White River Buddhist Temple
白河仏教会
3625 Auburn Way N, Auburn, WA 98002
(253) 833-1442
https://www.wrbt.org/
The White River Buddhist Temple would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2024!
Some people might be thinking, “You are a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists do not ‘wish.’” It is true that in our tradition of Buddhism, we do not “wish” for anything to gain materialistically. We believe that everything happens because of various causes and conditions. Thus, though we might “wish” for something, we understand that the outcomes we want to happen might or might not happen due to the causes and conditions at that moment.
“So why do you use “wish?” I was born and raised in America where “wish” is a very common word. Ever since I was a child, I hear phrases like, “I wish I bought that last week! It was cheaper!” or “I wish you Happy Holidays!”
“So can you use “wish” in your vocabulary even though you are a Buddhist?” Yes, I think I should continue to use “wish”. “Wish” is important as it can show a person’s feelings, especially in America. Of course, only wishing is not good as action is also important. This is why the White River Buddhist Temple continues to participate in community events in the Auburn area where we can ensure that everyone is able to have a wonderful year.
So once again, we wish everyone a Happy New Year and a wonderful year!
Well wishes,
Rev. Cyndi Yasaki
