NOTE: The Zoom link has been updated for Tuesday’s event.
The second Monday of most months the head monk from Tahoma Zen Monastery visits Watermoon Dojo in Seattle, for an evening and morning or practice. As we are currently Staying at Home we will observe these events virtually using Zoom. While we of course will miss our time at WMD, this does allow anyone to take part in this virtual visit. If interested in taking part, please read through our Virtual Practice Guidelines before joining the events.
Monday June 8th, 7:00pm to 8:30pm PDT 7:00pm: Chant Service (Heart Sutra, Song of Zazen, Dai Segaki) 7:15pm: Two periods of zazen 7:55pm: Han / Kinhin (or break) 8:00pm: Short talk and Q&A 8:25pm Concluding zazen and chanting of the Four Great Vows
Download a PDF with all the chants here: Chant booklet
Zoom Link: [event has passed]
Tuesday June 9th, 6:30am to 8:30am PDT 6:30am Choka (chant service) 7:00am Zazen 7:20am Han / Kinhin (or break) 7:30am: Dharma talk 8:00am Zazen 8:30am Conclude with a few minutes for chatting
Note We will follow the Tahoma Choka, omitting the Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo and after the Four Great Vows we will chant Dai Segaki for the dead and dying and conclude with Sampai.
Every Sunday from 8am to around 9:30am we hold community zazen, or Zazenkai. In these times we must practice virtually, via our technology. It is a straightforward service with chanting, zazen, a short talk an opportunity at the end for casual conversation. Please join us online when you are able.
Zoom Meeting Link:[Event has concluded]
Download the Zoom Client for your computer or device. You can click on the Join Meeting Link above and it will walk you through installing the software. Do get yourself setup before the meeting. You can join the meeting early; you will simply wait until the host (Tahoma) starts the meeting.
For more details on the Virtual Zazenkai please see this post: Virtual Zazenkai
Please note that we have setup a mailing list that will send out the Zoom link every week. This is recommended as for security reasons we may have to only mail out the link.
May 12th-16th: Virtual Sesshin Tahoma Zen Monastery
Now in Progress. See the Schedule below and use the Zoom Link to Join. Read the Orientation Post on how to best take advantage of this opportunity.
Zoom Meeting Link:[Event has concluded]
Sesshin Schedule
5:00am
Choka (Sutras); sampai
5:40am
Zazen [short period]; Kinhin
6:05am
Zazen; Zazen
7:00am
Breakfast / samu / break
11:00am
UninterruptedOutside Zazen [weather permitting]
12:00pm
Lunch / break
2:00pm
Dharma Talk; Zazen; Kinhin
3:00pm
Zazen; Zazen
4:00pm
Outside Practice
5:00pm
Dinner / Break
6:00pm
Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7:00pm
Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:00pm
Zazen; Zazen;
8:50pm
Closing Sutra [Tahoma Sutra Book, p. 17]
9:00pm
Kaichin / Yaza
All times Pacific Standard Time. Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed. Download the full schedule here: May Sesshin Schedule.
May 12th-16th: Virtual Sesshin Tahoma Zen Monastery
We are holding a five day sesshin at Tahoma Zen Monastery with four blocks broadcast online throughout the day. All are welcome to tune in the broadcasts (links below) as they are able. While we hope that some are able to adopt the Sesshin Spirit and participate as if they were here in person, we encourage everyone to use this time as best serves them. Anyone can join in for any of the periods on any of the days as they are able.
How to best take advantage of the Virtual Sesshin Think of the sesshin just as you would one that you are attending in person. Leave behind non-essential activities. Maintain sesshin spirit throughout the day and avoid media, non-functional conversation, casual entertainments and other distractions. During the samu period engage mindfully, as you would at the monastery, in cleaning your residence, working in the garden, perhaps even into the community. Sesshin always comes down to ones aspiration, commitment and dedication. Fully throw yourself into the practice, vow to awaken during this sesshin, turn off your notifications and just sit.
Sesshin Approach This sesshin’s theme is Empty Awareness and is oriented around solitary practice. In this time of quarantine, stay at home orders and lockdown we are not able to practice in person with the sangha and interact with the teacher. In Zen working with the teacher is essential, at the very least, as a check on where we are at. Other practices such as koan study depend completely on engagement with the teacher. But there are myriad practices that are very fruitful on ones own and can be consistently used in conjunction with working with a teacher. This has been the orientation of all of our recent instruction and we will continue and deepen our exploration of this approach in this sesshin.
