Enmanji Buddhist Temple

Jodo Shinshu and Shinran Shonin got a great article in the NY Times. It's wonderful. Amazing. From the article: " Part of the problem, Shinran believes, is that each of us actually think we know the way to purity and enlightenment. Each of us thinks we can get there by ourselves. He is quite clear on this point: we don’t have a clue how to achieve salvation. I know nothing at all of good and evil, Shinran admits, with a foolish being full of blind passions in this burning house all matters without exception are empty and false. https://www.nytimes.com//04/opin/purity-is-overrated.html

The Sebastopol community pitched in and dropped off all these donations to Casini Ranch Family Campground. Thank you Sebastopol for all that you do! Thank you Enmanji Temple for all your help and transporting this stuff to Casini.

At this time, the wildfires (#TubbsFire, #AtlasFire, and #NunsFire) are still burning throughout the region. Our thoughts go out to all who are suffering as a r...esult of this catastrophic natural disaster. We are in communication with Kent Matsuda, president of Enmanji Buddhist Temple. He requests that if you would like to provide immediate relief, please contribute to local community relief efforts. Namo Amida Butsu. See more

We have received word from Enmanji Buddhist Temple president, Kent Matsuda, that members who have had to evacuate their homes are spending tonight at the temple.... The temple appears to be far enough away from the #TubbsFire that it is not in the direct path of danger. We are grateful that the temple can provide a safe space and shelter to those who need it. Namo Amida Butsu. Waiting to hear if there will be any volunteer opportunities or ways that we can help. If we receive any updates, they will be posted here.

This years Teriyaki BBQ.

An old friend, Larry Shaw from the Marin temple has passed on. A memorial is set for this Sunday at 1pm in Marin. A fascinating and lovely human being is no longer among us. Namo Amida Butsu. http://www.sfgate.com//Memorial-service-set-for-Pi-Day-cre

Please visit the Enmanji website for schedules and updates. http://sonic.net/~enmanji/Enmanji/Home.html

