BCA’s ‘Past, Present, Future’ Highlighted After Eitaikyo Service

The full sweep of the BCA was on display in the program immediately following the annual National Council Meeting (NCM) and Eitaikyo Service on March 2 — and clearly lived up to its title, “A Promise Shared: Past, Present and Future.”

The virtual event, held at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple and led by master of ceremonies Eric Quock of the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, featured:

• Honoring retired ministers: Rev. Kakei Nakagawa, Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto and Rev. Dennis Hosei Shinseki;

• A Koromo presentation: Rev. Yukari Torii of the San Fernando Hongwanji Buddhist Temple; 

• Video presentations of gathas and songs: “Home to the Light and Life,” by dii Lewis; “Mindful Moments” by Cathy Quock and BJ Soriano; and “Next Chapter” by Albert Fujitsubo and Rene Maruyama with photos of members from 30 BCA temples and groups representing the BCA Music Committee; and 

• A conversation with young Jodo Shinshu Buddhists: Zora Uyeda-Hale and KC Mukai.

“The theme of this year’s (National Council Meeting) conference was ‘A Promise Shared,’” Eric Quock said in his opening remarks. “I was thinking about that. I took it to heart, and to me, that means ‘A Promise Shared’ is every time I enter the temple, every time I enter the temple grounds, fulfilling the wish of the founders who sacrificed so much in the past for us to be together right here, right now — the present. And for our future generations that will follow the same path, the Nembutsu path and continue the momentum of moving the Dharma forward.”

Ministerial Retirees

Bishop Rev. Marvin Harada recognized three ministerial retirees in the past year:

• Rev. Kakei Nakagawa, who retired Feb. 29, 2024, after serving 33 years as a Kaikyoshi minister. During his career, he served the Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple, Oxnard Buddhist Temple, Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara and White River Buddhist Temple. He was Rinban of the Fresno Betsuin, serving the Dinuba Buddhist Church, Buddhist Church of Fowler, Hanford Buddhist Church, Buddhist Church of Parlier, Reedley Buddhist Church and the Visalia Buddhist Temple. Rev. Harada also acknowledged Rev. Nakagawa’s wife, Rev. Midori Nakagawa, for her many years of serving all of the temples.

• Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto, who retired June 30, 2024, after serving 35 years as a Kaikyoshi minister and as a faculty member and President of the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS). His Kaikyoshi career included serving the Buddhist Church of Stockton and the Berkeley Buddhist Temple. Rev. Dr. Matsumoto retired as IBS President Emeritus.

• Rev. Dennis Hosei Shinseki, who retired June 30, 2024, after 30 years of service as a Kaikyoshi minister. He served the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, White River Buddhist Temple, Buddhist Temple of Salinas, Mountain View Buddhist Temple and the Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple. He continues to assist at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple as a retired part-time minister.

Koromo Award

Rev. Torii received the Koromo award from the BCA as the newest Kaikyoshi minister. Rev. Torii took part in the International Ministers Orientation Program (IMOP) in 2022, and was assigned to the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in 2024.

“We’re happy to have you and we look forward to your own deepening appreciation of the Nembutsu, teaching and sharing it with our members,” Rev. Harada said. 

In addition, Rev. Torii received a gift from the Federation of Buddhist Women’s Associations (FBWA). The gifts will assist Rev. Torii with the purchase of her ministerial robes and Okesa.

‘Mindful Moments’

The BCA Music Committee provided three videos to represent the present time of the program and it led to one of the highlights of the entire event — an emotional introduction by Cathy Quock to her lyrics for the new gatha, “Mindful Moments.”

Quock, a longtime member of the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, wrote “Mindful Moments” nearly three years ago as part of the gatha lyric writing contest for the BCA’s 125th anniversary project. She thanked the BCA Music Committee for pushing the project along and also credited BJ Soriano of Hilo, Hawaii, who composed the music to Quock’s lyrics, and to Elaine Jones, who arranged the music.

“Mindful Moments” was introduced in October 2024 at the Southern District Conference, and Quock gave special thanks to former BCA President Terri Omori, who organized the workshop to teach the music.

