Buddhist initiation ritual

The way The "goal" Background Chinese texts Classical Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen The Lay Buddhist Ordination (Chinese: 受戒; pinyin: shòujiè; Japanese pronunciation: Jukai; Korean: 수계; romaja: sugye) refers to the public ordination ceremony wherein a lay follower of Zen Buddhism receives certain Buddhist precepts.

[2]Lewis Hodous, in his 1920 book Buddhism and Buddhists in China remarks on the Chinese ceremony as well, after recording an initiation ceremony for both those entering monastic life and the laity: "Less private was the initiation of the lay brethren and sisters, more lightly branded on the right wrist, while all about intoned 'Na-mah Pen-shih Shih-chia-mou-ni Fo.'

In the Sōtō school in the United States, lay initiates take refuge in the Three Jewels (or Three Refuges--Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), the Three Pure Precepts (to do no harm, to do only good, and to do good for others) and the Five Grave Precepts--Affirm life: do not kill; Be giving: do not take what is not freely given; Honor the body: do not engage in sexual misconduct; Manifest truth: do not speak falsely; and Proceed clearly: do not cloud the mind with intoxicants.

[5] In South Korea, the ritual, called sugye (수계), involves formally taking refuge in The Three Jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and accepting the five precepts.

[6] In the United States, the predominant rite of receiving precepts is based on the Japanese Zen traditions.