San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

Please join us for our online Fall Ohigan Service & Seminar on September 27th! Details are below- please RSVP in order to receive an invite for the Zoom Session.

We hope everyone is well during this difficult time. As of now, there will be no Temple activities through Sunday, May 10th. We will update everyone as soon as there is new information. In the meantime, please stay safe and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Sangha if you are in need of assistance.... Gassho.

Shopping Hours for Senior Citizens: Many Los Angeles-area markets are now dedicating their first hour(s) each morning or on certain days of the week to senior shoppers. Policies/hours vary by market, so please call your local market to clarify their senior hours before going to that location.

We hope everyone is well during this difficult time. As of now, there will be no Temple activities through Sunday, May 10th. We will update everyone as soon as there is new information. In the meantime, please stay safe and don’t hesitate to reach out to the Sangha if you are in need of assistance.... Gassho.

Out of respect for health agency recommendations to restrict social gatherings/contact during the coronavirus outbreak, most SFVHBT services and activities are canceled from March 16-31. Saturday Dharma Discussions will still take place unless otherwise indicated. Please stay healthy and safe!

Please join us this Saturday (2/29) for Dharma discussion from 2:30 to 4:30pm!Please join us this Saturday (2/29) for Dharma discussion from 2:30 to 4:30pm!

Happy Saturday! Please note that the dharma discussion scheduled for next week (July 27th) has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstance. The next session is scheduled for August 3rd. Hope to see you there!

Thank you to Patrick Mitchell for this beautiful video from our 2019 Obon Festival! It captures so much of what makes this celebration special each year.

Like a House On Fire By Rev. Patricia Usuki, San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to f...eel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house was on fire because it is. Urgent words, born of a crisis not a spiritual one, though the burning house metaphor might sound familiar. In fact, this is part of an address given by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg of Sweden to global leaders at the World Economic Forum this year, regarding climate change. I encourage you to view it on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjsLm5PCdVQ) to sense the gravity and sincerity in her voice. You’ll be caused to reflect on core issues that are truly important to you and your loved ones. This is a call to question ourselves and our choices on many fronts. Ms. Thunberg has put her words into action, organizing the School Strike for Climate in which millions of students in 133 countries have participated. Bravo to the youth of the world! If you think she is too young and inexperienced to take seriously, think again. She has been featured on the cover of Time magazine and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She accuses parents of stealing (the) future due to the economic and political decisions we’ve made that are destroying our ecosystems and our planet. On reflection, in many aspects of our lives, what seemed good for us in the past has put us on the wrong track and now we’re paying the price. Either we adjust or we disappear. The point of this article is not about climate change. Yes, climate change is a frightening reality caused by human activity, just as natural disasters, famine, and disease were a fact of life in Shinran’s time. So were wars, injustice, and inequality, as they remain today. The point is, if our teachings were needed back then, how much more so are they relevant now when people continue to cling to calculations based on greed, hatred, and selfish delusion? It is not surprising that young people are questioning the status quo and taking matters into their own hands. Shinran was a boy when he started his quest, and still a young man when he broke free of the establishment. With an unobstructed heart and mind, he was awakened to a simple truth that innumerable people have since been able to share in difficult circumstances. His words were apt then but also sadly prescient of our times: with a foolish being full of blind passions in this fleeting world this burning house all matters without exception are empty and false, totally without truth and sincerity. The Nembutsu alone is true and real. Collective Works of Shinran, Page 679 By contrast, have we mistakenly come to cherish that which gives us a false sense of security, like fame, fortune, or even our self-constructed conventions? It will be our hubris that causes such illusions to evaporate, with nothing left to rely on. Hearing the concerns of people these days should remind us that we owe a debt of gratitude to immeasurable life, past, present and future. Let us take nothing for granted, especially the meaning of our teaching. In a positive light, we should feel inspired and uplifted that substantial numbers of young people around the world have been brought to seek what is right, not for self-serving purposes, but for the benefit of all. Due to the conditions we have created for them, they have been compelled to raise their voices not only with respect to climate change, but also on issues as varied as gun control, economic inequality, discrimination, and sexual harassment. Imagine how much strength they would derive from encountering a teaching based on the Oneness of all life. Our world is undergoing enormous challenges caused by our actions. We are fortunate that those who came before us depended on the Jodo Shinshu teaching that made them resilient and steadfast in the face of inconceivable difficulties. It is still there for us, and for the next generations, though it’s difficult to hear its call in a burning house. The strength of the BCA and our temples lies not in numbers, but in sharing the Dharma in a way that resonates with those around us, regardless of age, gender, race, language, or other distinctions. The first step, though, is to awaken to the teaching ourselves before we can guide others to the same path. From the July issue of the "Wheel of Dharma" newsletter: http://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org///2019_07_wod.pdf

Domo Arigato to all of the Volunteers, Sponsors and Guests to our 2019 Obon Festival. The Obon Festival is to honor those who have passed before us. It is also a time for family and friends to gather. We thank you for coming out and supporting us. We look forward to seeing you next year.

Are You Ready? Here It Comes! Here comes the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon Festival this June 29th and 30th. Come and enjoy savory ethnic delights. Participate in family-friendly activities and games. And join us in our Bon Odori (Dance). See our schedule in the green panel. Everyone is welcome!

What Time Is it? It's Time to grab your Uchiwa, Hachimaki and your Kachi Kachi.Come out and practice new and old odori. Tonight, June 18th is our first practice. With additional practices on June 20th, 25th and 27th. Everyone is invited.