Event details
- Saturday | September 27, 2025
- 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm
- Jodo Mission of Hawaii, 1429 Makiki Street, Honolulu HI 96814
The Hawaii Association of International Buddhists (HAIB) presents its 2025 Dhammacakka Celebration:
Overcoming Adversity:
Transforming Anger & Fear into Forgiveness & Compassion
with Caroline E. Sakai, PhD
Saturday, September 27, 2025
12:30-4:00 PM
Jodo Mission of Hawaii
1429 Makiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96814
Registration: bit.ly/Dhammacakka2025
The Hawaii Association of International Buddhists welcomes you to join in celebration of the Dhammacakka, the first teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha. In this profound teaching, the Buddha revealed the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, encompassing the Middle Way and Dependent Co-origination — thereby setting in motion the Wheel of Dhamma and offering a path toward enlightenment for all.
Program Agenda
In the temple Hondo (worship space)
MC: Rev. Eric Matsumoto
| 12:30 pm | Opening and Welcome Remarks by President Min Min Thaw (on Zoom) Welcome speech: Bishop Kosen Ishikawa Vow of Humankind: Led by MC Rev. Eric Matsumoto |
| 12:40 pm | Chants from three schools of Buddhism Mahayana: Bishop Kosen Ishikawa, Jodo Mission of Hawaii Vajrayana: Venerable Lama Mingma, Kagyu Thegchen Ling , Hawaii Theravada: Venerable Sayadaw U Tosana, Sasana Gonyi Kyaung, CA (zoom) |
| 12:55 pm | Introduction of speaker Caroline E. Sakai, PhD by MC Rev. Eric Matsumoto |
| 1:00 pm | Keynote: Overcoming Adversity: Transforming Anger & Fear into Forgiveness & Compassion Dr. Sakai will share about Rwanda healing from genocide, and evolving from surviving to thriving, outrage to reconciliation, and rage to peace and harmony. She will provide experiences with hands-on tools for letting go of hurt and anger, and attaining enhanced resilience and compassion, inner calm, tranquility and peace. |
| 2:00 pm | Book sales and signing to support HAIB programs |
| 2:30 pm | Hawaii Gagaku Kai |
| 3:00 pm | Closing with Metta Sutta led by MC Rev. Eric Matsumoto |
| 3:15 pm | Refreshments and “Talk Story” with Dr. Sakai in Social Hall |
More About the Speaker
Caroline E. Sakai, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice, formerly chief psychologist at Kaiser Hawaii Behavioral Health Services. She has been deployed on trauma relief missions to New Orleans, Lahaina, and 12 years to Rwanda. She has published articles on Thought Field Therapy, EMDR, and domestic violence. Her book is Overcoming Adversity: How Energy Tapping Transforms Your Life’s Worst Experiences — A Primer for Posttraumatic Growth. See her website at www.tftcenter.com
More About HAIB
The Hawaii Association of International Buddhists, an all-volunteer nonprofit facilitated by Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana practitioners. Donations are welcome at https://www.hawaiibuddhists.org/donate. For more information please visit us at www.hawaiibuddhists.org or email us at hawaiibuddhists2021@gmail.com.