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What is The Living Dharma? The "Dharma" refers to the teachings of Buddhism, the essence of which is the impermanent and interdependent nature of all life. But "Dharma" also refers to the everyday experiences of our lives that make these teachings come alive. That's why we say the Dharma is "living." Ultimately, The Living Dharma is about the compassion that naturally arises in us when we reflect deeply on what it means to be a human being. |
 What Is Buddhism?
Why be a Buddhist? |
 
Above: WCBT's 2013 OBON FESTIVAL is coming on Saturday, June 29, 2013, from 2-9 pm.
Coming Events: Regular 10:00 am Sunday Services in April will be on April 21 and 28. 10:00 am Sunday Services in May will be on May 5, 12, and 26. May 19 at 10:00 am is our annual Tanjo-e Service honoring the birth of Shin Buddhism's founder, Shinran Shonin and also Hatsumairi Service (special presentation gift to young children)..
Please join us if you can.
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Common Misconceptions About Buddhism
All about reincarnation, paganism, suffering, meditation, "prayer," and more |
Frequently Asked Questions
We frequently receive questions about visiting our temple, finding a Buddhist temple nearby, coming to Buddhism from another faith, coping with illness or death, and others. If you have a similar question, please read our FAQ page. We also have a special Buddhism 101 Page with frequently asked questions from students. |
The Living Dharma Search Page
Over the years, numerous contributions from a diverse collection of authors have made the Living Dharma Website a rich resource for insights into the Buddhist teachings. Search our entire site for info on Buddhist terms, for essays by a specific Buddhist teacher, or for info on a specific topic of interest to you. |
About West Covina Buddhist Temple
E-mail Us: We welcome your questions and comments.
Map: Please visit us if you live in or are visiting the Southern California area.
Temple Calendar: Everyone is always welcome at our Sunday Services.
The Gateway: Read the current edition of WCBT's monthly newsletter.
WCBT 50th Anniversary Page: View many scenes from our 2009 celebration.
Farewell to Rev. Kawawata: Our Sensei, now Hawaii Bishop, will be missed!
Videos:
An Introduction to West Covina Buddhist Temple: This 7 min. video introduces the temple and the wide variety of activities that it offers (74MB).
A Brief History of Shin Buddhism From Shakyamuni to Today: This 18 min. video (15MB) traces the development of Shin Buddhism from Shakyamuni, Mahayana Buddhism, the Seven Masters, Shinran, Rennyo, and Kiyozawa.
Three Gathas: Higashi Honganji's California temples combine to sing three popular gathas (songs). This is an 8-1/2 min music video (68MB).
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Real World Buddhism
Buddhism is all around us everyday,
in all forms of media |
New & Featured Articles:
Human Trafficking and HIV/AIDS: Aiko Enoki shares her experiences in the Theravada Buddhist country of Thailand and in India, the birthplace of Buddhism, where she learned about human trafficking and modern-day slavery as a member of a two week Global Exchange reality tour organized by Cal State Los Angeles’ social work department. As she movingly relates, "My summer travels were full of lessons, thought-provoking experiences, and meaningful relationships."
A Buddhist Interpretation of "My Grownup Christmas List": This ever-popular song is, of course, a “Christmas song,” but actually, this song isn’t really about Christmas; it expresses key Buddhist themes, themes that are not only important during the holidays, but year-round and indeed, life-long.
Steve Jobs—Connecting the Dots: Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple Computer, passed away on October 5, 2011, and there were global expressions of sadness and naturally, gratitude for all his cool inventions. But as great as Steve’s technological accomplishments were, this essay discusses his 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford University. It is quite possible that generations from now, Steve will be remembered for his commencement address. In this talk he shared the Buddha-dharma itself.
Peace, Harmony, and Co-existence: Rev. Kodo Umezu, Director of the Jodo Shinshu Center’s Center for Buddhist Education, was invited to give a talk at the United Nations, a very auspicious occasion. Buddhism, specifically Shin Buddhism, is slowly becoming more well-known both in the West and internationally.
How We Can Help Our Earth: Emerging trends in our environment appear to be warning signs that we can no longer take our planet's natural resources for granted; we must strive now to establish a sustainable future.
An Inconvenient Truth: In her review of Al Gore's movie, Carol Shimizu states, "As a Buddhist, this movie drove home the idea of 'cause and effect' and 'selflessness,' that what we do now has an effect on others. It may be an 'inconvenience' to recycle or to purchase a hybrid car as opposed to a slick sports car or SUV, but in being selfless, we can affect millions of lives."
