Priest Ordination

[00:00:00] Speaker A: For more information on Ancient Dragon Zen Gate, please visit our website at www.ancientdragon.org. our teachings are offered to the community through the generosity of our supporters. To make a donation online, please visit our website. [00:00:16] Speaker B: In three weeks, November 23rd, we will be performing a priest ordination for Reuben Kaller. So I want to talk about the meaning of priest ordination and go over the ceremony this morning. So. Well, first of all, it does not. [00:00:39] Speaker C: Mean that Ruben's practice is better than anybody else's. [00:00:47] Speaker B: But it does mean that. [00:00:49] Speaker C: Ruben is dedicating himself publicly to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, to supporting Buddha, the. [00:00:57] Speaker B: Supporting Dharma, and also to be a presence in Sangha, just as a regular person, regular practitioner, but also just to express that completely. [00:01:11] Speaker C: So. [00:01:13] Speaker B: Yeah, the ceremony we'll do is very much the same as the Jukai. [00:01:19] Speaker C: Ceremony that several of you have done and some of you maybe are preparing. [00:01:28] Speaker B: For receiving the precepts. It's the same 16 precepts. And yeah, so the ceremony, well, it's different in as much as there. There's more to it for the priest ordination. [00:01:44] Speaker C: They're more things that are given. There's kimono and karomo and bulls, priest bowls, the oyoki. [00:01:56] Speaker B: And so it's. And an okesa like this and a zagu about. So it's in the 16th, you know, in some ways it's the same as the Jukai ceremony, but just more so for those of you who have done. [00:02:14] Speaker C: Or will be doing the jikai ceremony. [00:02:16] Speaker B: This is also for you. So I'm just going to go through. [00:02:21] Speaker C: The ceremony and talk about it. So Nyozan and Aishin and I will do three bows together and come into the room and be seated here. [00:02:37] Speaker B: And there will be an ordination table spread out here and she'll be sitting. [00:02:44] Speaker C: There and Mirzan here. [00:02:46] Speaker B: And then Reuben will have a cushion opposite the ordination table and then a cushion will sitting back further and then. [00:02:57] Speaker C: People will be around and various people. [00:03:00] Speaker B: Have participation in the. In the ceremony. [00:03:05] Speaker C: Wade's going to be the person taking care of the online people. I think David and Douglas are going to be greeters. Jerry's going to be Eno and go on. [00:03:20] Speaker B: Anyway, there will be various positions. And so after Ishan, Yerzan and I are settled, then Douglas will lead in. [00:03:31] Speaker C: The these, the ordony Reuben. [00:03:37] Speaker B: So Douglas is the jindo leader and Reuben will be chanting in this room here. He'll be sitting from. [00:03:47] Speaker C: I don't know. [00:03:49] Speaker B: So the ceremony's at 2:00'. [00:03:50] Speaker C: Clock. [00:03:51] Speaker B: So he'll be sitting from 1:30. It's not earlier and chanting Om. [00:03:56] Speaker C: And then. And then he'll get up and do do Kin hin in the room. He'll be chanting Om Namu Shakyamuni Buddha. Om Namu Shakyamuni Buddha. And we'll be doing that until he comes in and then sits down. [00:04:13] Speaker B: By the way, before he comes and sits down, I will be doing a wisdom water ceremony, purifying the space and. [00:04:23] Speaker C: Purifying all the people in here. [00:04:26] Speaker B: So, and then he will come in and do three prostrations and sit down. And I will say, invoking the presence and compassion of our ancestors in faith. [00:04:39] Speaker C: That we are Buddha, we enter Buddha's way. And then we will all do homage. [00:04:45] Speaker B: To all Buddhas in ten directions. Homage to the complete Dharma in ten directions. Homage to the Endless Sangha in ten directions. Homage to our first teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha. Homage to Ehei Dogen Zenji. [00:05:02] Speaker C: Oh. [00:05:03] Speaker B: Homage to the single being Succession of Bodhisattvas and ancestors. Then to Dogen and then homage to Shunryu Suzuki Daio Shoes so. And may their presence and compassion sustain us now. And then we'll recite the names of. [00:05:22] Speaker C: Buddha and we'll all recite Viro Chana Buddha Pure Dharmakaya Low Chana Buddha, Complete Sambhogakaya Shakyamuni Buddha Myriya Nirmanakaya Maitreya Buddha A Future Birth. [00:05:38] Speaker B: All Buddhas throughout space and time. [00:05:41] Speaker C: Lotus of the Wondrous Dharma Mahayana Sutra. [00:05:45] Speaker B: Manju Sri Bodhisattva Great Wisdom. Samantha Bhadra Bodhisattva Great Activity Avalokitevara Bodhisattva Great