SARANA AFFIRMATION CEREMONY will take place on SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018.
Bishop Tatsuya Aoki will be visiting Eastern Canada in June and will be the guest speaker at our service on
Sunday, June 17, 2018. During his visit to Toronto, Bishop will conduct a Sarana Affirmation Ceremony on
Saturday, June 16, 2018. By participating in this ceremony, Jodo Shinshu Buddhists have the opportunity to
affirm their aspirations to follow the Buddhist way of life and to enter onto the path of Shinran Shonin’s
teachings.
As part of the ceremony, participants will receive a Buddhist name (homyo). The word “Ho-myo” is made up of
two chinese characters. The first character (Ho) is the character used for the “Dharma,”(Buddha’s teachings or
truth) and the second character (Myo) means “name.”
So quite literally, “ Homyo” means “Dharma Name.” It is often referred to as “Buddhist Name, ”
a unique Buddhist name given to an individual.
When a person receives a “Homyo,” it indicates that he/she is determined to live according to the Buddha’s
teachings (Dharma) which will lead him/her to a life lived in full awareness or Enlightenment. In addition, when
a person receives a Buddhist name or “Homyo,” he/she becomes a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. That is why
the Buddhist name is preceded by the word “Shaku” which represents that by becoming a follower of the Shakya
clan, a person wishes to live life as a student of the Buddha, living in accordance with the truth the Buddha
teaches and sharing this harmoniously with others.
The service is open to all. There are no age requirements. If you would like to participate in the Sarana
Affirmation Ceremony to receive a Buddhist name (homyo), please fill in the application form and send it to the
Toronto Buddhist Church by May 31, 2018. *The $40 fee includes your official Dharma name and a small
donation to our national organization. Please make cheques payable to the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of
Canada.
JSBTC SARANA AFFIRMATION SERVICE APPLICATION is available in the May issue of the Guiding Light that can be downloaded here.