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.

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.

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”

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.

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”

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

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

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

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

May Weekend Intensive

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. We will begin with extended evening Zazen on Friday, have a full day of practice on Saturday and conclude with Zazenkai on Sunday.  Take this opportunity to maintain and deepen your practice. We encourage you to try to adhere to as much of the schedule as you are committing to. For those participating online the retreat requires some extra commitment toward self-direction for much of the practice. But the rewards are just as great.  

For in-person attendance you must be able be fully vaccinated (two weeks past the final shot). As per new CDC Guidelines which Washington State is following if everyone is fully vaccinated no masking is required. Thus we will require vaccines for all attendance and no masks. The zendo is setup for people to be well spaced and there will be open windows in all public spaces for increased airflow. We will also expect regular hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer before meals. As we navigate the return of in-person events we hope that everyone will practice forbearance and understanding. We all must respond to circumstance.

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 over the weekend camping is available and a very limited amount of indoor residency options. Please contact us to arrange accommodations

Zoom Link:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85952797446?pwd=RGJNQlhvRUtMajFQWkNaYlJYVFVxZz09

We begin Friday May 28th with an evening block of zazen:
5:55pm to 8:45pm: Zazen

On Saturday May 29th will be four broadcast blocks throughout the day:
4:55am – 6:55am: Choka and zazen
10:25am to 11:55am: Zazen
1:55pm to 4pm: Dharma Talk and Zazen
5:55pm to 8:45pm: Zazen

On Sunday May 30th there will be two broadcast blocks to conclude our weekend:
4:55am – 6:30am: Choka and zazen
7:55am to 10:00am: Zazenkai: chanting, zazen, short talk, q&a

Part time and drop-in attendance for the vaccinated is allowed at all events. Only those taking part all day on Saturday can attend meals. Please see the website for details or contact us with any questions.

Dharma Talks 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.

Some suggestions and procedure for getting the most out of a virtual sesshin can be found in our Guidelines for Virtual Events and Orientation to Virtual Sesshin.

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