Compassion. All honored ones, Bodhisattvas, Mahasatvas, Wisdom Beyond Wisdom, Mahaprajna Paramita So this is how. [00:06:03] Speaker C: We will begin this ceremony. [00:06:07] Speaker B: And then I will say some other. [00:06:09] Speaker C: Things to Ruben, but to everyone. [00:06:12] Speaker B: You've come here to be ordained as a disciple of the Buddha and so forth. Listen attentively to the coming together of auspicious circumstances. Due to the auspicious coming together of auspicious circumstances, in your present life, this ceremony has been made possible. So I'll say some more things. As Buddha's disciple, you have the opportunity to receive the teachings transmitted from Shakyamuni Buddha through Buddhas and ancestors, through the succession to us and to manifest Buddha's. [00:06:53] Speaker C: Way forever and so forth. [00:06:57] Speaker B: So this is. This is all the same as for Tucai. To receive a human body in this. [00:07:05] Speaker C: World is rare occurrence. Yet we cannot avoid the reality of birth and death. We must deeply and gratefully appreciate how meaningful. [00:07:20] Speaker B: We should must Deeply and gratefully appreciate how meaningful and marvelous is the this present existence. Rare also is the opportunity to listen to the Buddha. [00:07:33] Speaker C: And the appearance of Buddha in this world is our greatest joy. [00:07:39] Speaker B: So there's more that will be said then. And then this. And this is when it becomes different from the Jukai ceremony. There's the initial head shaving. [00:07:52] Speaker C: So Reuben will shave his head and his ears and his mustache. [00:07:58] Speaker B: And so, you know, it's funny, when I was first ordained in the mid-80s. [00:08:05] Speaker C: It wasn't until Michael Jordan later that. [00:08:07] Speaker B: This haircut became popular. [00:08:11] Speaker C: So Matthew and Jake and Joe have shaved heads. And at that time, you know, we. [00:08:19] Speaker B: Discouraged people from. [00:08:22] Speaker C: Shaving their head if they weren't becoming a priest. But. [00:08:29] Speaker B: And I see Caitlin's joined us from Canada. [00:08:31] Speaker C: Hi, Caitlin. [00:08:33] Speaker B: So, yeah, but since Michael Jordan now. [00:08:36] Speaker C: It'S sort of a popular haircut. So I can walk around and people don't. [00:08:42] Speaker B: Don't think I'm something special. [00:08:45] Speaker C: And so, yeah, anyway, but during this. [00:08:49] Speaker B: Ceremony of priest ordination, there's a head shaving and there's an initial head shaving. And I'll say some things first. Great disciple of Buddha. The source of mind is still. The ocean of Dharma is profound. Those who realize this are liberated on the spot. Traveling the path of Buddha, one must be in the state of renunciation. And for renunciation, head shaving is appropriate. And so cutting off the hair is. [00:09:21] Speaker C: Cutting the root of clinging and the initial head shaving. Reuben will come in with an area. [00:09:31] Speaker B: Of his head that's not shaved. [00:09:33] Speaker C: And I will cut most of that off in the initial head shaving. [00:09:38] Speaker B: And as we begin the head shaving, all of us, the assembly and the. [00:09:45] Speaker C: Ordinary will say, will say, only the. [00:09:48] Speaker B: Mind of a Bodhisattva can cut through. [00:09:51] Speaker C: This drifting, wandering life and take the path of Nirvana. [00:09:57] Speaker B: This virtue cannot be defined. [00:10:01] Speaker C: So we do that three times. [00:10:03] Speaker B: So a lot of this we do three times. But I'm just going to recite it once. Well, we will chant. The bonds of attachment are hard to break in our past, present and future Karma realization beyond the realm of karma is the offering of true compassion. So that's the initial head shaving. [00:10:27] Speaker C: And then I will say once. [00:10:31] Speaker B: In this world of birth and death, when we realize our imperturbable way seeking mind Bodhi is right at hand. This very beginner's mind Bodhisattvas know as immeasurably deep and wide. [00:10:46] Speaker C: Not even Buddha can define it. So then. [00:10:55] Speaker B: There will be the presentation. [00:10:57] Speaker C: Of the Karomo first. So Reuben will Come up. And I. [00:11:01] Speaker B: And I will move the karomo over the flowers. There'll be flowers in the center of the coordination table. No, we'll do flowers. [00:11:16] Speaker C: Flowers is good. [00:11:18] Speaker B: So we'll do flowers. [00:11:19] Speaker C: And then I will give this karomo to Reuben, who will go back and put it on. [00:11:27] Speaker B: So all of this takes a little time. Then there's the final head shaving. And I will say to Ruben, this last hair is