Rohatsu Retreat and Bodhi Day Ceremony
December 3rd-10th, 2023
The autumn training period culminates with the Rohtasu sesshin commemorating the Buddha’s awakening. This is always the most intense training period of the year in which one brings a years worth of training to bear. This year Rohatsu at Tahoma will run from December 3rd through the 10th with extended practice during our regular schedule leading up to a weekend retreat and culminating in the Bodhi Day Ceremony during regular Sunday Zazenkai. The Bodhi Day ceremony this year is open to all and at the very reasonable time of 8am. I would like to encourage all in the community, especially those who haven’t come to zazenkai in while, to consider coming for this ceremony and connecting with the local sangha. We will follow the Bodhi Day ceremony with a casual holiday gathering in the Tahoma kitchen.
This follows the pattern we have utilized with Rohatsu at Tahoma where our days get longer and more intense as we go through the week as well as acknowledging the realities of practice here at this time. Likewise as is our tradition each evening of the retreat in the first period after golden hour we will read from Hakuin Zenji’s Rohatsu Exhortations (available here).
All of the practice periods during this time are open to drop-in attendance and during the weekend retreat, residential practice. Additionally the entire retreat will be broadcast via zoom. The Zoom link will be posted on the website in the days prior and sent out in the Tahoma Events weekly mailing. Please contact us if you would like to take part in residential practice or if you have any additional questions.
Schedule Overview
Day 1: Sunday, December 3rd
8am – 9:30am: Zazenkai and Rohatsu opening with reading from Rohatsu Exhortations.
Day 2: Monday, December 4th
6pm – 8:45pm: Zazen with reading from the Rohatsu Exhortations around 7pm.
Days 3-5: Tuesday – Thursday December 7th
5am: Choka; Zazen (short period); Kinhin
6am: Zazen; Zazen
6pm: Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7pm: Rohatsu Exhortations reading and Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8pm: Zazen; Zazen
Days 6: Friday, December 8th
5am-7am: Choka and Zazen
11-noon: Zazen
2pm – 4pm: Dharma Talk and zazen
6pm – 9:25pm: Zazen with reading from the Rohatsu Exhortations around 7pm.
Please see the Rohatsu Sesshin Schedule for these days.
Day 7: Saturday, December 9th
5am-7am: Choka and Zazen
10am-noon: Zazen
2pm – 4pm: Dharma Talk and zazen
6pm – 10pm: Zazen with reading from the Rohatsu Exhortations around 7pm.
Please see the Rohatsu Sesshin Schedule for these days.
Day 8: Sunday, December 10th
5am; Zazen; Kinhin
5:45am: Closing Sutras; Closing Remarks
8am – 9:30am: Zazenkai and Bodhi Day Ceremony
Essential Information for those joining online
• Please tune in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time so you can be settled.
• Download the monastery schedule: Rohatsu Sesshin Schedule (Updated 12.07.23)
• 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 Events mailing list.
Zoom Link: [ Event has passed. Thanks to all who took part!]
Please email us with any questions: Contact Information
This retreat is offered without charge, however there are costs to putting it on, so please consider making a donation online or in person with this in mind.