Minister’s Dharma Talks

• Dharma Talk – March 2023

  Nirvana Day “Giving and Receiving” Nirvana Day was held at the Toronto Buddhist Church in February. Over 2500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha passed away in India. In Buddhism, we say this is when he entered Nirvana. Nirvana literally means Blowing Out in Sanskrit. When we say Nirvana is “blowing out,’ it represents the blowing out […]

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• Dharma Talk – February 2023

  HO ONKO The Toronto Buddhist Church held the Ho’onko service in January. This annual memorial service for our founder is said to be the most important service for Jodo Shinshu Buddhist members. Ho’onko literally means “Dharma gathering for acknowledging obligation” to honor our founding master. Rennyo Shonin, the 8th head minister of our tradition, urged […]

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• Dharma Talk – January 2023

  New Year’s Greeting Happy New Year, everyone! At the beginning of this New Year, I would like toextend my best regards to you all. In view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, as Nembutsufollowers who have deeply inscribed in our hearts and minds Shinran Shonin’s message of“May there be peace […]

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• Dharma Talk – December 2022

  PASSAGE OF TIME There are only two months left of this year. Some of you may feel that time has passedso quickly. Some of you may feel that it has been a long time because of all the new things thathave happened. The other day, I found an interesting article on an Internet site about […]

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• Dharma Talk – November 2022

  Reflecting and Cicadas Such stillness——–  The cry of cicadas Sinks into the rocks. This seventeen-syllable haiku was written by Basho (1644- 94), who was a poet and thinker of the first rank. When first I came to Toronto in 1970, I was 25 years old. If I had seen that poem then, I would not have […]

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• Dharma Talk – October 2022

  DOKI-DOKI Yui-enbo asked “Although I say the Nembutsu, I rarely experience joyful happiness nor do I have the desire to immediately go to the Pure Land. What should be done about this?” Then Shinran responded “I have been having the same question also, and now you, Yui-enbo, have the samethought.” (abbreviate) “It is the working of blind passion which suppresses […]

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• Dharma Talk – September 2022

  Meaning of “Arigato” 3 years ago, I joined a translation project. There were Buddhist ministers from America and Japan who have a Jodo Shinshu liturgy specialist license because we need to translate a book that tells how to prepare and provide Shin Buddhist services and the meaning of rituals for Buddhist ministers. When I joined […]

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• Dharma Talk – July / August 2022

  We are already halfway through the year 2022. As you all know, it is a wonder how quickly time flies. Time is funny. Its value is fixed, but depending on our situation, it can seem so much longer or shorter. When I studied history in high school, I felt the class was forever. When I […]

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• Dharma Talk – June 2022

  GasshoLast week, I had dinner with my friends. My friend’s son taught me a good word. I would like to talk a little about it at the beginning of this Dharma article. We had home-cooked sushi for dinner. He asked me to pass the soy sauce. When I handed it to him, he looked at […]

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• Dharma Talk – May 2022

  “Sounds of C and D” For the past two months, I visited Montreal and Winnipeg to hold their Buddhist memorial services. It was a great opportunity for me to do Gassho and recite Nembutsu with them again, because I was not  able to visit there for a long time due to Covid. When I took […]

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