Throughout the year, the North Carolina Zen Center punctuates the calendar with traditional ceremonies and celebrations that help support and nourish community members practice. Listed below are some of our yearly events.
New Year’s Celebration
Community members and their families are welcome to join us for New Year’s Eve. We begin at 7 p.m. with a potluck dinner. After dinner is cleaned up, informal silent sitting in the zendo begins. People may come and go as they wish throughout the evening. At 9:30 we invite people to share what they hope for in the New Year. At midnight, the bonsho bell is rung 108 times and a toast is made! Tea is available throughout the evening and dormitories are open for overnight guests or for napping.
Buddha’s Birthday Celebration
Usually held in conjunction with our regular Sunday program, this ceremony is held on or around April 8th. Families are invited to bath the baby Buddha statue with sweet tea and hear the story of the Buddha’s birth. Chanting and offerings are made as well. A potluck follows the celebration.
Bodhidharma Day Ceremony
On this day, usually held in October, we honor our first Zen ancestor, Bodhidharma who traveled from India to China. Chanting, incense offerings and a talk about Bodhidharma are all a part of this ceremony.
Ceremony of Gratitude
Roshi Kapleau thought that Thanksgiving was the quintessential American Buddhist holiday. During this ceremony we offer our thanks and gratitude for our ancestors, our families and for the practice. Participants are welcome to voice or write down what they are thankful for. We also make food and monetary offerings for those in need in the surrounding community.
Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony
Traditionally known as Rohatsu, which means the eighth day of the twelfth month, this ceremony commemorates the great enlightenment of Siddartha Gautama—The Buddha. Participants are encouraged to bring a quote of the Buddha or a passage from one of the Sutras to read out loud. The story of the Buddha’s awakening is read and incense offerings are made. This time of year is traditionally when the most rigorous sesshin of the year is also held and when practitioners make their greatest efforts.
Annual Temple Cleaning
The annual temple cleaning is usually held in December in preparation for welcoming the New Year. Community members join in to clean the areas of the temple that may have gotten neglected throughout the year. An optional sitting is held before the work day.
Jukai
Jukai means to receive the precepts and is one of the most important rites of passage in our tradition. This ceremony is held one to two times per year. The precepts are the moral and ethical teachings of the Zen and one of the three foundations of Buddhist practice along with wisdom and meditation. During this ceremony, participants receive or renew the 16 Bodhisattva precepts and commit themselves to following them as a part of their practice and their lives. Some participants choose to sew a rakusu, a vestment signaling their commitment to the precepts, in preparation for Jukai. Those who do so also receive a Dharma name and a lineage chart.
During the ceremony, participants take part in a repentance ceremony, then take the Three Refuges, the Three General Resolutions, and the Ten Cardinal Precepts.
In addition to these ceremonies, the Center offers memorial services, healing services, weddings and baby blessings. Please inquire for more information about these important occasions.
