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SF: So if we have a fairly conservative, let's call it a priesthood, because of selection factors, and a fairly conservative sangha, because of -- those are -- because those are the people that continue to contribute to the temple. What would be some ways to cause sort of evolution or change if that would be a good thing within the temple?

RI: I don't think anything short of torching all the temples. 'Cause there's attachment to the past. They're have -- BCA's having its hundredth centennial this year. And in traditional form, they'll have the golf tournament, and the banquet, and the honoring of the Issei, and a lot of slide shows and things talking about the past. And there'll be some reference to the future, but very little, I think. And I think the buildings have a lot to do with it, like -- the Buddha himself and all his followers never had temples, because their belief was you went to the people wherever they were. And once you set up a building, you say, "You guys come here, rather than we're going to go out to you." Then you've destroyed the whole spirit of the path in this case. And what's happened is that they started, the Japanese community, right here in the middle is the Buddhist temple. They all moved away. They all went to the suburbs for new jobs, to get intermarried. And here in this old run-down area of town now, is this old run-down building. The only ones who are comfortable there are the old generation who are so used to trudging up those stairs every Sunday. And the young families that can create change live too far away to give up a Sunday, the whole day, to travel to their temple. And so you see this happening again and it's a pattern. Yet, the headquarters or the minister or something may see it, but don't want to make the necessary change. So that's why I say if you burn all -- down all the temples then you're not anchored down to these locations. And it's very intimidating for newcomers to walk into a temple that has a well established membership, and activities are already set, and you're supposed to fit in. That's all, that's the best you could do. And again, the American way is, if you have an idea, contribute it. If you have ideas for improvement, well say it. This has always been the understanding of Buddhism too. The Buddha himself said, "Hey, don't believe anything I said. Test it out. Light your own lamp." And Shinran Shonin, the founder of Joudo Shinshu said, "Hey, throw my body into the Kamo River and let the fish eat it. Don't mourn over me, or remember me. You go on with your lives." And so that's the spirit that people should come to the temple for. But what's happened is just the opposite, right? And so much -- all their fundraisers are there to keep these, the building in shape, or to add an addition to it, and to keep old programs going that have long seen their time. So, you know, I say these things and I really mean it. But it's hard to stay -- for me to say, stay within a temple as a minister, and keep pushing in that way, because it's not appreciated.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.