Tag: Dharma Talk

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Rohatsu Retreat and Bodhi Day Ceremony

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

[Please note schedule updates as of Dec. 5th]

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

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.

Rohatsu Daily Schedule

Day 1: Sunday, December 1st
8am – 9:30am: Zazenkai and Rohatsu opening with reading from Rohatsu Exhortations.

Day 2: Monday, December 2nd 
6pm: Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7pm: Rohatsu Exhortations reading; Zazen; Kinhin
8pm: Zazen

Days 3&4: Tuesday December 3rd and Wednesday December 4th 
5am: Choka; Zazen; Kinhin
6am: Zazen
6pm: Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7pm: Rohatsu Exhortations reading; Zazen; Kinhin
8pm: Zazen

Days 5-7  Thursday, December 5th – Saturday, December 7th
5am: Choka; Zazen; Kinhin
6am: Zazen
10am: Zazen; Kinhin [Day 7]
11am: Zazen [Day 5, 6]
2pm: Dharma Talk; Kinhin;
3pm:  Zazen
6pm: Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7pm: Rohatsu Exhortations reading; Zazen; Kinhin
8pm: Zazen; kinhin
9pm: Zazen
[Each day runs longer; please download the Schedule for complete details.]

Day 8: Sunday, December 8th
5am: Zazen; Kinhin
5:45am: Closing Sutras; Closing Remarks
8am: Zazenkai and Bodhi Day Ceremony
9:45am: Bodhi Day Celebration (in-person only)

Essential Information for those joining online
• Please tune in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time so you can be settled.
• Download the monastery schedule: Rohatsu Sesshin Schedule [updated Dec. 5th]
• 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: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84377657503?pwd=xDpLjYsEQSaT3cJpHGsZfKmnGFQmuf.1

Please email us with any questions: Contact Information

This retreat is offered without charge, however there are costs to putting it on, so please consider making a donation online or in person with this in mind.

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Public Teisho During September OSesshin

Public Teisho During September OSesshin

September 6th through 12th, 1pm

Every day during the OSesshin there will be Teisho (dharma talk) from Shodo Harada Roshi. Talks are in Japanese with translations by Daichi Zenni. The talks begin at 1pm and it is requested that attendees arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow time to walk to the zendo and get settled. There will be staff to assist with parking and making your way to zendo. There will be chairs and cushions available for seating and staff on hand to facilitate finding your seat.

Roshi will be speaking on koans from the Blue Cliff Record, please do come for this unique opportunity to hear a living Zen Master speak on the words of our Zen ancestors. 

Directions to the Monastery can be found here:
Visiting Tahoma Zen Monastery

PLEASE NOTE
The monastery will otherwise be closed to the public during the sesshin.
Please see our calendar for the resumption of our regular schedule.

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Public Teisho During May OSesshin

Event Has Passed

Every day during the OSesshin (May 16th – 22nd), there will be Teisho (dharma talk) from Shodo Harada Roshi. Talks are in Japanese with translations by Daichi Zenni. The talks begin at 1pm and it is requested that attendees arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow time to walk to the zendo and get settled. There will be staff to assist with parking and making your way to zendo. There will be chairs and cushions available for seating and staff on hand to facilitate finding your seat.

Roshi will be speaking on koans from the Blue Cliff Record, please do come for this unique opportunity to hear a living Zen Master speak on the words of our Zen ancestors. 

Directions to the Monastery can be found here:
Visiting Tahoma Zen Monastery

PLEASE NOTE
The monastery will otherwise be closed to public during the sesshin.
Please see our calendar for the resumption of our regular schedule.

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March 2024 Day of Practice

March 16th, 2024, 4:50am to ~8:45pm (PST)

Update 03.15.24
• Please note that due to circumstances we are changing this retreat to a day of zazen with an extended period of samu in the morning. Please see the schedule below.

Please join us during the Spring Training period for a day of practice.  This is opportunity to keep the practice fires burning between retreats, or to begin to add more intensive investigation to your current practice. This retreat offers practice throughout the day and  is open for drop-in or online attendance .  We will begin the online broadcast Saturday morning and run throughout the day following the below schedule. As always Sunday’s Zazenkai will be broadcast if one wishes to extend their practice.

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.

