This post is about the Vista Buddhist Temple in Vista, California (North County San Diego). It has been prepared by Casey Burke. Learn more about VBT at https://www.vbtemple.org.
The Shin Buddhist Temple in Vista, California is a premier example of immigrant Buddhism in the US that has evolved to also encompass convert Buddhists in the US. Tracing its lineage to a founding group of Japanese immigrant farmers north of San Diego in the 1930s, the Vista Buddhist Temple as it is known today was not formed until 1981. Throughout its history it has affiliated with the Shin Buddhist tradition, also known as the True Pure Land tradition, a popular sect in Japan.
The property where the Temple can be found today is the same location where the original Japanese migrants set up the first traces of the Vista Buddhist Temple’s roots. The original structure was a Japanese School. It was not yet known as the Vista Buddhist Temple, though it was in Vista, California. Members of VBT today consider this community as the original Sangha.
In 1965 this Buddhist community in Vista was revitalized by a band of Japanese mothers who created a Buddhist Sunday School with help from the San Diego Temple. In 1978 a community center was built on the site, further expanding the Sangha. Soon thereafter, in 1981, the community applied to become an official temple. They were accepted by the BCA (Buddhist Churches of America) and Reverend Arthur Takemoto was assigned as their minister. At this point, the name Vista Buddhist Temple (VBT) was officiated. This change really kicked off activity for the Sangha. Under Reverend Takemoto, a youth group, women’s group, and Taiko ensemble were created. He oversaw the construction of the still-standing Temple on the property in 1985.
Founder:
Though the founding of the Vista Buddhist Temple points to no one in particular, Reverend Arthur Takemoto can be seen as a pivotal leader in the Temple’s history. Reverend Takemoto facilitated the transformation of the community from a small Sangha to an officiated, ministered Sangha with greater organization and diverse activity.
Reverend Takemoto was born in 1921 and became the minister of Vista Buddhist Temple at its founding in 1981. His influence at the Temple is deeply felt. Many copies of the LA Times from the 1980s and 90s mentioned Reverend Takemoto overseeing marriages and funerals. He is highlighted on the Temple’s website in discussion of their history. He served as minister of VBT until his retirement in 1995. He was trained in the Shin Buddhist tradition.
Current Leadership & Buddhist Representation in VBT:
The Temple is currently led by Reverend Jon Turner, who assumed leadership as supervising minister in 2020. He has been climbing the ranks of Buddhist expertise and leadership since he and his family began attending Orange County Buddhist Church in 1999. Rather soon thereafter he joined their Ministers’ Assistant Program. All the while having a successful computer programming career, Reverend Jon Turner graduated from the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California with a master’s degree in Buddhist Studies. In 2017, he retired from programming and became a fully ordained Laikyoshi minister still at the Orange County Buddhist Church.
The President of the Temple is Ricky Schlesinger. Schlesinger also works as the VP of Global Business Development for UTC China, licensing and distributing US and European brands into the Chinese retail goods market. Since 2013, he has presided over the Vista Buddhist Temple.
Both Reverend Jon Turner and President Schlesinger publish opinion pieces on the Temple’s website about prevalent topics to modern day through the lens of Shin Buddhism. President Schlesinger’s most recent post vies for and outlines the support that the Buddhist community should be offering to the Black Lives Matter movement. He acknowledges how prejudice and hatred exist in our community and country, and that Buddhism can be used as an arch-example to these vices. “Buddhism represents peace, love, tolerance, and compassion…”. He calls for the members of VBT to show up, speak out, and engage. “It is no longer enough for a Buddhist Sangha in America to only nurture itself. It needs to be visible in its community.” Through this piece President Schlesinger demonstrates the modern Vista Buddhist Temple- a beacon of convert Buddhism in the US with strong roots from immigrant Buddhists.
In the same vein, Reverend Jon Turner shared a story from a colleague who visited a conference featuring the Dalai Lama. Through two examples, Reverend Turner drives home that Buddhism can, and should, be practiced in tandem with the cultural norms of anyone. When witnessing the Buddhist monks and nuns in attendance of the conference, it came to the attendees surprise that they seemed just like normal people. They ‘smoked cigarettes, drank Diet Coke, and watched soap operas.’ The attendee cited that at first this made him feel that Buddhism was inauthentic, but upon further contemplation he realized just the opposite. Monastic Buddhists are still human. A good Shin Buddhist practices to their best ability. Reverend Turner includes that the Dalai Lama “actually advises us to stay put. Do not move. do not learn another language. Just begin to practice where you are at. Practice has to be practical; something that is accessible.” He reflects that even in Buddha’s time, there were many different types of monks and nuns. This should encourage the Sangha to find their niche, be themselves, and practice Buddhism all together.
