By Mason Inouye
Alright it’s time to write my Senior Dharma Talk, “What does Temple mean to me?
This is a question that has been a question to me my whole life. Does it mean community? Does it mean religion? Does it mean a place to go on Sunday? I’m curious, who thinks its religion, who thinks its community, how many people are forced to be here. It’s OK, I’ve been there too.
First, what qualifications do I have to talk about this? I have been attending Temple for a long time now. Like every year of Dharma School. This has always been a safe place for me and I like to think I have a positive effect on this community. I even have a 5-year Perfect Attendance Award.
Back to the question. The answer is layered. For some, it’s religion. For some, it’s an excuse to get out of basketball. For me, a Temple is a community. I have anxiety, I know it’s very unique. The challenge for me was the COVID-19 pandemic.
This caused me to be a homebody who was scared to do anything. And the one thing that brought me back was YBA. I am not exaggerating when I say I only left the house once every two weeks. I would be too scared to even take the trash out.
Somehow my parents convinced me to go to a YBA event. The friendship I was offered inspired me to attend YBA activities and later Temple events. After just a few weeks, I got an ad on my Instagram account for a convention. This was a “crunchyroll expo” that was held at the San Jose Convention Center. And if you have ever been to a convention, you know how crazy it can get. This snowballed in a positive way. From a simple YBA event to Temple and eventually back to in-person school.
I believe the Temple’s biggest feature is community. I remember when my therapist asked “What is your favorite part of the Temple, the Sangha?” And I responded very quickly “Yes, it feels good to help people as a community.”
Connecting this back to how this has affected my life, it’s not just the community. It has also affected my emotions on basic human interaction. If the Temple has taught me anything, it is to welcome everyone with open arms. I know people who are judgy and instantly judged.
There have been many times where I have talked to friends and they say things like “Name was so annoying today and I don’t like him.” This is when I remember what the Buddha has taught me and I often remind myself I get annoyed sometimes and it’s all gonna be okay. I also approach every new connection with a friendly attitude.
So, Temple means community and friendliness. But I implore you to wonder, “What does the Temple mean to you?” If you are an adult, it might be a question you answered in your past Senior Dharma Talk. Or, if you have yet to do your Senior Dharma Talk, it is interesting to consider. Especially for your Senior Dharma Talk in the future.
I know this sounds cheesy, but I didn’t want to write much about a permanent goodbye. Put bluntly, I’m going to community college, so I should be in the area. So, this will certainly not be the last time that you see me. So, I would like to leave this talk with a simple “See you later.”
Before I end my talk, I would like to say a few thanks. Thank you all for being so welcoming. I would like to thank my parents, and grandparents for driving me to Temple, even though I often complained, I appreciated it. Thank you YBA and Miroku for helping improve my leadership skills. Thank you to all my Dharma School teachers and classmates, past and present. And especially thank you to Sensei for being supportive over the years.
A major memory is the loss of my Grandma and Jichan. I remember very vividly Sensei checking in and talking to my family. It really helped me come to terms with them leaving this world. And especially, thank you to Jichan and Grandma.
Thank you for a great time at the Temple and I hope we can create many more memories.