Living with Mental Illness
On Saturday, May 18 at 2:00 p.m. the Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara welcomes you to join us for an enlightening seminar on the subject of Living with Mental Illness. Mental Illness is often misunderstood and stigmatized in our society, and our hope is that this seminar will provide an opportunity to approach this issue from a perspective of wisdom and compassion.
For this seminar, Dr. Steven Ino, Clinical Psychologist at the University of California Santa Barbara, will be joining us to share his experience and insights on the following topics:
- Understanding Mental Illness
- Overcoming prejudice and stigmatization
- Resources available for help
This seminar will conclude our eight-part series addressing pressing issues in contemporary life from a Buddhist perspective, drawing on practical advice from experienced professionals and the enduring wisdom of the Buddhist tradition. We will conclude with an open discussion of Buddhist perspectives on the continual existence of suffering.
Please see the attached flyer for more information.
All are welcome to join us for this seminar free of charge.
Kindly share this information with anyone who might be interested in attending this seminar.
In gratitude,
Rev. Henry Toryo Adams
Supervising Minister
Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara
1015 East Montecito Street (Map/Directions)
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Tel. (805) 483-5948
E-mail: mail@buddhistchurchofsantabarbara.org
 Seminar Flyer
The 2012 picnic was fun!
VHBT members and their guests are invited to a joint picnic with the West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple on Sunday, June 9, from 11am-3pm.
Location: Blanco Park
5801 Sawtelle Blvd (just east of Sepulveda) (map)
Culver City CA 90232
Please contact Jayme Heyl and let her know if you will bring an appetizer, salad, dessert, or drinks; the Temple will provide the main dish. You may also want to bring lawn chairs, bikes/scooters, and outdoor games.
Everyone is welcome to attend morning service at VHBT at 9:30am before the picnic.
Pictures from last year’s picnic
The Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple had an opportunity to take part in an episode of East of Main Street, an HBO documentary series that has been produced for the past three years to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This year’s episode, Milestones, focuses on how different groups of Asian Americans mark the milestones throughout their lives. East of Main Street: Milestones can be viewed on select days on HBO Family Channel, and throughout the entire month of May via HBO On Demand, or streamed to a mobile or internet device through HBO GO (if you are an HBO subscriber).
Current air times (dates subject to change. For latest schedule, please click here, then click the button that says All Showings).
Saturday, May 18, 5:30PM, HBO Family East
Saturday, May 18, 8:30PM, HBO Family West
Sunday, May 26, 9:00PM, HBO Family East
Monday, May 27, 12:00AM, HBO Family West
Monday, May 27, 2:35AM, HBO Family East
Monday, May 27, 5:35AM, HBO Family West
*Note: all times Pacific Time zone
>> Stream to mobile device via HBO GO
The theme for the 2013 Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Film Festival is “The Social Face of Buddhism.” We will be screening documentary films that address the topics of the environment, war, tolerance, and economic responsibility, and talk about the Shin Buddhist response to these issues. The Film Festival will run on four consecutive Saturdays, May 4 through May 25, from 11AM-1PM.
The first film, on May 4, will be “The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara.” IMDb summarizes the movie as “a film about the former US Secretary of Defense and the various difficult lessons he learned about the nature and conduct of modern war.” It won the Academy Award in 2004 for Best Documentary, Features.
The second film, on May 11, will be “Sacco and Vanzetti.” IMDB: “The story of two Italian immigrant radicals who were executed in 1927 offers insights into present-day issues of civil liberties and the rights of immigrants.”
The third film, on May 18, will be “The Take.” IMDB: “In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act – the take – has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head.”
The last film, on May 25, will be “Koyaanisqatsi (Life Out of Balance).” Richard Modiano (VHBT resident film critic/educator): “Koyaanisqatsi is a visually-stunning non-narrative film depicting a life and world out of balance. Koyaanisqatsi is a Hopi word meaning one of five things: crazy life, life in turmoil, life disintegrating, life out of balance, and a state of life that calls for another way of living.”
The VHBT Buddhist Film Festival is sponsored by the VHBT Buddhist Education Committee. Admission to each screening is $5 per person. There will be some refreshments, but feel free to bring your own. For more information about the Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Film Festival, visit the film festival’s Facebook page or contact Richard Modiano.
