The following are paragraphs that describe various aspects of Buddhist practice that you may find useful to insert and edit into your letters. Hopefully this will be updated frequently. Last update: 2/21/06.
Zen.
Zen is school of Buddhism that started beginning about 1500 years ago in China when Buddhism mixed with Taoism. The emphasis in Zen is on meditation (“Zen” means “meditation”) and direct experience and insight. It tends to be very bare-bones and disciplined. Whereas most Buddhism defines the primary purpose as going beyond suffering, Zen talks about realizing the authentic self (the two are actually closely related). One way I think about it is that Buddhism starts with the thesis that life is full of suffering. Zen starts with the thesis that life is inherently joyful, but somehow we fail to connect with that. Again, it is two ways of saying the same thing, but does express a difference in attitude.
Taking the Precepts (AZC Style)
About the Precepts Ceremony. This is how it is done at the Zen Center: The preceptees generally invite friends and relatives to the ceremony. The ceremony is always open to all members of the Zen Center sangha. The ceremony itself lasts about an hour. A reception follows (cake and things). Before the ceremony the preceptees generally sit zazen for a number of hours. Sangha members are invited to show their support be joining them for at least part of that period. About an hour before the ceremony the preceptees bathe. The ceremony itself is very formal, involving reciting the various vows and precepts. Priests present will wear full robes. There is a lot of bowing and offering of incense. The highlight is receiving Dharma names, then receiving rakusus inscribed with those names. After the formal part people connected with the preceptees make statement, like “Way to go,” or “I always thought he was a little odd, but this takes the cake.”
We have a ceremony called Jukai or “Taking the Precepts,” for people who would like lay ordination. Barbara Seirin Kohn, our head teacher, and my root teacher, is the only person at our center, in fact, in Austin, who can give the Precepts. If you were studying here, you would, first, develop a relationship with Barbara as a teacher, and would have a lot of opportunity to talk with her about practice. You would formally ask her to give you the Precepts. If she felt your practice was solid, she would agree, and would ask you to do two things, aside from maintaining a solid practice: (1) study the Precepts, and (2) sew a rakusu. The Precepts include the Refuges, but also include the three Pure Precepts and the ten Grave Precepts. I’ve included a copy of our Bodhisattva Ceremony which is used for periodically renewing the Precepts. The rakusu is an article of clothing that looks like a bib. It is actually a miniature Buddha’s Robe (kashaya) with a strap, and follows the construction of a kashaya. After about a year there would be a Precepts Ceremony, typically with about three or four people taking the precepts. You would receive a Dharma name that Barbara has picked as appropriate for you. You would have the option of asking people to call you by that name. The rakusu is then worn during zazen and during any ceremony or Buddhist event. It is a beautiful and meaningful ceremony. It is considered to be a very big step in one’s life and no one ever takes it lightly.
More to come.