May Samu OSesshin 2019
Public Teisho at Tahoma
Public Teisho by Shodo Harada Roshi
During Osesshin Shodo Harada Roshi will give a daily Teisho (Dharma Talk) on a selection from the Blue Cliff Record (the edition we use is the Thomas Cleary translation if you’d like a copy for reference). These talks are free and open to the public. Anyone can attend. 1 pm daily for 7 days May 6th – May 12th. Approximately 1.5 hours with English translation by Daichi Zenni. Arrive 10-15 minutes early, parking is to the right just past the entrance sign. There will be hosts there to help you with parking and to guide you to the zendo. Chairs and cushions available in the Zendo.
Samu Day at Tahoma April 27th
The May 2019 training period at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins on Sunday May 5th. We will have a day of samu on Saturday, April 27th so that we may all work together to ready the monastery for this period of training. Samu is a natural extension of our training allowing us to freely move from work on the cushion to simple work with our hands, to the complex interactions of our daily lives. This day of samu will allow us to engage in this deep work and to share our efforts with the sangha. So please join us for any part of the work period that you can. A simple lunch will be provided after the samu period.
Samu Day Schedule
5:00am Choka
6:00am Zazen
7:00am Formal Breakfast
8:30am Samu begins
12:15pm Samu Ends/Cleanup
12:30pm Lunch
We will be on the regular monastery schedule on this day and everyone is welcome to come for any part of it. If you would like to come for choka and take part in the formal morning meal do let us know you are coming for planning purposes. Please email us at tahoma@whibey.com.
Directions to the monastery can be found here.
April 2019 Day of Practice
April Day of Practice at Tahoma
Continuing our regularly scheduled day of practice we will devote Saturday April 20th to zazen. As we move into spring our efforts turns to preparing the garden for the monasteries needs. Thus for this Day of Practice we will follow closer to a Samu Sesshin Schedule and devote several hours in the morning to work practice in the garden. People are welcome to come just for the garden work as this is also one of our Garden Saturdays for the month of April.
This year for the reading and study portion of the practice day we are going to be focusing on the Diamond Sutra. We will be utilizing the Red Pine translation and along with the commentary by the Sixth Patriarch Hui-neng, in The Sutra of Hui-neng, if you’d like to engage in this with your own copy. As always one is welcome to come before evening zazen on Friday and stay through Zazenkai on Sunday for a full 36 hours of practice. Further details on practice at Tahoma over this weekend can be found at the end of this post.
The Schedule for this day will be:
| 4:50 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 5:00 | Choka (Sutras) |
| 5:40 | Zazen |
| 5:55 | Kinhin |
| 6:00 | Han; Zazen; Zazen |
| 6:55 | Breakfast Breakfast Cleanup |
| 8:15 | Samu (Clappers; meet at deck) |
| 10:40 | Samu ends (Clappers) |
| 11:00 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 11:10 | Zazen; Zazen |
| 12:00 | Lunch Kitchen Cleanup |
| 1:50 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 2:00 | Reading; Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen* |
| 4:00 | Supper (optional, free-style)* |
| 5:20 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 5:30 | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; |
| 6:30 | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen |
| 8:30 | Kaichin in kitchen Yaza |
The Monastery’s regularly scheduled periods of zazen from 5 am to 7 am and 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm will still be observed and anyone can drop in for either of these or any of the other zazen periods. You are also welcome to arrive on Friday before the Practice Day and/or stay though Zazenkai on Sunday, if you’d like to extend your practice. In all cases it is expected that the monasteries schedule will be followed.
Please email us If you’d like to attend, especially if you will be coming early or staying later or if you have any questions:
tahoma@whidbey.com
* Note
In the case that the only registered participants in the Day of Practice are Monastery Residents, the 2pm to 4pm period will be freestyle zazen. Drop-ins are welcome to sit in the zendo, just know that it will be unstructured until Zazen at 5:20pm.
Whitman College Retreat
Whitman College Retreat
For a week in early March a group of seven students from Whitman College came to experience daily life at a Rinzai Zen Monastery. We followed the general day schedule with choka, zazen, formal breakfast, samu and a formal lunch. Additionally we had a session each afternoon where we discussed topics surrounding monastery life and Rinzai Zen with ample time for personal experiences and questions. On the last afternoon at the monastery they went to Enso House where Sōen and Ann discussed the hospice and its relationship to Tahoma. The students ended their week with a day of decompression at Jisai’s beach house. By all reports it was a fruitful experience for the students.
This retreat wouldn’t have been such a success without the efforts of Jiyu, Myokan, Seiwa and Sōen in the tenzo. Extra special thanks to Jiyu who flew up from Portland and apart from being tenzo also helped with shopping, the teas and with the students.
Another picture of the group and a bit more information can be found in the April Tahoma Newsletter.
Sangha Photos 2 – February OSesshin
May 2019 Training Period Application Available
The May 2019 training period at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins on Sunday, the 5th, and concludes Tuesday, the 21st.
FULL TIME RESIDENTIAL TRAINING is available May 5 – 21, 2019
SAMU OSESSHIN – Sunday, May 5 – Sunday, May 12, 2019
Kokuho is Sunday evening, May 5. Osesshin, led by Harada Roshi, concludes the evening of Sunday, May 12th. Full time participation is required.
The application is here: Sesshin Application
A memorial ceremony will be held for Tanzan Jon Sholle at Tahoma Zen Monastery on Wednesday, May 8. Guests are invited to attend. The exact time of the service will be announced.
