Zen in Ten: "Our Zazen and The Precepts Are One"
Notes on the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Soto Zen in North America
This past week, I had the privilege of experiencing jukai-e with 94 other participants (kaitei) at Zenshuji Soto Zen Mission in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. In a series of ceremonies spanning 4.5 days, we gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Zenshuji and Soto Zen in North America. It was one of the most profound, moving, and inspiring experiences of my life. Below is some more information about Zenshuji and jukai-e: the first six quotes are from our kaitei handbook. The final three are from an article penned by Rev. Shohaku Okumura in the Soto Zen Journal, February 2004, Number 13.
On November 20, 1922, a small group of Soto Zen practitioners rented the second floor of a house and put up a sign that read: “Soto Zen Buddhism North America Buddhist Church.” Eventually they erected a temple and called it Zenshuji, which is where the first jukai-e ceremony was held in North America.
“Jukai-e is a special event spread over several days in which participants gather at a temple to practice zazen, take refuge in the Buddha, listen to lectures on the 16 Bodhisattvas Precepts, and enact many special rituals. Through the various activities of the Jukai-e, participants, known as kaitei, receive the Bodhisattva Precepts through the Dharma Lineage of the Kaishi (the preceptor, who was Rev. Gengo Akiba Roshi).”
Jukai-e “has been continually performed ever since the time of the Buddha. In the Soto School, the founder, Dogen Zenji, received the transmission of the unbroken lineage chart successively from teacher to disciple from his master Rujing, at Tiandong-shan, Jingde-si on the eighteenth of the ninth month of 1225 C.E. This was recorded by Dogen in the book Busso Shoden Bostatsu-kai Saho or the Procedure for the True Transmission of Bodhisattva Precepts of Buddhas and Ancestors.”
Rev. Akiba Roshi says in the handbook that “by partaking in this ceremony and receiving the precepts, you are entering the rank of buddhas as their heir. For receiving the precepts (sila), you will be instructed by the preceptor to realize their meanings and personal significance. As a proof of your receiving them, the lineage chart (kechimyaku) will be given to you together with your new Buddhist precept-name.”
“The kechimyaku is the lineage record that connects all the names of the ancestral teachers from Shakyamuni Buddha to the Kaishi and then the Kaitei receiving the precepts. The names are all joined with a red line penetrating through each name to create one united circle. This symbolizes the unity of the Buddha and all his disciples and helps us recognize the preciousness of the precepts.”
“People who follow the precepts receive a Buddhist name called a kaimyō or ‘precept-name.’ A name is given to each kaitei by the kaishi who creates each name in a traditional way. Kaimyō are given to us during Jukai-e to provide direction and guidance for our life. They can also be given posthumously. By receiving kaimyō, we join the disciples of the Buddha and can recognize that we are striving to live our life in the correct way together with them.”
I have received the precepts several times now. The first two times were as a lay practitioner where I received the following precept names: 1. Wild River, True Understanding; 2. Dharma Rain, True Dragon. When I was ordained as a priest in 2014, my teacher gave me the name: Fire Lotus (Shōren), Listening Heart (Chōshin). Rev. Akiba Roshi gave me this name: Continuous Mountain Peaks (Kyūgaku), Empathic to Others (Junkō).
The Mahayana (Bodhisattva) precepts originated in the sutra called “Bonmyo-ko” (The Brahma Net Sutra), which scholars believe was composed in China, not India, in the fifth century CE. In Mahayana Buddhism in China, monks and nuns received both the Vinaya and Mahayana precepts. Dogen received only the Mahayana precepts when he was a Tendai monk and not the 250 Vinaya precepts that originated in India. Because of this, Dogen states in his biography that he had difficulty receiving permission to practice in a Chinese monastery. Dogen Zenji gave his disciples only the 16 Bodhisattva precepts.
“The basic idea of the Bodhisattva precepts is different from the Vinaya precepts. This difference is pointed out in the ‘Bonmo-kyo’ where it says that the Bodhisattva precepts were set forth when the Buddha attained unsurpassable awakening. Dogen Zenji pointed out the same thing at the very beginning of his ‘Kyoju-kaimon’ (‘Comments on Teaching and Conferring the Precepts’): ‘The great precepts of the Buddhas have been upheld and maintained by the Buddha. Buddhas conferred them to buddhas, and ancestors transmitted them to ancestors. Receiving the precepts transcends the borders of past, present and future.’ ”
“The Bodhisattva precepts we receive in the Soto Zen tradition are also called, Zen-kai (Zen precepts). This means that our zazen and the precepts are one. In our
zazen practice, we put our entire being on the ground of true reality of all beings instead of the picture of the world that is a creation of our minds. By striving to keep the precepts in our daily lives, we strive to live being guided by our zazen.”—Rev. Shohaku Okumura
Allowing marriage for Buddhist priests in all Japanese sects was originally a political measure by the government of the time, intended to actually dilute the power of some Buddhist sects in Japan. Also though, the Precepts in most Buddhist traditions in Japan at least don't require celibacy, so there is no conflict between being ordained as a priest and being non celibate/married. So yes is the brief answer to your question, with some historical background thrown in as context.
Hi Shoren, I am curious about your being a participant and receiving Jukai from Akiba Roshi. I thought that as a teacher, you would be sort of done with that, and would be helping as a preceptor in some capacity (which perhaps you did as well?). Thanks, as always, for your personal sharing- I love all your dharma names!