Buddhist Temple honors ancestors at Obon Festival

by JODI STREAHLE, THE DAILY JOURNAL, July 19, 2015

SEABROOK, WA (USA) -- Lauren Pucher of Upper Deerfield had a reason to dance this year at the 70th Annual Obon Dance Festival at the Seabrook Buddhist Temple on Saturday.

The festival has been a part of her life since childhood, and this year four generations of her family had the privilege to dance together.

Pucher performed Bon dances alongside her mother, her grandmother, and her five-year-old daughter, Lyla, who is just starting to catch on to the traditional movements.

“It makes me happy because we are carrying it on. It’s part of our culture and this is important to make sure it lives on,” Pucher said. “It’s part of her now.”

Each year, since the construction of the facility in 1945, the Buddhists of the Seabrook Buddhist Temple have celebrated Obon.

“Obon is a time to remember and honor our ancestors,” said Keiko Warner, secretary of the Seabrook Buddhist Temple board.

“It is a time to appreciate all that they have done for us and to recognize the continuation of their deeds upon our lives,” Warner said. “Obon is a time of self-reflection, an important Buddhist practice, for it is only when man becomes aware of his imperfections and insufficiency in contrast to his ideals that religion becomes a matter of personal concern.”

Warner said it’s also a time to celebrate. “It is truly a joyous occasion. This is a time when everybody participates. Folk dancing isn’t about doing it right; we encourage everybody to participate,” she said.

Bon folk dances were led by the Tachibana Dancers, the Ekoji Buddhist Temple Dancers and the Seabrook Minyo Dancers. Also, Hoh Daiko of the Seabrook Buddhist Temple, Nen Daiko of the Ekoji Buddhist Temple and Soh Daiko of New York Buddhist Church performed Taiko drumming.

The festival also included a Japanese Karate demonstration by Shotokan Karate Academy in Glassboro and a musical performance by Woodruff School Ace Music. The Meditation Garden at the Seabrook Buddhist Temple was also open during the festival.

The Obon memorial service was held on Sunday and included temple members visiting graves of family prior to the service.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

Search Buddhist Channel

Buddhist Temple honors ancestors at Obon Festival

by JODI STREAHLE, THE DAILY JOURNAL, July 19, 2015