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Ordination Ceremony of Brother Phap An
The precious lotus blooms on the seat of enlightenment, light radiating in the ten directions; the Sangha with one mind pays respects to the Three Jewels, the Bodhisattvas, Noble Ones, and Ancestral Teachers, while simultaneously looking deeply into the Prajñāpāramitā to see that the five skandhas are empty of a separate self. The ceremony focuses on offering support to the lay practitioner Pham Thu in the moment of shaving the head to ordain, bowing in gratitude to parents, teachers, friends, and all living beings, and performing the ritual of shaving off the hair to vow to cut off all afflictions and help the world.
The Ten Novice Precepts are the great gateway admitting the ordained into the Sangha, serving as the foundation for the higher precepts later on, including:
- Not to kill living beings, not to condone killing.
- Not to take as private possession money and property not created by oneself.
- Not to violate the chastity of others.
- Not to lie, use words that cause division, spread untrue news, or criticize things one is not sure of.
- Not to drink alcohol or use narcotics.
- Not to use cosmetics such as perfume, powder, and jewelry.
- Not to lose oneself in attachment to singing, television, movies, video games, and gambling.
- Not to live in luxurious and extravagant material conditions.
- Not to eat outside of the Sangha’s meal times and not to consume meat.
- Not to accumulate money or use money to enrich oneself personally.
After receiving the precepts, the ordinand becomes a member of the Sangha with the Dharma name Tâm Hương Sơn, Dharma title Chân Pháp Ấn, belonging to the 43rd generation of the Linji lineage and the 9th generation of the Lieu Quan school. Next is the ceremony of transmitting the man y (sanghati), the miraculous robe of the field of merit, and the ritual of Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels: taking refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows the way; taking refuge in the Dharma, the path of love and understanding; taking refuge in the Sangha, the community of those who vow to live a life of awakening.