The Young Buddhist Editorial

04/01/2024

We are saddened to hear about the arson that took place at the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple. The YBE community is devastated as YBE was founded at the Seattle Betsuin and our first meetings took place in person in the basement where the fire took place. Please consider donating to support the temple's restoration efforts.

Namo Amida Butsu

January 1, 2024 Contact: [email protected] At 10:00 pm on December 31, 2023, an intruder broke into the temple and sought refuge in the basement. Shortly after, the individual committed arson, […]

04/01/2024

Update January 2, 2024 Contact: [email protected] The Seattle Betsuin is grateful for the sentiments and well wishes that have been posted, emailed, and verbalized through calls/texts. It is comforting to […]

28/12/2023

Clouds in Paper

Thank you all for your beautiful submissions to our haibun writing event this fall. In collaboration with our very own Editorial Committee, our editor Ryland Shengzhi Li has curated a collection of 8 haibun on the theme of interbeing.

If you’re not already running over to our website, here’s a sneak peek at each of the pieces in the collection.

We hope you enjoy our newest feature, published now on our website at youngbuddhisteditorial.com/clouds-in-paper and in the link in our bio.

For the editor’s intended experience, we recommend going in the order as published on the website, and shown here in the post. Thank you all for your support and happy reading!

25/08/2023

We are excited to announce a new 𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗯𝘂𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧, run by our newest Editorial Committee member, Ryland Shengzhi Li! Swipe through to learn more about haibun and the theme of interdependence. ➡️

We will be accepting submissions until 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯.

🌱 Check out our website for guidelines and submission details at youngbuddhisteditorial.com/events/haibun-2023!

🙏 We are looking forward to seeing all your submissions!

07/08/2023

Come check out our newest articles from May/June/July:

1. “Am I… Buddh-ish?” by Kevin Shen
2. “Being grateful for opportunities” by Derek Tahara
3. “Practicing With Our Pants on Fire” by Jeff Wilson

To read the full articles, click on the link in our bio!

Thank you Kevin, Derek, and Jeff for your submissions and if you want to submit an article too, head over to the submissions button on our website 📥📿

01/05/2023

Part 2 of our EcoDharma campaign open call submissions! Once again, thank you to all who submitted a piece for our open call. 🌱

1. “𝙱𝚘𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕 𝙰𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎" by Ryland Li
2. “𝙿𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙴𝚌𝚘𝙳𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚊 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝙼𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚒” by Allison Tanaka
3. "𝙳𝚛. 𝚂𝚎𝚞𝚜𝚜'𝚜 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚡 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚝𝚜 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝙲𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎” by Samuel Liang

Head to our website to see the full articles!

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Our platform is always open for submissions! If you’re interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out our submissions button on our website💻 for all the guidelines for sending your submission in📝📿

29/04/2023

Thank you to all who submitted for our EcoDharma campaign open call. 🌱☀️ We enjoyed reading your thoughts on environmentalism and Buddhism. Check out part one of our submissions:

1. “𝚂𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝙴𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙴𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜” by Kevin Shen
2. “𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎” by Reverend Jeff Wilson
3. “𝚃𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜” by Ryland Li
4. “𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙱𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗, 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚢 𝙺-𝙿𝚘𝚙 𝙶𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚙, 𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛” by Samuel Liang

Head to our website to see the full pieces!

🤔 What does 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 mean to you? Let us know in the comments below.

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Our platform is always open for submissions! If you’re interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out our submissions button on our website💻 for all the guidelines for sending your submission in📝📿

22/04/2023

𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚: 𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲 🌱

On this Earth Day, The Young Buddhist Editorial offers to our readers and community vignettes of the diverse ways each of us finds connections between the environment and Buddhism. 🙏

Here are some excerpts from our collective EcoDharma statement in honor of Earth Day. To view our full offering and how it was created, please visit our website: 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙗𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡.𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 or click on the link in our bio.

Stay tuned for submissions from our community from our EcoDharma open call!

13/04/2023

After escaping America's violent conquest of the Philippines, Jean-Paul (JP) R. Contreras deGuzman's mother built a career as a nurse in Alabama and Los Angeles while raising him and supporting family back home. 💪

JP describes her as , , and : "She has held up the entire sky for us," he writes, "and for that, I am immensely grateful." Thank you, JP, for sharing this story and the power of your mother's love 💌

04/04/2023

☮️ 💗 Is there space for values like peace and compassion to be rigorously implemented in the United States' foreign policy? 💗 ☮️

Gregory Wada sparks this essential questions and calls readers to action: "We need leaders with the grace and composure to de-escalate and work in the greater interest of peace," he writes. The full article urges a possibility of a hopeful, unknown future that may exist right on the other side of learning to (metaphorically) speak softly again.🫂

01/04/2023

🦵Even if we don't live like The Rock, we can work out like him!🦵
Derek Tahara reflects on the value of process, gradual change, and the parallels of physical 🙆‍♂️ and mental health 🧠. Right on, Derek!

