jukai

our practice here at bzc is a wonderful mixture of honoring tradition through contemporary expression. 2500 years ago shakyamuni buddha and his followers sat under trees. we sit under a roof made, in part, from trees.

another tradition we maintain and celebrate is jukai (lay ordination). this is known as zaike tokudo. the practice of tokudo or, home leaving, is already within each one of us. it is the realization that yes, there is something deeper to experience beyond the world of appearances. to reveal the awakened mind, bodhicitta, see into the world of dukkha (suffering), and thereby lessen one's discomfort and experience the interconnectedness of life is the inspiration which brings the zendo to us.

in the buddha's day, those who wished to follow the path of practice formally "left home", becoming a monk in a ceremony called shukke tokudo. the disciples would gather the discarded shrouds from the charnel grounds, sewed them together and dyed them all the same color thus making a readily identifiable robe. in addition, the head was shaved, thus "cutting away" defilements.

for zaike tokudo the disciple leaves the world of attachment (as represented by the home and personal relationships) while remaining in the world. this relationship to practice is unique in buddhism for it acknowledges that while the west lacks the monastic model in mainstream culture (unlike asia), it does have many serious students of buddhism who desire authentic practice.

suzuki roshi recognized the sincerity of his students and to acknowledge his support he ordained them. not quite monk, not quite lay person, we at bzc continue the tradition of practicing monastic forms in the world.

sojun roshi says we're all wearing invisible robes. at jukai, the ordination group is presented a visible robe called a rakusu which each has sewn as well as a lineage paper called a kechimiyaku, which traces the relationship from teacher to disciple from shakyamuni through india, china and japan to america with sojun roshi to you. it then returns to shakyamuni thus completing the circle.

while the rakusu and kechimiyaku are the visible symbols of ordination, what takes place at the ceremony is much more subtle. jukai literally means receiving the precepts. at the ceremony the preceptor purifies the space. the ordinees recite the vow of at-one-ment thus purifying themselves. they are then ready to receive the 16 bodhisattva precepts and formally take on practice. a buddhist name is given and calligraphied onto the back of the rakusu. two names comprise the new buddhist name: one expressing the current manifestation in the preceptor's mind and the other, the one to grow into or aspire towards.

i have attended numerous jukai ceremonies and while the focus is always on the current group being ordained as a confirmation of their practice, i always experience a renewal of my own intention to continue to penetrate the way.

seishi tetsudo