Temple Night Tonight, Friday, November 29

Beginning at 7:00 pm, you’re invited to join in our twice-a-year informal sitting in the Buddha Hall (located behind 5 Arnold Park). You are free to sit anywhere (moving your mat as you wish) and to make prostrations and offer incense at any of the altars, as you wish. If you like, you can sit late into the night after the formal end of Temple Night at 9:00 pm. These late hours of Temple Night can be an especially fine time for zazen.

You may also bring a photo of deceased relatives or friends for the Memorial Altar, as well as place your own Buddhist figure on the Main Altar.

Saturday: Teisho in the Morning and Jukai Early Evening

We begin with zazen at 8:30 am followed by Roshi’s teisho on the precepts. In the early evening we’ll have Jukai (Taking of the Precepts Ceremony), as we do each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

If this will be your first time receiving the precepts, or if it’s been a while, here’s a rough outline of what to expect: The ceremony begins around 5 pm in the Buddha Hall, but you’re welcome to come early if you like and sit in the Arnold Park zendo. (Anything you’re able to do ahead of time to slow down and clear the mind will help make Jukai more meaningful.) A bit before the start of the ceremony, we’ll begin sending people out to the Buddha Hall. Once there, you’ll be directed down the center aisle to make a monetary offering (for the teacher), to do a prostration at the altar, and then to take your seat. When everyone is seated, Roshi will enter, we’ll chant the Prajña Paramita, and then Roshi will lead everyone through the Sixteen Precepts. The ceremony itself takes a little more than half an hour, and afterwards we’ll have tea in the Link.

Jukai Donation to Teacher

In keeping with long tradition, the Jukai ceremony includes a chance for participants to offer a personal donation to Roshi as the officiant (not to the Zen Center). Even a token amount is fine. Cash is preferred in order to maintain anonymity; this helps ensure that no one will feel any pressure to give more than they are comfortable with. (If you do have to write a check, please make it payable to Bodhin Kjolhede, rather than to the Center.)

Sudama Is Now a Nun

Our Dharma-sister Sudama Ngo, who lived as a staff resident here for many years, moved back to California last spring to be near her children, grandchildren, and siblings, while at the same time involving herself with the Vietnamese Buddhist community there. Recently she took a big step, receiving full ordination as a Buddhist nun (Pali: bhikkhunī).

Sudama is here now to visit and to take part in this weekend’s Jukai ceremony, where she will be wearing her new yellow kesa (the traditional Buddhist over-robe) worn by Vietnamese bhikkhunīs. She respectfully asks that, in accordance with Vietnamese tradition, no one offer her a hug while she is wearing that yellow kesa. When she is not wearing that yellow robe, however, she is happy to hug!

Calendars and Sangha Directories

The quarterly calendar for January through March was just completed, and an up-to-date directory of local Sangha members just went to press. They’re both available in the Link. The calendar is also available as an Adobe Acrobat document here. (Because of privacy concerns, we don’t post the directory, or other documents containing member information, online.)