Jusen’s Garden Dedication

photo by Gensho Florance

Jusen’s Garden Dedication

One of the visions for Tahoma Zen Monastery is that it will have a columbarium so that sangha members as well as the worldwide sangha who are so interested can be interned on the Monastery grounds.  The columbarium will be surrounded by a garden with aspects of both the Pacific Northwest and Japan. This garden is the first phase of the project and work began on it in earnest this summer thanks, to  the generous contributions of long time sangha member Jusen Bland.  There has been both professional workers involved in clearing and grading the land and much sangha labor during the September 2019 Training month preparing the site for a dedication ceremony. On September 17th we held a dedication and blessing of the garden.

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Autumn Kessei 2019

Intensive training sessions known as sesshin continue for periods of eighty, ninety, and one hundred twenty days. Since the goal of all those who take part is to clarify the great matter, while the sesshin is in progress no one leaves the temple gates, and no one speaks unnecessarily. Practice is carried on with a spirit of dauntless, indomitable courage.
-Hakuin Zenji

Autum Kessei 2019
The autumnal equinox opens the Autumn Kessei, a three month training period that runs through Rohatsu sesshin. While we don’t do sesshin every month here and Roshi is only here to lead us at the beginning of the autumn kessei, intensity is much more a decision we make, an orientation toward practice, than anything else.  In this spirit those of us at Tahoma will rededicate ourselves to the practice and offer a greater opportunity for practice during this period.  We will switch to the Autumn/Winter schedule for our Practice Day’s in October, November and December which offers more zazen as well as officially beginning earlier on the previous Friday to encourage and deepen a three day weekend retreat. Periodically will offer other days more devoted to zazen, keep an eye on this site for details as they are announced.  We will again observe Rohatsu Sesshin (dates and details forthcoming) and will conclude the year with our annual New Years potluck and all evening zazen concluding with a midnight bell ringing.  Details for all of these events will be post here as we work out the details as well as in forthcoming issues of our newsletter.  But let me reiterate that intensity is a state of mind and all of us can begin right now. Dedicate yourself to deeply investigating your true nature this autumn and do so with great sincerity and determination.

Autumn Kessei 2019: October Day of Practice


October 2019 Practice Intensive at Tahoma 

Due to a scheduling conflict we will not hold the October Day of Practice on the usual third Saturday but on the second Saturday, October 12th. This full day of zazen will run from 4:20a.m. until approximately 9:00p.m. with formal Breakfast and Lunch. As we are now in the Autumn Kessei (intensive period) we will be extending the hours of this one day sesshin as well as shifting to the winter samu schedule. Additionally we will formally begin at 4:50pm on Friday October 11th and conclude at 10am after Zazenkai on Sunday. This allows for a full 36 hour weekend Practice Intensive.

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Call for photos

photo by Shuho

We would like to request that anyone who took photos during the September OSesshin, KoSesshin’s, Calligraphy Demonstration or Jusen’s Garden dedication and are willing to share them to get in contact with us. We would love to have sangha photos for newsletter and the websites.  So please get in touch at Tahoma@whidbey.com and share your snaps!

August 2019 Day of Practice


August Day of Practice at Tahoma 

The next regularly schedule practice day will be August 24th. This full day of zazen will run from 4:50a.m. until 8:30p.m. with formal Breakfast and Lunch. As we move into summer our focus continues to be working in the garden for the monasteries needs. Thus for this Day of Practice we will allow enough Samu time to make sure all the plants are watered, weeds pulled and the like along with our normal “inside cleaning.”

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September 2019 Training Month at Tahoma

The September 2019 training period at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins on Thursday the 5th, and concludes Monday the 23rd. The online application can be found here: Sesshin Application

FULL TIME RESIDENTIAL TRAINING is available September  5 – 23, 2019

OSESSHIN: Thursday, September 5 – Thursday, September 12, 2019
Kokuho is Thursday evening, September 5.  Osesshin, led by Harada Roshi, concludes the evening of Thursday, September 12.  Full time participation is required.
Apply here: Sesshin Application

CALLIGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION, Friday, September 13th, 1:00 p.m.
Nalanda West
3902 Woodland Park Ave North
Seattle, Washington, 98103

KOSESSHIN: Friday, September 13 – Monday, September 16, 2019
Kokuho is Friday evening, September 13.  Three full days of sitting led by Harada Roshi.
Apply here: Sesshin Application

JUSEN GARDEN BLESSING & OPENING, September 17th, 10:00 a.m.

KOSESSHIN – Wednesday, September 18 – Monday, September 23, 2019
Kokuho is Wednesday evening, September 18. Five full days of sitting led by Daichi Zenni.
Apply here: Sesshin Application

The application deadline is Friday, August 2.  Acceptance emails will be sent soon after the deadline date. Please send your sesshin fee once you have been notified of your acceptance.  The maximum cost for the month is $600.  The cost of Osesshin is $400. The cost of kosesshin is $60/day.
Schedules, guidelines for conduct, and directions to the monastery can be found here: Sesshin Guidelines.

 

Attending Osesshin is a commitment to full time participation.  Kosesshin allows for less than full time participation.  In order for kosesshin to run smoothly we request that you provide your arrival and departure dates and approximate times, and keep us updated of changes.  Temple housing is limited so we appreciate your flexibility.  Any help with set up before or clean up following sesshin is greatly appreciated.  There may be a wait-list for any “segment” of this month of practice. People on the wait-list will be contacted immediately as spaces become available.

 

Thank you,
Rozan Lenny Gerson
lenogerson@gmail.com

June 15th Day of Practice


June Day of Practice at Tahoma 

The next regularly schedule practice day will be June 15th. This full day of zazen will run from 4:50a.m. until 8:30p.m. with formal Breakfast and Lunch. As we move into summer our focus continues to be working in the garden for the monasteries needs. Thus for this Day of Practice we will allow enough Samu time to make sure all the plants are watered, weeds pulled and the like along with our normal “inside cleaning.”

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