Tag Archives: New Year’s Message

February 2, 2018 · 11:19 am

My 2018 Jodo Mission of Hawaii President’s Message


Below is my Jodo Mission of Hawaii President’s message printed in our January 2018 bulletin:

Dear Members,

Thank you for your support and for attending Jodo Mission of Hawaii’s services, Bon dance, mochi-making, and other events.  In the last quarter of 2017, we have repaired and painted our temple and begun repairing and painting our apartment buildings. We are happy on how beautiful it looks!

One of my wishes for you in 2018 and for the rest of your existence is to have peace and happiness within yourself, so that you can share your peace and happiness with others. In our Buddhist practice, we work daily on the Noble Eightfold Path of
Right Understanding, Right Purpose, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Endeavor, Right Thought, and Right Mediation.  A practice that’s mentioned in Buddhist scripture that has helped me tremendously is gratitude.  Everyday, from the moment we wake up, we can be thankful for what we have such as the cozy bed that we just slept in; taste of hot green tea; orange glow of the morning sun; useful kitchenware we use to make our tasty breakfast; and a quiet self-reflection or meditation.  Start the morning with this peaceful gratitude practice, and you will power through the day with more gratitude and push through difficult situations with a balanced soul.

Have a great 2018!

With Warmest Aloha,

 

Jon Riki Karamatsu

President of Jodo Mission of Hawaii

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December 28, 2016 · 9:48 pm

2017 New Year’s Jodo Mission of Hawaii President’s Message


 

2017 New Year’s Jodo Mission of Hawaii President’s Message

Dear Members,

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu! Wishing you a Happy New Year! For 2017, my wish is for you to be filled with happiness a great majority of the time.

In a perfect world, we could wish for happiness all of the time, but when we think about it, without some suffering and challenges, life would become boring and we would not have the experiences that make us appreciate life even more. When we fail, we appreciate our efforts and all the ups and downs, so when we do succeed, it’s oh so sweet and wonderful. Even the impermanence of life, the fact that our time is limited in this living realm, encourages us to appreciate the present moment, so we cherish our time with our loved ones, work passionately on projects that excite us, and absorb the beauty of nature such as the sun setting into our beautiful blue ocean. We develop a deeper gratitude through our understanding of impermanence so even when we lose a person we love; we are able to generate positive energy by all those wonderful moments we shared with that person, and it’s this energy that encourages us to live life the best that we can with the precious time we have before us. Thus, suffering and challenges can be a fuel for our happiness through our practice of gratitude. When you combine gratitude with all your positive practices of the Eightfold Path – Right Understanding, Right Purpose, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Endeavor, Right Thought, and Right Meditation, you will be filled with joy.

With Warmest Aloha,

Jon Riki Karamatsu

President of Jodo Mission of Hawaii

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