Tag: sesshin

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May 2026 Samu Sesshin

Update (04.03.26):
We are still accepting applications for this sesshin. If interested, apply now, and the registrar will contact you with further details.

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Dear One Drop Sangha and Friends,

The May 2026 Samu OSesshin with Harada Roshi at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins with kokuho on the evening of Friday, May 15th and concludes the evening of Friday, May 22nd. The samu sesshin has a two-hour samu in the morning.

OSesshin: Friday, May 15th – Friday May 22nd, 2026

  • Kokuho is Friday evening, May 15th.
  • Partial attendance for two, three, or five consecutive days is permitted. Attendance must begin with the orientation and kokuho on Friday, May 15th. Priority will be given to those who can attend for the full week. If you sign up for fewer days, then during sesshin decide you want to stay longer, that will be permitted.
  • A reduced schedule with a later start in the morning or an earlier end in the evening is available for those over 70. This may also be available for those whose physical needs require an abbreviated schedule. Those following the reduced schedule will need to find accommodations outside of the monastery. Unfortunately, Enso House is no longer available for this.
  • OSesshin concludes the evening of Friday, May 22nd.
  • The link to the OSesshin application is near the bottom of this email. 
  • The application deadline is Monday, March 30th. We will send out acceptance emails around April 2nd. If you are accepted, we’ll send you a link to a page where you’ll confirm your attendance and agree to the sesshin policies. Payment information will be included in the acceptance email. Please pay your sesshin fee as soon as possible.
  • You must confirm your attendance by April 15th or you might be placed on the wait list and your place given to someone else. You will be able to change your arrival/departure dates later if necessary. 
  • The fee is $450 for the week, or $75 a day for partial attendance. Donations to support financial aid are welcome. Details about financial aid are on the application form.
  • Information about our covid protocol is below.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS OSESSHIN

  • We are not requiring a covid vaccination, but you are encouraged to get one. You are also encouraged to get a flu shot. It’s best to get vaccinations at least six weeks before the sesshin.
  • We might require masks during chanting, so please bring some N95/KN95 masks. Also, if you fly or use public transit to get to Tahoma, please wear a mask at those times.
  • Covid protocols are subject to change. If you are accepted into the sesshin, please read any updated information that may be provided on the Policies Agreement you will receive.
  • If you are accepted into the sesshin, but feel unwell before you come, please consider cancelling. We’ll refund your fee and accept you into the next sesshin if you wish.
  • If you would like to arrive a day or two before sesshin and/or stay a day or two after sesshin please give us your arrival and departure dates when you complete the Policies Agreement. Any help with set up before or clean up following OSesshin would be greatly appreciated. 
  • Sesshin begins the evening of May 15th. If you haven’t been to Tahoma before, we strongly suggest that you arrive on the 14th to orient yourself to the grounds, buildings, and practices of Tahoma. If you’ve attended sesshin at Tahoma before, please plan to arrive early in the afternoon on May 15th. Plan for possible delays due to traffic or ferry lines. On May 15th, supper is at 4 pm, orientation is at 5 pm, zendo orientation is at 7:15 pm, and kokuho is a 7:50 pm.
  • In the first half of May, there will be an online meeting for people who have not attended sesshin at Tahoma before.
  • We hope that we will be able to conduct this OSesshin, but please be aware 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. Those on the wait list will be contacted immediately as spaces become available.

Apply here: OSesshin Application
 

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

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Public Teisho During the February OSesshin

Public Teisho During February OSesshin

February 5th through 11th, 1pm

[Event has Passed]

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 public cases (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.

[Event has Passed]

Posted on

February 2026 OSesshin

Dear One Drop Sangha and Friends,

The February 2026 OSesshin with Harada Roshi at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins with kokuho on the evening of Wednesday, February 4th and concludes the evening of Wednesday, February 11th. 