#元気

27/03/2023

How do we identify? And by "we", we mean you. Me. All of us who are seeing this post, and those who feel something about Americans and Buddhists. Kevin Shen asks and begins to answer this question for the complex identities of Buddhists living in America in a new essay, "Also American Buddhist."

"[This term] creates space for diversity without being monolithic. This is no doubt just a small piece of the larger conversation, but I wonder if such an approach can also encourage the opening of hearts and imaginations."

To read the full article, visit our website.

23/03/2023

No matter how much we wish covid away, it's a part of our reality. Reflection is one tool to cope, and YBE's Derek Tahara is sharing his insights in a new article: "The COVID Experience."

"Having to quarantine for a couple of weeks helped me realize how grateful I am for my family to provide meals on a tray and full water bottles," Derek writes.

To read more visit youngbuddhisteditorial.com/articles/the-covid-experience

Our platform is open to your submissions! If you're interested in submitting art, poetry, essays, and more to the Young Buddhist Editorial, please visit www.youngbuddhisteditorial.com/submissions

12/03/2023

Are you 1) lost, 2) alone, or 3) confused? Us too, sometimes! 'How to Find Fulfillment After College,' a new article by Nancy Nguyen, helped us recenter.

"Everything is impermanent and you’re constantly changing everyday, so you continuously have to take the time to slow down to reassess. If you’re already doing all of these things and more, that’s great!"

To read more check out https://www.youngbuddhisteditorial.com/articles/how-to-find-fulfillment-after-college

Our platform is always open to your submissions! If you're interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out the submissions button on our website for the latest guidelines!

08/03/2023

Marissa Wong builds an immersive experience through prose and photos in her latest article, 'Buddhism in the Heart of Takashi Murakami'.

Marissa writes, "...through his multifaceted treatment of traditional Buddhist concepts and themes, Murakami creates contemporary artistic expressions that can help us better understand the human condition and the world we currently inhabit."

To read more check out youngbuddhisteditorial.com/articles/buddhism-takashi-murakami

Our platform is always open to your submissions! If you're interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out the submissions button on our website for the latest guidelines!

07/03/2023

Hello YBE Community! The Social Justice Committee is excited to announce an open call for submissions centered on EcoDharma and the ways that we all practice environmentalism in our daily lives.

With Earth day coming up in April, we’re looking to showcase your creativity in considering environmentalism and sustainability! Submissions can come in any form and length- poems, articles, paintings, videos~ anything you feel called to!

Submit on our website at youngbuddhisteditorial.com/submissions We look forward to learning together as a community and reflecting on the ways Buddhism and Ecology intersect! Accepting submissions now through April 7th, 2023.

Note: By submitting to this open call, YBE has permission to publish your submission on our website and on our social media.

05/03/2023

Explore the intersections of artificial intelligence, ethnicity, and taiko in Gregory Wada's article!

"Whether it’s playing taiko, or studying Buddhism, or being Japanese American in this particular time and place - there are experiences that are not replicated simply by being recorded. As this is true for visual knowledge, it is also true for linguistic, aural, or other ways of existing."

Read the full article at youngbuddhisteditorial.com/articles/visions-of-the-floating-world.

Our platform is always open to your submissions! If you're interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out the submissions button on our website for the latest guidelines!

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01/02/2023

Check out our newest articles for January on the youngbuddhisteditorial.com!

1. "𝙱𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚃𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜" by Reverend Jeff Wilson
2. "𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝙱𝚎 𝙰𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝙵𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝙻𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝟸𝟶𝚜" by Anna Tsuchimoto
3. "𝙱𝚃𝚂'𝚜 𝙼𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑" by Samuel Liang

Swipe through to read more about the articles!

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Our platform is always open for submissions! If you’re interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out our submissions button on our website💻 for all the guidelines for sending your submission in📝📿

24/01/2023

Community Healing: Navigating Grief after Violence ❤

We invite our community together to begin the healing process and navigate through our grief in the aftermath of violence.

The YBE community will be creating space for any community members who are searching for a place to go.

Healing circles are a space for us to express our grief, anger, fear, love, and solidarity with one another. We will be chanting and sharing thoughts with each other!

We welcome anyone seeking community in this difficult time.

Let us know if you can attend at tinyurl.com/ybe-healing-circle or click the link in our bio.

