Happy New Year to all members of our Sangha.

This article is to inform or remind all of you, especially our new members, of the opportunities to listen to the Dharma at events other than the usual Sunday services.

Every year OCBC has two special seminars scheduled around the time of the spring and fall equinoxes. These are referred to as our Ohigan seminars and are presented on Saturdays from 9 am to 12 noon. For about the past ten years, Dr. Nobuo Haneda of the Maida Center of Buddhism in Berkeley has been our speaker at the spring Ohigan seminar. Dr. Haneda is one of the leading scholars on Shin Buddhism and he often has some very refreshing interpretation of Shin Buddhist teachings. And although he is a scholar, his lectures are easy to understand. On Saturday March 10, 2012, he will again be our spring Ohigan seminar speaker.

Our Buddhist Education Center (BEC) also presents us with many opportunities to hear the Dharma. The BEC has sponsored special seminars several times in the past. Most importantly, the BEC offers classes on Buddhist subject matter during the spring, summer, fall and winter. These are usually 4 or 6 sessions long and classes may be as basic as beginning Buddhism to more advanced classes such as interpretation of the Shoshinge. In 2011 two hundred and twelve students enrolled in these classes.

So let’s all take the opportunity this year listen to more Dharma talks because, as our ministers always tell us, the only practice in Jodo Shinshu is to listen to the Dharma.

Upcoming Events:

Spring Ohigan Seminar, March 10, 2012 9am to noon:

Guest speaker: Dr. Nobuo Haneda

Topic: Nagarjuna, the father of Mahayana Buddhism.

In gassho,

Richard Kuramoto
OCBC Religious VP