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What is The Living Dharma? The "Dharma" refers to the teachings of Buddhism, the essence of which is the impermanent and interdependent nature of all life. But "Dharma" also refers to the everyday experiences of our lives that make these teachings come alive. That's why we say the Dharma is "living." Ultimately, The Living Dharma is about the compassion that naturally arises in us when we reflect deeply on what it means to be a human being. |
 What Is Buddhism?
Why be a Buddhist? |
Above: WCBT's 2012 Obon Festival is coming Saturday, June 30!
Of the many popular aspects of Obon, the Bon Odori dancing is the highlight because, as a kind of celebratory "group dance," it symbolizes the world of oneness that is the goal of the Buddhist teaching. Anyone can learn the dances at the free public dance instruction offered from 7 to 8:30 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays: June 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26.
Coming Events: Regular Sunday Services in May will be on May 6, 13, and 27; May 20 at 10:00 am is our annual Tanjo-e Service honoring the birth of Jodo Shinshu founder Shinran Shonin.
Please join us if you can.
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Common Misconceptions About Buddhism
All about reincarnation, paganism, suffering, meditation, "prayer," and more |
Frequently Asked Questions
We frequently receive questions about visiting our temple, finding a Buddhist temple nearby, coming to Buddhism from another faith, coping with illness or death, and others. If you have a similar question, please read our FAQ page. We also have a special Buddhism 101 Page with frequently asked questions from students. |
The Living Dharma Search Page
Over the years, numerous contributions from a diverse collection of authors have made the Living Dharma Website a rich resource for insights into the Buddhist teachings. Search our entire site for info on Buddhist terms, for essays by a specific Buddhist teacher, or for info on a specific topic of interest to you. |
About West Covina Buddhist Temple
E-mail Us: We welcome your questions and comments.
Map: Please visit us if you live in or are visiting the Southern California area.
Temple Calendar: Everyone is always welcome at our Sunday Services.
The Gateway: Read the current edition of WCBT's monthly newsletter.
WCBT 50th Anniversary Page: View many scenes from our 2009 celebration.
Videos:
A Brief History of Shin Buddhism From Shakyamuni to Today: This 18 min. video (15MB) traces the development of Shin Buddhism from Shakyamuni's core teachings, through the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, the Seven Masters, Shinran, Rennyo, and Kiyozawa.
Three Gathas: the 4 Higashi Honganji California temples combine to sing three popular gathas (songs) with the backing of WCBT's Bodhi Tree youth band! This is an 8-1/2 min music video (68MB). |
Real World Buddhism
Buddhism is all around us everyday,
in all forms of media |
New & Featured Articles:
A Buddhist Interpretation of "My Grownup Christmas List": This ever-popular song is, of course, a “Christmas song,” but actually, this song isn’t really about Christmas; it expresses key Buddhist themes, themes that are not only important during the holidays, but year-round and indeed, life-long.
Sharon Stone: Balancing Religion and Acting, Buddha and God: Actress Stone recalls a turning point in her life and how Buddhism and her belief in God coexist in her life.
Steve Jobs—Connecting the Dots: Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple Computer, passed away on October 5, 2011, and there were global expressions of sadness and naturally, gratitude for all his cool inventions. But as great as Steve’s technological accomplishments were, this essay discusses his 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University. It is quite possible that generations from now, Steve will be remembered for his commencement address. In this talk he shared the Buddha-dharma itself.
Peace, Harmony, and Co-existence: Rev. Kodo Umezu, Director of the Jodo Shinshu Center’s Center for Buddhist Education, was invited to give a talk at the United Nations, a very auspicious occasion. Buddhism, specifically Shin Buddhism, is slowly becoming more well-known both in the West and internationally.
How We Can Help Our Earth: Emerging trends in our environment appear to be warning signs that we can no longer take our planet's natural resources for granted; we must strive now to establish a sustainable future.
An Inconvenient Truth: In her review of Al Gore's movie, Carol Shimizu states, "As a Buddhist, this movie drove home the idea of 'cause and effect' and 'selflessness,' that what we do now has an effect on others. It may be an 'inconvenience' to recycle or to purchase a hybrid car as opposed to a slick sports car or SUV, but in being selfless, we can affect millions of lives."
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The Living Dharma Library
Memorable Dharma talks, essays, retreats and seminars |
New & Featured Articles:
WCBT 2012 Family Retreat/Why Me? Why Not?: A Closer Look at the Meditation Sutra: At this retreat, Bishop Nori Ito deepened our appreciation of the timeless story of Queen Vaidehi by revealing the link between this ancient teaching of the Buddha, our Jodo Shinshu tradition, and most importantly, our everyday lives today.
