Lay Entrustment 

On Saturday, April 11, 2026 the Peaceful Sea Sangha conducted its first Lay Entrustment Ceremony in Fairfax, California at Yōshinji (Nourish Heart Zen Temple).

Three long-time students: Margot Koch, Marjorie Walter, and Julie Allen were formally authorized to teach meditation, lead sitting groups, give lectures and classes. They were further empowered to conduct practice discussions with individuals, along with instructing groups, and to perform baby blessings, weddings, and memorial services.

As each of these women has already been performing many of these activities, this is a ceremonial affirmation of their understanding—sometimes the teacher is the student, sometimes the student is the teacher—and their capacity to share the Dharma with others, providing support, guidance, instruction, or clarification.

They may even honor us with teachings, articles, or stories for the Peaceful Sea Sangha website. (Their teacher Edward has not been doing so well with this aspect of practice, though he did, in fact, write this article.)

The Lay Entrustment ceremony is still rather new for groups in the Suzuki Roshi lineage, which have focused on offering Jukai, lay initiation, and Shukkai Tokudō, priest ordination. In our tradition both of these ceremonies involve taking the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts and receiving a Buddhist name along with a rakusu, the more informal version of a Buddhist robe which hangs from cloth straps in front of the upper abdomen. Those becoming priests additionally shave their heads (at least for the ceremony) and receive additional robes including the formal okesa Buddhist robe and an oryoki, a set of nested bowls for eating formal meals in the zendo.

During the Lay Entrustment Ceremony Margot, Marjorie, and Julie each received green rakusus which were sewn by Marjorie or under her tutelage, and they were given Certificates of Entrustment. In the times to come we’ll see how it all takes. Our lives will unfold.

Zen is described in many ways in terms of philosophy or forms of practice, and simultaneously we can say that Zen is “beyond form,” and can be conveyed with one’s presence. Suzuki Roshi said that it is the state of mind that does not stick to anything. Both as students or teachers we will be discovering the places where we get stuck and where we resume flow.

To be empowered to teach in the Zen tradition is to have some fluidity with the use of Zen forms (of sitting, bowing and chanting), and at the same time not sticking religiously to these forms.  So, to “take refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha” on each occasion, or to be available to circumstances and responsive to them.  Sometimes we call this relying on beginner’s mind.

What it means is that we are following the traditional Zen way–and making it up as we go along!  Suzuki Roshi said that he could only teach us the Japanese Zen forms as he was taught, and that it would be up to us to make it American Zen.  We would be planting an American Zen tree here and finding out if it took root.

May our new trees take root and flourish!