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November 2015 Recap

Reiyukai Family Day Festival Hosted in Chicago!

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On, November 15th, REACT members in Chicago organized their annual Family Day Festival! Through a variety of programs, presentations, and games, the event raised awareness of the importance of creating one’s very own group of people where one can treat the others as their own family members. The event was fun and successful as many appreciated the existence of their “families.” Simultaneously, there were many newly registered Reiyukai members!

Reiyukai Co-Founder’s Commemoration

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Pasadena, California – Reiyukai America members living in the So-Cal area gathered on Sunday, November 15th, at the Reiyukai America Pasadena Center, to join the rest of the Reiyukai community from around the world, to commemorate the efforts and achievements of Reiyukai’s co-founder—Mr. Kakutaro Kubo, who passed away on November 18, 1944.

And the Award Winners are…

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Honolulu, Hawai‘i – The Final Presentation for the 2015 Letter to My Parents ContestTM in Hawai‘i was held on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Executive Dining Room, Campus Center in UH M?noa where eleven finalists recited their letters dedicated to their parents/guardians.

Unlike the previous two years, the Organizing Committee decided to recognize three letters by the following categories: Bravery, Reflection, and Proposal. For this year’s contest, these awards were presented to Sheena Juliano for Bravery, Abigail Badua for Reflection and Shirell Bell for Proposal. Each of them received a prize of $500 sponsored by Kalamansi Books and Things, Filipino Association of University Women and Reiyukai America.

“Everyone tonight witnessed that one letter can bring the change in each family. Each of the letters are a result of deep reflection with an intention to show gratitude but also to show an intention to improve the family relationship. And that intention is what brings a positive change to our community!!” Says Noriko Sotta, Member of the Reiyukai America National Committee.

 

 

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Winter Events Recap

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Happy Holidays! It has been an amazing year filled with wonderful memories.
Let’s take a look at some of the events that transpired towards the close of 2013.

Nov 3        Yoshie Matsunaga & Mr. Hisatoshi visit members in Connecticut
Nov 6-13   Mr. Yoshihisa Nogami visit members in California & Illinois
Nov 8-10   Pacific Media Expo — “Decoding Japanese Culture” presented by ReACT
Nov 10      Family Day Festival — Chicago 2013
Nov 17      Reiyukai Founder’s 70th Memorial Service

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Nov 3     Branch leaders from the Reiyukai 12th Branch in Japan and spiritual mentors of Mari Lewis came to visit Connecticut and enjoyed a special meeting with the local Reiyukai members.  Mr. Hisatoshi & Mrs. Yoshie Matsu naga and members all shared their personal experiences gaining insight that  nothing in this universe happens by chance and that members are encouraged to seek spiritual guidance when searching for the appropriate actions to take.

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Nov 6-13  Mr. Yoshihisa Nogami, Branch Leader from the 8th Branch in Japan, came to California & Illinois to invite members as well as other guests to find out more about Reiyukai core principles — the idea of self-development through the action of remembering, thanking, and honoring your own ancestors.  Through his life experiences and realization for the solution, members where once again reminded that staying true to your individual practice will lead you in the direction that benefits everyone.

The Oriental Fusion Handcraft? — Recycling Workshop thanks you for making a Thanksgiving Turkey Napkin Centerpiece with them!

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Nov 8-10  ReACT representatives attended the Pacific Media Expo at the LAX Hilton Hotel to presented a 2 hour panel discussion entitled “Decoding Japanese Culture”. This entertaining panel utilized a movie clip from “Mr. Baseball” (1993), which demonstrated an American baseball player making cultural mistakes in Japan, in order to dispel common American stereotypes of Japanese culture and to enlighten others about the needs all humans naturally feel and how culture develops around our inspired ideals.  Guests were able to share their reflections upon topics and find answers to their questions through the viewpoint of Reiyukai’s ideals of caring and compassion which also surrounds the idea of Japanese compassionate hospitality known as Omoiyari.

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Nov 10     Family Day Festival — Chicago 2013    Celebrating all things family, local young Reiyukai members came together and organized it into a warm memorable experience.  The event opened with a variety of presentations which included a report from the winner for the Letter to My Parents Contest in Chicago 2013, Andrea Godinez. Lizelle Marcial also highlighted the event giving a deep reflection about her family and ancestors mentioning that she was finally able to define the word “family” using her own words.  Afterwards to close the night, guests enjoyed breathtaking musical performances, amazing dance performances, and warm family building games.

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Nov 17    With Honor and Pledge, Reiyukai members living in the Los Angeles area gathered together to commemorate the efforts and achievements of Mr. Kakutaro Kubo — co-founder of Reiyukai, who passed away November 18, 1941.  The group attending watched a DVD documentary of Kakutaro Kubo and learned about his passion to make the world a better place.  Members confirmed about the Five Basic Practices that Reiyukai encourages everyone to have in their lives.

  1. Let us recite the Sutra
  2. Let us gather the names of our ancestors as much as we can and offer them posthumous names to each of them.
  3. Let us actively invite people to join to the cause of Reiyukai, cultivate a positive relationship with our members, and obtain a delightful personal experience.
  4. Let us participate in the gatherings.
  5. Let us involve ourselves in activities that would contribute to the society.
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Family Day Festival 2012 in San Diego

One of the goals that the organizers have set for this event was to reach out to new different communities to introduce the family values of Reiyukai and encourage them to join for the cause to create a better society together.

The organizers made their best effort taking their time out from their busy schedule with a strong wish to meet new friends. As a result, a blend of Vietnamese, Filipino, Mexican, and Japanese cultures was composed together in beautiful harmony featuring great singing performances, inspirational talks, and a fabulous Mexican Folklore Dance at the San Diego Family Day Festival.

 

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Family Day Festival in Chicago 2012

Unite everyone’s strength together.” That will be phrase to describe the Family Day Festival that was held in Chicago on November 11th. Young Reiyukai members and their friends joined their talents and skills for the cause — a creation of a better society through a family improvement.

“Before I attended a Family Day event, my relationship with my parents was not as close as I wanted it to be. I did not converse with my parents or family as much. Then a friend of mine told me about this family event and I am so glad I went. Attending the event has reminded me that family is everything in our lives. It made me appreciate my parents more for all the things they have done for me.  I feel that my relationship with my parents have gotten stronger” said Jason who was the MC for this years festival.

“I love the idea of Family Day Festival since it not only refers to family members that are living today, but also the ancestors who created us. What Reiyukai proposes is to have a place dedicated to our ancestors in each household. A special place to not to be only thankful for them, but also to feel the thoughts about them” said Mrs. Keiko Obara, Guest Speaker for the event.