Connection, community and a return to Lethbridge

By Lethbridge Herald on March 25, 2026.

Herald photo by Joe manio A young congregant receives her Buddhist Dharma name from Bishop Tatsuya Aoki during the Sarana Affirmation ceremony Sunday at the Buddhist Temple of Southern Alberta in Lethbridge. The ceremony marked the first time participants of all ages formally received names at the temple.

By Joe Manio

Lethbridge Herald 

A visit decades in the making came full circle in Lethbridge this weekend.

Reverend Tatsuya Aoki — known within the sangha as Bishop Aoki Socho — returned to the city where part of his spiritual path first took shape, delivering a public Dharma talk Saturday at the Buddhist Temple of Southern Alberta (BTSA). For many in attendance, it was both a teaching and a homecoming.

Now serving as Bishop of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada since 2013, Aoki’s connection to southern Alberta stretches back to his youth, when he arrived from Sapporo, Japan, as an international student. He later studied at the University of Lethbridge, forming relationships within the local Buddhist community that have endured ever since.

Saturday’s gathering brought those threads together.

Speaking in the temple’s hondo, Aoki offered a message grounded in Jodo Shinshu teachings, blending personal reflection with accessible examples and moments of quiet humour.

“If I use a Buddhist word, it’s interconnectedness,” Aoki said. “Lethbridge is where I began my academic journey, but more than that, it’s where I experienced so much kindness. Every time I return, those memories come back, and I feel that connection again.”

The visit is part of a two-day schedule that includes meetings with temple leadership, a Sunday service and a Sarana Affirmation ceremony — a milestone event for the BTSA.

Aoki’s talk touched on core themes of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism: listening deeply to the Dharma, reflecting on human limitations and awakening gratitude through the recitation of the Nembutsu.

“Nembutsu is about trying to live each day with gratitude,” he said. “The point is not perfection — the point is to try.”

He also spoke about the shared human experiences that often bring people through temple doors.

“People come to temples for many reasons — family tradition, or because they’re facing difficulties,” Aoki said. “But when we come together, we realize we are all the same. We all wish for peace and happiness.”

For Reverend Roland Ikuta, that sense of connection begins with something simple.

“When we put our hands together and say the Nembutsu, it’s an expression of gratitude,” Ikuta said. “Gratitude for all the causes and conditions that bring us to this moment.”

Throughout the weekend, that spirit carried into Sunday’s Sarana Affirmation ceremony — a first in the temple’s history — where participants of all ages formally received Buddhist Dharma names, marking a shared step in their spiritual journey.

“Sarana affirmation is a reminder,” Aoki said. “We don’t make strict promises, because we are imperfect. Instead, we return to the temple to reflect, to listen to the Dharma, and to try to live better.”

He also acknowledged the role Buddhist teachings can play in modern life.

“Buddhism can provide peace and happiness to people, especially in today’s fast-paced world,” he said.

For many in attendance, the visit was as much about reconnection as reflection — a chance to hear from a teacher who has remained closely tied to the community while serving at a national level.

For Aoki, the message extended beyond the temple walls.

“If you feel alone, please come to a temple or a church,” he said. “We all have difficulties in life — but you don’t have to face them alone.”

For many in attendance, the visit was as much about reconnection as reflection — a chance to hear from a teacher who has remained closely tied to the community while serving at a national level.

For Aoki, the message extended beyond the temple walls.

“If you feel alone, please come to a temple or a church,” he said. “We all have difficulties in life — but you don’t have to face them alone.”