Special Nembutsu Chanting with Flower Petal Offering
Video excerpt of Shuso Sango Saho: chanting nembutsu with flower petal offering.
On the morning of Saturday, November 23, 2024, the Buddhist Church of Sacramento celebrated its 125th Anniversary with a combined Hoonko service, honoring Shinran Shonin’s memorial, and a special commemorative service for our temple milestone. The event was led by Bishop Marvin Harada and Rimban Yuki Sugahara, who guided the sangha in chanting Shuso Sango Saho.
A standout feature of the service was the inclusion of a ritual typically performed by ministers: the sangha was invited to scatter paper flower petals during the recitation of the nembutsu.
“We scatter the flower and welcome [Buddhas]. The act of scattering flower petals is to welcome honored ones. We scatter keha during nembutsu to recognize and welcome the working of Amida Buddha in Namo Amida Butsu,” explained Rev. Yuki.
This meaningful gesture brought a vibrant, communal spirit to the service and beautifully reflected the 3Cs of our temple's 125th Anniversary theme—Compassion. Culture. Community.
Special thanks go to the Dharma School students and teachers for decorating the paper petals used during the service, adding a personal and creative touch to this memorable ritual.
For those who could not attend, the full service—including the complete chanting of Shuso Sango Saho, a congratulatory message from Bishop Harada, a Dharma message from Seattle Betsuin's Rimban Katsuya Kusunoki, and a special performance by the Sacramento Betsuin Choir—is available to watch online.
