VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1 • MARCH 2025

BISHOP’S CORNER
Carrying Forward the Gift of Nembutsu into 2025

BY REV. TOSHIYUKI UMITANI
BISHOP, HONPA HONGWANJI MISSION OF HAWAII

As this is the first issue of Ka Leo Kāhea for 2025, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and a Happy New Year to you. I truly appreciate your continued participation and contribution to the services and programs of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. I sincerely hope that 2025 will be a joyful and meaningful year for you.

Last year, HHMH observed the Triple Celebration, during which we celebrated the 850th Anniversary of Shinran Shonin’s Birth, the 800th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Jodo Shinshu Teaching, and the 135th Anniversary of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

The voices of the Nembutsu resounded in the banquet room, and I felt deeply moved and grateful to recite the Nembutsu together with many ministers and members in attendance.

I experienced immense gratitude for all the causes and conditions that have united us as the Nembutsu Sangha, and it renewed my commitment to dedicate my life to listening to and sharing the joy of Nembutsu with others.

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of the Triple Celebration – the Steering Committee members, the Choir, the HQ Staff, many members who volunteered their time and skills, speakers, the gagaku group from Yamaguchi, participants and many more.

In 2025, let us carry forward the joy and sense of oneness we experienced at the Triple Celebration in our hearts and minds, continue to listen to the Compassionate Call of Amida Buddha, and embody it in our daily lives at home, in the temple and in the community.

Today, our world and society are filled with many sad stories and incidents that truly hurt our feelings and challenge our spirits. We are confronted by a flood of suffering, injustice, and despair.

In the face of such turmoil, it is natural to reflect on questions like, “How should we live our lives”

“What can we do to bring peace, healing, and understanding into this fractured world?”

“What insights might Shinran Shonin offer us in these challenging times?”

As recipients of the Great Compassion, the Dharma reminds us of the interdependent nature of our lives and encourages us to be mindful of our actions, to practice kindness even when it feels difficult, to stand in solidarity with those in need, and to approach each day and every encounter with gratitude.

For me, this is Shinran Shonin’s gift — an invitation to step beyond my narrow, confined world into a realm of oneness and brotherhood within the Great Compassion. It is an invitation to embrace all beings as our family, to see beyond the differences that divide us, and to understand that our own liberation is tied to the liberation of all.

Let us rejoice in this wonderful condition of encountering the Dharma, and let us work together to create a temple and community where the Great Compassion flourishes, a temple that fosters open dialogue, supports compassionate service, and creates a safe and welcoming space for all.

I believe this is how we can repay a debt of gratitude we have received.

Namo Amida Butsu