Open Buddha

I am an ordained Buddhist practitioner with a background in Tibetan Vajrayana and other forms of Mahayana Buddhism with connections to both Japanese Tendai and Korean Zen (Sŏn). In March, 2008, I was ordained as a Zen priest within the Five Mountain Sangha, a modern order in the Korean Sŏn lineage of Zen Master Sŭngsan (Seung Sahn). In March, 2011, I took on additional precepts and became a Bodhisattva priest. My current ordained name is "Jigong" (Ji Gong) or "智空," which means "Wisdom of Emptiness." Our lineage follows the model of "lay priest" common with some Korean orders so I am a householder, not a celibate monastic and I have a wife and daughter.

Much of the above terminology will seem odd to many Zen practitioners, let alone other Buddhist traditions or even the general public. Because of that, it is probably best to explain what being a Zen priest or a Bodhisattva priest means.

Ordination

In my tradition of practice derived from Zen Master Sŭngsan, a practitioner seeking a further commitment to following the Buddhist path and to serving others takes on precepts and commitments as a dedicated priest. The first stage is ordination as a novice priest. In addition to their own personal practices, novice priests often lead ceremonies and smaller local groups and may give Dharma talks. They may also offer the normal clerical functions of performing weddings, birth dedications, and memorial ceremonies for the general public. Ordination involves a lifelong commitment to the practice and realization of the Dharma within the context of the life of the householder.

The novice priest first takes the Pratimoksa vows, common to all Buddhists:

1. I vow to abstain from taking life.
2. I vow to abstain from taking things not given.
3. I vow to abstain from misconduct done in lust.
4. I vow to abstain from lying.
5. I vow to abstain from intoxicants, taken to induce heedlessness.

They then take the following precepts as well:

1. I vow not to talk about the faults of the assembly.
2. I vow not to praise myself and disparage others.
3. I vow not to be covetous and to be generous.
4. I vow not to give way to anger and to be harmonious.
5. I vow not to slander the three jewels. (Buddha, Sangha, and Dharma)

There are two important aspects of becoming a novice priest. The first is demonstrating an intention to live in a clear, generous, and compassionate way through the example of the student’s everyday life. The second is realizing the responsibility and relationship to the Sangha by giving back to the Sangha. This is fulfilled through giving talks, instruction and helping the Zen community with unique skills and energy.

After a few years, it is common for a novice to further ordain. When they do so, they take an additional six precepts and are no longer considered a novice:

1. I vow homage to the Buddha.
2. I vow homage to the Dharma.
3. I vow homage to the Sangha.
4. I vow generosity to people.
5. I vow compassionate speech and compassionate action toward people.
6. I vow together action with others and to become one and to attain the Buddha way.

At this point, a Zen priest is fully empowered to lead a local sangha and to be able to fulfill the needs of the sangha in regards to running retreats, organizing ceremonies and celebrations, and instruction in common Buddhist practices, such as meditation.

If the a Zen priest is so inclined, they can make a further commitment by becoming a Bodhisattva priest, taking on the vows of a Bodhisattva. This usually occurs after a few more years (three in my case and concurrent with my graduation from a Buddhist seminary as well). As householders, this is as close as leaving one’s home as we can get without physically doing so. On a practical level, a Bodhisattva priest functions as an elder in their community. They may also ordain novice and sixteen precept priests.

The precepts which a Bodhisattva Priest takes have their origin in the Pômmang Gyông (Brahma Net Sūtra) and have been handed down since at least the time of Kumarajiva. These are an additional 48 precepts, bringing the total to sixty four.

1. I vow to respect my teachers and friends in the Dharma
2. I vow to abstain from consuming intoxicating substances
3. I vow to abstain from eating meat
4. I vow to abstain from consuming the five pungent herbs
5. I vow to urge followers who have transgressed to repent their transgressions
6. I vow to request the Dharma and make offerings to visiting sangha members
7. I vow to always make an effort to attend Dharma lectures
8. I vow not to divide the Dharma into separate doctrines
9. I vow to always give care to the sick and the needy
10. I vow to abstain from the storing of weapons used to destroy life
11. I vow to abstain from serving as an emissary of the military
12. I vow to abstain from businesses which limits the freedom of others
13. I vow to abstain from slanderous and libelous speech
14. I vow to abstain from acts, such as clear burning, that may injure or kill living creatures
15. I vow to only teach doctrines that lead to developing the bodhi–mind
16. I vow to, first fully understand, and then to clearly teach the Dharma
17. I vow to abstain from personal gain when teaching the Dharma
18. I vow to always serve as an adequate master
19. I vow to abstain from double–tongued speech
20. I vow to liberate all sentient beings
21. I vow to abstain from violence and vengefulness
22. I vow to abstain from arrogance and will always follow the Dharma
23. I vow to teach the Dharma with generosity and an open heart
24. I vow to practice the teachings of the Buddha-Dharma
25. I vow to be a skilled leader of the assembly
26. I vow to share all offerings made to the dharma or the sangha
27. I vow not to accept discriminatory invitations which are unfair or biased
28. I vow not to issue discriminatory invitations
29. I vow not to engage in improper livelihoods
30. I vow to remain neutral in the affairs of the sangha
31. I vow to rescue clerics along with sacred objects of the dharma
32. I vow equanimity and to not harm any sentient being
33. I vow not to participate in activities that are intended to induce lustful behavior
34. I vow to always keep the bodhi–mind
35. I vow to make great vows
36. I vow to make firm resolutions
37. I vow to avoid traveling in dangerous places
38. I vow to respect the hierarchical order of the sangha
39. I vow to cultivate merits and wisdom
40. I vow not to discriminate in conferring the precepts
41. I vow never to teach for the sake of profit
42. I vow not to give the precepts to evil persons
43. I vow not to think of violating the precepts
44. I vow to honor the sutras and moral codes
45. I vow to teach all sentient beings
46. I vow to never preach in an inappropriate manner
47. I vow constant support of the Dharma
48. I vow to never destroy the Buddha–Dharma

Keeping all of these precepts, which come down to doing good and avoiding evil, as well as working to help all beings realize supreme awakening is what it means for me to be an ordained Bodhisattva Priest. It is a lot to live up to and I fail constantly but then I stand up and try again. Try, try, try, 1,000 times try.