Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

ON RELIGION

Differing strains of
the Buddhist faith
are the next stops
in ecumenical tour

Prayer breakfast
Farewell to Bishop Sano
Papa Makua installed

Differing branches of Buddhism are the focus of the next stops in an ecumenical project that sponsors call "A Pilgrimage in Nuuanu."

The monthly series, sponsored by the Open Table discussion group, offers a peek into the teaching and practices of other faiths. Last year's sessions were held at Baha'i, Jewish and Christian institutions along Pali Highway.

The Tendai Mission of Hawaii at 23 Jack Lane in Nuuanu will host the next session at 4 p.m. Feb. 27. Its tradition was brought from China to Japan in the 19th century and became the sect favored by the aristocracy. It is known for its comprehensive compilation of historical Buddhism. The mission is active in Japanese cultural activities.

A more earthy, mystical strain of Buddhism will be featured at the 4 p.m. March 12 gathering at Kagyu Thegchen Ling at 26 Gartley Place in Manoa. The Tibetan Buddhist center features an ornate shrine, and the tradition is known for its emphasis on reincarnation.

The Manoa session signals a change in the geographical theme of the pilgrimage, said Alfred Bloom, one of the planners. To plan visits to a wider variety of faiths, the monthly gatherings will not be confined to Nuuanu.

---

Prayer breakfast
to feature artist

Artist Thomas Kinkade will be the speaker at the Hawaii Prayer Breakfast March 24 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Coral Ballroom.

The annual event, patterned after the National Prayer Breakfast, is traditionally attended by top government, military and business leaders.

Kinkade has received awards for his paintings of light-filled scenes which are widely marketed in print editions. He was named to the Bradford International Hall of Fame for plate artists and chosen graphic artist of the year four times by the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers.

Tickets are $19 and may be purchased by calling 486-8986.

---

Retiring Methodist
bishop to be feted

A farewell celebration will be held next Saturday for retiring Methodist Bishop Roy I. Sano, who has led the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church since 1992.

The noon luncheon and program at Susannah Wesley Community Center will be sponsored by the Hawaii District of the United Methodist Church. Reservations are not required.

Sano, a former theology professor at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif., is the author of two books, "From Every Nation Without Number" and "Outside the Gate: A Study of the Epistle to the Hebrews."