Savoring Each Moment: Chanting in the Dharma 

In this workshop, we will read two different sutras that are routinely read in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism (each, no more than 10 minutes). This is accompanied by two short dharma talks. 

By chanting and/or listening to a short sutra at a slow pace and breathing in time with the sutra, we hope to naturally take calm breaths and appreciate ourselves as we are in the present moment. 

This practice comes from Jodo Shinshu, the largest Buddhist group in Japan. Teaching and customs of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism are deeply connected to Japanese people’s lives, attitude, and culture. In Jodo Shinshu, rather than striving to perform some physical practices for attaining enlightenment, we listen to find “ourselves within enlightenment, embraced by the heart of Buddha.” 

Rather than learning something, becoming smarter, or achieving something, we mindfully savor the fact that each of us is “just being present in the moment” through sutra chanting and Dharma talk.

About Rev. Etsuko Mikame

Rev. Mikame joined the ministerial staff of the San Jose Betsuin in August, 2019. She is originally from Oda, Shimane, Japan and has served in several temples in Chiba, Japan. She has an expertise in Buddhist liturgy and is interested in music and education. She is a popular speaker at temples in the US due to her refreshing insights as well as her clear explanation of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.