20/01/2023

Check out our newest articles for November & December on the youngbuddhisteditorial.com

1. "𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚂𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙶 𝚈𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚣𝚊𝚠𝚊 𝚒𝚜 𝙵𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚎𝚠 𝚅𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝙳𝚛𝚘𝚙" by Katie Tsuchimoto
2. "𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙻𝚘𝚋𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜" by Reverend Jeff Wilson
3. "𝙶𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚏, 𝚁𝚊𝚐𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚁𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎: 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚁𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸"
by Reverend CJ Sokugan Dunford

Swipe through to read more about the articles!

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Our platform is always open for submissions! If you’re interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out our submissions button on our website💻 for all the guidelines for sending your submission in📝📿

13/01/2023

✨𝗨𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗻✨

On Saturday, January 28th, San Jose Betsuin will be hosting the award-winning film 𝘕𝘰 𝘕𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 with a special Q&A with Director, Paul Daisuke Goodman and Cast! You don’t want to miss it!

This is a Jtown Community event, so come and enjoy a meal before the movie! and will graciously donate 15% of meals ordered on the night of the showing when you mention this ad. *For Minato’s: Due to limited seating, a pre-order Chicken/Gyoza bento box will be available for pick up at 5pm. Place your orders at 408-998-9711 by 1/26/23.

Purchase your tickets at sjbc.kindful.com/e/no-no-girl-movie-showing!

There will be some YBE folks in attendance so come say hi if you see us! 👋
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin

07/01/2023

"Compared to the ultimate wisdom of the buddha, we’re all the worst students. Yet in the eyes of the buddha, we are all the best, because all of us are embraced and become buddhas just as we are." - Rev. Jeff Wilson

By Jeff Wilson | He/Him/His | Toronto Buddhist Church

06/01/2023

"the sacrifice, the pain and suffering, the joy, love, and community that this great ancestry of Buddha entails" -Rev. CJ Sokugan Dunford

By Rev. CJ Dunford | They/them/theirs | Berkeley Buddhist Temple & the Buddhist Temple of Marin

06/01/2023

"This piece is certainly not a condemnation of the technology or of its users. It is the simple reflection of a digital Buddhist scrolling through the forms (and forums) of a new “floating world.” I hope that through these types of meditations, we might control the technology, rather than the other way around." - Gregory Wada

By Gregory Wada | He/Him/His | Orange County Buddhist Church

04/01/2023

"I find myself seeking ways to mend gaps in my connection to Japanese American history, too. Within this project, I can’t ignore the connection of relying on Jodo Shinshu aunties and fabric donated to a Jodo Shinshu temple to outfit my Dharma friends in a ceremony that recognizes Japanese American ancestors. As I reflected on the experience of creating these happi, I found deeper ties between craft and history, and in turn, deeper motivation to keep sewing." - Koki Atcheson

By Koki Atcheson | She/Her/Hers | Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin

16/12/2022

"The main hall of a temple, in Japanese, is also called a hondo (本堂). We create homelands (本土) in our temples, a hondo in our hondo." - Mariko Rooks

As Asian Americans, we too can lose sight of music as a border-defying site of home-making. Too often, Asian American artists and musicians are embroiled in Black cultural appropriation just to shed these ornamentations later in favor of another aesthetic. So how do we make a better home for each ot...

15/12/2022

"The mind of nondiscrimination goes beyond not hating people for being different. It’s about treating everyone the same, even lobsters, because they suffer and need our help. In other words, compassion shouldn’t be self-centered, where we only help those whom we identify with—it should be other-centered, where we help those who need help, period." - Rev. Jeff Wilson

Compassion for Lobsters - YBE Article

03/11/2022

25/10/2022

Check out our newest articles for October on the youngbuddhisteditorial.com 🧡

This month we have three featured pieces from our Personal Reflections column!

1. "𝙿𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙱𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚖 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝" by Katie Tsuchimoto
2. "𝙰 𝙿𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚢" by Derek Tahara
3. "𝙾𝚋𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝙽𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛" by Anna Tsuchimoto

Swipe through to read more about the articles!

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Our platform is always open for submissions! If you’re interested in submitting to the Young Buddhist Editorial, check out our submissions button on our website💻 for all the guidelines for sending your submission in📝📿

21/10/2022

"As a kid, obon always made me feel inspired and captivated by the Japanese American community. While I still feel those things as an adult, I now mostly feel a huge sense of nostalgia every time this night of the year rolls around. I feel like I can let myself feel like a kid again, and just be with my family." -Anna Tsuchimoto

By Anna Tsuchimoto | she/her/hers