receive Jukai

I’m pretty well ready. I’m all signed up. I made the rakasu and the lineage chart and turned them in. I’m getting my hair cut on Friday. On Sunday I’m treating myself to a pedicure and then I have an appointment afterwards the following Sunday for a massage. I even made a responsibility contract over this for a work assignment. My schedule is all in order. I got some work for one of my courses done in advance. I’m pretty good to go.

I asked some co-workers to help me out, and now I have a cleared calendar for the whole week’s retreat before the ceremony. I can bring my laptop and using their WiFi can keep up with stuff during the free time so I won’t be totally AWOL. But I will be able to have this special time.

Now I just need to write all the names on the lineage paper. That will take awhile. Must get onto that soon.

Friday Oct 3. I got a loaner robe which they said I could keep as long as I needed it. I need to clear my calendar for the retreat for the week. I’ll have to do some work I can’t get out of, but I might be able to call in a favor for some more relief. The folks at the center said my rakasu was very beautiful, They kept admiring it. I thought it was just ordinary which makes me wonder what other ones are like. Ok, I’ll accept unwarranted praise.

I finished making the rakasu. You can’t really see all the tucks and things in the photo, but they are there. So, when I get back in town, I have to go talk to the folks about what to do next.

I’ve made good progress. It’s not as hard as I thought. My camera battery needs re-charging. I’ll take a picture as soon as I can. I’ve got the whole inner part done and now am working on the frame. I think I can finish it before I leave for SLC. I’m hoping to do this in the fall because that will be a big anniversary for the Roshi and there will be all kinds of people there from all over the world. That would make it real special for me too.

next day….the bib part is all done. Today I’ll work on the straps. You’ll have to trust me that there are a bunch of folds and individual pieces in the middle. Being black, they don’t photograph easily.

I took jukai on Friday night, May 9, 2008. Four of us took precepts that night. My legs still hurt from the full bows, three days later.

It took me about 2 weeks to sew my rakusu. I loved every moment of the sewing process and I am now going to volunteer to sew rakusus for future Senseis.

I have the pattern, the cloth and the ring. I’m going to sew the rakasu over the summer and intend to go through the ceremnoy in the fall. October is my favorite month. That would be a good time of year to have a special ceremony.