Hawaii State Lay Association 2025 Convention
Theme: “Let’s Be the Authors of Our Future!”
Bishop’s Message via Zoom from Japan
Bishop Toshiyuki Umitani
September 13, 2025
Good morning, everyone. It is truly a joy to be with you at this Lay Convention, and I thank you for giving me this opportunity to share a message.
First, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Mr. Russell Nonaka, President of the Hawaii State Lay Association, and to this year’s Convention Co-Chairs, Mr. Rick Tabor and Ms. Rene Mansho, for their leadership and dedication in making this gathering possible.
Although I am not able to be with you in person, I am grateful to join you virtually this morning from Tokyo, Japan. While we are separated by distance and time, we are united in the Dharma. I hope you are enjoying the convention—renewing friendships, making new ones, and most importantly, sharing in the joy of the Nembutsu with fellow members from across our temples.
The theme of this year’s convention is both meaningful and timely: “Let’s be the authors of our future.”
When we hear the word author, we usually think of someone who writes a book. But more deeply, an author is someone who originates, creates, and brings something into being. Each of us, in our own way, is already an author. Through the choices we make, the values we live by, and the stories we share, we are continually writing the future—not only for ourselves, but for the generations to come.
In our Jōdo Shinshū tradition, so many individuals can be called “authors.”
- Shakyamuni Buddha, who awakened to the truth of impermanence and interdependence more than 2,500 years ago.
- His disciples, who carried his teaching forward.
- The Seven Masters of India, China, and Japan—Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, Tan-luan, Tao-cho, Shan-tao, Genshin, and Hōnen—whom Shinran Shōnin revered as teachers of the Dharma.
- Shinran Shōnin himself, who clarified the Pure Land path for ordinary people like us.
- Rennyo Shōnin, the 8th Monshu, who revitalized the Hongwanji.
- Countless ministers and lay followers who embodied the Dharma through their lives.
- Ministers of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, past and present.
- And all of you—faithful members of our sangha today.
Each of these individuals, in their own time and place, received the Dharma and shared the Compassion of Amida Buddha. In doing so, they became authors of the Jōdo Shinshū tradition.
Shinran Shōnin himself once said:
How joyous I am, Gutoku Shinran, disciple of Sakyamuni! Rare is it to come upon the sacred scriptures from the westward land of India and the commentaries of the masters of China and Japan, but now I have been able to encounter them. Rare is it to hear them, but already I have been able to hear. Reverently entrusting myself to the teaching, practice, and realization that are the true essence of the Pure Land way, I am especially aware of the profundity of the Tathagata’s benevolence. Here I rejoice in what I have heard and extol what I have attained.
(From “The True Teaching, Practice, and Realization of the Pure Land Way”)
Although he composed profound writings—the Kyōgyōshinshō, Shōshinge, and Wasan—Shinran Shonin never saw himself as the originator of something new. He humbly regarded himself as a disciple of Hōnen, and above all, as a recipient of Amida Buddha’s Vow. His life was simply one of gratitude—rejoicing in what he had received, and sharing what he had realized.
Rev. Sokusui Murakami once offered a beautiful analogy.
If we compare Jōdo Shinshū to a delicious feast, then the ingredients of the feast are the Primal Vow of Amida taught in the Larger Sutra.
Just as all the nutrients necessary for sustaining human health are contained within the ingredients, so too, all the workings that transform our delusion and open us to enlightenment are contained within Amida’s Primal Vow.
However, no matter how rich in nutrition the ingredients may be, if they remain only as raw ingredients, they are neither delicious nor a feast.
It is only when the ingredients are skillfully prepared in various ways and seasoned with care by a talented cook that they become a delicious meal that stirs our appetite.
The Seven Patriarchs of India, China, and Japan may be thought of as those who, each in their own country and their own era, seasoned the “ingredients” of Amida’s Primal Vow in a way that suited the people of their time.
Although the final forms of the dishes may differ, the ingredients are always the same — Amida’s Primal Vow.
And then, carefully presenting each of these completed dishes, arranging them on the table, and inviting us, saying, “Come, let us all partake together” — that, we may say, is what Shinran Shonin has done for us.
Our role, then, is not to reinvent the Dharma, but to share in this nourishing feast with deep gratitude—and to invite others to the table as well.
As I reflect on my own life as a minister, I feel profoundly fortunate for the many teachers, colleagues, and sangha members who guided me along the way. And I am sure each of you, too, can recall someone—a parent, grandparent, minister, or friend—who gently guided you toward the Nembutsu, helping you to discover the comfort and joy of Amida Buddha’s Compassion.
This is why the theme of this convention is so meaningful. To be the authors of our future means that each of us, ministers and laypeople alike, has the opportunity and responsibility to guide others by sharing our own story of the Dharma.
Our Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii is sustained not only by the teachings, but also by the stories of people who lived in the teachings: Your story of attending Sunday service with your family. Your story of finding comfort in the Nembutsu during times of grief. Your story of creating a welcoming space among dharma friends.
Each story becomes a chapter in the living book of Jōdo Shinshū in Hawaii. When shared, these stories inspire others to entrust themselves to the boundless Compassion of Amida Buddha.
In that spirit, I am deeply proud of the many programs and services we have undertaken together: the Social Concerns Committee, Peace Day, the Archives Committee, Green Hongwanji Initiatives, the Minister’s Lay Assistant Program, Project Dana, the Living Treasures of Hawai‘i Program, and many temple-based activities by the Jr. YBA, Young Adults, BWA, and so many others. These efforts are living expressions of our shared authorship.
Last year, the HHMH observed the 135th Anniversary. And this year, we also celebrate important milestones: Moiliili Hongwanji BWA’s 100th anniversary, Kona Hongwanji BWA’s 125th, Lihue Hongwanji’s 125th, and Lanai Hongwanji’s 100th. These milestones remind us of the sacrifices and dedication of those who came before us. I cannot help but express gratitude for the many causes and conditions that brought us together as the Hongwanji Sangha in Hawaii. Their stories of compassion, gratitude, and friendship have paved the way for us to listen to and live by the Dharma today.
We also prepare to say farewell to Waianae Hongwanji Mission, which will close at the end of this year. Of course, this is a moment of sadness. But let us not see it only as an ending. Throughout Buddhist history, temples have risen, declined, and transformed—but the Dharma has never ceased to flow. We must ensure that the legacy of Waianae Hongwanji will continue in new forms, and its stories will live on as part of the great tapestry of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
Sailing together on the turbulent ocean of uncertainty is not easy. But we are not adrift. The Nembutsu is our guiding star. It assures us that even amid division and conflict, the Dharma has the power to enrich our lives and bring peace to our hearts.
Together, as ministers and laypeople, we listen deeply to the Dharma and affirm its truth in our lives. Shinran Shōnin reminds us that we are all embraced by Amida Buddha’s Boundless Compassion—just as we are, with all our differences, limitations, and imperfections. In this realization, we see that we are already bound together in Amida’s “Golden Chain of Love.”
With that, let us continue to make our temples places of welcome, warmth, and belonging where the voices of the Nembutsu are heard. Let us work together for a society where everyone can live with dignity, happiness, and spiritual fulfillment.
And so, I return to the theme of this convention: Each of us, in our own way, is an author. Through the choices we make, the values we uphold, and the stories we share, we are writing the future—both for ourselves and for generations to follow.
So, my dear dharma friends, as authors, what kind of story will you share?
Thank you. Namo Amida Butsu.