Hello All,

I am very pleased to announce that the date and time for the Shukke Tokudo 'Homeleaving' Ordination Ceremony for Shohei (Dirk), Mongen (Hans) and Fugen (Torbjorn) is ....

THURSDAY AUGUST 19th, 2010 ... at (subject to change):

10pm Japan time (that is New York 9am, Los Angeles 6am, London 2pm and Paris 3pm)

The ceremony will probably last about an hour. Taigu will be ordaining Shohei as a novice-priest, and I will be ordaining Mongen and Fugen.

IN ADDITION, on the 18th and 19th, we will be welcoming to Treeleaf in Tsukuba both Taigu and my Dharma Brother, Jean Marc Bazy and several members of his Sangha in Lyon, France. You may remember his visit with us in Japan last year ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-s ... 2&limit=20

TO MARK JEAN-MARC'S VISIT, WE WILL HAVE OUR 4-HOUR AUGUST ZAZENKAI ALSO ON AUGUST 19th (instead of its usual time on the first Saturday of the month. Because of personal travel, I am not available that first weekend).

Of course, ALL WILL BE LIVE NETCAST, then recorded to be AVAILABLE FOR PARTICIPATION BY THOSE WHO NEED TO JOIN LATER.

All this will also mark the start, in the following week, of our ANGO (100 Day Special Practice Season) ... details on that to come soon.

Please do plan on joining us for both this special Zazenkai and our 1st Ordinations. It is a time of celebration for the entire Treeleaf Community.

Gassho, Jundo and Taigu too.