Initiate Guidelines

As an initiate in Zen Buddhism, you declare your vows to follow the way of Buddha, and to do your best to live up to the three Pure Precepts and five of the Grave Precepts of buddhas and bodhisattvas.

It is natural that you should wonder what this means in terms of your relationship to Zen Buddhism, and particularly the sangha and leadership of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center (ASZC).

Basically, how you actualize Zaike Tokudo will be unique to your life and your embrace of buddhadharma. This would be true if you were never to set foot in the ASZC again, and never have any contact with its sangha.

However, for most Initiates, participation in the activities of ASZC and interaction with the members of its sangha are the practical result of undergoing Tokudo. So it is necessary that you understand what you may expect from ASZC and what the leadership of ASZC expects from you.

As an Initiate, you are assigned a senior teacher as individual Mentor, for at least the first year following your initiation. You are encouraged to choose one of the senior teachers with whom you feel an affinity, or with whom it is most natural for you to associate.

You should expect that your Mentor be available to you on a regular or emergency basis, and that they will do all in their power to foster your practice of Zen and an understanding of buddhadharma.

You are expected to be proactive in this mentoring relationship, attending when your assigned teacher is Doshi, and in all practicable ways, supporting and participating in her /his activities. This in no way is intended to preempt your relations with other teachers at ASZC.

You are encouraged to attend regularly, including at least one weekend zazenkai each year, especially when your Mentor is Doshi. You are also encouraged to attend a week-long sesshin.

In addition to the practice relationship, you are invited to participate at a deeper level in the activities of ASZC. The opportunities for involvement include:

You are also expected to support ASZC economically to the degree that you can afford (suggest $35/month); the suggested donation for your ceremony is $100.

The most important contribution you make to ASZC is your presence and harmonious camaraderie with the sangha,

The Abbot, Abbot’s Council and Board of Directors of ASZC.