On Sunday, August 2^nd Guzan was installed as our shuso for the upcoming practice year.

In the role of shuso, Guzan will be a model of practice for all other students – so if someone is new to the Zendo, for example, they could look to the shuso to know what to do. The shuso primarily teaches by example. It is a position of responsibility but not authority. It is a unique and challenging role because one is always both a junior and a senior. One is head trainee and chief junior at once. The faces of the junior and senior are constantly being switched, sometimes worn at the same time.

Guzan will have a long list of responsibilities to the sangha including organizing retreats and Bright Way events, maintaining a pleasant environment in the Zendo, and making sure attendees in the Zendo are comfortable and have what they need to practice. We are immensely grateful to Guzan for taking on this responsibility and practice. We have no doubt he will be up for the task and we will benefit greatly from his efforts. 

Click the photos to enlarge!

On Sunday, April 19, Bright Way Zen held a Zaike Tokudo, or lay ordination, ceremony to honor four dedicated members. It comes less than a year after the Sangha’s previous Zaike Tokudo ceremony.

This year’s ordainees were Coral West, Mick Stukes, Greg Kulik, and James Gregg.

People who take the step of Zaike Tokudo have come to identify deeply with our lineage of Soto Zen, our Dharma Cloud lineage in particular, and the Bright Way Zen Sangha. Collectively, they are referred to as “Sangha Holders.”

During the ceremony, ordainees received a Dharma name, by which they will be known within the Sangha. All BWZ Sangha Holders have the same “family name” (which goes first), Dakyo (pronounced DA-kyo). Da means “arrive,” and kyo means “native place.” Then they have a personal Dharma Name, which was chosen by Domyo to reflect something unique she sees in each person that they can aspire to cultivate further with their ordination:

Coral: Soki, meaning Straightforward Function

Mick: Kyosen, meaning Respect River

Greg: Hokaku, meaning Letting-Go Crane

James: Guzan, meaning Foolish Mountain

In preparation, ordainees were required to sew their own rakasu, a bib-like garment worn around the neck during meditation and ceremony. It is a miniature version of the Buddha’s patchwork robe. Each ring sewn into the four ordainee’s rakasu was provided by James. The rings are made of cedar from the trees surrounding Eiheiji, the monastery in Echizen that Dogen Zenji founded in 1244. James was able to pick them up on a visit to Japan last year.

It was wonderful to have Mick and Greg, who are normally Cloud Zendo members, travel to the Dirt Zendo for the ceremony. The ordainees were feted by many family, friends, and other Sangha members in both the Dirt and Cloud Zendos.

Congrats to all of you on this step!

Click the photos to enlarge!

Click the photos to enlarge!

Bright Way Zen held its annual Sejiki ceremony, also known as the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts, this past Sunday, October 27th, 2024. Sejiki, which is heavily rooted in mythology, is a ceremony in which offerings are made to Gakis- being stuck in the “hungry ghost” realm due to past harmful karma, such as grasping, selfishness, and stinginess. “Ghosts” may symbolize emotions such as pain and fear, or represent real people. Traditionally, Sejiki is also a time to remember those who have recently passed, so a merit list is read aloud during the ceremony in remembrance.

For the ceremony, an altar is constructed and adorned with offerings such as sweets, flowers, and other snacks brought in by Sangha members, and Cloud participants are also invited to set up an altar of their own in a similar fashion. Buddha and Bodhisattva statues and images are covered so as not to scare off the ghosts, who are not ready to receive the teachings of the Dharma. The ceremony begins with music played by a trio of Sangha members and consists of a chanting program, the recitation of the merit list, and a procession towards and around the altar, in which each participant has a chance to bow and make an offering of crushed lavender. The ceremony concludes with music as a farewell to the ghosts.

This ceremony holds space for us to reflect on unresolved karma in our lives. Through Sejiki and the support of the Sangha, we can offer our attention and patience to the aspects of ourselves we may tend to ignore or reject. The ceremony is an opportunity to acknowledge and embrace our feelings of loss, grief, anger, and sadness with compassion and understanding, if only for a few moments.

Article by Ashlea Vedder. Learn more about the Sejiki Ceremony here.