This past September AZC held its first Bodhisattva Lay Initiation Ceremony (Zaike Tokudo, often called Jukai) in five years. Rev. Doshin Mako Voelkel’s first transmission of the precepts went to 4 sangha members – Chris Azbil, Ernest Caple, Sondra Creighton, and Louis “Shu” Shuey.

This ceremony marks the occasion in which the Zen initiate openly receives and acknowledges the sixteen Bodhisattava precepts as an ongoing path of practice in their lives, receives Buddha’s robe (the rakusu they have sewn), as well as new (Dharma) name. Due to Covid this ceremony took place outdoors in the side yard of AZC, and over zoom.

Read more about the devotional practice of sewing Buddha’s robe, from Jean Selkirk of the Berkeley Zen Center.

Click through to see the slideshow: