THIS WEEKEND - ANNUAL OBON FESTIVAL
Free of charge and open to all!
- This year’s Obon Festival will be Saturday, July 9 through Sunday, July 10*. The festival is 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. The Obon Service on Sunday at 11 a.m. Obon is a memorial service for Buddhists. It is an opportunity to remember our parents, grandparents, and all those who have passed on ahead of us. At this time of remembrance, we can also express our gratitude for all they have done for us and for the interconnectedness of our lives.
Obon Festival (Posted 6 Jun 05)
At this year’s Obon Festival - Saturday, July 9 through
Sunday, July 10 - Ekoji will be offering Memorial Candles for sale.
These candles will be a memorial to loved ones who have passed way and will have their names inscribed on the candles. On the Saturday evening, the “memorial glows” will be placed in the Garden of the Three Treasures for viewing and reflection.
Candles can be purchased in advance for $5. For more information, please contact Erick Ishii via e-mail at erickishii(AT)att(DOT)net.
Also this year, Ekoji will be sponsoring a silent auction with proceeds going to help support the various temple activities. To help make this successful, Ekoji needs the Sangha’s help! We are looking for goods and/or services that you are willing to donate for the auction. Articles in good condition and services will be greatly appreciated!
To donate items for the auction, please contact Greg Nakamura at geuphonium(AT)yahoo(DOT)com for more details.
Slides from the 12 Jun Dharma Message (1.5 MB PDF): Jodo Shinshu Resources on the Web
Ekoji Adult Dharma Class will begin on Sunday May 22 (Posted 15 May 05)
The class will meet from 10 am – 11 am. The topic for this set of classes is On Becoming a Shin Buddhist, Classes are free and all are welcome.
Headlines
Ekoji Adult Dharma Class will begin on Sunday April 17th (Posted 4 April 05)
The class will meet from 10 am – 11 am each Sunday for 5 weeks. The topic of the class is An Introduction to Buddhism. It is designed for those people exploring or just starting out on the Buddhist path. Areas covered in the class include:
- The life of the Buddha
- The Four Noble Truths
- Underlying philosophies
- How Buddhism spread and developed over time
- The Shin Buddhist Sect
This class will be immediately followed by the next session, On Becoming a Shin Buddhist, starting on Sunday May 22nd at 10 am. Classes are free and all are welcome.
In Memoriam*
First Year Memorial Service for Ekoji's Founding Minister
REV. KENRYU T. TSUJI
Sunday, March 6, 2005
11:00 a.m., at the Ekoji Buddhist Temple
Officiating Minister: Rev. Shojo Honda
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IN MEMORIAM: First Year Memorial Service for Ekoji's Founding Minister (Posted 21 Feb 2005)
REV. KENRYU T TSUJI
Sunday, March 6, 2005
11:00 a.m., at the Ekoji Buddhist Temple
Officiating Minister: Rev. Shojo Honda
On February 26, 2004, Ekoji’s Founding Minister, Rev. Kenryu T. Tsuji, passed away. He was a pioneer in the Buddhist Churches of America, first as the Director of Buddhist Education and then as the first North American-born Bishop of BCA. During his time in BCA leadership roles, Buddhist Education in English took shape, the BCA bookstore was started, the Institute of Buddhist Studies was founded, the District Conferences began where sanghas could come together and share their ideas and experiences, and much more.
However, we have an even more direct tie with Rev. Tsuji than through the BCA. Rev. Tsuji had started other temples, but Ekoji was the first temple he started that was influenced from his experiences in national and international leadership positions. He envisioned Ekoji as a place where Jodo Shinshu Buddhism could be taught and experienced. It would be a temple where the doors would be truly open for all, and where Jodo Shinshu would move from a basically ethnic religion to a truly American religion available to all. Working with Rev. Yehan Numata of the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, the temple we see today started with their dreams and was shaped under Rev. Tsuji’s stewardship as he served as Ekoji’s first minister for 18 years.
Please join us on Sunday, March 6, at 11:00 a.m., as we remember the teacher Rev. Tsuji was and the influence he continues to have on our lives.
Namu Amida Butsu
Adult Dharma class (Posted 23 Dec 2004)
The next Adult Dharma class will begin on Sunday, January 16, 2005 at 10:00 am. The class will be led by Mark LaWall, Director of Buddhist Education at Ekoji and meet for one hour each week for 5 weeks. The topic is An Introduction to Buddhism and will cover:
- The Life of the Buddha
- The Four Noble Truths
- Underlying Philosophy
- The Shin Buddhist Tradition
The class is free and all are welcome. Following the end of this class, the next class will start and its topic will be On Becoming a Shin Buddhist. Information about that class will be posted early next year.
Blogger (Posted 26 Oct 2004)
Ekoji member and BCA President-Elect Gordon Bermant is now a blogger at the American Buddhist Study Center [Posted permanently under Online Forums: Discussion/Message Boards & Weblogs ("Blogs")].
