As three of the temple’s congregation get ready to travel in a few days to the monastery, where they will participate in Jukai, Rev. Clairissa offers some thoughts for us all to consider on the joyous occasion of their significant spiritual step of becoming lay Buddhists. 

Jukai is the Japanese term for the five ceremonies of receiving the Precepts in our tradition of Sōtō Zen. During Jukai, a weeklong retreat is held at the monastery for the purpose of searching one’s own heart and committing to follow the Buddhist path.