Young Adult Retreat 2011

Above is Jake attempting to fly while we were at the Pali lookout on the second full day of Young Adult Retreat.

So as mentioned in an earlier post. Young Adult Retreat took on August 12- 15 at Camp Kokokahi in Kaneohe, Oahu. This year Rev. Thomas Okano was the guest speaker and discussed the meaning of some of the main sutras we chant at the Hongwanji. Some of the other activities at the Retreat were the meaning of Obon along with bon dance lessons from Miss Cara Tsutsuse, and a hike on the Likeke Waterfall trail. There was also a mini bon dance without our instructor so we all kind of failed. We had a campfire and did the first ever chanting of Shoshinge by campfire light that we know of. It was all very cool!

*Note the photographs are not in any order

After the hike

With Rev. Thomas Okano, our guest speaker

Before we chanted Shoshinge with Bishop by campfire light

What some of the guys did at the end of the hike. Not shown is what Ken Oyadomari did. I don't have a picture of that...

Some of us posing at the Pali Lookout sign

The view at the Pali lookout

Bon Dance Lessons with Miss Cara Tsutsuse. They are not the same dance!

If any of the above interest you check out the Young Adult Retreat site here which should be updated with new information as it gets closer to the next Retreat. Also Dr. Toshikazu Arai did a nice blog on Obon and it's meaning here.

Hope that we see more of you soon!