Congratulations to our first class of Wisteria Award students, who were presented with their certificates of completion on March 24, 2013. The participants of this first class were Rob Coe, Jayme Heyl, Emily Kariya, Scot Kawano, Milnes Kurashige, Richard Modiano, David Nishina, Janis Ozaki, and Ethel Sato.
The next session begins this Sunday, April 14. Classes will meet on Sundays from 1PM-3PM.
Schedule
April 14, 21, 28
May 5, 19
June 2
Opportunities for make-up classes are offered on an ad hoc basis, based on available time and scheduling. If interested, please contact Jayme Heyl.
For more information about the Wisteria Award, click here.
The Venice Japanese American Memorial Marker (VJAMM) is closer to materializing. An agreement has just been negotiated with the adjacent property owner of the car wash, and the project will be able to go forward with building permits soon. Still to be done are soil testing, grading inspection, structural engineering, and a presentation before the Cultural Affairs Commission. But labor costs, materials, fuel, and taxes have increased, so funds must continue to be raised. About $80,000 has been raised to date, but about $20,000 is still needed.
There will be a fundraiser to benefit the VJAMM on Thursday, April 25, sponsored by Hama Sushi Restaurant in Venice.
Between 12 noon and 2pm, enjoy a bento lunch for $20 (eat-in or carry out), which includes chicken teriyaki, cucumber and potato salads, spicy tuna and California roll, shrimp and vegetable tempura, plus water or soda. A vegetarian option is also available. 100% of the profits go to the Memorial fund.
Return later for a sushi dinner. From 7pm-11pm, 10% of all sales go towards VJAMM.
For ordering information, please see this flyer:
VJAMM Fundraiser Form
The Venice Hongwanji A.B.A. is sponsoring their 33rd Annual Country Style Breakfast on Sunday, April 21, 2013, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Temple. The price of the breakfast is $7.00 per plate. The breakfast menu will consist of delicious Homemade “Chashu” Fried Rice, Eggs, Sausages, Orange Slices, Orange Juice & Coffee.
You may purchase breakfast tickets from the following individuals: Carey Tokirio, Joyce Enomoto, Tomoko Fukuda, Joe Belli, David Nishina, or Kenji Koda. Tickets will also be available at the door on the morning of the breakfast.
Please contact Carey Tokirio or Joe Belli should you have any questions regarding this breakfast. We thank you for your continued participation for this event.
Sincerely in Gassho,
Venice Hongwanji A.B.A.
This Sunday, March 24, at 10AM, the Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple will have its spring ohigan service with Reverend Ken Fujimoto, Rinban of the San Jose Betsuin. After otoki lunch, the Buddhist Education Committee will be holding a book club meeting, led by Rev. Fujimoto. The book club selection for this meeting is The Dharma of Star Wars.
 Hatsumairi (Infant Presentation Ceremony) is a ceremony in which a child is presented to Amida Buddha for the first time. The Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple traditionally holds its Hatsumairi in conjunction with the Hanamatsuri service celebrating the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha. This year, the combined Hanamatsuri/Hatsumairi service will take place on Sunday, April 7, 2013, at 10:00AM.
If you would like your child or grandchild to take part in this ceremony, please complete the form below, and return to Rev. John Iwohara by March 31. Hatsumairi families should arrive with their infant at the temple by 9:30AM on April 7. If you have any questions regarding Hatsumairi, please feel free to contact Rev. Iwohara at sensei@vhbt.org.
Hatsumairi Application Form
 In partnership with the Japanese American Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee, Japanese American Korean War Veterans, Go for Broke National Education Center, and Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670, the Institute for Healthy Aging at Keiro is presenting a free seminar focusing on issues affecting veterans.
Presentations:
- Successful Aging, by Thomas Yoshikawa, Deputy Chief of Staff for Geriatrics, Extended Care and Special Projects, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.
- Psychological and Emotional Well-Being, by Donald S. Hiroto, Ph.D., Associate Clinical Professor, UCLA.
- VA Benefits, by Ramon Silva, Senior Veterans Service Representative; Garry Monji, Assistant Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Officer.
| When: |
Saturday, April 6, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to noon. |
| Where: |
Keiro Retirement Home
Activity Center Auditorium
325 South Boyle Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Map |
For more information or to RSVP, please call Brandon Leong, Community Resources Manager, (323) 980-2352 or bleong@keiro.org
Flyer/Registration Form
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Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple