Bodhi Day Ceremony

Bodhi Day Ceremony / Zazenkai
Sunday, December 8th, 2024

Bodhi Day celebrates the awakening of the Buddha. It culminate the week long end of year Rohatsu retreat. The Bodhi Day ceremony this year is open to all, whether you took part in any of the rest of the retreat or not, and at the very reasonable hour 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 (or reconnecting) with the local sangha.
We will follow the usual Zazenkai schedule and hold the ceremony in the second half of the program.   The whole morning will be broadcast via Zoom (details below

Celebration
 We will follow the Bodhi Day ceremony with a casual celebratory gathering in the Tahoma Dining Hall. This is open to everyone, no participation in any of the week, or even days events required. We would like to celebrate with all in our community. We will provide hot and cold drinks and sweet and savory snacks. If you want to bring something to share, by all means please do, but just bringing yourself will suffice. We’ll be in the Dining Hall by 9:45am.

Sunday, December 8th Schedule

Day 8: Morning Schedule
5am; Zazen; Kinhin; Kaimei Han
5:45am: Closing Sutras (p. 3,4,7); Sampai; Closing Remarks
6:25am Breakfast

Zazenkai and Bodhi Day Ceremony Schedule
8am: Chanting (p. 1)
8:10am: Zazen
8:30: Short Break
8:35: Bodhi Day Ceremony
Han;
Chanting (p. 24, 25, 3, 7, 10, 14)
Sampai, Incense Offering, Reading, Closing Remarks

Essential Information for those joining online
• Please tune in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time so you can be settled.
• 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]

Please email us with any questions: Contact Information

Rohatsu Retreat and Bodhi Day Ceremony

Rohatsu Retreat and Bodhi Day Ceremony
December 1st-8th, 2024

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 1st through the 8th with extended practice during our regular schedule leading up to a stretch of full-time, practice and culminating in the Bodhi Day Ceremony during regular Sunday Zazenkai.

The Bodhi Day ceremony 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 in the past for 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). 

The Rohatsu Exhortations talks will consider practice as Hakuin exhorted his monks to engage in, but will also consider practice from several angles including what we in this retreat are doing right now. Further information on this, as well as recordings of each days talks will be posted on the Drafty Mountain Hut practice blog.. I particularly encourage those taking part in the retreat to listen to the first nights talk as in it both the retreat is introduced as well as a parallel text that we will consider along with the Rohatsu Exhortations.
Rohatsu Exhortations Talks: A Pluralistic Approach, Part 2, Part 3

All of the practice periods during this week are open to drop-in attendance and during the full-time intensive period, 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.  

Residential Retreat Options
The full time intensive training will take place December 5th-8th, with residency available. Please note that one can stay overnight from Saturday to the Bodhi Day Ceremony on Sunday for a full day intensive option. We need to know at least a few days in advance if you wish to stay here overnight. Please contact us if you would like to register for residential practice or if you have any additional questions.

Continue reading “Rohatsu Retreat and Bodhi Day Ceremony”

February 2024 OSesshin

Dear One Drop Sangha and Friends,

The February 2024 OSesshin with Harada Roshi at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins with kokuho on the evening of February 19th and concludes the evening of February 26th. 

OSesshin: Monday, February 19th – Monday, February 26th, 2024

  • Kokuho is Monday evening, February 19th.
  • Full-time participation is required. OSesshin concludes the evening of Monday, February 26th.
  • The link to the OSesshin application is near the bottom of this email. 
  • The fee is $450. 
  • Donations to support financial aid are welcomed. If you are requesting financial aid, please contact the registrar.

The application deadline for OSesshin is Monday, January 15th. You will receive an email regarding your acceptance or wait list status soon after the deadline date of January 15th. Please send your sesshin fee once you have been notified of your acceptance. Payment information will be included in the acceptance email.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS OSESSHIN  

  • Any help with set up before or clean up following OSesshin would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to arrive a day or two before sesshin and/or stay a day or two after sesshin please contact the monastery to make arrangements. The monastery email address is tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com
  • We hope that we will be able to conduct our February 2024 OSesshin but recognize that our plans, as well as the dates, may need to change suddenly and without notice. If you are purchasing airline tickets please be prepared to cancel your reservations.
  • There may be a wait list for this OSesshin. Those on the wait list will be contacted immediately as spaces become available.

Apply here:  [application period has ended]
 

Thank you,
ZenE Tami Settergren
Osesshin registrar
Tahoma Zen Monastery
tahomaapplication@gmail.com

Tahoma Autumn/Winter 2023 Schedule

November 23rd
5am: Regular morning service.
No evening meditation.

November 24th
No morning service.
6:30pm: Regular evening meditation.

December 3rd
Zazenkai 8am. In person and online. Start of Rohatsu Sesshin.
Details: Rohatsu Retreat.

December 4th-7th
5am: Regular morning service.
6pm-8:45pm : Extended evening meditation in observance of Rohatsu.
All events offered in person and online.
Details: Rohatsu Retreat.

December 8th and 9th
Rohatsu Weekend Retreat. In person and online.
Details: Rohatsu Retreat.

December 10th, Bodhi Day Ceremony and Holiday Gathering
8am: Bodhi Day ceremony during our regular Zazenkai. Open to all.
9:30am: Followed by an informal holiday gathering.
Details: Rohatsu Retreat And Bodhi Day Ceremony.

December 23rd, 2023 – January 5th, 2024
Winter closure: no online or in-person events

January 6th, 2024
Regular daily schedule resumes.

All days not specifically listed will be on our regular schedule. Please see our Calendar for the events offered for each day. This is kept up to date with any changes to the daily schedule.