Dharma Rain - Dharma School Manual
Kid-friendly Ceremonies
Other Ceremonies Focused on Children and Youth
There are a few other ceremonies and events that center around children
and youth at Dharma Rain. First, we perform the traditional Naming Ceremony
for infants when the parents request it. This is a brief ceremony done in
front of the whole sangha during the course of a normal Sunday program,
and introduces the new child into the sangha. If the child has “god
parents” (or “buddha parents”), they are included in the
ceremony. The sangha is asked to support the growth of the child, particularly
his/her moral and spiritual development.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have developed a brief Dharma School
Graduation ceremony, which also occurs during the course of a normal Sunday,
in front of the whole sangha. Young adults who have just graduated from
high school, and thus are leaving our dharma school program, bow to an
altar with items on it representing their past: home, school, parents, friends.
They are then led around the dharma hall bent in a low bow until they
reach
their own seat in the adult meditation hall. As the graduate passes them,
each person presents bows in return.
Finally, one of our seasonal events is an egg hunt near or on the Christian
holiday of Easter. This introduces a sense of cultural normalcy into
dharma school and is enjoyed by all.
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