Outside Practice One of the essential approaches we will work with is Being Outside. In classical Ch’an there was little distinction made between landscape and practice and there were myriad practices to move beyond that sense of separateness we feel from the natural word. Some of these practices will be explored and there are times on the schedule for working with these practices. If you are able to walk around outside, in your neighborhood, or in a nearby woods, beach or field, we encourage you to take advantage of that and engage in these practices. During the outside seating, we encourage you to take your phone or other device and sit on a deck, porch or just in front of a window.
Adapt to these as you are able: use your windows, porches, decks, backyards as you have them. Put on a mask and walk around your neighborhood. Maintain Physical Distancing. Your safety is the upmost importance so do everything as it makes sense. We would encourage a physical practice that can be done inside, if there are no outside options available: Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga, Stretching, etc.
Choka (Sutras) We will chant a shortened version of the Tahoma Sutras. These are done in the order printed in the Tahoma Sutra book beginning with the Maha Prajna Parmita Sutra (Heart Sutra) through to the Four Great Vows, skipping the Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo. After the Four Great Vows we will chant Dai Segaki for the victims of the virus pandemic. This can be found in our supplemental chant book. After this will be sampai (three prostrations), before we begin zazen.
Kinhin Kinhin, (walking meditation), periods will be held every fifty minutes, except when a block ends. This practice is one of both mindfulness as well as its own empty awareness practice. Do this as you are able, walking around the room, or through your house, or outside even. Keep the volume up on your computer or device to be able to hear clappers and announcements. This is of course the time for bathroom breaks. As with all of these practices you will get out of this what you put into it.
Technical Considerations We are using Zoom Meeting software for this Virtual Sesshin which is available for all devices and platforms. Zoom is meant for virtual meetings and we are pushing its limitations for these events. It manipulates audio when it gets too loud and tries to eliminate background sound. Look into your audio settings and turn on ‘Original Sound’ and turn off noise-cancelling options. Be sure to keep your microphone off at all times. You do not need to display your own video and it will help with bandwidth to keep it off. If you set a profile picture that image will be sent instead of video and is a nice, low bandwidth option.
The most important thing is to simply accept that there will be technical difficulties. Sometimes the sound will drop out or the app will crash. We must just roll with it and put our training to use in not being pushed around by it. We will do our utmost to keep things flowing and reset things as there are issues. But when in doubt, just keep sitting and mind the schedule. We can’t help with technical issues during broadcasts but do email with any questions.
Sesshin Schedule
5:00am
Choka (Sutras); sampai
5:40am
Zazen [short period]; Kinhin
6:05am
Zazen; Zazen
7:00am
Breakfast / samu / break
11:00am
Outside Zazen [on zendo deck, weather permitting]
12pm
Lunch / break
2:00pm
Dharma Talk; Zazen; Kinhin
3:00pm
Zazen; Zazen
4:00pm
Outside Practice
5:00pm
Dinner / Break
6:00pm
Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7:00pm
Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:00pm
Zazen; Zazen;
8:50pm
Closing Sutra
9:00pm
Kaichin / Yaza
All times Pacific Standard Time. Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed. Download the full schedule here: May Sesshin Schedule.
Virtual Sesshin May 12th-16th Sesshin provides a container for sustained practice, a container that most of us need in order to reach that level of intensity. At sesshin we are able to go deep into our zazen knowing that we simple need to sit, stand, walk, eat and do tasks as directed. In this time where gathering together for sesshin is impossible, it is still of immense value to have a period of increased intensity. Thus we here at Tahoma will offer a Virtual Sesshin.
This event will stream throughout the day following the usual activities one would expect in a sesshin. In between these periods in the zendo, those of us at the monastery will follow a regular sesshin schedule while those of you at home will have to take on those activities yourself. This allows for the container of sesshin, the motivation of knowing there are structured times for zazen, while still being able to hold ones individual practice. There is still a self-directed aspect of course and one is free to do as little or as much of the activities as one can or desires to do.
