Obon Season.  It is here!  Obon is a time to renew friendships, to reconnect with those who have helped us along the way, to reflect on who we are and to make new friends. Thank you to the Obon Committee for the many hours of planning, organizing and shopping.  Thank you to the dancers for learning all the dances---we have a lot of new dances this year.  Thank you to the cooks, set up/ take down crews and the “go to” people who solve the problems that keeps us together.  Thank you the OBT Sangha.  Your efforts and support are deeply appreciated in this group effort that helps sustain our temple.  As always many hands make light work with joy and happiness.  Gokuro-sama! Rev. Henry’s seminar series continues with Facing Life’s Challenges, “ Separation from Loved Ones” on July 23.  It will be filled with valuable information for all of us on how to understand and gain a perspective—it’s not just for the empty nesters.   Dharma Services will continue through the summer.  Join us when you can.  See you at the temple! Gassho, Aletha

Thank you everyone for your efforts on the Strawberry Festival!   What a day!  The Southern District conference is June 4 hosted by West LA at UCLA.  It is a bus trip so we can all relax and enjoy our friends in the Sangha. June brings Obon preparations.  There is dance practice, ordering of supplies, cleaning our buildings and grounds, organizing the work schedules, checking up on the various teams, entertainment arrangements, permits, health certifications, sauce making, inventory, publicity—the list goes on.  Thankfully many hands make light work.  Arigato-gozaimasu in advance! Rev. Henry’s seminar on Life Challenges is on Death this month.  While it is not a fun topic, it is a very real topic that affects everyone.   Please join us.  It is worth your time. See you at the temple! Gassho,AlethaMay It is Strawberry Festival time.  San Fernando and West LA Sanghas will join us, again, for Gotan-ye Service on Sunday May 22 then head to the festival to enjoy delicious Oxnard strawberries.  OBT is prepping the berries on Friday, May 20th at the temple with chocolate dipping to be done onsite.  We still need help in the booth for Saturday and Sunday.  Please contact Lori Usuki or me if you are able to help. Thank you for the many generous donations for the Japan Earthquake /Tsunami  Relief donations.  The many gifts of dana are filled with compassion for the Japanese people.   The funds collected by Oxnard BT were submitted to BCA for the coordinated effort through Hongwanji International. Shoshinge and Wasan chanting are at 9 am on Sunday morning prior to Dharma Service.   At 7 am, on the 16th of each month, Rev. Henry will have a memorial service for Shinran Shonin.   Monday study classes are ongoing.  Please join us when you can! Facing Life’s Challenges is May 7. The topic is “Illness”.  It should be very informative and helpful to all of us as we journey through life. Thank you to Kaneko Landscaping for the beautiful backyard for Rev. Henry and Shoko.  It took a while due to weather delays but it is lovely!  Also, the temple grounds are in tip top shape for all the upcoming events.  Gokuro-sama! As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  I will do my best to help.  See you at the temple! Gassho, Aletha April The devastating earthquake in Sendai, Japan, has shaken all of us.  BCA is coordinating donations for the Earthquake/Tsunami Relief.  Please make your check out to Oxnard Buddhist Temple with “Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Relief” in the memo section.  The temple is instructed to write a single check to BCA no later than April 20, 2011.  Please mail your check to the temple, bring it by the temple or get it to any board member by April 15, 2011.  Any amount will be appreciated by the survivors and will help with the recovery of Japan.  On March 6th, we began our lecture series “Facing Life’s Challenges” with Dr. Cheryl Lambing.  Her discussion expanded to overall care of our health and topics such as arthritis, auto immune disease and Vitamin D in the diet.  It was a fascinating message and discussion with a Buddhist overview at the end.  I encourage everyone to drop in to the rest of the series.  The next session deals with aging and is on April 16, at 2 pm.  It will be time well spent. I would like to thank everyone for their efforts in another successful Chicken Teriyaki Dinner Fund Raiser.  Many hands make light work.  As always the chicken was delicious!  This April marks Rev. Henry Adams’s one year anniversary in Oxnard.  Thank you to our wonderful Sangha in welcoming him to OBT and making him feel at home.  2011 will be another exciting year for all of us as we walk the Dharma Path together. See you at the temple! Gassho, AlethaSpecial Announcement    -BCA and National Council Meeting-The BCA National Council Meeting was held in late February after the March Prasada printing deadline.  The meeting covers the business end of running BCA as well all the temples and churches.  New directors at large were voted in along with the budget and the changing of a bylaw to make BCA more compliant. The most challenging topic that came to a vote was the debt for the Campaign 21st Century.  In a nutshell, BCA must pay off the outstanding loan to California Bank and Trust or face the possibility of losing the Bishops’s Residence, the Jodo Shinshu Center and additional collateral.  The initial hope for the Campaign was that there would be 100% participation from BCA members.  It did not happen.  Yes, there were cost over runs with the JSC that were out of anyone’s control that changed the market demand for raw materials(the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, the Beijing Olympics) and unprecedented rains in the Berkeley Hills that set construction further behind. Many of you have given generously in the past to the Campaign.  Many of you have not donated as yet.  You may ask, “What is in it for me?”  The programs that the BCA and the JSC seem far way and not really connected to us in Oxnard.  But in reality, Oxnard is a direct recipient of those programs in the form of our Rev. Henry Adams.  He was able to complete his studies with the support of BCA and currently participates in programs at the JSC to complete his course of study as well as help those studying at IBS and the JSC.What is being asked of everyone is a one time donation of $199 per member or $17 per month per member for one year.  If BCA can achieve this amount, we can pay off the loan of $3,175,000 to California Bank and Trust.  This request is open to everyone who listens to the Dharma. Oxnard’s participation in the Campaign is at 31%.  How wonderful it would be if we could achieve 100%?  Please donate what you can.  Those who cannot do the full $199 or the $17 per month for one year, please donate what you can.  If you are able to donate more---please donate more.  If you have already donated, please consider donating again.Gassho,Aletha March While cleaning out my old e-mails I came across several from March 2010.  The temple was hard at work remodeling the residence and preparing for the arrival of Rev. Henry with Chicken Teriyaki in the background.  It was a busy and exciting time for everyone.   March 2011 finds OBT settling into Sunday morning Shoshinge chanting, study classes, mini-series seminars, computer and cooking classes along with our regular services and activities.  How wonderful to see our Sangha so vibrant.Chicken Teriyaki preparation is March 19th with the dinner on the 20th.   Thank you in advance for your helps and support with the best Chicken Teriyaki Dinner anywhere.

Nancy Fujii is coordinating another Golf Gathering in late October 2011.  It is a fun event that needs lots of volunteers.  Please join in the fun and volunteer!  The next meeting is March 8, 2011, 7 pm, at Panera Bakery in the Camarillo Outlet Center. See you at the temple! Gassho,  AlethaFebruary