October 15, 2022 Photo: 1958 Northwest Convention (Left Half)      Photo: 1958 Northwest Convention (Right Half) NOTE:  Feel free to leave the names of folks you recognize in our comments section! This summer has been a whirlwind. We started with the promise of in-person services inside our temple. That changed with the July 8th fire, but we adapted and moved outdoors to hold services under the awning in the parking lot. Along with all the work to inspect and assess the damage of the fire, we had to plan for a convention. No one from IOBT gave any thought to canceling...

September 26, 2022 Editor's Note:  In this guest blog Melody Smit, a long-time resident of Idaho and member of IOBT, shares her thoughts on Buddhism and her recent move to South Carolina I am so pleased to be writing to you but I do not come to you as a minister's assistant or a scholar of Shin Buddhist teachings, but as a fellow member of Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple (IOBT) who would like to share with you some of my thoughts and experiences.  Some of you may know that I recently moved from Southwestern Idaho--where I enjoyed membership at IOBT--to South Carolina.     I...

September 03, 2022 Registration Q&A 1) How do I register for the Convention Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  with name.  Payment can be made at iobt.org with the donate button on the right, noting that it's for convention.  2) What do remote registrants need to provide us in order to receive the link to the convention website?   Is there a deadline for online participants? Best...

August 07, 2022 “The first time I ever heard that word [Gaman] was when I was standing in line, waiting to use the latrine. As a child, this was sheer torture. But my mother looked down at me and said, ‘George, gaman.’ She wanted me to endure, with fortitude and dignity, the injustice of having to wait in the cold even to go to the bathroom. Throughout our time in the camp, the spirit of gaman is what buoyed us, even in the darkest of hours. By holding our heads up high, and carrying on, they could not take from our basic humanity.” --George Takei (History Channel Interview, Feb. 10, 2017) As...

July 23, 2022 This year’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of IOBT coincides with our hosting the NW District Buddhist convention and it also marks 20 years since my first visit to IOBT.  These milestones, along with the recent fire that destroyed most of our temple basement,have me thinking more deeply about our convention theme: “Reflecting on the Past, Looking to the Future.”   Photo: Fire trucks outside Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple on 7/10/2022. This incident reminds us of the Buddhist teachings or impermanence and also our gratitude for the compassion of the...

July 11, 2022 We held our 2022 Obon/Hastubon service at the temple on June 10.  It was an extra special Obon because it occurred in the wake of a major fire at our temple.  The fire occurred in our basement on July 8th due to an electrical malfunction. We are still assessing damage, but we are pleased that our Onaijin (Altar) seems to have survived undamaged.  These circumstances helped remind us of the teachings of impermanence and interconnection that are so fundamental to Buddhism.   In Japan, Obon is an important season where the spirits of loved ones who have...