called the shura. Only a Buddha can cut it off. [00:11:41] Speaker C: Now I will cut it off. [00:11:44] Speaker B: Do you allow me to cut it off? [00:11:46] Speaker C: Ruben will say, yes. [00:11:51] Speaker B: So. And during the head shavings, by the. [00:11:55] Speaker C: Way, we need a photographer. Oh, Wade, you're going to be a photographer. [00:12:00] Speaker B: So Wade will photograph this for Japanese Soto Shu. [00:12:04] Speaker C: So all the priests I've ordained have been registered in Japanese Soto Shu, but. [00:12:12] Speaker B: And I'm registered in Japanese in Japanese Sato School as a Kokusai Fu Kyoshi. [00:12:19] Speaker C: An international lecturer, missionary, whatever. But you know, in our setup here. [00:12:29] Speaker B: We have not registered Shoe Seouls because the shuso ceremony to be registered in. [00:12:37] Speaker C: Schools rather formal and involves a bigger. [00:12:41] Speaker B: Space and having a number of teachers from Japan and so forth. [00:12:48] Speaker C: So we've registered priests, but not Shiso's or transmission. [00:12:52] Speaker B: Anyway, okay, so I'm going to cut off Ruben's last hair. And I'll say, shaving your head. [00:13:01] Speaker C: And again shaving your head. Cutting all the. [00:13:03] Speaker B: Cutting your attachments. [00:13:05] Speaker C: You are now on the path of Buddha. And in this mind and body of. [00:13:10] Speaker B: Complete awakening, you will free all sentient beings from suffering. [00:13:16] Speaker C: And then the ordinary will say something and bow. [00:13:21] Speaker B: And then Reuben will come up and receive his new name. So this happens in Jukai too. So there's a name given. And what I've done with priest ordinaries is to change one character of your name. I forget what I changed when I. Oh, you were. You were priest ordained by me. And did you change anything? Oh, okay. [00:13:49] Speaker D: Well, after that, I ranted that she came getting. [00:13:52] Speaker C: Oh, good. Anyway. [00:13:55] Speaker B: Yes. But since then, I've been changing one. [00:13:58] Speaker C: Character of name and I changed Aishin's name. Aishin? [00:14:06] Speaker B: Yes. [00:14:11] Speaker C: Your second name or your first name? [00:14:13] Speaker B: Second name. [00:14:14] Speaker C: Right. [00:14:15] Speaker B: So these names are. [00:14:17] Speaker C: It's complicated. [00:14:18] Speaker B: The first name. So your first name is Nourishing Field Asian is chanting reality. But I changed it from a different A, which was a different Shin. Oh, chanting. Yes. Chanting faith. Yes. And to chanting reality. [00:14:42] Speaker C: So, okay, a different Shin character. [00:14:46] Speaker B: So these names, you know, when we first received these names, we didn't know this. But in Japanese Soto school, the second Name is the name that is used. So my name is Taigen Shizon, ultimate. [00:15:02] Speaker C: Source Smooth or polishing mountains. [00:15:06] Speaker B: In the Soto Zen group that includes people authorized. In Japan, I'm Shizan, not Taige. So anyway, so the second name is the one that's used and they have different contexts in Japanese after school we. [00:15:29] Speaker C: Don'T have to go into all that. But anyway, so I'm curious about that. [00:15:35] Speaker D: There are two names. Yeah, the second name is. [00:15:42] Speaker B: Yeah, and I forget what that. [00:15:43] Speaker C: That. [00:15:44] Speaker B: How that is. [00:15:44] Speaker D: And I think the formal name is the second name. [00:15:47] Speaker B: Yes, the formal name. [00:15:48] Speaker D: But the more intimate mean is the first name. [00:15:51] Speaker B: Is that it? [00:15:52] Speaker C: Maybe. [00:15:52] Speaker D: I think that's what Rent said. But I. I forget the which ones in chimeo and which one is. So you know. [00:15:57] Speaker B: Yeah, right. [00:16:02] Speaker C: I don't know. [00:16:02] Speaker B: Yeah, I forget. [00:16:04] Speaker C: I forget. This is technical part of the change. [00:16:08] Speaker D: Coming to America, right? [00:16:09] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:16:10] Speaker B: Well, but other place, you know, in other places I think they use the second name. Zentatsumyou. Bakaroshi used his first name, Tenshin Zeni. Tenshin used his first name, but now he also uses his second name, Zenki. And I'm Taigen Shizan. And anyway, so your Hogetsu Kigen. Yeah, but in Japan you would be Keegan. [00:16:36] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, Right. [00:16:38] Speaker B: So Hougetsu is jeweled moon. Keegan is returning to the source. And since I'm. Since I'm. It's the same gen is in my name, ultimate source. [00:16:49] Speaker C: So returning anyway, Reuben's name is. [00:16:56] Speaker