Jukai

Our annual Jukai ceremony is where people who have prepared and studied the precepts can formally become Buddhists.

What we call “Jukai,” or receiving the precepts, is a fairly open and accessible step for anyone who is an active member of Bright Way Zen, has been practicing for at least a few months, and has studied the precepts. We give the wagesa for this step, which is a symbolic garment used for various Buddhist purposes in Japan but not widely used in the West.

People who have received Jukai have formally become Zen Buddhists and have vowed to live their lives by the precepts as best they can. Once you have been regularly practicing with Bright Way Zen for at least a few months and have gone (or are currently going) through our annual 10-week precept study, you can ask Domyo about participating in our annual Jukai ceremony to receive the precepts. This usually happens in early June.