Buddhist convention coming to Spokane

By Tracy Simmons Religion News Spokane

In February more than 350 Shin Buddhists from across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Canada will be visiting Spokane for the 65^th annual Northwest Buddhist Convention. The Spokane Buddhist Temple is hosting the event, which will be held at theDavenport Hotel , 10 S. Post St.,Feb. 17—19. This year’s theme is “Under Amida’s Umbrella of Compassion.” Amida is the universal Buddha of light. Sensei Paul Vielle, of the Spokane Buddhist Temple, explained that most of the conference happenings, which include services, workshops, lectures, classes and a banquet, are not open to the public. However the opening service and keynote lecture on Feb. 18 are open to anyone interested in learning more about Buddhism. The public event, “Experiencing the Dharma” will be from9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for $20 at the door.

Ven. Bhante Seelawimala will be the opening speaker. He is aTheravada Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka and teaches at the Institute of Buddhist Studies at Berkley. The opening ceremony will alsoinclude chanting, a gatha (like a hymn, sung with taiko drums), and a procession. The keynote speaker will beSocho Koshin Ogui, bishop of Buddhist Churches of America.Rev. Marvin Kenju Harada, of the Orange County Buddhist Church, will also speak. All speakers will touch on the subject of compassion. “What is amazing about the service is the sound of 350 people chanting in unison,” said Mari Haworth, a member of the Spokane Buddhist Temple. “It gives me chills to remember it.” Following the keynote presentation will be a workshop led by Kenji Akahoshi,a Shin Buddhist from San Jose. “It (the opening service) will give you a flavor on the overall Buddhist teachings,” Vielle said. “It’s for someone who may be interested in Buddhism as an alternative to other religions, it will be very focused on Shin Buddhism.” Shin Buddhism is based on the teachings and writings of Shinran Shonin, who lived more than 750 years ago. The Spokane Buddhist Temple, located in the South Perry District, is the only all-volunteer temple in the Northwest District of the Buddhist Churches of America. It also has one of the smallest memberships, with about 60 weekly attendees. There are seven temples in the district. Many of them have around 500 members, and unlike the Spokane temple, are made mostly of Japanese Americans. The last time the Spokane Buddhist Temple hosted the convention was in 2006. Vielle said the gathering is important because it’s a time for Shin Buddhists to come together and be in the presence of others who share the same values and beliefs. “This is an opportunity to hear some excellent teachers and to practice deep listening with like-minded people,” Vielle said. For information visit the temple website.

Tracy Simmons

Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of SpokaneFāVS.com, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Assistant Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.