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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: A slide show from the 18-minute movie "A Brief History of Shin Buddhism from Shakyamuni to Today," which traces the development of Shin Buddhism from its roots in ancient India 2500 years ago and looks forward to its future in America. Download WCBT's July temple newsletter, The Gateway, for coverage of WCBT's recent 2010 OBON FESTIVAL, a wonderful day of games, cultural exhibits, demonstrations, musical performances, unique and savory foods, and most importantly, the Bon Odori dancing, which celebrates all we owe to our ancestors. Coming Events: Our regular 10 am Sunday Services in July will be on July 11 and 25 (no service on July 4); July 18 is our annual Obon Service at 4:30 pm, featuring guest speaker Rev. Mas Kodani. Please join us if you can.
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. New: View an 18 minute web-friendly version of the history presentation featured at the 50th Anniversary. This is a 12MB 480x360 Quicktime movie viewable with standard DSL: A Brief History of Shin Buddhism From Shakyamuni to Today.

Real World Buddhism Buddhism is all around us everyday, in all forms of media	New & Featured Articles: Encountering the Dharma in Christianity: Dr. Dickson Yagi, an ordained Baptist minister, gave a talk at West Covina Buddhist Temple on “Buddhist Verses in the Bible—No-Self.” It may surprise people to know that there are such verses in the Bible, yet it is so Departures: This heartfelt film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film of 2009, and presents the Nembutsu teaching in a very emotional and dynamic manner. As reviewer Michael Jitosho states, "I felt refreshed after the movie was over, having encountered the Dharma in a different form and with a new understanding. Essentially, I was able to watch the teachings of the Nembutsu unfold in the life of this mortician." Buddhism in the Southland: These are excerpts from a 1998 LA Times story on interesting trends in "American Buddhism"; have these questions been answered, or are there new questions? 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." Rev. Ken Tanaka Calls for "Engaged Pure Land Buddhism": In 1998, Rev. Tanaka called for a fundamental change in the attitudes of American Shin Buddhists. What is our perspective more than a decade later? Thich Nhat Hahn Speaks on Suffering: The great Vietnamese Zen Buddhist shared his insights at a Santa Barbara retreat The Dalai Lama on "Education and the Compassionate Heart": The Dalai Lama's wise advice to the graduating class of Emory University
The Living Dharma Library Memorable Dharma talks, essays, retreats and seminars	New & Featured Articles: A Movement of the Heart is Fred Brenion's unique account of the history of WCBT. As he says, "It always begins with a movement of the heart. A realization that sorrow, death, despair, and darkness are not the whole story; that life could, should be more. It comes with a deep concern, not just for oneself, but for all others. Some call this our 'Ultimate Concern.' But it does not stay there if there is a movement of the heart." The Tanbutsuge: A WCBT Lecture Series: In the Fall of 2009, Rev. Marvin Harada of the Orange County Buddhist Church gave a moving series of lectures on the Tanbutsuge, one of the sutra chants that is part of the traditional Jodo Shinshu service. Though this sutra represents a relatively small part of the Larger Sutra (also known as the Sukhavativyuha Sutra, the key sutra of Jodo Shinshu), in many respects, it captures the essence of the Larger Sutra, and thus, of Buddhism itself. Most importantly, what Rev. Harada wanted to communicate was the deep meaning behind the Tanbutsuge. "Listening-Awakening": The Meaning of Shinjin: Regarding the process of attaining awakening or enlightenment, Rev. Patti Nakai states, "I think the Larger Sutra (the key sutra of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism) was compiled because too many people thought Shakyamuni’s enlightenment came about purely from his own efforts." Shinran Shonin's writings however, show his search to understand the actual "power," a power beyond our self-power, that leads human beings to enlightenment, that can work to "break through the stone and reveal the jewel that was hidden deep within." And, as Rev. Nakai puts it, "Shinran found his answers in the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra." The Nembutsu as Music: "Within music," says Rev. David Matsumoto, "we are often able to encounter the timeless wish of life and realize the infinite potential of our own lives." In this sense, "Music echoes from the Pure Land...We hear the nembutsu as music and, as we do, our lives also become works of art." WCBT 2009 Family Retreat at San Luis Obispo: The History of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism: In conjunction with WCBT's auspicious 50th Anniversary, this retreat aimed to trace the development of Shin Buddhism from Shakyamuni Buddha 2,500 years ago, through the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, the Seven Shin Patriarchs, Shin Buddhism founder Shinran Shonin, Rennyo Shonin (the restorer of the Honganji), and the founder of modern Shin Buddhism, Manshi Kiyozawa.
Kids Pages! WCBT's youth groups range from pre-schoolers through college-aged	Above, WCBT's Bodhi Tree Band performs at WCBT's 50th Anniversary
The Living Dharma Bookstore	Please browse our selection of outstanding books on Buddhism The Evil Person River of Fire, River of Water Heard By Me Buddhism: A Concise Introduction Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician Buddha in Your Backpack:Everyday Buddhism for Teens Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens
The Tannisho Homepage	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	What those Buddhist terms mean (a bibliographic reference)

The 2010 Living Dharma Survey: What is Your All-time Favorite Buddhist Movie?
To us, a "Buddhist Movie" is any movie which, at its heart, seems to be an expression of the Buddhist teachings. In the Shin Buddhist tradition, these teachings are contained in the phrase, "Namu Amida Butsu," which expresses the simultaneous awakening to the limitations of the self within and to the world of infinite wisdom and compassion beyond the self. Here are the results from votes tabulated in past years: 1) The Matrix 2) Little Buddha 3) American Beauty 4) Groundhog Day 5) The Cup 6) Kundun 7) Lion King 8) Seven Years in Tibet 9) The Razor's Edge 10) Beauty and the Beast 11) The Empire Strikes Back 12) It's A Wonderful Life	American Beauty (Kevin Spacey) Beauty and The Beast (Disney's tale of transformation of "the beast") Empire Strikes Back (Luke's "cave scene") Groundhog Day (Bill Murray) It's A Wonderful Life (Jimmy Stewart) Kundun (story of Dalai Lama's exile) Lion King (includes the song, "The Circle of Life") Little Buddha (Keanu Reeves as Siddhartha) Lost in Translation (Bill Murray) Matrix (Keanu Reeves) Pocahontas (includes the song, "Colors of the Wind") The Razor's Edge (Bill Murray) Seven Years in Tibet (Brad Pitt) The Cup (about soccer-playing Buddhist monks) Other Favorite Buddhist Movie:
Comment or Question:
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Contact Us

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. Kenjun Kawawata.

Links

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.

"How Sweetly The Lotus Grows" is by Linda Castro (Quicktime midi) To hear Quicktime on Mac and Windows systems, you need both the Quicktime Plugin (free with Netscape and Explorer) and the Quicktime software. You can get either or both free for Macs and Windows from Apple Computer Hear more "Living Dharma Music": Quicktime Midi and RealAudio formats.

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visitors since April, 1997 ©1997-2010 West Covina Buddhist Temple Updated July 1, 2010