We will post further details along with a finalized schedule in the days before the session but it will basically follow our Day of Practice Schedule:
5:00am-6:00am
Choka (Sutras); Zazen; Kinhin
6:00am to 6:55am
Zazen; Zazen
7:00am to 11:00am
Breakfast / samu / break
11:00am-11:50am
Uninterrupted Zazen
12pm-1:30pm
Lunch / break
2:00pm-2:50pm
Dharma Talk; Zazen; Kinhin
3:00-3:50
Zazen; Zazen
4:00pm-5:30pm
Outside Practice / dinner / Break
6:00pm-6:50pm
Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7:00pm-8:00pm
Zazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:00pm-9:00pm
Zazen; Zazen; Closing Sutra
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Every Sunday from 8am to around 9:30am we hold virtual community zazen, or Zazenkai service. It is a simple service with chanting, zazen, a short talk and chance at the end for casual discussion. Please join us online when you are able.
Zoom Meeting Link: [Event has now passed]
Download the Zoom Client for your computer or device. You can click on the Join Meeting Link above and it will walk you through installing the software. Do get yourself setup before the meeting. You can join the meeting early; you will simply wait until the host (Tahoma) starts the meeting.
For more details on the Virtual Zazenkai please see this post: Virtual Zazenkai
Please note that we have setup a mailing list that will send out the Zoom link every week. This is recommended as for security reasons we may have to only mail out the link.
Every month we try to offer a full day of practice, a one day retreat. In such times were we are not able to meet together in person, we will hold these events virtually utilizing the Zoom Platform. We will necessarily be modifying this event from our stand Day of Practice schedule as we all have to attend to our own meals, samu and breaks.
For this virtual Day of Practice we will offer periods of zazen throughout the day. The day will run from 5:00a.m. until 8:30p.m. with four main periods throughout the day. The Zoom link will allow you to join in for any of these events for as long as you are able. There will be periodic breaks and periods of walking meditation which will be announce and which you will undertake on your own.
We will follow the standard Tahoma Choka, with the omission of Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo and after The Four Great Vows we will chant Dai Segaki for the dead and dying and then conclude with Sampai.
Every month we try to offer a full day of practice, a one day retreat. In such times were we are not able to meet together in person, we will hold these events virtually utilizing the Zoom Platform. We will necessarily be modifying this event from our stand Day of Practice schedule as we all have to attend to our own meals, samu and breaks. Please see the schedule below and read through our Guidelines for Virtual Events and join the Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list. The link for the Zoom meeting will only be sent out via the email list.
For this virtual Day of Practice we will offer periods of zazen throughout the day. The day will run from 5:00a.m. until 8:30p.m. with four main periods throughout the day. The Zoom link will allow you to join in for any of these events for as long as you are able. There will be periodic breaks and periods of walking meditation which will be announce and which you will undertake on your own.
The Schedule for this day will be
5:00am-7:00am
Choka (Sutras); Zazen
7:00am to 11:00am
Breakfast / samu / break
11:00am-Noon
Zazen
12pm-1:30pm
Lunch / break
1:30pm-3:30pm
Dharma Talk; Zazen
3:30pm-5:30pm
Break / dinner
5:30pm-6:30pm
Uninterrupted Zazen
6:30pm-8:30pm
Zazen
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Every Sunday from 8am to around 9:30am we hold virtual community zazen, or Zazenkai service. It is a simple service with chanting, zazen, a short talk and chance at the end for casual discussion. Please join us online when you are able.
Zoom Meeting Link: [event has passed]
Download the Zoom Client for your computer or device. You can click on the Join Meeting Link above and it will walk you through installing the software. Do get yourself setup before the meeting. You can join the meeting early; you will simply wait until the host (Tahoma) starts the meeting.
For more details on the Virtual Zazenkai please see this post: Virtual Zazenkai
Please note that we have setup a mailing list that will send out the Zoom link every week. This is recommended as for security reasons we may have to only mail out the link.
A number of One Drop Zen groups are offering Zazen, Chanting, and discussions online. There is an opportunity sit quietly with others, to ask questions, receive instruction and spend time together.
The offerings listed below are organized by day of the week and time of day; check the time-zone.
Everyone who wants to practice is welcome, if it’s your first time please contact the group via the links below. There is no charge for participation, and donations when possible are welcome.
Pacific Time 5:30am, shortened choka, 6-7:00am, zazen, 7-8pm zazen, San Diego Hidden Valley Zen Center – Yuukoku-ji, San Diego 7:00pm – 8:00pm with log in at 6:50pm. LA One Drop Zendo, Los Angeles