B: Yoshin Tozan, which is bright or radiant heart ascending the mountain. And I will change one of those characters. [00:17:05] Speaker C: I won't say which. [00:17:07] Speaker B: So, okay, so there's a name that's given at this point in the ceremony. And then after that there's a presentation. And these are each done separately of a sitting cloth. So Reuben will come up and receive the sitting cloth and he says some things and then I will say, great is the sitting cloth used by Buddhas and ancestors. I vow to bow on it with all beings. Then I'll give him the sitting cloth. Then I'll give him a rakasu. Oh, and you know, in Suzuki Roshi lineage there's a color code. So all of you have blue Roxas. [00:17:51] Speaker C: It's the Took le ordination here. [00:17:53] Speaker B: Black rock Sioux is for priests. Brown Rock Sioux is for ordained people. And black. So Reuben will receive a black rock Sioux and a black okesa. So black okaysa is for priests and brown okesa is for. Is for transmitted people. That's in Suzuki Roshi lineage. [00:18:18] Speaker C: That color coding, I think it might also be in katagiri lineage, I'm not. [00:18:23] Speaker B: Sure, but it's not universal Teso school. So anyway, so I also have a block, a black rock soup with a ring that I received from Japan as a kokusai fukyoshi. [00:18:39] Speaker C: Actually a couple of them. [00:18:40] Speaker B: Anyway, okay, so, so Reuben will receive. [00:18:46] Speaker C: A Kazakh, then a rak Su, and. [00:18:51] Speaker B: Then he will get his okesa and he will say some things. [00:18:58] Speaker C: And then he will go and put. [00:19:00] Speaker B: On his okasa and say, daisai gerapuku musa fukuden. [00:19:15] Speaker C: How great it the robe of liberation, a formless field of merit, wrapping ourselves. [00:19:19] Speaker B: In Buddhas teachingly free all living beings. And then he will wrap himself in his okesa. [00:19:26] Speaker C: And you know, he, Reuben will need help with his. [00:19:30] Speaker B: Okay, so everybody does at first. Putting on okesa is, you know, I've. [00:19:37] Speaker C: Been doing it for whatever, almost 40. [00:19:40] Speaker B: Years, and I still sometimes get it a little messed up. [00:19:44] Speaker C: So anyway, Ain will help and Paula will help and Yosan I don't see here, but he will help and. And Hogetsu will help. [00:19:53] Speaker B: But anyway, he will get his okay, so, so, but that's. [00:20:01] Speaker C: The people will help him when he comes here regularly and says, okay, sir. [00:20:06] Speaker B: So then there's begging bowls that I. [00:20:10] Speaker C: Will give to Reuben. [00:20:13] Speaker B: And then, so there's more. Then after he's clothed in Buddha's robes, he will receive the precepts. And these are the same precepts that people receive in jikai, the same 16 precepts. And first he will say, all my ancient twisted karma from beginningless greed, hate. [00:20:36] Speaker C: And delusion born through body, speech and mind, I now fully avow three times. [00:20:44] Speaker B: And then he will receive the precepts. And oh, then I'll do the wisdom water again before he receives the precepts. So that's to purify the room, to. [00:20:59] Speaker C: Purify all the people in the assembly. And Reuben. [00:21:04] Speaker B: And then after that I'll say, we. [00:21:06] Speaker C: Have purified our mind and body. Now you may receive the path of. [00:21:09] Speaker B: The precepts of the three treasures which are the beauty of human life. You are seated with Buddha and are really Buddha's child. Will you receive these precepts? [00:21:19] Speaker C: And Ruben will say, and then we'll. [00:21:24] Speaker B: Do the three precepts. I take refuge in Buddha, I take. [00:21:28] Speaker C: Refuge in Dharma, I take refuge in Sangha. And they'll be repeated. Aisha will hit the clapper after each one and he'll repeat them. [00:21:36] Speaker B: Then I take refuge in Buddha as the perfect teacher. I take refuge in Dharma as the perfect teaching. [00:21:42] Speaker C: I take refuge in Sangha as the perfect life. Now I have completely taken refuge in Buddha. Now I have completely taken refuge in Dharma. Now I have completely taken refuge in Sangha. [00:21:54] Speaker B: This is important because all of us. [00:21:57] Speaker C: Everybody who is in the assembly and. [00:22:00] Speaker B: Online, will also be receiving Buddha's precepts at this time. And so taking refuge in Buddha, taking refuge in Dharma, taking refuge in Sangha is something that we all do. It's kind of the heart of zazen. So taking refuge in Buddha in some ways includes all 16 precepts, just to. [00:22:25] Speaker C: Take refuge in Buddha, but then taking. [00:22:28] Speaker B: Refuge in Dharma, taking