Village Zendo Empowers Five New Dharma Teachers

Summer was a season for empowerments at the Village Zendo, with five longtime practitioners receiving Dharma Transmission and some becoming newly entitled to give the Buddhist precepts.

The Dharma Transmission and Preceptor ceremonies took place at the VZ’s summer ango retreat at Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut.

On July 29, Jeremy Tokuyu Manasia and Allan JoAn Tibbetts received Denkai, becoming senior priests who are entitled to give the precepts and empower others to give them. At the same ceremony, Timothy Bokushu Tucker became a Lay Preceptor. He is also entitled to give the precepts, and to empower future Lay Preceptors.

On July 30, Enkyo Roshi gave Dharma Transmission to Jeremy Tokuyu Manasia and Allan JoAn Tibbetts. They received the title “Sensei” and are empowered to teach the Dharma independently.

On the same day, Ryotan Roshi gave Dharma Transmission to Lisa Soshin Dufour, Douglass Fugan Dineen and Timothy Bokushu Tucker. They too received the title “Sensei” and may teach independently.

All the recipients had been serving as assistant teachers (hoshis) at the Village Zendo and its affiliates for a number of years:

Tokuyu Manasia is a musician, composer and college professor and serves on the teaching staff of the Village Zendo in New York City.

JoAn Tibbetts works with emerging adults in college health as a registered nurse and teaches at the New Paltz Zen Center, a VZ affiliate in New Paltz, New York.

Soshin Dufour is the director of Human Resources for a non-profit environmental organization. She teaches at Oxbow Zen, a VZ affiliate in Western Massachussetts.

Fugan Dineen is a musician and ethnomusicologist. He teaches at the Hyannis Zendo, a VZ affiliate in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Bokushu Tucker is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. He serves on the teaching staff of the Village Zendo in New York City.

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