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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: Rev. Nobuko Miyoshi will be a special guest speaker for our Annual Tanjo-e service honoring founder Shinran Shonin at 10 am Sunday, May 25.
Coming Events: Our regular 10 am Sunday Services in May will be on May 4, 11, and 18.
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. You can search our entire site for info on Buddhist terms, or on any word or words of your choice. |
Real World Buddhism
Buddhism is all around us everyday,
in all forms of media |
New & Featured Articles:
Ratatouille: Frederick Brenion's review of the recent Disney film uncovers a valuable Buddhist teaching offered by the main character of Remy. As the review states, "In three simple words, 'Change is nature,' Remy captures the heart of Buddhist teachings about life."
It's A Wonderful Life: Here is in-depth review of this classic holiday movie by Rev. Marvin Harada of Orange County Buddhist Church.
Steve Jobs' Commencement Address: Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixer Studios, who recently came close to death from pancreatic cancer, addressed the 2005 graduating class of Stanford University with the wisdom, "No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it...Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true...Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life."
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The Living Dharma Library
Memorable Dharma talks, essays, retreats and seminars |
New & Featured Articles:
Still Listening to Rev. Saito: Rev. Patti Nakai relates her moving story of how the loss of two loved ones within the space of a few months drove home to her Rev. Saito's teaching that ultimately, "Life is a rough, raw, bloody business." But Rev. Nakai also explains that though this message may not sound comforting, it is actually a deeply compassionate teaching that encourages us to stop expending energy looking for solutions to insoluble problems and instead, to simply "face life itself."
Message to Baby Boomers: The Best Years of Your Life are Ahead of You: Are you a Baby Boomer, are you asking, “Is this all there is to life? What is the meaning of my life?” Rev. Marvin Harada wonders if, now that your children are grown up and you have retired or are near retirement, if the meaning of life is now gone, if "You might even feel depressed or be searching for new meaning in your life." But, he states in his essay, "If that is the case, then you need look no further than Shin Buddhism to find the ultimate meaning of life."
Two Kinds of Pure Land: Rev. Ryoko Osa clarifies that core Shin teachings such as the "Primal Vow" and "Amida" are actually not the "final goal," but concepts that point to final goal, which she clarifies is actually Nirvana, non-self, or simply, "Zero."
The San Bernardino County Museum's "Multicultural Celebration of Ancestors": WCBT was invited to participate at this annual event, and what made the sharing of culture particularly valuable was the Museum’s “multicultural celebration” theme, which greatly enhanced our appreciation of the essential oneness of all cultures; in regards to the loss of a loved one, all traditions incorporate a spiritual dimension: we understand that life is impermanent and therefore, precious.
Growing American Jodo Shinshu: Are There Lessons in the Christian Mission Model?, by Gordon Bermant. In his essay, Gordon Bermant advocates recasting the roles of both ministers and laypersons in order to foster the development of active, outward-facing Sanghas which can fulfill their Bodhisattva vows.
Thanks to Women: In her essay, Rev. Patti Usuki not only discusses the key roles played by Shinran's wife, Eshinni, and daughter, Kakushinni, in the creation of the original Jodo Shinshu sangha and preservation of Shinran's teachings, but also how they and countless other devoted Buddhist women demonstrate that the Buddhist teaching applies to everyone without exception.
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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 |
| 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 |
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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 comments. If you have a question, we'll try to answer it as soon as we can, but because our website is (under) staffed by volunteers, we cannot guarantee an answer. From time to time, we put a few of these messages 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 if you live in or are visiting the Southern California area. Just click on the Map link for directions. 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 Living Dharma Staff: These are the Sangha members who work on this website under the guidance of Rev. Kenjun Kawawata. |
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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. |
