Jukai is the formal Zen Buddhist ceremony of lay ordination, in which Zen practitioners commit to the Buddhist path. The term Jukai is made up of the Japanese characters 受 “ju”, which means “receiving/granting,” and 戒 “kai”, which means “the precepts.” In the Jukai ceremony, practitioners openly receive the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts as an ongoing path in their lives.

Taking the precepts at the Jukai ceremony formally commences a commitment to a lifelong practice of mindful inquiry into the motivations and consequences of one’s own actions.

To prepare for this ancient ceremony, each student has intensively studied the precepts with their teacher, as well as other central teachings of the Buddha. Each ordainee has also hand-sewn a rakusu, a miniature Buddhist robe. On the back of each rakusu, the preceptor will write the ordainee’s Dharma name, which will be presented to them during the ceremony. This new name serves both as a recognition of the qualities they are already deeply exploring, as well as being a commitment to a life-long practice of embodiment of those qualities.

Each participant will also receive their Oryoki bowls as well as their kechimyaku, or blood lineage chart, which begins with Shakyamuni Buddha’s name and continues through the lineage ancestors down to the present day preceptors and their students.

The ceremony will be followed by a luncheon in celebration. Please join us for this happy day and in support of our sangha!

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