Broadcast Schedule

Saturday, March 16th
5am to 7am: Choka; Zazen
2pm to 4pm: Zazen
6pm to 8:45pm: Zazen 

Zoom Link: [Event has passed]

Continue reading “March 2024 Day of Practice”
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Public Teisho During September OSesshin

Every day during the OSesshin (February 20th – 26th), there will be Teisho (dharma talk) from Shodo Harada Roshi. Talks are in Japanese with translations by Daichi Zenni. The talks begin at 1pm and it is requested that attendees arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow time to walk to the zendo and get settled. There will be staff to assist with parking and making your way to zendo. There will be chairs and cushions available for seating and staff on hand to facilitate finding your seat.

Roshi will be speaking on koans from the Blue Cliff Record, please do come for this unique opportunity to hear a living Zen Master speak on the words of our Zen ancestors. 

Directions to the Monastery can be found here:
Visiting Tahoma Zen Monastery

PLEASE NOTE
The monastery will otherwise be closed to public during the sesshin.
Please see our calendar for the resumption of our regular schedule.

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November 2023 Daylong Retreat

November 4th, 2023, 4:50am to 9pm (PST)

This first weekend of November we will dive into intensive investigation of this great matter with a period set aside for extended practice.  This weekend event, centered on Saturdays full day of practice, is open for residential and drop-in attendance. If you would like to stay on campus and make the most of this weekend of practice please contact us to make arrangements. Please be aware that there is a minimum number of attendees required for us to support residential practice. We request that everyone who intends to join us beyond dropping in for a single period contact us with your plans.

Additionally we will continue to broadcast these retreats via Zoom for those unable to join us in person.  We will begin the online broadcast during regular Friday evening zazen and conclude after Sunday’s Zazenkai allowing for one to be able to extend ones practice beyond the full day. 

Essential Information for those joining online
• Please tune in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time so you can be settled.
• Download the monastery schedule: Daylong Retreat Schedule
• 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.

Broadcast Schedule

Friday, November 3rd
6:30pm to 8:15pm: Zazen 

Saturday, November 4th
5am to 7am: Choka; Zazen
10:30am to Noon: Zazen
2pm to 4:00pm: Dharma Talk; Zazen
6:00pm to 8:45pm: Zazen 

Zoom Link: [event has passed

Continue reading “November 2023 Daylong Retreat”
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Public Teisho During September OSesshin

Please Note
There will be no public teisho on September 9th.

Every day during the September OSesshin (Sept 6th – 12th) except for the 9th, there will be a daily Teisho (dharma talk) from Shodo Harada Roshi. Talks are in Japanese with translations by Daichi Zenni. The talks begin at 1pm and it is requested that attendees arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow time to walk to the zendo and get settled. There will be staff to assist with parking and making your way to zendo. There will be chairs and cushions available for seating and staff on hand to facilitate finding your seat.

Roshi will be speaking on koans from the Blue Cliff Record, please do come for this unique opportunity to hear a living Zen Master speak on the words of our Zen ancestors. 

Directions to the Monastery can be found here:
Visiting Tahoma Zen Monastery

Posted on

Public Teisho During May OSesshin

Each day during the May OSesshin (May 6th – 12th) there will be a daily Teisho (dharma talk) from Shodo Harada Roshi. Talks are in Japanese with translations by Daichi Zenni. The talks begin at 1pm and it is requested that attendees arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow time to walk to the zendo and get settled. There will be staff to assist with parking and making your way to zendo. There will be chairs and cushions available for seating and staff on hand to facilitate finding your seat. We require that all visitors be fully vaccinated and masked to attend this event.

Roshi will be speaking on koans from the Blue Cliff Record, please do come for this unique opportunity to hear a living Zen Master speak on the words of our Zen ancestors. 

Directions to the Monastery can be found here:
Visiting Tahoma Zen Monastery

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Summer Solstice 2021 Weeklong Retreat

June 20th – 27th

Registration is open, please email us at:  tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

As we transition into summer we conclude the Spring Training period with a weeklong retreat.  This will mark the fifth retreat that has been held at Tahoma since the pandemic began. These retreats have all been put on by the monastery staff and have all been available online.  This retreat will be available in person for those fully vaccinated and will bring to a culmination the practice that has been presented over the last year.