These stories they share exemplify the mission of VBT- to bridge Buddhism into modern society. It falls in line with the Shin Buddhist tradition to bring Buddhism and its relevant life truths to the lay community.
The Shin Buddhist Tradition Vista is Affiliated With:
The Vista Buddhist Temple follows the Shin Buddhist tradition. Shin is also known as True Pure Land, coming from Mahayana roots. The primary differentiation in belief that True Pure Land Buddhism adopts is that birth in the Pure Land can be achieved following this lifetime. Unlike other branches of Buddhism where the traditional belief is that it takes three countless eons or multitudes of lives in samsara to achieve enlightenment upon the eradication of bad karma, True Pure Land Buddhism is geared to give hope to lay people. The founder of Shin Buddhism is Shinran Shonin. Shonin lived out this belief through adopting a not totally monastic and not totally lay lifestyle. He considered himself a monk, while also having a wife and raising a family.
This segment of Buddhist belief originated in the early thirteenth century and has become the largest tradition of Buddhism in Japan and the US. This is a by-product of its design. Shin Buddhism is formed for flexibility with the capability of application to anyone’s life. It brings the foundational Buddhist beliefs to broad scale application. Shin Buddhism adopts the basic truths of Buddhism:
- All things are impermanent
- We are all interconnected
- Suffering arises from our denial of these truths, and liberation is to become one with these truths
A great focus of Shin Buddhism is application of Buddhist truths to the myriad of experiences of daily life. It is to be a listener. To contemplate the truths that Buddhism establishes about life, to believe in them, and witness them through daily action and responsibility. Understanding of these truths comes from listening to the Dharma. The Dharma can be absorbed through many mediums, not just time in practice at a temple. Listening though, is at the heart of any Dharmic experience. The goal is to listen, learn, and receive.
The Vista Buddhist Temple does exactly this. As demonstrated through the postings of Temple leadership, their priority of bringing Buddhism to lay people lives on.
Constituency:
The Vista Buddhist Temple has a diverse constituency. Members include patrons from migrant Japanese families and ‘convert’ Buddhists all local to the North County San Diego area. Back when Vista Buddhist Temple was officially established in 1981, their Sangha consisted of 85 families. I was not able to find an accurate number of membership today, but it is reasonable to expect growth in the Sangha. The goal of the Temple is to grow and include people from all walks of life.
Practices:
They offer weekly Sunday services in the Temple, though they have been moved to virtual format until they deem it safe to return to in person services. The service features chanting, a dharma message, and an opportunity for discussion.
The Dharma recovery group is also offered for the Temple’s Sangha to share experiences, strength, and hope. They focus on Shin Buddhist beliefs and how they can be applied to overcome challenges. Their goal is to learn to live one day at a time from a Buddhist perspective.
Reverend Takemoto initiated their Taiko group, named Shokenji Taiko. Taiko is Japanese for ‘drum’. Taiko, as practiced in group form, is a rhythmic ensemble of drum performers. It was brought to America and popularized by the Japanese migrant community. Their Taiko group is still practicing strong, even with a designated Junior Taiko group. They perform across San Diego county and at various temple events. Sally Yasukochi, a leader of the Shokenji Taiko group, said in 2009, “For us, the drum is like the Buddha, the sticks are like the teachings and we are like the members.”
The Taiko group especially gears up for the Temple’s annual Obon festival. Obon is a summer Buddhist festival celebrated to honor the deceased spirits of ancestors, originating from Japan.
Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Yearly Events:
Weekly:
Meditation services are held every Wednesday evening at 7pm
Bi-Weekly:
Dharma School meets twice a month to offer K-12 students Shin Buddhist beliefs through discussions, activities, and crafts.
Throughout the Year:
Dharma study is hosted through classes and talks somewhat irregularly throughout the year. They also link access to Everyday Buddhist on their website for immediate perusal.
Yearly:
The summer Obon Festival. As mentioned previously, the Obon Festival celebrates the deceased spirits of ancestors. Participants reflect on their late loved ones and how their spirits still live on despite their passing. It is celebrated through a variety of food and dance, and a performance from the Vista Buddhist Temple’s Shokenji Taiko.
How the community is funded:
The Vista Buddhist Temple is funded primarily through membership fees and payments for practices. For instance, their current yearly rate for an individual is $200. They also rely on donations and capital campaigning to supplement funding.
Sources:
- Vista Buddhist Temple: link
- LA Times Database, accessed through W&M Libraries
- The Coast News Group: link
- Discover Nikkei: link
- BCA: Shin Buddhism: link