Pearce Fujiura

For those of you that may not have heard, I am no longer in Spokane. A career opportunity has taken me from my sunny west coast home in Washington to the equally sunny but much more humid eastern landscapes of Virginia.  For financial reasons I decided to make this move by car and view the country from the cracked windshield of my cross-over SUV.

I reached into my pocket and my fingers wrapped themselves around a fistful of change. How appropriate, lately the world seems to be overflowing with change. It is the one thing that we can rely on. One of the most basic beliefs of Buddhism is the concept of impermanence; that we should not cling to any object, person, or belief because our reality is constantly changing.

Why do we need faith? An Atheist friend of mine challenged me with that question. I told my friend we need faith to help us grow. She was unimpressed. She replied that growth does not come from faith, but from fear.

I believe spiritual community is paramount to spiritual health. Alone we can achieve a great deal, we can contemplate spiritual matters and overcome personal trials. However, it is with the support of community that we thrive.

In Buddhism community is a crucial part of spiritual practice.

There is a concept known as the three jewels through which Buddhist take seek guidance and take refuge.

Today is the day many Buddhist celebrate Nirvana Day (sometimes referred to as Parinirvana Day). This holiday is the day many Buddhists observe the death of Siddhartha Gautama, and consequently his transition into Nirvana.