In Appreciation for My Right Hand (or What Else Have I Taken for Granted?) by Rev. Kathy Chatterton   “We don't appreciate what we have until it's gone. Freedom is like that. It's like air. When you have it, you don't notice it.” --Boris Yeltsin (President of Russia) This quote from Boris Yeltsin applies to my situation with my right hand. I am right-hand dominant, and I didn’t appreciate that right hand until I was "attacked" by an uneven sidewalk, sending me to the concrete in October 2025.  Image:   Broken Sidewalk to illustrate the dangers of...

Assistant Ministers Message:“Learning from our Sangha/Buddhist Community”  By Rev. Anne Spencer        Buddhism emphasizes the importance of the “3 Treasures” that support Buddhists on our spiritual path.  The 3 Treasures are 1) “Buddha,” a fully enlightened being dedicated to helping others become enlightened,  2)  “Dharma,” the fundamental nature of reality, and 3) “Sangha,” people who share the Buddhist path with us.        In many Buddhist traditions “Sangha” refers...

Lovingkindness By Rev. Anne Spencer You may be familiar with the Metta Meditation, which expresses our loving kindness toward all living beings. When we held our pet memorial service at the temple in February, we included a version of the Metta meditation as the final slide of our pet appreciation slide show: May all beings be well May all beings be happy May all beings be loved May all beings prosper Metta reflects the Buddhist understanding that all beings regardless of size, shape, lifespan, or intelligence should be treated with kindness and respect. Buddhist teachings grow...

November brings thoughts of Thanksgiving. What are we grateful for? It’seasy to say family, friends, our home, having food on the table. What happenswhen we change our view and look at the things we might not consider assomething to be grateful for? For example, we had a fire at our temple in 2022.The fire wiped out our basement and its contents. Smoke damage permeated the main floor rooms, hondo and onaijin. Such an event doesn’t seem like anything to be grateful for. However, as we look around our temple today, we see upgrades and renovations that have made this temple a building to be...

 If you come to a service at our temple, you may notice that some of the people at service are wearing or carrying some items that may be unfamiliar to you. This article will introduce 2 of these important items: the O-Nenju and the Montoshikisho.  O-Nenju The Nenju or O-nenju is a circular set of beads worn/carried on the left hand. The length of the O-nenju might be small (worn like a bracelet around the wrist) or larger and carried in the left hand.  In Buddhism, these beads represent our negative and selfish thoughts and feelings that motivate us in ways that hurt...

November brings thoughts of Thanksgiving. What are we grateful for? It’s easy to say family, friends, our home, having food on the table. What happens when we change our view and look at the things we might not consider as something to be grateful for?  For example, we had a fire at our temple in 2022. The fire wiped out our basement and its contents. Smoke damage permeated the main floor rooms, hondo and onaijin. Such an event doesn’t seem like anything to be grateful for. However, as we look around our temple today, we see upgrades andrenovations that have made this temple a...