As a system, the Living Dharma Center has its central office in the Office of the Bishop of the Jodo Shinshu BTC. Hence, technically, its central office is in Richmond. British Columbia. However, because Canada is so wide and expansive (somewhat like Amida’s Compassion and Wisdom), the Living Dharma Center of the Jodo Shinshu BTC must expand its concept of location to include every Shinshu Buddhist Temple in Canada. Therefore, rather than to conceptualize the working of the Living Dharma Center to be focused in a particular location, it is more appropriate to think of it as a “living” system within Canada. In other words, the Living Dharma Center is centered in each follower of the Nembutsu.
However, in order to have the system function efficiently, it must have subsystems that keep it alive. Hence, as the newly appointed director, I divided Canada into five functional regions – West Coast, Interior BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and East Coast – from each of which I requested one person to represent the respective areas. This group is still in the formative stages.
LDC committee meeting in
Toronto
The objective of the Living
Dharma Center is to aid the Bishop in her/his work of
propagating the teaching of the Nembutsu (ie. the life of
gratitude) so that not only the members of our temples but
also all others who wish to lead a life of gratitude and
appreciation can share this life of gratitude together. In
short, when one (I or you) can come to appreciate this life
of Nembutsu individually, then the feeling of gratitude
that each of us will hold will radiate into the world. When
we can commit ourselves to live such a life of comfort and
ease (An-shin), then we will be able to feel gratitude and
appreciation for life just as it unfolds.
Some of the objectives that we
have in mind are: unification of the our Sunday Service
themes, trans-Canada youth group activities, dharma school
curriculum, training of future ministers, special guest
speaker series, seminars for ministers and for each temple,
service to the community, and anything else that YOU feel
should be included in YOUR life in YOUR spiritual
development. My expectation is that the LDC should be a
system that serves YOUR needs and not an organization that
dictates what you should be doing as an adherent of the
Nembutsu.
Please submit your ideas to us so
that we can be instrumental in reaching your wish
together.
Sincerely in the Dharma,
Leslie Kawamura, Director
Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada - Living Dharma
Centre