Original Root Zen Center

Buddha’s Enlightenment Week!

Master Teachers Linda and Tony Somlai

ORZC celebrated Buddha’s Enlightenment last week with a packed schedule of celebrations and ceremonies. This sacred week commemorates the moment the historic Buddha looked up at the morning star, attained his true nature and set off to create community. It began on Wednesday with our annual “Web of Light” Retreat and Ceremony. This is a special day unique to ORZC. The Master Teachers created this celebration10 years ago out of the story of Indra’s Net, which is a net of infinite size where each knot in the net also contains a net of infinite size. This retreat and ceremony celebrates connection and community. Community hangs lights throughout the Zen Center, sits meditation, eats lunch and dinner together and prepares for a ceremony that night where we turn on the lights and see our own morning star.

This year we added a Friday night “Enlightenment Gala Dinner” to honor Master Teachers Linda and Tony Somlai for 40 years of teachings Great Love, Great Compassion and Only Helping through the actions of their everyday life. Community turned out for a night of respect, food and great fun.

On Sunday, ORZC joined with Buddhists around the world in holding its Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony. Abbot Mathew Somlai and Senior Rev. Teacher Holly Johnson guided the ceremony, which also included three community members taking precepts. Jay Mollerskov took the 10 vows of a “peacekeeper,” and Laura Hilbrand and Elaine Martin took five vows as “pathfinders.” See photos from the Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony

Thank you to Teachers and community for a wonderous week of contemplative practice, loving connections and great, great fun!