February 2018 Newsletter ‘Monastery Messages’

TAHOMA-SAN SOGENJI ZEN MONASTERY

TAHOMA MONASTERY MESSAGES

For information about visiting or special events at
Tahoma Zen Monastery,
please contact the Monastery at
360.331.4142
email:   tahoma@whidbey.com
Website:
https://www.tahomazenmonastery.com


OSESSHIN with Harada Roshi : February 12 – February 19, 2018

TEISHO (free Zen Lecture by Harada Roshi) will be open to the public for seven days February 13-19 in the afternoon. Generally it’s 1:00 – 2:30 pm (occasionally Roshi changes the time). Please come 10 minutes early to the Zendo at 6499 Wahl Road, Freeland, WA. Parking available. Translation into English by Daichi Roshi.


GET INVOLVED! GET MOVING! Two upcoming Sesshin Preparation Work Days:
Saturday February 3 and February 10 are prep days at Tahoma to prepare for  the two Roshis (Harada and Daichi) arrival Feb 11. You can come for any amount of time between 9 am and 4 pm. We will provide lunch.  Drops ins welcome. A variety of indoor and outdoor jobs for various abilities are awaiting you. Please don’t shy away if you think you need to be super fit to help. WE NEED YOU TO SPRUCE UP THE PLACE! February 10 Gensho will be here as well as others arriving from sesshin.
-Sokei and Bruce 


February Osesshin Guidelines

IF YOU ARE ATTENDING FEB OSESSHIN, even as a repeater, please read. We recommend people to bring:

– Earplugs are useful if you’re sleeping indoors

– Warm sleeping bag with pad – plan on worse-case of a power failure

– Dark color simple cap – may be needed when processing from zendo to dining hall to reduce infections

– Dark slippers for zendo only – optional, you may want them for kinihin if the outside deck is cold; only for zendo use

We are making great efforts to reduced the rate of infectious illness through contamination during retreat. Please plan to drink water and wash hands often. Bring vitamin C and zinc. We will try our best with limited resources to have warm areas for sleeping. Please close doors and windows! Be very aware of touching your hands to your face and then touching public spaces without washing. Sneeze into your shoulder or elbow sleeves, not your hands or into space. Do not bring a communicable illness to Tahoma! Excuse yourself if you know you are sick and come to the next retreat. 


NEEDED: Sarei (sweet or savory treats) for Evening Tea in the Zendo are requested. We are 50 people.

The kitchen will not be providing Happy Town (communal tea area) snacks. Coffee, hot tea, and water will be provided. Attendees are welcome to bring SNACKS to share and the kitchen will assist in storing them. 


SPRING GARDENING RETREAT:
March 12 – March 21, 2018

Enzu, 園頭, The monastery vegetable garden, or the gardener. A retreat this Spring. All invited. 

The March Enzu (Gardening) Retreat, is from the 11th. to the 21st., with people coming and going as their schedule allows.

The daily schedule will be the same as kosesshin with choka and zazen before breakfast, samu in the morning, time for study, and qigong in the afternoon and zazen in the evening. Samu will focus on preparing the vegetable garden; planting and pruning in the orchard; pruning and caring for other trees we’ve planted on the grounds; and planting new trees in the woods. There is work for all levels of skill and experience and lots to learn and contribute. Help will be needed cooking as well as outdoors. More details on the retreat are here.  There is no fee for this retreat.  Donations are greatly appreciated.  
www.tahomazenmonastery.com/sesshin/sesshin-application

This retreat is the first retreat in our 77 Trees birthday present to Roshi. There is more information on 77 Trees here.  If you can’t join us and would like to contribute to the project, the donation page is here.


KOSESSHIN with Daichi Roshi: March 23 – March 28, 2018
Kokuho is Friday evening, March 23. Kosesshin, led by Daichi Roshi, concludes the evening of Wednesday, March 28. Open for part time attendance. Daily sanzen. 

www.tahomazenmonastery.com/sesshin/sesshin-application

Daichi Roshi will lead an event at Water Moon Dojo in Seattle on the evening of March 29.

Schedules, guidelines for conduct, and directions to the monastery can be found here,  
www.tahomazenmonastery.com/sesshin-guidelines/

Staying at Tahoma for the period between sesshins is possible. The expectation is to follow the sitting and work schedule. 


 

Japanese scroll mounting for Harada Roshi’s calligraphy now available,

please contact Dairin at dairinlarrick@gmail.com for details.

Here are Dairin’s two latest scrolls, made with Roshi’s vintage calligraphies from the vaults.

Clear Water Has No Obstructions


Everyday Mind, That is the Path

Available for Purchase from Dairin (write him above). Money will benefit Tahoma.

 


TAHOMA DAILY ZAZEN MEDITATION SCHEDULE
Sutra chanting 5:00 a.m. – 5:40 a.m.
Morning Zazen Meditation 5:40 a.m. – 7:00 a.m.
Evening Zazen Meditation 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Join us for sutra chanting and zazen (seated meditation) in the mornings and zazen in the evenings. Chairs and kneeling benches are available as needed.
Zazen periods last twenty-five minutes at a time with a short break between periods. Kinhin (walking meditation) follows fifty minutes of zazen.  Please be seated in the Zendo ten minutes before zazen begins.  If you arrive after a period has started, please wait in the entrance area until the period ends before coming into the Zendo.

Monastery residents follow the schedule outlined above; however, non-residents are welcome to drop in anytime for one or more periods without previous announcement.
No Zazen schedule Mondays.


ZAZENKAI
Every Sunday, sitting from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m.
Followed by tea 9:00 a.m. until about 9:45 a.m.

Join us for Sunday Zazenkai every Sunday of the month.  Zazenkai includes sutra chanting, zazen meditation, and a short exercise period. Afterwards, tea and sweets are served, and there is an opportunity for questions, discussion, and conversation.
Beginners to Zen are always welcom

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After taking care of Tahoma, Dairyo Koji is now branching out to live in Bellingham, to work on Chinese translations, play the electric gutiar, and open a small zen dojo there. We wish him all the best and are very appreciative for what he gave since arriving May of 2016.


THANK YOU

Thank you to all who are continually contributing effort, time, resources, care and goodwill to Tahoma-san Zen Monastery.  We are very grateful for your gifts of substance and service. May we always live in a way that makes us worthy to receive your offerings. 

Tahoma Zen Monastery
6499 Wahl Road
Freeland, WA 98249
e-mail:   tahoma@whidbey.com
telephone:  360.331.4142

DONATIONS AND PLEDGES:
Tahoma Monastery exists entirely on donations; there are no fees for participating in activities or meditation.  Donations may be made in cash at Tahoma, online:
https://www.tahomazenmonastery.com
or checks to:
One Drop Zendo Association
(abbreviated as ODZA)
and sent to 6499 Wahl Rd Freeland WA 98236
ONE DROP SEATTLE WATER MOON DOJO:
4231 6th Ave. NW., Seattle, WA, 98107.
It is the dark green house across from Hale’s Ales on Leary Way. Parking is available on the street, or across Leary Way by the Fred Meyers.*

Water Moon Zazen Sitting Meditation
Monday nights from 7 – 8:30 pm, Tuesday mornings from  6:30 – 8:30 am, Thursday mornings from 6:30 – 7:30 am, and Saturday morning from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Contact: https://www.tahomazenmonastery.com/category/watermoon/