Taigen performed a lay ordination precept ceremony for three of our members. As part of the ceremony, the three ordainees received new Dharma names from Taigen.
Gary Wilson is now also: Yaku’o Shinkaku – Healing Response Faithful Crane; Jeremy Herzberg is now also: Shingen Shoho – Mind Source Shining Phoenix; and Matt Vogel is now also: Kakumei Ikuzan – Awakening Brightness Nourishing Mountain.
A great many people helped to make this ceremony possible, including sewing teacher Hogetsu Laurie Belzer, Dawn Kistler, Eishin Nancy Easton, and Douglas Floyd.
The three ordainees formally took refuge in Buddha and received the 16 Soto Zen bodhisattva precepts:
I take refuge in Buddha
I take refuge in Dharma
I take refuge in Sangha
I vow to embrace and sustain right conduct
I vow to embrace and sustain all good
I vow to embrace and sustain all beings
A disciple of Buddha does not kill
A disciple of Buddha does not take what is not given
A disciple of Buddha does not misuse sexuality
A disciple of Buddha does not lie
A disciple of Buddha does not intoxicate mind or body of self or others
A disciple of Buddha does not discuss others’ faults
A disciple of Buddha does not praise self at the expense of others
A disciple of Buddha is not possessive of anything
A disciple of Buddha does not harbor ill will
A disciple of Buddha does not disparage the Three Treasures