Tag: Day of Practice

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Winter Solstice 2020 Observance

On Saturday December 19th, we will observe the shortest day of the year and the conclusion of the Autumn Training Period with extended practice. There will be several periods of zazen throughout the day and a dharma talk along with the regular monastery schedule.

The Dharma Talk will be from Torei Enji’s Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School. Download a free PDF of it here (45MB pdf). An archive of previous talks can be found here: Torei zenji’s Discourse talks.

Join Zoom Meeting: [event has passed]

Event Schedule

Saturday, December 19th

5am-7amChoka; Sampai; Kinhin; Zazen
10am-NoonUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen
2pm-4pmDharma Talk; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen
6:30pm–8:30pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen
All times Pacific Time. Please tune in five minutes before scheduled events.
All Events will be streamed. Blocks in Bold can be attended in-person (masks required).

Download Sutra book: Virtual Sutra book
To receive the links for the Virtual Events by email: Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list.

There is no fee for participating in this event but do be mindful that virtual events also utilize resources and the monastery does have regular expenses in order to keep open. We wish to facilitate the practice and promote the dharma as widely as possible, thus our practice of putting on these events without cost. This is especially important in these times with so many out of work and confined to home. For those who are able to offer support, we appreciate your including us in your consideration. Thank your for your continuing support and please email us with any questions: Contact Information.

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Summer Solstice Weekend Intensive

June 19th-21st: Virtual Summer Solstice Weekend
Tahoma Zen Monastery

June 20th is the Summer Solstice and as is our tradition we will sit from sunup to sundown on this day. We will bracket this day of practice with extended sitting Friday evening and Sunday morning, concluding with Zazenkai. All of the sitting periods will be broadcast online and we will follow the schedule of the recent virtual Sesshin.  Drop-in attendance for the zazen and samu periods will be allowed though we will not be able to accommodate any communal activities beyond that. 

Zoom Link:  [event has passed]

Friday evening Schedule

5:30pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
6:30pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin
7:30pmZazen; Zazen; 
8:20pmKaichin / Yaza
All times  Pacific Time.
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Please tune into events five (5) minutes early

Saturday Schedule 

5:00amChoka (Sutras); sampai ; Han
5:40amZazen [short period]; Kinhin
6:05amZazen; Zazen
7:00amBreakfast / samu / break
11:00amUninterrupted Outside Zazen 
12:00pmLunch / break
2:00pmDharma Talk; Zazen; Kinhin
3:00pmZazen; Zazen
4:00pmOutside Practice / Dinner / Break
6:00pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7:00pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:00pmZazen; Zazen; 
8:50pmKaichin / Yaza
All times  Pacific Time.
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Please tune into events five (5) minutes early

Sunday Morning Schedule

5:00amChoka (Sutras); sampai ; Han
5:40amZazen [short period]; Kinhin
6:00amZazen;
6:30amBreakfast / break
8:00amZazenkai
9:15amInformal Q&A
All times  Pacific Time.
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Please tune into events five (5) minutes early

Download the sutra book here: Tahoma Sutra book
Dai Segaki can be found here:  Chant booklet

Before taking part in a Virtual Event at Tahoma please read this post:
Guidelines for Virtual Events

To receive the links for the Virtual Events by email:
Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list.

Thank your for your continuing support and please email us with any questions:  Contact Information. 

Notes and sources for the Dharma talks will be posted here, after the end of weekend.

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Virtual Day of Practice

April 25th, 2020 Virtual Day of Practice

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-7:00amChoka (Sutras); Zazen
7:00am to 11:00amBreakfast / samu / break
11:00am-NoonZazen
12pm-1:30pmLunch / break
1:30pm-3:30pmDharma Talk; Zazen
3:30pm-5:30pmBreak / dinner
5:30pm-6:30pmUninterrupted Zazen
6:30pm-8:30pmZazen
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.

Before taking part in a Virtual Event at Tahoma please read this post:
Guidelines for Virtual Events

To receive the link for the Virtual even please join this mailing list:
Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list.

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Tahoma Covid-19 Update

Island County is now reporting multiple cases of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) virus on the island. Washington State has forbidden all gatherings of 250 or more people in the three largest counties. ALL events are required to allow for a minimum of six (6) feet of distancing between all participants. Projections for Washington State are sobering and we expect these restrictions to encompass all of Western Washington soon along with additional more stringent restrictions.

During this next phase Tahoma will continue to offer our daily services. All attendees must maintain the mandated six (6) feet of separation between sangha members. We have a lot of space and fairly sparse attendance during the crisis so keep at least two cushions away from fellow practitioners. State guidelines recommend that those over 60 years of age avoid all gatherings and we encourage this as well. Please read our posted guidance if you have any plans to attend zazen at Tahoma.

The planned Day of Practice for the Spring Equinox (March 21st) will not go on as planned. We will add a late morning, early afternoon and extended evening periods of zazen. People are welcome to come and sit at any of these times throughout the day. During this time of crisis it is incumbent upon us to maintain a strong practice for ourself and for all beings. Thus we will offer additional periods of zazen on this day. We will however have no communal meals, nor any residency options. Practitioners over 60 years of age should consider keeping their practice at home. Sitting on our own is of immense value and we encourage everyone to dedicate extra time to this during this time. We will post a schedule of the additional sitting times early next week. Please read our posted guidance if you have any plans to attend zazen at Tahoma.

Please continue to monitor this website for updates on other upcoming events. As of now everything beyond what is listed here will continue with varying amounts of restrictions and modifications. As always updates will be posted here, but feel free to contact us with any questions.

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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.

Continue reading “Autumn Kessei 2019: October Day of Practice”

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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.”

Continue reading “August 2019 Day of Practice”

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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.”

Continue reading “June 15th Day of Practice”

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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.

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February 2019 Day of Practice

SnowDay


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.