Sunday, March 19
Both the Higanye Service and the JSBTCWF Dana Day will be held on Sunday, March 19. Higan means ‘reaching the other shore of (awakening)’. It is a service of reflection and renewal. Traditionally held on or near the equinox when day and night are of approximately equal duration all over the planet.
The Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada Women’s Federation (JSBTCWF) is our national women’s organization where each temple, across Canada, designates one service annually for the collection of “Dana” – giving without thought of receiving something in return. This year, the date for the Calgary Buddhist Temple is Sunday, March 19. All donations made on this day will be gratefully collected – please make any cheque contributions out to the Calgary Buddhist Temple – one cheque will then be sent to the national office. With the 2016 WF Dana Day funds collected last year, the amount of $2,000 each went to the Children’s Wish Foundation and Food Banks of Canada.
Last Sunday, we had an unveiling of a beautiful new scroll of Prince Shotuko, generously donated by Mrs Teruko Ikuta in memory of her husband, Rev S.K. Ikuta. Prince Shotoku, (574 – 622 AD), is legendary in Japanese Buddhism for establishing Buddhist principles and ethics as core values in Japanese society for the betterment of all. He dedicated his life to the spread of Buddhism in Japan, building many temples and dispatching envoys to China. This scroll will hang on the right side of the alter.