“I never dreamed that I would lose my sight,” Quock said. “It’s just not one of those things that you ever think about. But I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments. Of course, I’ve had a lot of help. Eric’s been here to help me along the way, and I actually think that I’ve had the ability from a very young age to freeze moments or memories. And in a way, I kind of feel like it was preparing me for the time like right now when I don’t have my sight.”

She described a memorable family vacation about 10 years ago in Hawaii.

“This was a big trip for us and we happened to be on the beach in Honolulu,” she said. “I said to everyone, ‘I want you to close your eyes and feel the sun against your skin. I want you to focus on what you can smell, what you hear because this is a moment, and we’re so lucky to be here in this moment.’

“And it was only after that that I really thought that’s kind of what it’s like to be mindful, right? You’re focused on that moment,” she continued. “You’re as aware as you possibly can be at that moment. And I just think that when you have a ‘mindful moment’ like that, that’s something that’s intentional. It’s easier to remember. And I think that’s helped me so much and I truly hope that helps many of you.” 

Quock described one of the lines in her gatha — “any time, any day, any where” — and said it’s easy to have a mindful moment when you’re happy. She noted a recent example — the pure joy she felt in holding her new baby grandson.

“I was so overwhelmed with love and gratefulness for everyone that came before me that that allowed that moment to happen,” she said. “But I would say that I actually think that it’s more powerful in times when you’re upset or frustrated. We live in a crazy world right now, but if you take a step back and if you can allow yourself to be grateful about something, then I think it takes off a whole lot of stress and a whole lot of frustration.”

Quock thanked the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple choir, choir director Alice Fukushima and Carl Yanari, who produced and edited the “Mindful Moments” video.

“I hope your future is filled with mindful moments,” she said just before the video began. 

Young Buddhists

The event concluded with a powerful, thought-provoking presentation from two of the BCA’s exceptional young Buddhists — Zora Uyeda-Hale and KC Mukai, both members of the Berkeley Buddhist Temple (BBT). 

Zora Uyeda-Hale is a third-year student at the University of California at Berkeley, double majoring in Society and Environment (S&E) and ethnic studies with a minor in human rights. She grew up in the Bay Area and has been involved with the Berkeley Buddhist Temple since third grade. She has played on the Berkeley Sangha basketball team and has served as president of the BBT Jr. YBA and the Bay District YBA. Currently, she’s a Senior YBA cabinet member.

KC Mukai grew up attending different temples in Central California, most prominently at the Buddhist Church of Fowler and Fresno Betsuin. She now attends BBT, where she serves on the Buddhists Living in Equality and Non-Discrimination (BLEND) and community outreach committees and recently joined the temple board of directors. She also is part of Buddhists for Ceasefire, which organizes events supporting Palestine and previously served as Senior YBA President. She also chaired the social justice committee of the Young Buddhist Editorial and participated in the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) 12 in Sacramento. Mukai works as the Assistant Director of Parent and Family Philanthropy at UC Berkeley.

Mukai, on behalf of herself and Uyeda-Hale, thanked the BCA for the invitation to take part in the event.

“While Zora and I are great representatives of youth of the BCA, we definitely don’t represent all of the youth of the BCA,” she said. “Our views that we express today are our own and just part of the dialogue that we wish to share with you.”

Mukai said what’s kept her connected to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism begins with “a place of gratitude, just for the stability of community that I’ve been privileged enough to grow up with in the Central Valley” that forged a “strong sense of cultural identity from that experience.

“And it’s because of that (Japanese American) lineage and that ancestry and that history that I have deepened my involvement today, and where I get a lot of my inspiration for continuing to stay involved today,” she said. “I think another facet of importance for connection in the BCA that has kept me grounded are the youth programs that I attended and was part of.

“It brought me to a sense of true appreciation for how the Nembutsu has impacted my life,” she continued. “And, whenever I recite the Nembutsu and I breathe deeper into myself, I become more present, and in that presence, I truly find gratitude.”

Uyeda-Hale agreed with Mukai and elaborated with her own description.

“When thinking about this question, community was the main word that came to mind for me as well,” she said. “And I think that being here at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple has been one of the biggest ways that I’ve stayed connected with my Japanese American heritage. But I also want to put out there that I feel so embraced in the wholeness of my identity, too, and I think for a lot of mixed race people here and people from all different walks of identity, I think that’s really important to feel that wholeness as well.”

