BY RIMBAN GEORGE MATSUBAYASHI
JIHO NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2006

Until now, our Los Angeles Betsuin Buddhist Temple structure, our garden, and our parking lots had been divided because of Banning Street (the dead-end alley between our Multi-Purpose Hall and the parking lots). That is, our temple compound used to be divided into three parts: a central area on which our temple stands, a northern site, and a western site.

Since purchase of the northern site during 1976, and purchase of the western site during 1999, we have petitioned the Los Angeles City Council to evacuate the unused Banning Street alley and transfer its title to us so our temple compound would be one unified whole. From about four years ago, while planning for our Centennial Celebration, we intensified our efforts in this direction. During October of last year, the council finally approved our request, and the rights to the Banning Street alley area were formally transferred to us.

Since then, we have requested and receive permits to install drain pipes, remodel the catch basin, grade and prepare the land, etc. Work to remove Banning Street began on August 15th of this year. As I am writing this article – September 25th – the preliminary work has almost been completed and all that remains is preparing the soil and constructing a foundation for the fence gates. When that is done, the adjoining sites that had previously been three separate parts will be one united whole.

Our Los Angeles Betsuin Buddhist Temple main structure was completed during 1969, and our Kaikan Multi-Purpose Hall was completed during 1976. We purchase the northern site for use a parking lot during that time, but it proved to be inadequate to accommodate all the cars during our busiest times. Then, during 1993, we were most fortunate and honored to receive a donation from the late former Monshu, the Honorable Monshu-Emeritus Ohtani Kosho, and his wife, Lady Ohtani Yoshiko, the late former Urakata, that enabled us to purchase the additional land on the northern site. This was 2 years before we celebrated our 95th year of existence.

Because of this unexpected and most gracious gift from the former Gomonshu-sama and Ourakata-sama for which we are most unworthy, we were able to purchase six lots next to the northern site on September 1st of that year, almost doubling the amount of space for our parking lot. This large increase in land fostered the possibility of constructing a Nokotsu-do in the near future, an addition greatly desired by our temple members.

During 1999, we were fortunate to acquire the western site, further raising hopes of constructing a Nokotsu-do. Six years later, during 2005, that hope was actualized as the Memorial Chapel of Immeasurable Light and Life, part of our Centennial Celebration. The dedication of that structure on August 28th of last year is a source of joy and happiness that will last for our lifetime.

And now, a year later, work on Banning Street so our temple compound will be one unified whole, is about to be completed. I cannot fully express the great joy that I feel about this, but it will be celebrated as part of our Annual Eitaikyo Service on November 19th (Sunday), starting at 10:00 AM.

As I am sure you are aware, Eitaikyo Services are conducted every year at all Jodo-Shinshu Buddhist temples. The term Eitaikyo is abbreviation for “Eitai Dokyo”, which means, “chanting sutras in perpetuity.” That, in turn, is short for “conducting memorial services in perpetuity by chanting sutras.” Its purpose is to express gratitude towards those who have preceded us in leaving this world by praising their virtue, and providing a venue where the Dharma can be heard.

An “Eitaikyo Record” was created for the first time at our Los Angeles Betsuin Buddhist Temple (although it was not Betsuin at the time) about the year 1908. This was just a few years after our temple was established. Almost a hundred years have passed since then, and the number of persons whose dharma names are listed in our Betsuin “Eitaikyo Record Book” now exceeds over 5,000. Individual families have made Eitaikyo contributions in the names of their departed loved ones, and each of their loved one’s Dharma Name (Homyo), name as a lay person (Zokumyo), and the date of their passing are recorded in the “Eitaikyo Record.”

There are three classes of Eitaikyo Services. They are the “Individual Eitaikyo Services” (Besshu Eitaikyo), “General Eitaikyo Services” (So Eitaikyo), and “Eitaikyo Services for Those without Family Ties” (Muen Eitaikyo).

The “Individual Eitaikyo Services” are services conducted every year on the date that the individual passed on to the Pure Land. The “General Eitaikyo Service” is held in common once a year for all those whose names are recorded in our Eitaikyo Record Book. At our temple, this is conducted every year during the month of November. And, “Eitaikyo Services for Those without Family Ties” are conducted every year for those who do not have a family, children or grandchildren, but those names are recorded in our “death registry” (Kakocho). You may be interested to know that the oldest Dharma name in our registry is of a person who passed away 131 years ago, during 1875! As of today, we have recorded over fifteen thousand Dharma Names in that register. At our temple, a combined Muen Eitaikyo Service is conducted for all these persons during July of every year with our Obon Services.

These Eitaikyo Services have been conducted generation after generation for a hundred years now, and will continue as long as our Los Angeles Betsuin Buddhist Temple exists. Observance of these services are made possible because of an Eitaikyo Endowment Fund that was created from donations by the chief mourners in the name of each person recorded in the Eitaikyo Record. Only the interest from the fund is used to defray the Eitaikyo Services.

However, proceeds from the Eitaikyo Endowment Fund are also used for other purposes. These include maintaining our structures and purchasing equipment for our Main Worship Area as well as audio-visual equipment and other means of spreading the Dharma. All this equipment is necessary for us to continue as a Dojo place to practice the Nembutsu Way.

It goes without saying that the sole reason we have been so successful in constructing our Hondo Main Worship Area, Multi-Purpose Hall, Memorial Chapel of Immeasurable Light and Life, Wisteria Chapel, and now in integrating all the separate areas of our properties into one unified whole, is because of the great support that you members of the temple have given to all of our temple efforts. Nor must we ever forget that the enormous sums required for all these enterprises are also due to the existence of the Eitaikyo Endowment Fund. Whenever we needed financial assistance, our Eitaikyo Endowment Fund always provided the fund to meet our goals. Because of this, we were able to realize all of the above-mentioned huge projects.

We have been able to continue as a Nembutsu Dojo in the United States with a history of a hundred years only because of the leadership and support of those who preceded us. That is the joy and gratitude that sustains us as we make preparations for the next hundred years of our existence.

With the above thought in mind, our Los Angeles Betsuin Buddhist Temple will conduct our annual Eitaikyo Service this coming November 18th (Saturday) and 19th (Sunday). A Service to commemorate the integration of our temple garden and parking lots will be conducted on the 19th (Sunday), starting at 10:00 AM. Our guest speaker for those services will be Rev. Tetsuo Unno, one of the most inspiring speakers in our BCA. This is an ideal time to deepen our understanding of the Dharma and to express our gratitude towards those who have preceded us. I hope to personally greet all of you then.

Namo Amida Butsu…

Back to:  Top  |  Rimban George Matsubayashi

Copyright © 200q6  by Nishi Hongwanji L.A.