THE MEANING OF KIKYOSHIKI Hongwangi International Centre This is taken from an explanatory booklet, The Confirmation Ceremony, published by Hongwanji International Centre, and given to each candidate. 'Confirmation' is the translation given for Kikyoshiki, which in the West we would better understand as a 'Ceremony of Refuge in Amida Buddha'. The text is printed here exactly as in the booklet, with the exception of the sub-headings and some minor corrections. In this Shin Buddhist ceremony, performed before the altar of Amida Buddha and Shinran Shonin, one takes the important step of affirming reverence for the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and one's determination to tread the path to Buddhahood. In the time of Sakyamuni Buddha, one was permitted to join the Buddhist community (sangha) upon receiving the precept of the three refuges under the guidance of a monk, and shaving one's head. To receive the precept of the three refuges means to declare before one's teacher that one takes whole-hearted refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and to vow that one will not deviate from them. 'Buddha' here refers to Sakyamuni. 'Dharma' to Sakyamuni's teaching and 'Sangha' to the community of followers who have entrusted themselves to Sakyamini Buddha's teaching. Because these form the basis of what one values most in one's life, they are called the 'three treasures'. Shaving one's head symbolises departure from worldly ways of life and entrance into a life devoted to the path of Buddhism, which transcends the mundane world. For us, it will be a show of support for those who have suffered with this disease and the acknowledgment that what we are about to do represents something greater than any of us as an individual.