2005, Dharma School 50th Anniversary Year

50 years ago the Venice Hongwanji Dharma School was still meeting in the homes of a few families. From this humble beginning the desire to deepen one’s understanding and share the Nembutsu teaching grew. This small group would grow and help form the foundation of what would eventually become the Venice Hongwanji. Although the temple would grow out of meeting in people’s homes and would build a two-storied temple on the current 12371 Braddock Drive address, the temple would never lose its roots. It would neither lose its zeal to deepen and share the Nembutsu, nor would it lose the warmness of the feeling of home. As part of the Dharma School celebrating its 50^th anniversary, please let me take this opportunity to thank all the pioneers of the Dharma School for building the foundation that has created the tradition we celebrate today. In thanks, let us gather today to rededicate ourselves to the Nembutsu teaching and continue to share this teaching as the Venice Hongwanji family. By doing this, let us together help bring in the next 50 years of sharing the Nembutsu here at the Venice Hongwanji.

In Gassho

50 years is a long time. It’s a future that is unimaginable for most of us. Perhaps that is why many of our Dharma School children when asked, “What do you think the Venice Hongwanji will be like 50 years from now?” answered, “The temple probably won’t be here any more.” Who is to know what will happen 50 years from now? 50 years ago, in 1955, the President of the United States was Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Vice President was Richard M. Nixon. Rosa Parks refuses to sit in the back of a bus. The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees (4-3) to win the World Series. A first-class stamp was 3¢. 50 years ago who would have thought that another President would be assassinated (John Kennedy), and that Richard Nixon would become the 37^th President of the United States only to avoid impeachment by resigning? Who could have thought that the courts would order our schools to desegregate? Who could have guessed that desegregate would become a word?

Hopefully our Dharma School prediction that the temple won’t be here in 50 years will not come true. The only way to assure that it won’t come true, however, is to make sure that we don’t take our gifts for granted and that we continue to live as a temple today. Tomorrow becomes possible only because of today; today is possible only because of yesterday. Today is the day where we give meaning to all our yesterdays; today is the day where we begin to create the potential for all our tomorrows. All we can be sure of is that today is a very important day. Today is a day filled with Namo Amida Butsu.