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9:45 AM – 10:15 AM: Zen Shin Sangha Meditation: 

Summer and long sunny days... may we not let this slip away from us; may we use our time to be aware and enjoy them. Let us take a moment of contemplation and self-reflection by quiet sitting and guided meditation. We will chant the Heart Sutra, and recite sutras. We sit to calm our mind and body in order to focus on the present moment revealing our profound connection to all beings. With this calmness we are more prepared to hear the Buddha Dharma in the Shin Buddhist service to follow. All levels, including beginners, and families with children are welcome.

(Check out our Children’s Table, complete with coloring books)

10:30 AM: Cleveland Buddhist Temple:

• Shin Buddhist Service
• Shin Buddhist Memorial Service to express gratitude to ancestors who passed away in the month of July. Those attending may include the name of a loved one in our Memorial Service. Please provide names on clipboard by 10:15 AM.

Sangha Sharing:

• Following coffee and our Birthday cake for our Sangha’s July birthdays, we will share time and thoughts by reading and discussing a short passage of a Buddhist text. Handouts of text provided. This is a time for experiencing the 3^rd Jewel of Buddhism, the Sangha.

Dhammapada

Dhammapada, a collection of verses of Shakyamuni Buddha

Rain

As I wrote this article we experienced a week of weather that included a fair amount of rain each day. The rain like many aspects of life is much needed but can be harmful if we receive too much or too little. We might perceive rain and the balance of nature as something separate from ourselves, but as we listen to the Buddha-Dharma we slowly awaken to the truth that our lives are interconnected with nature.

With the arrival of spring, there is an opportunity to witness the gentle rain nourishing the earth. Yet not everyone will view the rain with the same outlook. This is because of our tendency to distinguish the results of the rain based on our likes and dislikes.

The teaching of the Buddha-Dharma guides us from a place of wisdom and compassion to view the rain with non-attachment. For the rain descends on the earth without discrimination, it falls on every field, every garden, every blade of grass. Plants do not work to earn this gift; they simply receive it and in time, they grow, blossom, and bear fruit.

In our practice, we are reminded that Amida Buddha’s compassion is like this spring rain. It flows unobstructed to all beings, regardless of our limitations or struggles. We do not have to achieve spiritual perfection to be embraced by this compassion. For it gently comes to us just as we are.

When we awaken to this truth, our hearts respond not with an overwhelmed exertion to be perfect, but with an acceptance and a deep sense of gratitude. We begin to live each day not from a sense of obligation, but from a natural appreciation for this boundless gift. In this way, a life of gratitude is not something we create on our own, it blossoms naturally, like flowers after the rain, in response to the compassion we have received.

Perhaps in the future, as we watch the rain fall and notice the emergence of spring blossoms, we could also make time in our busy schedules to pause to reflect on the unseen support and compassion in our lives and live each day with a heart blooming in gratitude.

Namo-Amida-Butsu

Robert Gubenco Sensei

Please follow this link for the Calgary Buddhist Temple Newsletter, Sangha Stream: https://calgary-buddhist.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/SanghaStream_June2025.pdf

This post was written by a human,

ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES

Compiled by Paul Reps

101. Buddha's Zen

Buddha said:

'I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes. I observe treasure of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit, and the greatest lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot. I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of, magicians. I discern the highest conception of emancipation as golden brocade in a dream, and view the holy path of the illuminated one as flowers appearing in one's eyes. I see meditation as a pillar of a mountain, Nirvana as a nightmare of daytime. I look upon the judgment of right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon, and the rise and fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons.'

Excerpt in gratitude from: https://terebess.hu/zen/101ZenStones.pdf

Photo by Simon Maisch on Unsplash

As Buddhists, death is a time of transformation from this life of samsara. It is also a time for the family and friends of the deceased to hear the teachings of the Buddha on impermanence. The minister’s message and the sutra chanting form the core of the funeral service. Funeral gatherings are for the sake of the living and attendance by family and friends is encouraged.

Understanding death is necessary to understand life.

As Rennyo writes in his Letter on White Ashes:

"The fragile nature of human life underlies both the young and old."

The Funeral Services may be conducted at the funeral home, Temple or another location chosen by the family and coordinated with the Resident Minister. A Homyo, Buddhist name, which reflects the life of the deceased, is chosen by the Supervising Minister and presented by the Resident Minister at the service. This Homyo accompanies the deceased as she or he passes on to Buddhahood.

Please contact Rev. Anita to discuss your preferred arrangements and service at: rev.anita.cbt@outlook.com

Live Zoom Service

Midwest Buddhist Temple

If you would like to virtually attend services with zoom at Midwest Buddhist Temple in Chicago, please contact office@mbtchicago.org to request the weekly email newsletter with information about upcoming services and Zoom links. Sunday services are held at 10:30 AM, Central Time Zone (11:30 AM Eastern Time Zone).

Please contact the organizers to participate in this Cleveland event of Remembrance,

80 Years Ago

Silent Peace Walk On August 6, 2025

This August marks the 80th Anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To commemorate this unprecedented violence and the horror of Atomic warfare, to remind ourselves of “Never Again,” please consider join this Silent Peace Walk.

August 6th is the 80th Anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. We will join other groups to commemorate this day with a Silent Peace Walk through downtown Cleveland.

Eighty people dressed in white, the color of mourning in Japan, will solemnly and meditatively proceed from St. John’s Cathedral, down E. 9th St. to Lake Erie, as the Hibakusha, the “bomb-affected people,” sought water to ease their suffering.

At sunset, we will light candle lanterns in remembrance of them. We will declare our intention that there will never be another nuclear war.

No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis! No More Hibakusha!

We are invited to join in the Silent Peace Walk as one of the 80 dressed in white - or help with planning – or, most important, walk. The next planning meeting is Wednesday, July 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT. Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88558510045

Cleveland Buddhist Temple contact: Minister Assistant John Barnes at: marchwithcbt@mail.com​

Supervising Minister:  Rev. Ron Miyamura

Resident Tokudo Minister: Rev. Anita Tokuzen Kazarian

rev.anita.cbt@outlook.com

Buddha Post is published by the Cleveland Buddhist Temple, 21600 Shaker Blvd, Shaker Heights, OH 44122 

The Cleveland Buddhist Temple is an affiliate of the Buddhist Churches of America, founded in 1899: 

https://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/

© 2025 Anita Kazarian. All rights reserved.

Web and Newsletter Design: Stuart "Kodo" Ott KodoDojo@clevelandbuddhisttemple.org