This Saturday (February 18th) Mike Inmo Dretsch will be ordained in the Zaike Tokudo Ceremony at the Wiregrass Zen Center in Headland, Alabama. Taiun Michael Elliston Roshi of the Silent Thunder Order will be officiating.
Zaike Tokudo, literally "remaining at home and attaining the Way", symbolizes and reinforces a life path devoted to practice. It is the penultimate ordination prior to ordination as a novice priest (the first initiate ceremony being Jukai). In essence, Mike will receive official status as a disciple of the Silent Thunder Order under the purview of Taiun Michael Elliston Roshi.
The day will start with a morning of sitting meditation (Zazen) and liturgy. We will break for tea and prepare for the ceremony which will start at 1pm. All of this will be held at the Mokurai Dojo - Wiregrass Soto Zen Center, 610 Mitchell Street, Headland, AL.
The day will start with a morning of sitting meditation (Zazen) and liturgy. We will break for tea and prepare for the ceremony which will start at 1pm. All of this will be held at the Mokurai Dojo - Wiregrass Soto Zen Center, 610 Mitchell Street, Headland, AL.
For the last several years Mike has undergone mentorship (with Rev Bobby Kankin Byrd and Rev Harvey Daiho Hilbert out of Texas and New Mexico, and most recently with Taiun Michael Elliston Roshi from Atlanta Soto Zen Center/Silent Thunder Order), academic study (and sewing two rakasu's), and rigorous zazen/shikantanza from various cushions locally and at various locations (El Paso, TX; Las Cruces, NM; and Atlanta, GA).
Mike wants to share this ceremony with all of you, who he is very grateful for having crossed paths with, and without hesitation, consider his Sangha (community) and family. Without the Sangha, there is no refuge in the Three Jewels. For it is the Sangha that brings about abundant good. Similar to what they tell you in football games... there is no "I" in Sangha :)
Mike wants to share this ceremony with all of you, who he is very grateful for having crossed paths with, and without hesitation, consider his Sangha (community) and family. Without the Sangha, there is no refuge in the Three Jewels. For it is the Sangha that brings about abundant good. Similar to what they tell you in football games... there is no "I" in Sangha :)
If you cannot attend the whole event, feel free to only attend the morning Zazen sessions, or the afternoon Ceremony. After the ceremony we will have a potluck vegetarian style luncheon.
Program of the day :
0800 – 0830 Breakfast (Bagels, fruit, coffee, and tea)
0830 – 1000 Zazen+Kinhin (2 @ 40/10)
1000 – 1030 Sutra Service
1030 – 1130 Work Practice (prepare for zaike tokudo ceremony)
1130 - 1230 Zazen+Kinhin (2 @ 25/5)
0100 – 0200 Zaike Tokudo Ceremony
0200 - Potluck