This retreat will feature expanded activities taking place outside and will emphasize practice that integrates into our daily lives and lay practice. All of the indoor activities will be presented online via Zoom for those who are unable to be fully vaccinated by the retreat. But this will be a very valuable experience for everyone as we resume full time in person practice and we encourage everyone who is able to to come in person. The text that we will be using for the retreat will be presented to all attendees. For those practicing at home you can acquire your own copy, or download an excerpt with just the outdoor practices here: Dewdrops on Stringing Nettles.

There will be options for full time or part time residential participation,  drop-in attendance and online participation.  We ask that everyone who attends email us stating their desire to attend and in what capacity. We will allow drop-in attendance without prior notification either in person or via Zoom if one is unable to commit beforehand or discovers some free time. We absolutely encourage participation in whatever way that works for you. For those attending full time registration will be required as we need to have attendance information for meals, allergies, emergency contact and so on.  

We are still being cautious and of course have to follow WA State guidelines. This limits us to twenty (20) people in the Zendo as of this mailing, so this is our limit for in-person attendance. So please register soon and if we exceed that number there will be a waitlist. We will expand the limits if the State changes the guidelines which are dependent on vaccination rates. We also are asking that people staying in residence arrive the afternoon of the 20th, and depart by the afternoon on the 27th. On the final day we will conclude with choka and a closing ceremony followed by Zazenkai for those who wish to sit with the local sangha.  Below is the schedule of the weeks events (subject to change).

June 20th, 2021
1pm: Campus opens for residents.
5pm: Informal Dinner
6pm: Orientation
7:30pm: Opening Ceremony/Zazen 

June 21st-26th, 2021
4:50am –  9:00pm: Retreat Daily Schedule

June 27th, 2021
4:50am: Zazen/Closing Ceremony
8am: Zazenkai
10am: Cleanup
Noon: Departure

As we wish to share the dharma with everyone we are not setting a fixed cost for the retreat. However there are costs to us for food, utilities and operations. So please do consider making a donation online or in person with this in mind.

If you’d like to volunteer to help with cooking,  to prepare food beforehand, or to donate snacks or sarei treats, please email:  tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

There will be a post early next week with the full schedule, Zoom Information and other information for the retreat. Additionally an email will be sent to the mailing list with this information. Sign up to our mailing list here: Monastery Messages.

Registration is open, please email us at:  tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

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May Weekend Intensive Schedule

May 28th-30th, 2021
Tahoma Zen Monastery


Join us in person at Tahoma Zen Monastery or online this May for a weekend retreat as we continue with the Spring Training Period.

For all in-person attendance you must be be fully vaccinated (two weeks past the final shot). For those interested in participating in-person please contact us to express your interest so we can accurately plan meals. For those who would like to stay on campus for the weekend please contact us to arrange accommodations

To participate online please download the Virtual Sutra book and check out these posts for getting the most out of a virtual sesshin:  Guidelines for Virtual Events and Orientation to Virtual Sesshin.

Zoom Link:   [event has passed]

Retreat Schedule

Friday, May 28th

6:00pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin;
7:00pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin;
8:00pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:45pmKaichin
All times Pacific Time. Please arrive/tune in ten minutes before scheduled events.
Events in Bold will be streamed.

Saturday May 29th

5:00amChoka  (Sutras p.3-14); Han; Kinhin
6:00amZazen; Zazen
7:00amBreakfast Break
8:15amSamu
10:30amOutside Zazen; Kinhin
11:30amZazen;
11:55amLunch Break
2:00pmDharma Talk; Kinhin; Zazen; Zazen
4:00pmPhysical/Outside practice
5:00pmDinner Break
6:00pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin;
7:00pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:00pmZazen; Zazen
8:45pmKaichin
All times Pacific Time. Please arrive/tune in ten minutes before scheduled events.
Events in Bold will be streamed.

Sunday, May 30th

5:00amChoka  (sutras p.3-7,10,12,13); Han; Kinhin
6:00amZazen
6:30amBreakfast break
8:00amZazenkai  (sutras p.3,10,14)
9:30am“Tea” – Conversation and questions
All times Pacific Time. Please arrive/tune in ten minutes before scheduled events.
Events in Bold will be streamed.

Download the full schedule: Weekend Intensive Schedule