirituality and sensitivity to the world around him. Perhaps also, her having to abandon whatever dreams she may have had due to the death of her sister was an example to the Buddha of karma. No matter what we want, our lives are often impacted by events beyond our control.King Suddhodana’s primary focus for his son Gautama was to train him to be a great warrior king. At the time of Gautama’s birth, a mystic seer told the king that his son would either become a great warrior king or a great holy man. The king had no desire for the latter to be true. The young Gautama received schooling in all the military arts. His life in the palace was one of luxury; he was shielded from all the world’s ills. Yet, as he grew he gained an awareness of the life around him, his desire to experience more than the castle began to burn. This fire may have been kindled by Prajapati.In his twenties, Gautama married Yashodhara who gave birth to their son Rahula. Shortly after this, events would transpire that led to Gautama leaving the castle to seek the path to true happiness. Although he anguished over leaving his infant son, he had confidence in Prajapati and Yashodhara. Years later, both Prajapati and Yashodhara became the first Buddhist nuns. Prajapati lived to an advanced age and upon her death, a now elderly Gautama Buddha carried her body to the funeral pyre. His disciples insisted that he should not have to perform this task. However, to the Buddha this was not a task; it was the final expression of his love and gratitude to the woman who had been the only mother he had known. He could do no less for the woman who had shaped the boy into the man.The Three Mothers By Bill Bohlman, BTC PresidentContact Bill at budtempchi@ -685800-750570 ?May 2021 Calendar Events may be canceled or moved:Check budtempchifor the most up-to-date changes.SunMonTueWedThuFriSat 1 29:30am Meditation11am Monthly Memorial5pm Aikido 3Iaido6:30pm411amQi-Gong567:15pm Facebook Live meditation 7 Taiko 7pm899:30am Meditation11am Children’s Dharma School Service 5pm Aikido10Iaido6:30pm1111amQi-Gong12137:15pm Facebook Live meditation14 Taiko 7pm15169:30am Meditation11am Regular Service5pm Aikido17Iaido6:30pm1811amQi-Gong19 207:15pm Facebook Live meditation21 Taiko 7pm 221:00pmAsoka meeting239:30am Meditation11am Tanjo-e Service5pm Aikido24Iaido6:30pm 2511amQi-Gong26 277:15pm Facebook Live meditation28 Taiko 7pm2930No ServiceEBL5pm Aikido3111am Memorial Day GatheringIaido6:30pm ................
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