On the weekend of September 14 and 15, 2002, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin celebrated its first one hundred years of existence and kicked off its second hundred years. The celebration was marked by the return of past ministers, special services, a Fun Day for temple familes, a parade, and an elegant banquet capped the weekend festivities in grand style.

San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin was founded in 1902 by Japanese imigrants who longed for hearing the Dharma. After lomg and treacherous voyages from Japan, and years away from home, they worked to bring a piece of home to America with them.

Since then, the practice of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin has changed in many ways. English is now the primary language. While people of Japanese ancestry still make up the majority of the Sangha, you will now find a wide variety of ethnic groups and nationalities.

SJBCB is proud to celebrate the first one hundred years of its history, as well as launching into the second hundred.

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Theme

The Centennial Theme is "Walking the broader path...it's broader than you think". This theme is indicative of the changes that have happened during the last hundred years at SJBCB. When the Temple first started, only Issei (first generation in America) Japanese men were part of the Sangha. Over time, the wives were allowed to join in the services and to help around the Temple. Eventually, the younger folks joined in with Dharma School and even helping to lend a hand where needed. Then came the biggest change - when non-Japanese started to express an interest in Buddhism. Eventually, these newcomers joined in to help with Temple events. Now we have many non-Japanese in every facet of the Temple.

As we move into our second hundred years, it will become more important to allow access to other non-Japanese. It will continue to be important to have the involvement of all generations and both genders. The path to enlightenment was never restricted. Now anyone can join us on the path. It is broader than you think.

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Logo

Our logo was designed to convey the many parts of our celebration. Designed by Janice Oda, with a little more help than she needed from the Centennial Committee, the logo has four distinct pieces.

The first piece is Shinran Shonin. This reminds us of the heritage and history of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.

The second piece highlights our first century - 1902 to 2002. The tranquil blue color helps us remember that, although life may be hectic in Silicon Valley, there is refuge from the storm at the Temple.

Next we have the O-jiuzu or beads. A symbol of our faith in Buddha, this reminds us that, above all else, we are a Temple.

Finally we have our Temple name - San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. The brown color of earth reminds us of the agrarian past of both the valley (before becoming known as Silicon Valley, the Santa Clara Valley was known as The Valley of the Heart's Delight), and the past of the founders of the Temple.

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Committee

The Centennial Committee is a working committee sponsored by the Board of Directors of SJCBC. While the bulk of the work is complete, the Yearbook sub-committee continues to prepare the final piece of the Centennial recognition.

Some of the people involved in the committee include:

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Contact Us

For any questions, contact Michael Jones:

Michael Jones email: [email protected]

SJBCB Church Office: (408)293-9292

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