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Dear All,
I am very content to make this announcement, and ask everyone sitting with our Sangha to join in its celebration. OUR SANGHA WILL WELCOME THROUGH 'Home Leaving' ORDINATION three NEW NOVICE-PRIEST TRAINEES, all well known faces around here ...
LAURIE ONKAI ZOLAS
JOSEPH NENGEI ALEXANDER
JESSE KOUSHI SHERRILL
They will join our present Novice-Priest Trainees, Washin, Geika, Shinshi, Byokan, Shoka, Kokuu, Jakuden, Shugen and Sekishi, and our Transmitted Priests, Shokai and Kyonin. Nengei, Koushi and Onkai will be Ordained by me (Jundo) as a Novice Priest-Trainee at a Shukke Tokudo "Homeleaving" Ordination Ceremony to be held sometime during this Spring.
From time to time, after undertaking Zen practice for many years, a person may feel in their heart a certain calling. They may wish to train in our traditions and embody our practices in order to keep this way alive into the next generation as clergy. They may feel a calling within themselves to live as a servant and minister to the community, to the Sangha and to all sentient beings.
Traditionally, in India, China, Japan and the other Buddhist countries of Asia, one was expected to leave one’s home and family behind in order to begin the necessary training and practice of an “apprentice”. Thus, the ancient ceremony of ordination in Buddhism became known as Shukke Tokudo, “Leaving Home to Take the Way”. Now, in modern Japan and in the West, one great change in the nature of Buddhist clergy has been that many of us function more as “ministers” than “monks,,” with family and children, often with outside jobs as “Right Livelihood” supporting us, while ministering to a community of parishioners. This, in keeping with changes in cultures and society, has done much to bring Buddhism out from behind monastery walls. While now we may be living in a monastic setting for periods of weeks or months (and thus can be called “monks” during such times), we then return to the world beyond monastery walls, where these teachings have such relevance for helping people in this ordinary life. We are not bound by monastery walls, dropping all barriers separating "inside" from "out". Thus, the term “leaving home” has come to have a wider meaning, of “leaving behind” greed, anger, ignorance, the harmful emotions and attachments that fuel so much of this world, in order to find the “True Home” we all share. In such way, we find that Home that can never be left, take to the Way that cannot be taken.
Someone’s undertaking “Shukke Tokudo” is not a “raising up” of their position in the Sangha, it is not an honor or “promotion” into some exalted status, not by any meaning. Far from it, it is a lowering of oneself in offering to the community, much as all of us sometimes deeply bow upon the ground in humility, raising up others and the whole world above our humbled heads.
It is to volunteer and offer oneself as the lowest ‘sailor on the ship’ at the beck and call of the passengers' well-being and needs, a nurse to the suffering, a brother or sister supporting a family, a friend offering to help carry a burden. One must be committed sincerely to serve and benefit others, and one must not undertake such road for one’s own benefit, praise or reward.
What is more, the undertaking of “Shukke Tokudo” is not the end of the road of training, not by any meaning. Far from it, it is but the first baby steps. Perhaps, years down the road, the person will find that that they maintain the inner calling to continue this path … and, perhaps, years down the road, they shall have embodied this Tradition sufficiently to continue it and be certified as a fully Dharma Transmitted “priest” and a teacher … but there is no guaranty of any of that. Some will withdraw by their change in feelings, some will be asked to withdraw. For this reason, one undertaking “Home Leaving” is not yet recognized in the Zen world as truly a fully ordained “priest” for many years, and is called an “Unsui”, meaning “clouds and water,” representing the resolution yet malleability that is required in training. The best translation in English is “apprentice priest” or "novice priest" or “priest trainee”. Perhaps, years down the road, some trainees will be felt to have embodied these traditions sufficiently in order to function independently as priests and to receive Dharma Transmission … but not necessarily. For now, they are expected to learn … with the future not assured, and no promises about the future. (Of course, we are all beginners, all students … all learning from each other … teachers learning from students too).
We hope that, in the coming years, other people will feel this same calling. It must be by mutual decision. It is not something that should be rushed into, nor rushed through. Although people are all different, maybe a good time to first consider such a thing would be only after practicing for 5 years or longer, and then it should be deeply thought about (and silently sat with) for longer still before first taking on the responsibilities of being an apprentice student-priest.
For now, I am pleased to announce that Nengei, Onkai and Koushi will be our next Novice Priest-Trainees.
We hope that you will join us in wishing them well in their start on this long undertaking. Most of you will know each of them very well from their almost daily participation here over several years, and the energy, wisdom and compassion they always bring to our community. The ceremony will occur much as our prior Ordination Ceremonies, with all of our Sangha brought together across oceans using all means of modern media, dropping all thought of place and time.
As in all we undertake in our Sangha, the ceremony will not be limited to a specific location, much as our annual Jukai here at Treeleaf … and we hope that you will all join us for the ceremonies when the day comes.
Pardon my long message.
Gassho, Jundo
SatTodayLAH
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