12.08.21 – Thanks to all who took part in our Rohatsu Sesshin, I dearly hope it was a fruitful experience. My apologize for being unable to broadcast the very final session, the Bodhi Day Ceremony. As I had feared the strong winds brought down trees all over the Island and we were without power for nearly 12 hours.
“Every sit builds toward sesshin; every sesshin builds toward Rohatsu.”
Tahoma will hold Rohatsu Sesshin on the traditional days, December 1st through 8th. This will be offered as an online retreat but there also be limited opportunities for those in the local area to attend in-person and our evening session will remain open to drop-in attendance (vaccination and masks required) As the culmination of the Autumn Kessei as well as the training year, we can all dedicate ourselves to an extended week of zazen. OSesshin is always an opportunity to go deep and push ourselves beyond our limits, Rohatsu even more-so as we are asked to leave it all on the table. A virtual sesshin does demand more from us in order to deeply take advantage of the opportunity. The broadcast provides a structure, just as attending a sesshin in-person does, but the commitment is up to the individual. If one is able commit to doing the entire sesshin, prepare yourself a space where you can minimize distractions. Have your meals planned out and the shopping completed. Work out a way to do kinhin and physical practice. Then just flow along with the schedule. During the Dharma talks we will continue our investigation of the Letters of Dahui and his teachings for lay practitioners without ready access to a teacher. Truly valuable teachings for these times and for lay practice in general.
Online Retreat Information
We will begin with a period of zazen and kokuho on November 30th. Kokuho will include any orientation information needed for online participants. During the week of retreat Zoom broadcast throughout the day will be in four blocks with the evening broadcast becoming longer and longer as as the week goes on.
Zoom Link: [event has passed]
Broadcast Schedule
Tuesday November 30th
6:30pm: Zazen; Kinhin
7:30pm: Kokuho
December 1st-7th
5am to 7am: Choka; Zazen
10:00am to noon: Zazen
2pm to 4:30pm: Dharma Talk; Zazen; Banka
6pm to 9(10/11)pm: Zazen
December 8th
5am: Choka; Zazen
7am: Bodhi Day Ceremony
Essential Information
• Download the full schedule: Rohatsu Schedule
• The sutra book we will be using can be downloaded here: Virtual Sutra book
• Read these posts: Guidelines for Virtual Events and Orientation to Virtual Sesshin.
• To receive the links for Virtual Events by email: Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list.
Sesshin Schedule
Tuesday, November 30th
| 6:30pm | Uninterrupted Zazen; Han; Kinhin |
| 7:30pm | Kokuho (sutras p. 16) |
| 8:00pm | Kaichin |
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Wednesday, December 1st – Tuesday, December 7th
| 5:00am | Choka (morning sutras); Sampai |
| 5:40am | Zazen [short period]; Kinhin |
| 6:00am | Zazen; Zazen |
| 7:00am | Breakfast; Cleanup |
| 8:15am | Samu [meet on kitchen deck] |
| 10:00am | Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin |
| 11:00am | Zazen; Zazen |
| 12:00pm | Lunch; Cleanup; Break |
| 2:00pm | Dharma Talk; Kinhin |
| 3:00pm | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin |
| 4:00pm | Banka (afternoon sutras); sampai |
| 4:30pm | Outside/Physical Practice |
| 5:00pm | Dinner; Break |
| 6:00pm | Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin |
| 7:00pm | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin |
| 8:00pm | Zazen; Zazen; |
| 8:50pm | Kaichin / Yaza |
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed
As the sesshin progresses the schedule runs later. Download the full schedule for details.
Tuesday, December 8th
| 5:00am | Choka; sampai |
| 5:40am | Zazen [short period]; Kinhin |
| 6:00am | Zazen; Zazen |
| 6:50am | break |
| 7:00am | Bodhi Day Ceremony |
| 7:30am | Closing Remarks |
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Tahoma Schedule Changes
Sunday December 5th: No Zazenkai
Thursday December 9th: No scheduled events
During this retreat we will be have afternoon sutras (Banka) which will include chants not in the standard Tahoma sutra book. So please download the virtual sutra book: Sutra Book.
Please email us with any questions: tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com
The Dharma is always free at Tahoma but retreats online or in-person always come with a cost, so please do consider making a donation online or in person with this in mind.