She also credited her participation in the BCA’s youth programs. “I think that the compassion and guiding embrace of Amida Buddha is what I see that community embodies every day,” she said.

Uyeda-Hale cited an inspirational quote from Jack D. Forbes, who said, “One’s religion, then, is one’s life, not merely the ideal life, but the life as it is actually lived.” She said this “embodied the liberatory practice of what I want to strive for in the future and how I want to maintain my connection to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism as well.”

She cited a conversation with one of her Buddhist mentors and former BBT member Charlene Tonai Din about the future. Din brought up the idea of “third spaces” that temples could fulfill.

“‘Third spaces’ is the idea of community and social spaces outside of home and work,” Uyeda-Hale said. “I think these are even more crucial in times when we’re so polarized and people can feel very isolated because these spaces can really be not only for belonging but also for collective action, to break through that idea of powerlessness and to mobilize together. 

“I think outside of weekly Sunday services and all the other amazing programs that the BCA and the temples are putting on, I think that temples can also really embrace this concept of ‘third spaces,’ to see the Buddha-Dharma in many parts of our life, as well as really stress the interdependence with each other through this connection,” she continued.

Meanwhile, Mukai noted that BCA youth are not only part of the future — but active participants in the present. “I just wanted to emphasize the fact that youth do care and are active and we do very much care about the future of BCA,” she said. 

Uyeda-Hale said her faith in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism guides her and her activism through its teachings of interdependence. 

“My liberation is tied to the liberation of all others, all other beings in this existence,” she said. “I feel very grounded in this idea of the Pure Land in Nirvana and the return to help guide others to enlightenment and I think interdependence is one of the things in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism that guides me and my activism and why I continue to stay at the temple.

“I think ‘The Golden Chain’ of love that stretches around the world really reminds us that we are all utterly interdependent,” she continued. “And I think it can also, along with community, remedy some of the feelings of isolation and powerlessness that can easily arise in times of global suffering. I think it also reminds us that it is our commitment to all over the world, including in Palestine and Sudan and all these places that are disproportionately suffering right now, that this is our commitment to see and extend our compassion to these places.

“I think another way that I see Jodo Shinshu Buddhism being grounding is in intentionality,” she said. “When I think of an approach to an end of suffering, I think it can sometimes be easy to get caught up in being motivated from a place of the three poisons — greed, anger and ignorance.”

Mukai echoed Uyeda-Hale’s statement about Jodo Shinshu Buddhism coming from “a place of love and speaking from compassion and empathy,” and said her Buddhist practice has been concurrent with her political motivation and social awakening.

“I think in this moment, it’s particularly emotional and tough because we’re seeing an administration that is targeting immigrants in the same way that my family and my ancestors and community was targeted during World War II during incarceration,” Mukai said. “And to see this repetition of history being enacted in a time like this brings out a visceral response because I also think about the ways that Buddhists were more harshly prosecuted during World War II. Buddhist ministers were the first to be targeted and rounded up during World War II and were also more harshly prosecuted inside the camps for practicing our religion.”

Mukai quoted the late revered Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who said “Engaged Buddhism is just Buddhism.” This means that true Buddhist practice extends beyond the core Buddhist principles of mindfulness and compassion and includes actively engaging with and addressing social issues and suffering in the world. 

“I just want to emphasize that remembrance itself is an act of resistance,” Uyeda-Hale said, noting Mukai’s description of the Japanese American incarceration and persecution. 

“I think that it’s important to remember that these are our histories and these narratives that people have attempted to erase in one way or another,” she said. “I think it’s important to remember that our acts of remembrance, especially in community spaces, and remembrance in the way or tying it to current events and current struggles is an act of resistance. It’s important to remember that and maintain our heritage in these struggles.”

In his closing remarks, Eric Quock praised Mukai and Uyeda-Hale.

“I thank you for a mind-blowing discussion,” he said. “If this is any indication whatsoever (of BCA youth), I feel hopeful, and I also feel grateful so thank you so much for taking the time to join us today. Your perspectives really open a lot of our minds and I truly appreciate that being of the older generation. It’s good to learn from the youth. And you’re right. It’s not just looking at just the future, but you are also part of the present.”