Koloa Jodo Mission - Buddhist Temple Since 1910
These pictures are Sushi Platters I made this year. ..on January 5, January 19, January 26, January 30, February 2 and I don't have a picture (because I was too busy) but I made gorgeous sushi for over 100 guests at our New Year's Party on February 8.
And tomorrow, I will make another Sushi Platter for the refreshments after the Nirvana Day Service which starts at 10:30 a.m.
The reason why I make Sushi is because I want to entertain members, friends, guests, and visitors of our temple and I like making Sushi, too.
I often mention it but for me, making sushi is like meditation... I can forget myself during making Sushi. In other words, by working very hard, I can easily forget my regrets in the past and worry in the future. Just thinking of guests' happy smiles after looking at sushi, makes me happy, too.
After all, I want people to be happy and I want myself happy, too.
It is my belief that combination of Sushi and Dharma talk would be very good.
Last but not least, I can make Sushi thanks to the generous people who donated rice, Nori(seaweed), avocados and monetary gifts.
In a sense, I can say......their kindness changes into Sushi.
Once again, the Nirvana-Day Service starts at 10:30 a.m.
Nirvana Day is the day to commemorate the Passing (Death) of Gautama Buddha under the Shala Tree at Kushinagar in India. In China and Japan, it is usually observed in (or around) February 15, while other Asian countries celebrated this day as Vesak Day which is also a day of Gautama's birthday and a day of enlightenment (Bodhi Day).
The word, "Nirvana" is a Sanskrit word, meaning "Extinction." It is also called "Nibbāna" in Pali,"Nípphaan" in Thai, and "Nehan（涅槃）" in Japanese.
Originally, "nirvana" is a state of enlightenment attained by Gautama Buddha and accordingly it means the state which can be reached by extinguishing all illusions and destroying all karman, which is the cause of rebirth.
In the Sarvastivada School, it is called extinction obtained by knowledge (pratisamkhyata) and is said to be good in nature and eternal. According to Mahayana, it denotes non-production (Fusho), and non-destruction(fumetsu), and is equated with wisdom (prajna) and the dahama-kaya. It has the four essential qualities of eternity, happiness, substantiality, and pureness. Therefore, nirvana, which originally meant extinction or annihilation, came to signify the dharama-kaya of the tathagata which is real and unchanging.
Nirvana is considered to be the same with Satori /Bodhi. But since it literally means "blown out," it should be the state that all the illusions and desires are gone. Thus it came to mean the physical death of Gautama Buddha because the death caused him completely free from his pain of physical body.
Nirvana Day is also called "Pari-nirvana Day" indicating the death of his physical body, in order to avoid the misundersatnding of the word "Nirvana."
Links
Parinirvana Day...from Wikipedia
Parinirvana....from BBC -Religions
Nirvana....from Wikipedia
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