refuge in Sangha. And Ruben will be, you know, a servant of Sangha. [00:22:35] Speaker C: He has a ways to come from where he lives south of Chicago in the south suburbs. But he will be here as much. [00:22:43] Speaker B: As he can and just will be. [00:22:45] Speaker C: Here to be part of Sangha. [00:22:49] Speaker B: So, and then I'll say, from now on, even after realizing Buddhahood, will you follow the discompassionate path of the three treasures that I have just passed to you? And he will say, yes, I will. [00:23:03] Speaker C: And I'll. We'll do that three times. [00:23:08] Speaker B: And then there'll be the three Pure Precepts. I vow to embrace and sustain right conduct. I vow to embrace and sustain all good. I vow to embrace and sustain all Being. So these three Pure Precepts are about. [00:23:25] Speaker C: Not doing evil, doing good, and then. [00:23:28] Speaker B: Including all beings, including everyone. So this means including people in Palestine. [00:23:38] Speaker C: And in Israel, including people from Mexico, including people black people who were brought. [00:23:47] Speaker B: Here as slaves, including indigenous people whose. [00:23:51] Speaker C: Land we are on and occupying. All beings are included in. [00:23:59] Speaker B: In these Pure Precepts. [00:24:01] Speaker C: So, yeah, how do we include all Being? This is. [00:24:07] Speaker B: This is a challenge. Including Maga beings too. [00:24:12] Speaker C: How do we include all Being? [00:24:15] Speaker B: And I will say, now, will you receive these 10, the. These precepts? Yes. And he will say, yes, I will. [00:24:23] Speaker C: We'll do that three times. [00:24:25] Speaker B: Then there's the ten Grave Precepts. And again, just. I'm shortening the whole text. But disciple of Buddha does not kill. Dogen says, in the pure mind of. [00:24:39] Speaker C: Buddha, there's no killing. [00:24:43] Speaker B: So this is not something I should. [00:24:46] Speaker C: Say because, you know, some of you are newish practitioners. But in the non dual Buddha realm. [00:24:56] Speaker B: Which we embrace when we receive the Precepts, both killing and not killing are violations of the Precepts. [00:25:06] Speaker C: So killing and not killing, we. [00:25:12] Speaker B: Of course don't kill. But also we can't help but kill. [00:25:16] Speaker C: We eat broccoli or lettuce or, you know, things that were alive and were and were killed to feed us. Or, you know, if you're not a vegetarian, you might eat meat or fish or. Anyway, how do we include all beings? [00:25:35] Speaker B: So a disciple of Buddha does not kill. And the meaning of that in Soto Zen is that there's no killing and. [00:25:43] Speaker C: There'S no not killing. [00:25:46] Speaker B: So I'll just say that much. Disciple of Buddha does not take what is not given. Disciple of Buddha does not misuse sexuality. Disciple of Buddha does not lie. Disciple of Buddha does not intoxicate mind or body of self or others. So this includes, you know, all kinds of intoxicants. Television, social media. Zazen can be an intoxicant if you are using it as a way of. [00:26:19] Speaker C: Avoiding being in the world, being present in the world. [00:26:24] Speaker B: So zazen is a way of seeing yourself studying. Dogen says to study the way is to study the self. So this means that we study all of our ancient twisted karma. We study all of our past karmic entanglements. We study the ways in which we are caught by those entanglements. [00:26:54] Speaker C: So yeah, you don't intoxicate mind or. [00:26:57] Speaker B: Body or self or others. A disciple of Buddha does not speak of others faults. This is a difficult one now because I want to speak against the actions of the Maga. [00:27:15] Speaker C: Maybe not Maga, but the Ice Thugs, Gestapo in Chicago and in New York. [00:27:24] Speaker B: And in Los Angeles and other places throughout our country. But it's not about others. It's not about the fault of others. It's the. It's their actions. So this is difficult. [00:27:41] Speaker C: I. But Maga people have been. [00:27:45] Speaker B: Well, there's a brainwashing operation anyway. I'm not going to get into all. [00:27:49] Speaker C: Of that right now. We can in discussion if you want. [00:27:52] Speaker B: But how do we speak of faulty actions rather than faulty beings? Disciple of Buddha does not praise self at the expense of others. [00:28:04] Speaker C: So talking about oneself and all of. [00:28:09] Speaker B: One'S achievements and accomplishments compared to others is, you know, in some ways a violation of the precepts. Of course we can acknowledge our own ancient twisted karma, but yeah, that's not at the expense of others. Disciple of Buddha is not