Greetings... from Ralph Honda, Chairman, Temple Operations

Welcome to the Buddhist Temple of San Diego

On behalf of the temple Board of Directors, I wish to extend a gracious hello and thank all those individuals who have supported the temple over the years. If you are new to the Buddhist Temple of San Diego, welcome. Established in 1926, the temple has been the inspirational foundation for followers of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in this region for generations. Today the temple offers a wide variety of programs for all ages. We hope you'll be able to join us at one of our upcoming events soon.

Weekly Services: The temple is open for worship almost every Sunday, 11 months out of the year, from September through July. Services begin at 10 a.m. The service includes chanting, meditation, Dharma messages, Dharma school for children infants through high school and adult discussion class. The temple does have accessibility to view the weekly services from the Sangha Hall (little chapel) for individuals who find it difficult to negotiate climbing stairs to the Hondo (main chapel).

Spritual Leadership: The temple and its sangha is grateful for the guidance of our resident minister, Rev. Yushi Mukojima. Rev. Mukojima conveys the Buddhist teachings in both English and Japanese. The temple is also grateful for the services of two associate ministers, Rev. Jim Yanagihara, Retired, and Rev. Akira Hata, Retired,  to share the Dharma.

Buddhist Education Committee (BEC): Under the guidance of our resident minister, the BEC prepares programs throughout the year. The BEC schedules lectures, classes,and other events. The lay members of the BEC also assist the ministerial staff in responding to requests from the community for more information about Buddhism. Members of the BEC also conduct Buddhist services at the Marine Corp Recruit Depot twice a month. Religious Programs: In addition to the weekly services, the temple observes major services eight times a year. Guest speakers (typically ministers) from other temples, share the Dharma. Messages are delivered in both English for all services, and also in Japanese for some. Our calendar of events will always identify the guest speakers and the languages used. Individual Services and Gatherings: Under the direction of Rev. Mukojima, the temple provides services to individual families for weddings, memorial services, funerals and other events. Should you have such a need, please call the temple to make arrangements. Affiliated Organizations: A wide variety of associations are available to individuals of various ages. The following groups are very active with the temple both religiously and socially: the Buddhist Women's Association (BWA), Adult Buddhist Association (ABA), Young Adult Buddhist Association (YABA), Young Buddhist Association (YBA), Junior Young Buddhist Association (Jr. YBA) and the Dharma School. Dialogue: The temple has joint gatherings each year with the Vista Buddhist Temple and Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ. The temple, along with the Pioneer Ocean View UCC and San Diego Japanese Christian Church host the annual Memorial Day service at Mount Hope Cemetery. Community Activities: The temple hosts its annual Japanese Cultural Bazaar in June and Food Festival in October. Both events share the rich Japanese-American traditions in which the temple and its members share such pride. O Bon is observed in August. The colorful Bon Odori (dance festival) is held in honor of those ancestors who have passed away. Dancers dress in colorful kimonos and Happi coats and dance to traditional Japanese folk music. Mochitsuki, the year-end tradition of pounding rice, shaping it into small pancake-like form, and offering it to the Buddha is held each December. Ringing of the Friendship Bell on Shelter Island is sponsored by the temple each December 31. The bell is struck 108 times to rid oneself of the delusions of the past year. Affiliations: The temple is affiliated with the following organizations:    Buddhist Churches of America (BCA)    Inter-Religious Council of San Diego (IRC)    Japanese American Citizen's League (JACL)    Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego (JAHSSD)    Japanese Coordinating Council (JCC)    Japanese Friendship Garden    Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana (JSSDT)    Kiku Gardens Retirement Community    United Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) Our visitors tell us that the atmosphere at the Buddhist Temple of San Diego is friendly and inviting, and that they find it peaceful to join us in our worship. I encourage you to visit the temple as may be convenient, We welcome you at any of our services or other scheduled events, and at other times as well. (Please call ahead just to make sure we will be there for other visits. We would hate to miss you.) Gassho, Ralph Honda Chairman, Temple Operations

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