Nowadays we pretend so much that great master can give you great achievement. I think that is just wrong. There is no such great teacher who can actually save y...ou from your own obstacles. As an example, if you have a heart problem, you cannot fix it by praying, you need to have certain knowledge to fix it and maintain it in our daily life. So I have to say that Dharma cannot solve every single problem in our life, but it definitely can bring stability in your life, in your personality, in your behavior. And I think that is very important. Myself as a practitioner, I’m also a teacher and I hold the name of Kalu Rimpoche. Therefore many people just think that if I am a teacher, if I am Kalu Rimpoche, my life is always good, perfect, pure and happy forever. I don’t think it is that simple, because living a Dharma life in the 21th century is very verydifficult to explain. Because nowadays everybody wants to feel good about themselves. There is nothing wrong about making ourselves feel good and look good. There is nothing wrong about following that direction as long as you don’t hurt any people, as long as you don’t create a bad image and bad example for other people and mislead them to fall into such obstacles in their journey of a Dharma life. Sometimes the practitioner can be worse than ordinary being. I can understand that because just being a practitioner does not mean that he/her is fully enlightened, does not mean that he/her is really pure, and does not mean that he/her is reaching a certain level of achievement right away. Some people they use everything for themselves, to get power and to have a control. They misuse of the Buddhism and the Dharma because it’s something higher than any other human knowledge for certain number of people. So it’s very-very easily can be misled. I’m talking about my experience. At the same time, respecting other dharma practitioners is also important. In fact it is a basic principle. Judging other practitioners is not necessary. Because the moment you judge them, the moment you say what is right or wrong for them is the moment that you follow their game. So I think whatever is happening outside, it’s important not to judge. So let’s go back to talk about ourselves. When we call ourselves practitioners, the most important is not about how we practice, it is about how we maintain it. When I say maintain, it is not necessarily about practicing seven days a week, every morning and evening. That’s everybody can do, anybody can do. Just to down with some beautiful incense in a beautiful shrine, just reflect on everyone as a sentient being, and think about compassion to everyone, and so on To have that kind of attitude when we are alone is very-very-very easy. And of course, that’s how we start as well. But many people have much harder life than that. So when I say maintaining, actually I mean that we should maintain our dharma quality in life. It means that, if you are a practitioner you should never look for power, you should never look for fame, you should never look for position (most importantly, position). Because I’ve seen many senior practitioners, who are very-very good practitioners in the beginning, but then they fall into their illusion of the power and control, position and title, and so on. The moment you want to have a title or a great position is the moment you are lost. You are no longer different from politicians who want to make positions and legacy for themselves. So, when we call ourselves spiritual dharma practitioners, it does not mean we can just do morning and evening practice seven days a week. When we call ourselves practitioners, we don’t have to sacrifice our pleasure, we don’t have to sacrifice our job, we don’t have to sacrifice our family, but definitely, we have to sacrifice anything related to power and position. We should sacrifice our attachments to that. If you can keep a distance from that, definitely you can decrease your pride, and definitely you can decrease your ignorance, and definitely you will have clarity in your state of mind. I think that can be the most important. If we so-called spiritual religious practitioners have never looked for power, or position, or control, we would never have such misunderstanding and disharmony of Buddhism in our society as we see nowadays. From what I’ve seen as Kalu Rimpoche while travelling around the world, the main cause of all these disharmonies, all these problems and misuse in so many directions and in so many different places from the west to east, is that we become greedy, again and again. Things are like this: we got tired and exhausted in life, we are no longer recognized because we are not completive, we are no longer fighting for it, and we feel very isolated from our ordinary life; аnd then when we start our spiritual journey, when we start to see the moment and the way that one can use his/her position and power to control other people and their minds, so then we start to seek for such position and power to satisfy our greediness. That is the base of all the problems of our own religious institutions. So such position and power is not necessary, because power cannot bring a harmony, and position cannot give a joy to anyone. Taking a responsibility is different. Standing up for your duty, standing up for your responsibility, care and respect to others, is not a position, and that makes difference in people’s life and the society. And this is meaningful. So, to be aware of your greediness is important. I would not mind if you are rich and buy ten houses and do whatever you want in your life, but I do mind if you misuse the name of Buddhism to give pleasure and satisfaction to yourself in the negative direction. What is the negative direction? It is when you care about yourself more than about others. It is the wrong direction. That kind of actions we must never commit. I think that is far more important than to be afraid of karma. Because when we, so-called spiritual religious practitioners, always talk about karma, and we love to talk about it, we love to talk about compassion, we love to be a good person in front of everyone. But if you don’t change inside, it’s just a matter of time that you show your quality from inside to outside. And that will disappoint you and others as well. So I think if you really respect the karma, and the cause and effect, you have to stop looking for position. When you let go of the position, and the game of power, you will be happier with yourself. Because sometimes to be happy in life, you have to be the loser for a day. To protect your quality is far more important than a win in this moment. Because everybody wants to make a difference day by day. Yeah I think it is important for our personal greed. But keeping your positive qualities is far more important. Because reputation can be brought back anytime after several years of hard work, money can be made here and there, if you have a clear mindset. But quality of your own positive attitude cannot be brought back, once you lost in your own illusion, you remain there. So, being aware of your own greed, to be away from your own position, for any name or power, and then you can really be a good example, and a teacher. Because like me, I would like to take myself as an example. I’m not really a great-great-great teacher as previous Kalu Rimpoche, but I’m still a dharma practitioner. There were so many times in my life that people want to give me more power, more positions, more names, and I said to them, that a name and a power is no longer necessary when you are a dharma practitioner. Because we have to be close to the people, but not far from them. Accepting the reality is far more important than any power, position and name. It can be hard in the beginning, it can be hard in the meanwhile, but protecting your own positive qualities is really important, especially from your own greed. With that greed misusing in a spiritual path to influence other people, you’ll make very negative future for yourself as well. With love and respect Kalu Rinpoche

The Teriyaki BBQ is ON! July 9, 2017

We have an official website again, enmanjibuddhisttemple.org,

Pasta and Polenta Feed-March 30 Let's not forget about the recent events in the Philippines- there will be a Pasta Feed fundraiser-no set price, your donations are voluntary, March 30th from 3-6PM