possessive of anything, not even the Dharma. That's really. That's a difficult one. [00:28:34] Speaker C: How do we not possess anything? [00:28:37] Speaker B: How do we share things and the Dharma? A disciple of Buddha does not harbor ill will. So anger is a natural phenomena. [00:28:49] Speaker C: It's part of our. [00:28:50] Speaker B: It's part of what happens in our world. [00:28:54] Speaker C: We get angry at things. We get angry at people who mistreat us. We get angle angry at, you know, lots of Things. [00:29:03] Speaker B: But to harbor ill will is to. Is to make hatred. And, you know, I don't hate Donald Trump. I'll just say that I deplore what. [00:29:17] Speaker C: He'S doing, but I don't hate him. He's misguided anyway. It's difficult not to harbor ill will. How do we not hold on to anger? And, you know, anger. [00:29:34] Speaker B: Hatred doesn't cure anything, doesn't fix anything. Hatred just produces more hatred. Okay, and then the last one, a disciple of Buddha, does not disparage the three treasures. So, okay, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. We don't, you know, we can disparage them in various ways, but we're celebrating them. [00:29:57] Speaker C: And. [00:29:58] Speaker B: And then I say, abiding According to the 10 grave precepts from now on, even after realizing Buddhahood, will you continuously observe them? [00:30:06] Speaker C: And Ruben will say, yeah, and that happens three times. [00:30:11] Speaker B: Okay. [00:30:12] Speaker C: Okay. [00:30:14] Speaker B: Then there's the presentation of the lineage. So the lineage document is a document of the precepts, our lineage from Shakyamuni Buddha. So there's an actual document that shows Shakyamuni Buddha at the top, and then. And then it wriggles around in two. Well, there's in the Indian ancestors or one group. But then in China, there's two. There's the Soto school and there's the Rinzai school, and then they come together in Dogen. And then there's the Japanese teachers to Suzuki Roshi, and actually to me, and. [00:31:00] Speaker C: Sumai teacher Reb and to me. [00:31:02] Speaker B: And then it goes down to the person receiving the precepts, and then from them, it goes back up to Shakyamuni Buddha. So this precept document is pretty cool. It's the Kecimyaku. It's called the blood vein because it's. [00:31:18] Speaker C: Well, the line that runs through all. [00:31:20] Speaker B: These names of all these teachers, and then through two sides is red. [00:31:25] Speaker C: It's the blood vein. [00:31:27] Speaker B: And it comes down. [00:31:27] Speaker C: And then there's a red line back up to Shakyamuni Buddha from Ruben or from whomever. [00:31:33] Speaker B: Anyway, so Reuben will receive that. [00:31:37] Speaker C: That. [00:31:38] Speaker B: Those precepts. And then I'll say a bunch of things. [00:31:43] Speaker C: The Buddha lands in all directions. [00:31:45] Speaker B: Rejoice. The earth trembles and blossoms fall. In each of those lands, Bodhisattvas asked the Buddha, what is the meaning of such extraordinary signs? And each Buddha says to them, in the Saha world, the followers of Shakyamuni Buddha's teaching have been listening to a discourse on the Bodhisattvas precepts delivered by their teacher who had previously received the precepts from his own teacher or her own teacher. Anyway, so there's that. [00:32:17] Speaker C: And then we will end with. Well, we'll conclude the part of the ceremony chanting, like a cloud in an. [00:32:26] Speaker B: Endless sky, like a lotus and muddy. [00:32:28] Speaker C: Water, we live in the pure mind of Buddha. And then I'll say this. We bow to Tagata, and then we. [00:32:36] Speaker B: Do all Buddhas throughout space and time, all honored ones, Bodhisattvas, Mahasatvas, Vista Beyond Wisdom, Mahaprashna, Paramita. But that's not the end. [00:32:46] Speaker C: I'll come back and Ordina will bow three times to the teacher with open Zagu, then puts down folded Sagu, says. [00:32:57] Speaker B: Thank you very much. [00:33:00] Speaker C: And then I will talk about all. [00:33:02] Speaker B: The people who made this ceremony possible. So, okay, that's the ceremony. [00:33:08] Speaker C: And I'll also talk about Reuben's new name and. Yeah, anyway, so. And. [00:33:17] Speaker B: And the saying on the back of his rock suit, which will also be mentioned. [00:33:23] Speaker C: And then. [00:33:23] Speaker B: And then there'll be a recessional out. I will lead, followed by A. [00:33:30] Speaker C: And Reuben and the Jundo leader, Douglas and Hougetsu. So then we'll go back and do some bows in the library. [00:33:39] Speaker B: So that's the ceremony, basically. [00:33:42] Speaker C: I wanted to go over it with all of you