In 2020 everything shut down and Zoom was all that allowed the sangha to meet and celebrate the Dharma. Now, as I begin 2023, I am grateful for the merger of the two worlds – online and IRL.

New Year’s Eve morning I celebrated the end of the year with Rev. Shoda Kanai’s Zoom service from the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada. The services ends with the ringing of the temple bell 108 times.

Then at 11 pm New Year’s Eve I attended the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church‘s end of year service with my wife, Mary, and son, Richard, and his fiancée, Alexis. After the service we had cookies and tea while we waited for the New Year to arrive.

At midnight everyone gathered outside to ring the church bell 108 times. We each rang the bell 12 times and Alexis, who will deliver my first grandchild in early January, rang the bell 24 times.

After the New Year service we toasted the arrival of 2023 with a sip of sake.

On New Year’s morning I attended Rev. Shoda Kanai’s Zoom service from the Nichiren Buddhist Kannon Temple of Nevada, which includes his recitation of members’ New Year’s prayers and a purification ceremony for the New Year.

A fine start to a New Year.