The members of Arizona Buddhist Temple and their families are invited to attend the annual Bodhi Day Service which is the observance of Buddha’s Enlightened Day to be held on Sunday, December 9, 2012. The guest speaker for the service will be Reverend Kodo Umezu, Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America.

The number 8 is very significant for Buddhists. On April Eighth (8), we celebrate the birth of the historical Buddha. On December Eighth (8), we celebrate the attainment of Enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha. And, Shakyamuni Buddha showed us the Eightfold (8) Path to end the life of sufferings.

We have four basic sufferings - birth, aging, illness, and dying. We also have four additional sufferings - separation from loved one, having to live with someone or some situation one does not like, non-fulfillment of one=s most cherished desires, and physical and mental limitation.

What is the cause of those sufferings? The cause of suffering is “I” (our ignorance). We human always carry the mind of greed, anger, and hatred. Although we do not want to have such minds, they come upon us one after another to distress us. However, Shakyamuni Buddha showed us how to end the suffering by practicing the Eightfold Path.

Our life can be filled with light in sharing life with others. It is a simple truth to learn, but a difficult practice to fully realize. We, Buddhists, have precious opportunities to share with our Sangha the true meaning of life as experienced in the practice of the Nembutsu teachings. If each of us realizes the true meaning of life taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, it certainly could be a cause that could change our self-centered society of disharmony to happy, harmonious, and peaceful world. Let us practice the teachings of the Buddha in our daily lives and realize our ignorance and oneness of all life. Let us all celebrate the Buddha=s enlightened day, Bodhi Day by attending the service on December 9 at 10:00AM at Arizona Buddhist Temple.