(n.) Short for Web log, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author. (from Webopedia)
Special Memorial Service for Tsunami Victims, This Sunday, 6 February
- The Ekoji Buddhist Temple will conduct a special memorial service for the South Asian and African tsunami victims, on Sunday, February 6, 2005 at 11:00 a.m. The service will be led by Ekoji's resident minister Reverend Shojo Honda and will be conducted in English. The service is open to all members of the public who wish to express their grief and sympathy for those who perished and hope for the well being of the survivors. Light refreshments follow the service.
ALL 23 JANUARY ACTIVITIES ARE POSTPONED UNTIL 30 JANUARY
- Due to the weather, the Memorial Service for the Tsunami Victims of South Asia and Africa scheduled for the 23rd of January is postponed to January 30th, 11 a.m. with reception to follow. All other activities, including the Children's Dharma School, are postponed as well.
NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATIONS
Hello to the Ekoji Sangha,
Please join the Sangha and bring in 2005 at the New Year's Eve Service, December 31st, at 8 p.m. with the 108 Ringing of the Bell. There will be light refreshment following.
On New Year's Day----Saturday-----Happy New Year Service, 11 a.m. and a special Sangha Speaks time during Service! A New Year's Potluck will follow and promises to be another fabulous Ekoji Feast!
Regular service is also scheduled for January 2nd, Sunday (new Board meeting).
We have much to be thankful for as 2004 comes to an end and the New Year begins! Let's celebrate together.
On Becoming a Shin Buddhist:A Class for Those Who Are Starting Out On the Jodo Shinshu Path (Posted 6 Nov 2004)
Sundays at 10 a.m. Ekoji Buddhist Temple, Tsuji Education Building.
-The class will consist of four one-hour sessions, beginning November 14th (no class on November 28th).
Participants will learn about:
- The history of Buddhism and the development of the Mahayana schools
- The Pure Land Sutras
- The teachings of Shinran Shonin and how the Jodo Shinshu school began
- How Shin Buddhists practice
- What happens at a Jodo Shinshu service
Call to Ekoji Sangha! Come to Service on Sunday, 14 Nov, and to Ekoji's General Membership Meeting following (Posted 13 Nov 2004)
Lunch will be provided as the Board and the Sangha review 2005's budget and blueprint for action! New board members (3) will also be elected, as well as one trustee. This all starts at 11 a.m. for service and 12 -12:30 p.m. for the meeting. See you then!!
Gassho,
Gerri Cantwell, Board president
Winthrop Faulkner Dies at 73; Architect (Posted 21 Oct 2004)
Source (registration required): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50158-2004Oct20.html
By Joe Holley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 21, 2004; Page B07
Winthrop W. Faulkner, 73, an architect best known for houses he designed in the contemporary style in Cleveland Park and elsewhere, died of cancer Oct. 19 at his home in Northwest Washington.
...
Although Mr. Faulkner preferred designing private residences, he also designed an office building for Brewood Engravers on 20th Street; the Great Ape House and crocodile pavilion at the National Zoo; the renovation of the Federal Reserve Board building in Washington; an addition to Christ Episcopal Church in Kensington; and the Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Fairfax County...
Nen Daiko, Ekoji's Taiko drum group, will be playing this Friday evening, 5 Nov, at the grand opening of Todai Restaurant, Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA.
Ekoji Adult Dharma Class to Began Sep 19th (Posted 20 Sep 2004)
The next class in our ongoing Adult Dharma program will begin on Sunday Sep 19th at 10:00 am in the Sangha Hall. The topic will be an introduction to Buddhism in general and Shin Buddhism in particular and will be led by Mark LaWall, Director of Education.
The class will meet from 10:00 - 11:00 am each Sunday for six weeks. All are welcome, from those who are new to Buddhism to those who need a refresher course. Please use this opportunity to help spread the Buddha Dharma and invite a friend, neighbor or colleague who may be interested.
Free seminar on The Fundamentals of Shin Buddhism. Part of Ekoji's ongoing Fall Seminar Series (Posted 27 Sep 2004)
The seminar will be held Saturday, October 23, 2004 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Temple. The featured speaker will be Dr. Nobuo Haneda, Director of the Maida Center of Buddhism in Berkeley, CA. The Maida Center is a not for profit organization dedicated to enhancing the study and practice of Shin Buddhism in the United States. Topics covered Dr. Haneda in the seminar include:
- The basic principles of Shin Buddhism
- Discussion of the three Pure Land Sutras that are at the heart of Shin Buddhist teachings
The seminar is free and lunch and refreshments will be served. All are welcome.
The Jodo Ring banner has been reinstated at the bottom of this page. Ekoji has been restored as a member site. (20 Sep 2004)
Children's Dharma School Organizational meeting Sep 19th, 9:45 a.m. (Posted 13 Sep 2004)
Purpose of this meeting is to organize the Dharma School for this year. Contact webmaster(AT)ekoji-dot-org if you'd like to participate or have any questions.
Annual EBL Conference (Posted 11 Jul 2004)
Interesting and intriguing seminar sessions are planned, including plenty of hands-on learning activities for Dharma School students. For more information, visit the conference website at: http://www.eblconference2004.com