beforehand. [00:33:47] Speaker B: So it takes a while. And at this point, I just want to open this up and see if you have any questions about the precepts. [00:33:58] Speaker C: Or about the ceremony or about names, about, you know, any of it. So. [00:34:04] Speaker B: Yes, Nicholas, thanks for that talk. [00:34:08] Speaker E: I got almost out of it. I really appreciate your laying out the ceremony and, you know. [00:34:19] Speaker B: Fleshing out the. [00:34:21] Speaker E: Meaning and all these things that happened during these ceremony. So we were talking about the Okesa. [00:34:27] Speaker C: And I think it was Thursday with you who got to never remember what I. Yeah. And. And it. [00:34:34] Speaker E: And it caused me to do some research about the whole thing and. [00:34:38] Speaker C: And. Oh, good. [00:34:39] Speaker E: And it was very interesting. I. I really found it fascinating. So this is in line with that. What I also want to say is I. I was sitting here thinking, how. [00:34:49] Speaker C: Long have I been around here? [00:34:50] Speaker E: I. I could come up with like 14 years at least. Right. Maybe it's little more than that. [00:34:55] Speaker B: But you. And you were also involved in other Sanghas before. [00:34:58] Speaker C: Yes, yes, yes. And as Reuben has been. [00:35:01] Speaker B: Yes. [00:35:03] Speaker E: And so I've had the. The privilege of, you know, like, watching how people grow and how people mature and practice and how. How Zazen works in them. And it's sometimes hard to see that in oneself, but you can see it in others. And so maybe I can just assume. [00:35:21] Speaker C: It'S worth the other. [00:35:24] Speaker B: Well, it works in mysterious ways, you know, and people come and then. And sit for a while and then leave and then sometimes come back or, you know, some. Every person who has zazen instruction, they, they may not come back here, but. [00:35:39] Speaker C: They have benefited from the zazan instruction. [00:35:42] Speaker B: They may be singing zazen. And so. Yeah. And then, and then in zazen, all of our ancient, twisted karma comes up. [00:35:52] Speaker C: Yeah. How do we deal with that address? [00:35:56] Speaker E: So I, I, I, I've had the privilege of watching our dear boy. [00:36:03] Speaker B: You know, for sure. [00:36:04] Speaker E: And, and, and I, I, I love your dharma, you know, and I'm so excited that this is happening for you and that you've chosen this path. And I think that the saga is really going to benefit from your teaching and your presence. And so, yeah, it's just, it's always. I'm always kind of shocked at how excited I get about these things, but it's, it's, it's just wonderful to see the community as a whole mature as well and grow. [00:36:34] Speaker C: And so. Yeah. Right. [00:36:37] Speaker B: Well, this is about Sangha. So Reuben is just dedicating himself to Sangha, and in some way, that's it. [00:36:48] Speaker C: So. Yeah. And all of us, every one of you, some of you I haven't met before, but. Or I have, or maybe I have occasionally, but, yeah, you are. [00:37:02] Speaker B: This is Sangha. All of us. And all of us together, you know. [00:37:07] Speaker C: Are developing and growing. And so. [00:37:10] Speaker B: Yes, very much so. [00:37:12] Speaker E: I'd even seen broke than you. [00:37:13] Speaker C: Broken. [00:37:14] Speaker E: Who gets up broken? All the teachers. It's like it's everyone, you know, it's, it's beautiful. [00:37:20] Speaker C: Yeah. And all of you are part of that. Each one of you. Well, thank you. [00:37:26] Speaker B: Other comments or questions? [00:37:29] Speaker C: Wait. [00:37:30] Speaker E: I was wondering if you say a little bit about what you think it means to be a priest in our context. [00:37:39] Speaker B: Well, yeah, I said something at the. [00:37:42] Speaker C: Beginning, but, yeah, what it means to. [00:37:44] Speaker B: Be a priest is just to. [00:37:47] Speaker C: Not to be better than anyone else. [00:37:51] Speaker B: But to be fully actually a servant. [00:37:55] Speaker C: Tosan Ryokai Dongshan Liangjie was the founder. [00:38:01] Speaker B: Of our Soto lineage in China. And his second name means good servant. So to be a priest is to serve the Sangha, and of course, to. [00:38:14] Speaker C: Serve Buddha and Dharma too. But it doesn't mean, you know, being. [00:38:19] Speaker B: A priest doesn't mean being a teacher. It means just being someone who is. [00:38:25] Speaker C: Devoted to the Dharma and devoted to Sangha and devoted to Buddha. So I could, I could keep talking, but. But, you know, that's really it. [00:38:37] Speaker E: Thank you. [00:38:38] Speaker C: Other comments? Anyone online or in the room very quickly. David Hi. Yeah, what