Ray Innen Parchelo, social worker from Canada and the leader of Red Maple Buddhist Sangha of Canada is on the way to become the first Tendai priest of the country.
He received the necessary training from the Tendai Buddhist Institute near Albany in New York. Here is a brief description of the training process he underwent.
In the summer of 2009, most of the Canadians were either spending time playing golf or spending time in their cottages, Ray spent two intensive training weeks at Tendai Buddhist Institute. He went through specialized training sessions which are known as gyo. These sessions prepare and instruct young and old Buddhist learners who want to attain priesthood. Ray was the only person from Canada in a class of around a dozen gyo-ja, or the trainees. The rest of the trainees who attended the sessions came from different parts of United States.
Ray tells that during his sessions he came to know more about the history of Tendai. He revealed that Tendai is an eclectic form of Buddhism which was founded in China, around 1200 years ago. Ray also studied how Tendai found acceptance among the imperial family members of Japan. He studied the various aspects that were developed when Tendai was the official form of Buddhism in Japan for many centuries.
Ray also informs that the training sessions involved significant physical activity. During his training, he underwent the process of Kokorodo which involves walking at a brisk pace in hills on a 25 kilometer path. During the entire hike, Ray was supposed to remain silent and meditate on tenets of Tendai. For one full day, Ray was also made to practice shikan which is a specialized form of practice to learn sitting in the proper posture.
In a standard gyo day, Ray had to get up at 0330 hrs. in the morning. He underwent a cold water bath and purification ritual. After this, he walked for as long as 45 minutes in the countryside at a brisk pace. After this, his regular day involved two hours of work, many hours of study and contemplation as well as meditation and discussions. During all this, Ray was also a part of the formal events and ceremonies taking place at the institute. Usually, Ray's day ended at 2100 hrs but sometimes it also stretched further, depending upon the schedule and day's activities.
Ray remembers that he and his co-trainees were scolded in case they missed a cue or did something clumsy but support from everyone kept the trainees going. Ray says that the training he underwent at gyo is not a simplified, dumbed down version for westerners. He says that the training he went through is the same as everyone who wants to become a priest gets, regardless of their birthplace or religion.
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