Film Night

Carving the Divine
a film by Yujiro Seki
Wednesday, September 13

 

6:00      Newcomer Orientation
6:30      Carving the Divine – viewing in Zendo (note early start time)
8:10      Discussion with filmmaker Yujiro Seki

Visit carvingthedivine.com for trailers, study guides and more.

Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan.

Carving the Divine has become the official selection for 30 film festivals, showing in a total of 22 countries, and won awards at 13 festivals worldwide, such as winning the Best Director Award of a Foreign Language Documentary at World Cinema Milan and premiering at the famous Raindance Film Festival in London.

The art of Busshi is one of the most significant cultural legacies of Japan. Yet at this point, this tradition is virtually unknown to the Western World. These statues have been an integral part of Japanese culture for 1400 years for a reason. And it is the great pleasure and privilege of the filmmaker that Carving the Divine will be the first experience of these cultural treasures for many people around the world.

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Sewing Rakusu

Thursdays 7 to 9 p.m. in Cedar Hall

Following Rev. Jikyo's class on the Precepts, several practitioners have elected to take a formal step to receive the Precepts. In our Soto Zen tradition, we sew what is called a Rakusu, or a little Robe, to signify our intention to follow the path of Awakening through Dogen Zenji's teachings. The participants have been coming together to sew their Rakusu on Thursday evenings, taking refuge in the Buddha as they sew each stitch.

A ceremony called Jukai will be arranged in the future for the candidates to be formally received into Buddhism and Soto Zen.

Also in the future, other classes will be arranged for others to participate in this opportunity to 'come home' to the roots of their Being through the practice of Zazen.

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