we mentioned, many thinking whatever want to call and Sagu and Sagu. [00:38:52] Speaker B: Nzagu is the bowing mat. That's the. [00:38:55] Speaker C: Okay. [00:38:56] Speaker B: Yes, right, that. And, and that's what you put down to bow on to protect the occasion. So. [00:39:03] Speaker C: Yeah, anyway. [00:39:05] Speaker D: Yeah, it's a sitting fox. [00:39:08] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a sitting. Yes, you sit, you sit on it. Yes. [00:39:11] Speaker E: I also think it's very important for me to. And you mentioned this to not otherize and hate evil because it's so easy these days to just hate the other side if there is such a thing. [00:39:26] Speaker C: You know. [00:39:26] Speaker E: But there is. [00:39:27] Speaker B: I think there is. [00:39:28] Speaker E: Yeah. There's this mass hysteria, right? [00:39:31] Speaker C: You know. [00:39:31] Speaker B: Yes. [00:39:32] Speaker E: On both sides. And, and just to you know, remember the Buddha's words, hatred never. This is by hatred, but by love alone is healed. And I mean that sounds a little. [00:39:43] Speaker B: You know, I don't know, fanciful or. [00:39:46] Speaker E: Something, but it's really true. And so it's gotten easier not to hit people and it's gotten easier for. [00:39:53] Speaker C: Me to talk to people that are. [00:39:55] Speaker E: You know, one glue on the other side and to really listen and, and to not demonize other eyes. And I just feel like that's really going to be the answer to get. [00:40:08] Speaker B: Out of that situation. Yes, well, it's difficult. [00:40:18] Speaker C: You know, we have. [00:40:22] Speaker B: Ice people who are all around Chicago grab, doing terrible. [00:40:28] Speaker C: Things, grabbing people, putting them, you know. [00:40:34] Speaker B: It'S just horrible. [00:40:36] Speaker E: Absolutely. [00:40:37] Speaker B: It's terrible. [00:40:38] Speaker C: And, and there are people who are driving around take, you know, photographing it. [00:40:43] Speaker B: Making records of it, trying to blowing whistles when they see it. And so that's really important. [00:40:53] Speaker C: And. [00:40:56] Speaker B: So how do we. [00:40:58] Speaker C: So Caitlin's in cat in Canada where they don't have this problem. I guess not yet. [00:41:07] Speaker B: Canada hasn't become part of the United States and they never happen. But yeah, so what. So it's, it's not exactly hatred but stopping. Trying to stop acting, acting out, filming ice encounters in people and it's. It can be dangerous. [00:41:30] Speaker C: I heard about a nice person who was. [00:41:34] Speaker B: Saw somebody photographing him and pointed his, held up his gun and pointed it at the person. These are, these are people acting in thuggish behavior ways. [00:41:48] Speaker C: Totally. So, you know, this is just my opinion. I'm not speaking for anybody else here but how do we then respond? [00:41:58] Speaker B: So this is going to be a long haul. We have to see this in terms. [00:42:03] Speaker C: Of the long time view of how. [00:42:09] Speaker B: Things change and they do change and the majority of people in this country don't want this stuff. [00:42:20] Speaker C: So anyway, it's that this kind of. [00:42:24] Speaker B: Action has to change. [00:42:25] Speaker E: And of course I'm gonna hate sometimes, you know, but it's like I. It's just not to be aware that it's not. [00:42:34] Speaker C: Right. [00:42:35] Speaker B: That's right. [00:42:36] Speaker C: So how does, how do you. How does anger arise when you see something like that but not turn it into hatred or not harbor it or, or let go very quickly or as quickly as you can and. [00:42:53] Speaker B: But, but still act just to stop it? [00:42:57] Speaker C: And, and anyway, it's. We live in a very complicated world. [00:43:02] Speaker B: And these precepts are about how to. [00:43:04] Speaker C: Live in the world. [00:43:06] Speaker B: There's the ultimate side of them where, you know, there's no such thing as. [00:43:11] Speaker C: Killing or not killing. And then there's the practical side of them where we kill the opportunity to be aware. [00:43:26] Speaker B: Okay, so is there. Good. So is there a last comment or. [00:43:31] Speaker C: Response or question online or in person? Reuven. There you go. Thank you very much. You're welcome. You're welcome. [00:43:45] Speaker D: I think. Well, thank you very much. And it'll be really wonderful to have our first peace ordination in this location in nine years, I think. Yes, but we'll do voice up about. And then maybe Ray could just make a few announcements. Our ego is unconditioned today, Jerry, so we wish farewell. [00:44:09] Speaker B: So being numberless, we vow to free them.