2008.12.31 Rev. Siebuhr

Sensei Siebuhr conducts our yearly New Year's Eve service. We introduce the service with the ringing of the Temple's bell. This is followed by chanting the San Butsuge (http://www.shindharmanet.com/writings/sanbutsuge.htm). This is followed by a short dharma talk where Sensei reflects upon the impermanance of life and how we should not take our existence for granted. Sensei then explains why it is a Japanese Buddhist tradition to ring in the New Year by ringing the bell 108 times. The number 108 is the 108 blind passions (http://www.michineko.de/culture/silvesteregl.htm) humans are subject to.