Take a peak into our annual Sejiki Ceremony, 2023!
Sejiki is a traditional Soto Zen ceremony in which participants come to appease what are known as pretas, or “hungry ghosts” in Buddhist cosmology. These hungry ghosts are beings who have an abundance of cravings, yet are unable to get any satisfaction. This type of being can represent not only these ghosts, but also the inexhaustible desires that we may have in ourselves/society as well.
In this ceremony, it is custom to invite various instruments to cling-clang-bang (bottom left photo), in order to invoke these hungry ghosts to come to our peaceful offering. From here, we recite well-wishing chants such as ‘Gate of Sweet Dew,’ have sweets and treats displayed as offerings, and finally send them off, hoping that they were nourished. At this time, we also say aloud and burn the name-cards from our Zendo altar of those who have departed within the year.
Below are pictures from our All Beings Sejiki Ceremony, and if you would like to see the music video of our gathering, please go to our facebook page here: All Beings Zen Sejiki Ceremony 2023