SAMU OSESSHIN – Tuesday, May 14 – Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Kokuho is Tuesday evening, May 14th. Seven full days of sitting led by Daichi Zenni. Please note that full time participation for this Osesshin in not required. Therefore, comings and goings are permitted. In order for this Osesshin to run smoothly we request that you provide your arrival and departure dates and approximate times. Please keep us updated of any changes. Daichi Zenni will remain in residence at Tahoma Zen Monastery on May 22nd and 23rd.
Application here: Sesshin Application
Daichi Zenni will lead a workshop at Water Moon Dojo in Seattle on Saturday, May 25th and Sunday, May 26th. Please register directly with Water Moon Dojo by contacting Malcolm Best, watermoon.info@gmail.com, or by calling (731) 599-2837.
The Tahoma application deadline is Monday, April 1st. 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 entire month is $600. The cost of Osesshin is $400. The cost of Daichi Roshi’s Osesshin is $400 or $60/day for part time attendance.
Upon confirmation of acceptance please send checks to:
Rozan Lenny Gerson
2552 NE 46th Ave
Portland, OR 97213
Schedules, guidelines for conduct, and directions to the monastery can be found here.
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
lenogerson@gmail.com
Sangha Photos 1: Tahoma in Winter
A view of Chisan’s House, Tending Clouds and the venerable Yurt taken near the zendo after the big snow during the February OSesshin. Thanks to Sozui Schubert for the photo.
March 2019 Day of Practice
March Day of Practice at Tahoma
Continuing our regularly scheduled day of practice we will devote Saturday March 16th to zazen. vAs we move into spring our efforts turns to preparing the garden for the monasteries needs. Thus for this Day of Practice we will follow closer to a Samu Sesshin Schedule and devote several hours in the morning to work practice in the garden. People are welcome to come just for the garden work as this is also one of our Garden Saturdays for the month of March.
This year for the reading and study portion of the practice day we are going to be focusing on the Diamond Sutra. We will be utilizing the Red Pine translation and commentary if you’d like to engage in this with your own copy. As always one is welcome to come before evening zazen on Friday and stay through Zazenkai on Sunday for a full 36 hours of practice. Further details on practice at Tahoma over this weekend can be found at the end of this post.
The Schedule for this day will be:
| 4:50 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 5:00 | Choka (Sutras) |
| 5:40 | Zazen |
| 5:55 | Kinhin |
| 6:00 | Han; Zazen; Zazen |
| 6:55 | Breakfast Breakfast Cleanup |
| 8:15 | Samu (Clappers; meet at deck) |
| 10:40 | Samu ends (Clappers) |
| 11:00 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 11:10 | Zazen; Zazen |
| 12:00 | Lunch Kitchen Cleanup |
| 1:50 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 2:00 | Reading; Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen* |
| 4:00 | Supper (optional, free-style)* |
| 5:20 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 5:30 | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; |
| 6:30 | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen |
| 8:30 | Kaichin in kitchen Yaza |
The Monastery’s regularly scheduled periods of zazen from 5 am to 7 am and 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm will still be observed and anyone can drop in for either of these or any of the other zazen periods. You are also welcome to arrive on Friday before the Practice Day and/or stay though Zazenkai on Sunday, if you’d like to extend your practice. In all cases it is expected that the monasteries schedule will be followed.
Please email us If you’d like to attend, especially if you will be coming early or staying later or if you have any questions:
tahoma@whidbey.com
* Note
In the case that the only registered participants in the Day of Practice are Monastery Residents, the 2pm to 4pm period will be freestyle zazen. Drop-ins are welcome to sit in the zendo, just know that it will be unstructured until Zazen at 5:20pm.
February 2019 Day of Practice
February Day of Practice at Tahoma
Continuing our regularly scheduled day of practice we will devote Saturday February 23rd to zazen. This year for the reading and study portion of the practice day we are going to be focusing on the Diamond Sutra. We will be utilizing the Red Pine translation and commentary if you’d like to engage in this with your own copy. As always one is welcome to come before evening zazen on Friday and stay through Zazenkai on Sunday for a full 36 hours of practice. Further details on practice at Tahoma over this weekend can be found at the end of this post.
Do note that for this Day of Practice we will be using Tending Clouds as our zendo. Tending Clouds is the next building down the path from the kitchen. There will be signs and schedules posted on the main buildings to facilitate getting to the correct locations.
The Schedule for this day will be:
| 4:50 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 5:00 | Choka (Sutras) |
| 5:40 | Zazen |
| 5:55 | Kinhin |
| 6:00 | Han; Zazen; Zazen |
| 6:55 | Breakfast Breakfast Cleanup |
| 8:30 | Samu (Clappers; meet at deck) |
| 10:30 | Samu ends (Clappers) |
| 10:50 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 11:00 | Zazen; Zazen |
| 11:55 | Lunch Kitchen Cleanup |
| 1:50 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 2:00 | Reading; Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen* |
| 4:00 | Supper (optional, free-style)* |
| 5:20 | Seated in Zendo; Gosei |
| 5:30 | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; |
| 6:30 | Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen |
| 8:30 | Kaichin in kitchen Yaza |
The Monastery’s regularly scheduled periods of zazen from 5 am to 7 am and 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm will still be observed and anyone can drop in for either of these or any of the other zazen periods. You are also welcome to arrive on Friday before the Practice Day and/or stay though Zazenkai on Sunday, if you’d like to extend your practice. In all cases it is expected that the monasteries schedule will be followed.
Please email us If you’d like to attend, especially if you will be coming early or staying later or if you have any questions:
tahoma@whidbey.com
* Note
In the case that the only registered participants in the Day of Practice are Monastery Residents, the 2pm to 4pm period will be freestyle zazen. Drop-ins are welcome to sit in the zendo, just know that it will be unstructured until Zazen at 5:20pm.