ZEN CEREMONY
SAGE CEREMONY
(bride and groom) you come before me tonight as two and will leave this place as one united as husband and wife. Have you come, freely choosing the holy bonds of matrimony to enjoy all its rights and potential?
We have!
(passing the sage stick over bride and groom) May the smoke from this sage stick act to cleanse you of all unwanted baggage and relationship problems from the past. May it act to purify you for the step in the future you are about to take.
WELCOME
We have come together on this beautiful evening in this place where the sky is our only ceiling, the earth our only floor, and the horizons our only walls for the marriage of (bride and groom). May they continue to deepen their life with each other and with all sentient beings.
PRAYER
In recognition of the power and purpose of this blessed occasion, please join me in prayer.
“Father God, as we lift up into the loving that joins us together as one, let us surround (bride and groom) with our love, our prayers, and our best wishes for them on this day, their wedding day, and throughout their journey together as husband and wife. Amen.”
MARRIAGE
Marriage begins in the giving of words. We cannot join ourselves to one another without giving our word. And this must be an unconditional giving for in joining ourselves to one another we join ourselves to the unknown.
(bride and groom), may I extend my joy to you on this happy occasion. You are about to take a new step forward in life. This day is made possible not only because of your love for each other, but through the grace of your parents and of the whole society. It is my hope that your fulfillment and joy in each other and in yourselves will increase with every passing year.
WATER BLESSING
Courtesy and consideration even in anger and adversity are the seeds of compassion. Love is the fruit of compassion. Trust, love, and respect are the sustaining virtues of marriage. They enable us to learn from each situation, and help us to realize that everywhere we turn we meet ourselves.
( I take a small bowl of water, and with a leaf, flick a drop of wisdom water onto the bride and groom.)
We nourish ourselves and each other in living five very important precepts:
*In every way we can, we allow our deepest Self to appear.
*We take full responsibility for our own life, in all its infinite dimensions.
*We affirm our trust in the honesty and wisdom of our own body, which, with our love and reverence always shows us the true way.
*We are committed to embrace all parts of ourselves, including our deepest fears and shadows, so that they can be transformed into light.
*We affirm our willingness to keep our heart open, even in the midst of great pain.
READING
I would like to share with you a quote by the Dalai Lama
“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.”
RING VOWS
May I have the rings please? The precious nature of these rings represents the subtle and wonderful essence they find by losing themselves in each other, and subtle and wonderful essence they find individually through their mutual love, respect, and support. The metal itself represents the long life they may cultivate together, not only in years, but in all infinite dimensions of each moment they share.
(bride), please place (groom)’s ring on his finger and repeat after me: I, (bride), take you, (groom), to be my husband, in equal love, as a mirror for my true self, as a partner on my path, to honor and to cherish, in sorrow and in joy, throughout our days together.
(groom), please place (bride)’s ring on her finger and repeat after me: I, (groom), take you, (bride), to be my wife, in equal love, as a mirror for my true self, as a partner on my path, to honor and to cherish, in sorrow and in joy, throughout our days together.
BLESSING
May you always be in love and may love always be in you. May you always see and encourage the best in each other and always be each other’s best friend and greatest love. May life’s challenges create a deeper love within you and work to strengthen the bond between you.
PRONOUNCEMENT
You have spoken sacred and solemn vows to each other and sealed this pledge by the giving and receiving of rings. It is now my honor and privilege to pronounce what your souls have known forever that you are husband and wife!