Consider Jukai
Dear local sangha,
During these post pandemic years, Upaya’s sangha has grown to include many sincere and dedicated practitioners from all over the world, and this mahasangha has grown in size and also commitment and intimacy. Many come to us wondering how to continue to study, how to continue to deepen their practice on this path, and more skillfully respond to the cries of the world.
Precept study is a wonderful way to support your Zen practice and further your commitment to living by vow. During this year-long program, which will include twenty-four precept discussion sessions guided by Upaya’s teachers, you will join a group of practitioners studying to receive Jukai in June 2027. All sessions are recorded and will be available to you on our program resource page.
You will be stewarded through twice-monthly precepts discussions, sewing a rakusu for your Jukai ceremony, and creating three lineage charts: the ancestors, the women ancestors, and your personal lineage. All of these practices are offered to support you in your vow to bring your innate wisdom and compassion skillfully to the world.
As we take up each precept, we study our conditioned responses, look deeply at our motivation and acts of body, speech, and mind, and we do this together in the context of a caring community. For a more complete description of the Jukai process, please take a look at the Jukai Book on Upaya’s website, which you can access here.
Enrollment will be limited, and interest may be high, so if you would like to enroll, you can access the program page and application link here.
It takes many, many hands to provide support for the technology, teachings, calligraphy on your rakusus, and other tasks involved in supporting this program. We are asking for a fee from those who are not members of Upaya, so please consider becoming a member if you have the resources to do so.
We are truly honored to offer this opportunity to our sangha, and hope that you will join us.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Monshin