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.

Life is suffering - The first noble truth ... Shakyamuni Buddha Sensei Siebuhr delivers this week's dharma talk. Sensei discusses in depth what is meant by "life is suffering". We are all dying. Dwelling on the human situation would be very depressing but examined from a different philosophy it could lead to a constructive conclusion. What does it mean to be a human being not to suffer the torment about imminent death? Human suffering leads to enlightenment.

300 or 10, You never know who's listening. ... Sensei Kono

Service this week is in honor of the founder of the Midwest Buddhist Temple, Sensei Gyodo Kono. Sensei Kono came to Chicago directly from the relocation camps of World War II. A majority of Japanese-Americans resettled on the West Coast upon release from the camps. Chicago and the Midwest was a secondary destination.

Reverend Kono came to Chicago to serve the Japanese community and founded the Midwest Buddhist Temple 34 years ago. Reverend Kono also undertook the ambitious task of constructing what is now the home of the Midwest Buddhist Temple on 435 W. Menomonee dedicated in 1971.

Sensei Miyamura, having served under Sensei Kono, has many stories to tell about him. The way Reverend Kono learned English was especially insightful to his ability to overcome obstacles in creative ways.

Today is Bodhi Day, the day that Shakyamuni Buddha obtained enlightenment. Unlike Buddhist teachings of Shakyamuni's time, Shinran Shonin taught that you can attain enlightenment without the discipline of lifelong meditation or being part of the privileged class. Sensei talks a little about the history of our tradition, the Pureland sect of Buddhism, and how we came to being. Sensei also tells about the historical relationship between the Midwest Buddhist Temple and the Buddhist Temple of Chicago. Another interesting fact is the historical relationship between Nichiren and Shin-Buddhists. This is a must listen for people who are curious about the history of Shin-Buddhism. You can also access an archive of several years of past talks from iTunes. Search for "Midwest Buddhist Temple" in iTunes and you should be able to locate our archive.

Sorry for missing last week's upload. I think I've ironed out all the bugs and we should be back on schedule. This week Sensei starts his talk with the Amida sutra or the longer chant. He then explores the Buddhist position on striving or competition in modern life. He then closes with his thoughts on music in Buddhist practice and sings along to a J-pop song. I will try to find the lyrics for this song and post them to MidwestBuddhistTemple.org You can also access an archive of several years of past talks from iTunes. Search for "Midwest Buddhist Temple" in iTunes and you should be able to locate our archive.

We're back on the air. Sorry for the hiatus. The podcast recorder was down due to a hardware failure.

Sensei Siebuhr talks about what's mistakenly called ojuzu beads. In shin-buddhism these beads are called o-nenju. Sensei also describes what buddhists are doing when they clasp their hands in what looks like prayer. Buddhists do not believe in petitionary prayers or requests to a superior being.

Sensei also talks about his conversation with someone who is seeks tranquility in his life.Sensei Siebuhr talks about

Sensei talks about Buddhist views on animals and their relative stature to humans. He refers to the Jataka Tales during his talk.

Sensei talks about many things today. The common thread of his talk is of lifes impermanence, all beings will die. Just as each person must live their life alone, so must we experience death alone.

With life being so short let us live everyday and try to be kind to all people. We must let go of wrongs done to us in the past and forgive those who have wronged us.

This service talks about the fall ohigan. Shin Buddhists observe ohigan twice a year at the fall and spring equinoxes where the day and night are of equal duration. Symbolically this instance of equal day and night is represented by the painting "Two Rivers and White Path."

Sensei talks about the ideas represented by this famous Buddhist painting.

Sensei finds some old papers which causes him to reflect upon change and how that change affects the Temple. Sensei talks about the change and the future of the Midwest Buddhist Temple.

http://www.midwestbuddhisttemple.org

This week's dharma talk is given by Sensei Siebuhr. This week commemorates the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This segment commences with an interview of a survivor of the Hiroshima devastation and ends with a short talk by Sensei.

For those listeners in the Chicagoland area, this weekend is the 53rd Annual Ginza Festival. Come down to the Temple for the BEST teriyaki chicken in Chicago. Visit our website for details.

This week's dharma talk is given by Sensei Siebuhr. Sensei starts with an explanation of "What is the Buddhists' Bible?".

This week's talk is given by Ellen Dunleavy, a lay dharma leader. Ellen tells a personal story which causes her to reflect on the fact that we're not the center of the universe except where infinite compassion is concerned.

This weekend we celebrated Obon, a Japanese date honoring the dead. Part of the Obon tradition is a group dance or Bon Odori. Sensei briefly talks about the origins of Obon and then goes on to tell of the fable of the monkey and the Buddha.

This week's talk is given by Kay Schroeter, a lay dharma leader of the Midwest Buddhist Temple. Kay reflects upon the writings of Reverend Kono, the founding minister of the Midwest Buddhist Temple.

This week Sensei is inspired by monuments in memory of senseless destruction and the story of one of the Buddha's followers to muse on human ignorance.

What do fatherhood and Buddhism have in common? This Father's Day Sensei explores the connection.

On the day which we remember Prince Shotoku's legacy, Sensei discusses his own short comings in light of the promise of the Nembutsu.

Of rivers and reality. Sensei uses metaphor to graphically illustrate the dangers of delusion.

In his portrait of Shinran Shonin, Sensei illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of the man who would guide us to the not so easy path to enlightenment.

This week Temple Member, Jason Matsumoto, asks the question: How can we reconcile our expectations of ourselves in our competitive society with the Buddha's Four Nobel Truths?

This week Sensei relates what the Buddha knew 2500 years ago - the truth about human behavior.

Sensei returns to tell us about attending the Pope's inter-faith meeting and muses on religious differences and common values.

Our Sensei is travelling this week, in his place Roger Suekama, a longtime member of the sangha, delivers this week's dharma talk. Roger reminds us to be mindful of our inter-connectedness, and to foster gratitude for all those who touch our lives.

On Buddha's birthday Sensei focuses not on the circumstances of his birth but explains rather what the Buddha awakened to; something to celebrate every day - infinite compassion.
 

This week Rev. Ron Miyamura examines the surprisingly symbiotic relationship between our differences and our dependence on one another.
 

Is that spot legal?  Sensei observes the physical and moral complexities of parking in Chicago leading him to contemplate ignorance, delusion and compassion.
 

Living on a speck of dust. This week Sensei discusses the nature of faith and gratitude in the contexts of the Nembutsu and the recently released movie Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears A Who."

There are many paths to enlightenment and various Buddhist practices toward that goal.  Sensei illustrates with a video on Japanese Zen Buddhism the differences between that extremely austere practice and Jodo Shinshu's Nembutsu path.

This week Sensei examines the connection between the Buddha's (famous) last words: Be a Lamp Unto Yourself and controlling one's ego.

Sensei Ashikaga is the minister for the Buddhist Temple of Chicago (BTC) located in the uptown neighborhood of Chicago.

Sensei Siebuhr uses the ice hes gathered from the Temple's parking as a prop for this week's dharma talk. He makes the comparison of the ice's frozen grip on the asphalt to the grip of your ego on your thoughts.