By Jishin Liz Kuney Sensei
November 7th, 2024 was a mild late autumn Sunday at the mountain monastery. The annual Harvest Sesshin had just concluded that morning. After many months and often years of preparation, fourteen aspirants would receive the Zen Buddhist precepts on this day, vowing to do their best to live according to these principles and receiving a Dharma name and rakusu (a small garment that symbolizes their vows).
By late morning, thirty family members, friends, and Sangha members arrived and joined the thirty-two sesshin participants to celebrate the first Jukai Ceremony at Dai Bosatsu Zendo conducted by the new Abbot of the Zen Studies Society. While the event is typically referred to as jukai, a Japanese term meaning to receive the precepts, Chigan Roshi called the ceremony a “Bodhisattva Initiation,” highlighting the commitment a person makes to living the bodhisattva path.
A good portion of the guests had never been to Dai Bosatsu Zendo, and many were unfamiliar with the elaborate and unusual customs of traditional Buddhist practice. But Chigan Roshi made everyone feel welcome and at ease with his warm-hearted and generous manner. Explaining in simple, relatable terms what a bodhisattva might be, he compared it to the term mensch, describing “somebody who is a true human being, who goes out into the world to help whoever requires help, to love whoever requires love.”
Putting the religious backdrop into context for the newcomers and drawing everyone’s focus to the essential point, he said, “It’s not about the robes. It’s not about the chanting and the trimmings. It’s about developing a heart that goes into the world and freely helps without any thought of or desire for gain, doing the right thing because it is the right thing, becoming a pure human being who has the maturity to look at one’s own shortcomings consistently and at the same time is able to forgive oneself as well as those who have transgressed. And with that, one fulfills the function of what is called a bodhisattva.”
Chigan Roshi illuminated the portrait of a bodhisattva even more vividly, detailing the level of dedication required to enter into benevolent relationship with this world, particularly when conflicts arise. A bodhisattva would be willing to speak up and address issues if necessary, but “not from a place that is offensive—rather from a place that is open and spacious.” He continued, “by dissolving difficulties in this way, we can contribute to making this world a more peaceful place, a more mindful place, a more respectful place, no matter what the circumstances.” Demonstrating our vows in our daily lives, he affirmed the bodhisattva within us is awakened, “manifesting unconditional love for humanity, for life itself, and for the planet” and thereby “walking the path of unlimited humanity.”
The fourteen bodhisattvas initiated on November 7th (twelve present in the hall and two online), along with four others who will receive the precepts at New York Zendo in the coming weeks, met online with Chigan Roshi once a month for five months ahead of the ceremony. The workshops featured all the elements that activate a jukai ceremony: Purification, the Three Fundamental Precepts, the Three Refuges, the Ten Names of the Buddhas, and each of the Ten Important Precepts. Several of the newly ordained junior Dharma teachers assisted in leading the meetings as well.
Chigan Roshi also invited the Dharma teachers who attended the November ceremony to formally present the jukai students with their rakusu as he announced and explained their Dharma names:
| Emmyō Avesha P. | 円妙 Mysterious Circle | Rōshin Ashni S. | 老心 Old Heart |
| Gessha Todd F. | 月舎 Moon Hut | Ryōgetsu Lisette K. | 涼月 Clear Moon |
| Kōen Massimiliano D. | 洪淵 Vast Depth | Senzan Mike S. | 仙山 Hermit Mountain |
| Koki Maria Layla B. | 狐気 Spirit Fox | Shōjū Artemisa A. | 照常 Eternal Illumination |
| Ōraku Karuna H. | 和楽 Peace & Harmony | Shutei Siarzuk S. | 守貞 Guardian of Righteousness |
| Eikyū Nadia M. | 永久 Eternity | Shūten Marc D. | 秋天 Autumn Sky |
| Eisai Alec D. | 英才 Great Talent | Taigen Stewart H. | 大源 Great Source |
After the ceremony, the initiates met in the Abbot’s meeting room, where Chigan Roshi presented them with their jukai certificates and interpreted the Japanese characters brushed on the backs of their rakusu.
Finally, all gathered for a celebration in the dining room, where the delicious offerings were nearly as abundant as the happy smiles that danced through the air.