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The Living Dharma Library
Memorable Dharma talks, essays, retreats and seminars |
New & Featured Articles:
WCBT 2013 Family Retreat: Interdependence: Not only did this retreat offer a refreshing escape from our urban Southern California environment to the beautifully scenic Central Coast, the weekend’s dynamic activities also provided a truly memorable glimpse into the essential truth of “interdependence.”
My Life with Buddhism: WCBT member Anthony Gutierrez shares his insight that, "I'm a person full of greed, anger and ignorance always thinking about myself. But now that I see these things in myself, there is room for understanding and compassion that I can show to others. In the end I believe I have found meaning in my life."
WCBT 2012 Family Retreat/Why Me? Why Not?: A Closer Look at the Meditation Sutra: At this retreat, Bishop Nori Ito deepened our appreciation of the timeless story of Queen Vaidehi by revealing the link between this ancient teaching of the Buddha, our Jodo Shinshu tradition, and most importantly, our everyday lives today.
Growing the Sangha: Rev. Ron Miyamura, head minister of Chicago's Midwest Buddhist Temple, adds new insights regarding the issues facing our changing Shin Sanghas in 21st century America. Like most Buddhist temples located in urban centers, Rev. Miyamura notes the growing interest in Buddhism from Americans not from traditional Shin Buddhist families. As he states, "Obviously, the real growth of our Temple has to be from these non-traditional members. Additionally, it goes without saying, the future of our Temples depends on this group of new members. This is the real challenge for the next 20 years. I do not have a magic wand that I can wave to ensure our future. In recent years, we see a lot of initial interest in Buddhism, but we do not know how to transform that interest into a curiosity enough to join the Sangha."
Searching for the Way: Not having been raised a Buddhist, Reiko Ikehara Nelson explains that she had previously only encountered its teachings during funerals and memorial services, but that somehow, "I remembered the beauty of the poem “White Ashes” and decided it was time to learn and study Buddhism. Something clicked within me. It’s been a little over a year but the teachings of impermanence, suffering, the inter-connectedness of all life, and living in the present moment have opened up a new way for me to view and live my world."
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Kids Pages!
WCBT's youth groups range from pre-schoolers through college-aged |
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The Living Dharma Bookstore
These are all highly recommended books (see more books in the store) |
| Please browse our selection of outstanding books on Buddhism |
River of Fire, River of Water |
The Seeker |
Buddhism: A Concise Introduction |
Buddhism Plain and Simple |
Jodo Shinshu: Shin Buddhism in Medieval Japan |
Letters of the Nun Eshinni |
Heard By Me |
Buddhism of the Heart |
Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations |
Buddha in Your Backpack: Everyday Buddhism for Teens |
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The Tannisho Homepage
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In his modern translation, Dr. Taitetsu Unno, Professor of Religion at Smith College, movingly captures the timeless essence of this Shin Buddhist classic. |
Buddhist Glossary
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What those Buddhist terms mean (a bibliographic reference) |
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E-mail Us: The Living Dharma website is an experiment to find new ways to share the timeless teachings of Buddhism on the World Wide Web. As such, we're interested in what you think of our site, and welcome your questions and comments. From time to time, we put a few of these on our various E-mail Pages (e-mail addresses omitted): Coming to Buddhism From Other Faiths, Buddhism and Death, Buddhism 101 (questions from students).
Map: Please feel welcome to visit us in person at West Covina Buddhist Temple. Since 1997, many people have visited WCBT...one couple even visited us from Belgium (while on vacation, of course)!
Temple Calendar: Everyone is always welcome at our Sunday Services, which usually start at 10:00 am. However, we occasionally have afternoon services, so check our Calendar first.
Temple Address:West Covina Buddhist Temple, 1203 W. Puente Ave, West Covina, CA 91790
Mailing Address: West Covina Buddhist Temple, PO Box 1616, West Covina, CA 91793
The Gateway: Read or download the current edition of WCBT's monthly newsletter, “The Gateway,” which offers not only a glimpse into temple events and people, but also Buddhist essays and responses to some of the interesting e-mail questions we receive from all over the web.
The Living Dharma Staff: These are the Sangha members who work on this website under the guidance of Rev. Peter Hata. |
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Buddhist Temple Locations and Recommended Buddhist Sites: Check here to find a Buddhist Temple to visit or join, or to browse our list of recommended Buddhist websites, all of which offer additional Buddhist teachings. |
