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Annual Ceremonies 

Traditional Buddhist ceremony is an essential aspect of Zen practice. Annual rituals become touchstones for practitioners marking the seasons and one’s ongoing understanding of the dharma. Ceremonial choreography both celebrates and directly expresses the dharma teachings in a way that bypasses the conceptual mind, informing the heart in surprising ways. Contemporary adaptations reinvigorate many of these rituals and foster more participation among those present. Ritual offers an immediate and holistic way to access awakening if we’re open to its subtle language.

Honoring the Life of the Buddha

Wesak (May) celebrates the Buddha’s birth. Sweet tea is poured over the Buddha's head.  Rohatsu (Dec) is an intensive silent retreat that honors the Buddha's awakening under the bodhi tree. Nehan (Feb) commemorates the Buddha’s death and his message for the practitoner to be a lamp unto oneself. 

Healing Ceremonies

Sejiki (Oct), also known as Festival of the Hungry Ghosts, expresses compassion towards all unresolved karma in one’s life and the world. Fusatsu (Full Moon Ceremony) is a time of atonement and renewal of the vow to live ethically in service to all life.

Rites of Passage

Jukai (April) is a ceremony during which practitioners receive the Bodhisattva Precepts committing to the Buddhist Path. During Zaike Tokudo, students commit to the Dharma Cloud lineage, renew the precepts and take on five additional vows. These students wear green rakusus. The Shuso (lead student and sangha coordinator) graduates from their year of service with a ceremony called a Shuso Hossen during which they answer questions from the sangha in an exercise called Mondo. We also host the occasional wedding, baby blessing and memorial marking important life transitions guided by Buddhist understanding of birth and death. 

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