The Heart of Reverence: The key to having the courage to accept life's challenges and being able to live our lives to the fullest, says Bishop Ko Yasuhara, the Head Administrator of Higashi Honganji, is the Nembutsu. "The Nembutsu teaches us the importance of being humble, of awakening to the sense of humility. And the ultimate form of humility is the heart of reverence. Every religion begins with the heart of reverence, but especially in Buddhism, the heart of reverence is very important."
Growing the Sangha: Rev. Ron Miyamura, head minister of Chicago's Midwest Buddhist Temple, adds new insights regarding the issues facing our changing Shin Sanghas in 21st century America. Like most Buddhist temples located in urban centers, Rev. Miyamura notes the growing interest in Buddhism from Americans not from traditional Shin Buddhist families. As he states, "Obviously, the real growth of our Temple has to be from these non-traditional members. Additionally, it goes without saying, the future of our Temples depends on this group of new members. This is the real challenge for the next 20 years. I do not have a magic wand that I can wave to ensure our future. In recent years, we see a lot of initial interest in Buddhism, but we do not know how to transform that interest into a curiosity enough to join the Sangha."
Issues in the Propagation of Shin Buddhism in the West: In this essay, Dr. Alfred Bloom offers eight bold suggestions for a more effective propagation of Shin Buddhism, such as the importance of having a "minister of propagation," a person able to develop a philosophy of propagation, pinpoint areas where new Shin communities can be initiated, and develop strategies and programs for sharing Shin Buddhism. In addition, he suggests focusing propagation efforts outside traditional ethno-centric temples and also encouraging lay members to take a much more active role in sharing the teaching. Overall, it is crucial to be able to articulate why Shin is a meaningful way of life today. As he puts it, "The traditional Shin terms must be translated, not merely linguistically, but philosophically, into understandable and relevant religious concepts and principles for the Western mind."
Searching for the Way: Not having been raised a Buddhist, Reiko Ikehara Nelson explains that she had previously only encountered its teachings during funerals and memorial services, but that somehow, "I remembered the beauty of the poem “White Ashes” and decided it was time to learn and study Buddhism. Something clicked within me. It’s been a little over a year but the teachings of impermanence, suffering, the inter-connectedness of all life, and living in the present moment have opened up a new way for me to view and live my world."
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Kids Pages!
WCBT's youth groups range from pre-schoolers through college-aged |
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The Living Dharma Bookstore
These are all highly recommended books (see more books in the store) |
| Please browse our selection of outstanding books on Buddhism |
River of Fire, River of Water |
The Seeker |
Buddhism: A Concise Introduction |
Buddhism Plain and Simple |
Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan |
Letters of the Nun Eshinni |
Heard By Me |
Buddhism of the Heart |
Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations |
Buddha in Your Backpack: Everyday Buddhism for Teens |
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The Tannisho Homepage
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In his modern translation, Dr. Taitetsu Unno, Professor of Religion at Smith College, movingly captures the timeless essence of this Shin Buddhist classic. |
Buddhist Glossary
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What those Buddhist terms mean (a bibliographic reference) |
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E-mail Us: The Living Dharma website is an experiment to find new ways to share the timeless teachings of Buddhism on the World Wide Web. As such, we're interested in what you think of our site, and welcome your questions and comments. From time to time, we put a few of these on our various E-mail Pages (e-mail addresses omitted): Coming to Buddhism From Other Faiths, Buddhism and Death, Buddhism 101 (questions from students).
Map: Please feel welcome to visit us in person at West Covina Buddhist Temple. Since 1997, many people have visited WCBT...one couple even visited us from Belgium (while on vacation, of course)!
Temple Calendar: Everyone is always welcome at our Sunday Services, which usually start at 10:00 am. However, we occasionally have afternoon services, so check our Calendar first.
Temple Address:West Covina Buddhist Temple, 1203 W. Puente Ave, West Covina, CA 91790
Mailing Address: West Covina Buddhist Temple, PO Box 1616, West Covina, CA 91793
The Gateway: Read or download the current edition of WCBT's monthly newsletter, “The Gateway,” which offers not only a glimpse into temple events and people, but also Buddhist essays and responses to some of the interesting e-mail questions we receive from all over the web.
The Living Dharma Staff: These are the Sangha members who work on this website under the guidance of Rev. Kenjun Kawawata. |
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Buddhist Temple Locations and Recommended Buddhist Sites: Check here to find a Buddhist Temple to visit or join, or to browse our list of recommended Buddhist websites, all of which offer additional Buddhist teachings. |