OSesshin: Wednesday, February 4th – Wednesday, February 11th, 2026

  • Kokuho is Wednesday evening, February 4th.
  • Participation all seven days is required. A reduced schedule is available for those over 70. This may also be available for those whose physical needs require an abbreviated schedule. Those following the reduced schedule will need to find accommodations outside of the monastery. Unfortunately, Enso House is no longer available for this.
  • OSesshin concludes the evening of Wednesday, February 11th.
  • The link to the OSesshin application is near the bottom of this email. 
  • The application deadline is Monday, December 15th. We will send out acceptance emails on December 17th. If you are accepted, we’ll send you a link to a page where you’ll confirm your attendance and agree to the sesshin policies. Payment information will be included in the acceptance email. Please pay your sesshin fee as soon as possible.
  • You must confirm your attendance by December 23rd or you might be placed on the wait list and your place given to someone already on the list. You will be able to change your arrival/departure dates later if necessary. 
  • The fee is $450. Donations to support financial aid are welcome. Details on financial aid are in the application form.
  • Information about our covid protocol is below.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS OSESSHIN

  • Covid protocol: Please take a covid test before you come to Tahoma and wear a mask during your trip. We’ll also require masking during chanting, so please bring a supply of N95/KN95 masks.
  • We are not requiring a covid vaccination, but you are encouraged to get one. You are also encouraged to get a flu shot. It’s best to get vaccinations at least six weeks before the sesshin.

Covid protocols are subject to change. If you are accepted into the sesshin, please read any updated information that may be provided on the Policies Agreement you will receive.

  • If you would like to arrive a day or two before sesshin and/or stay a day or two after sesshin please give us your arrival and departure dates when you complete the Policies Agreement. Any help with set up before or clean up following OSesshin would be greatly appreciated. We will contact you to regarding arrangements for the extra days. 
  • We hope that we will be able to conduct this OSesshin, but please be aware 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. Those on the wait list will be contacted immediately as spaces become available.

Apply here: OSesshin Application
 Thank you,
ZenE Tami Settergren
OSesshin registrar
Tahoma Zen Monastery
tahomaapplication@gmail.com

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Bodhi Day Ceremony

Bodhi Day Ceremony / Zazenkai
Sunday, December 7th, 2025

Bodhi Day celebrates the awakening of the Buddha. It culminates the our end of the autumn training period Rohatsu retreat. The Bodhi Day ceremony 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.

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]

Sunday, December 7th Schedule

Day 8: Morning Schedule
5am; Zazen; Kinhin; Kinhin;
5:45am: Kaimei Han; Closing Sutras (p. 3, 4); Sampai;
~6:00am: Closing Remarks
6:25am Breakfast

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

Holiday Celebration
9:45am : In the Dining Hall for refreshments and conversation.

Zoom Link: [Event has Passed]

Please email us with any questions: Contact Information

Posted on

Rohatsu Retreat and Bodhi Day Ceremony

Rohatsu Retreat and Bodhi Day Ceremony
November 30th-December 7th, 2025

Update 12.05.25
We have added to the schedule an Instructional Talk on the investigative method of Interrogation (huatou, koan). This will be 10am on Saturday, Dec. 6th. These techniques, of working skillfully with words, are so often approached in an ineffective manner. We will try to clearly present the technique with this talk.

Update 12.01.25
The opening talk from this retreat, given on Sunday Nov. 30th, is now available for download. This talk discussed how we approach retreat and the necessity and level of commitment we should bring to intensive practice. It concludes with the first entry from Haukin Zenji’s Rohatsu Exhortations.
Download here: Approaching Retreat–Rohatsu 2025

The autumn training period culminates with the Rohatsu 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 November 30th-December 7th with extended practice during our regular schedule leading up to a stretch of full-time, practice and culminating with 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.

The retreat will follow 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). 

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.  

Reading
The dharma talks will be selections from the Investigation section in Tendo’s practice book Dewdrops on Stinging Nettles: A Companion for Practice. In addition there will be selections from the first two entries in Benjamin Brose’s Buddhist Masters of Modern China: The Lives and Legacies of Eight Eminent Teachers.

Residential Retreat Options
The full time intensive training will take place December 4th-7th, with residency available. Please note that one can stay overnight any of these days, so you could, for instance, be resident from Saturday through the Bodhi Day Ceremony on Sunday for more of a weekend retreat. 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.

Drop in and part time options are available as usual, please  contact us with any questions. We need to be notified in advance if you wish to stay through any meals to aid in our food preparation.

Rohatsu Daily Schedule

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

Day 2: Monday, December 1st 
6pm: Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7pm: Rohatsu Exhortations reading; Zazen; Kinhin
8pm: Zazen

Days 3 & 4: Tuesday December 2nd and Wednesday December 3rd 
5am: Choka; Zazen; Kinhin
6am: Zazen
6pm: Uninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7pm: Rohatsu Exhortations reading; Zazen; Kinhin
8pm: Zazen

Days 5-7  Thursday, December 4th – Saturday, December 6th
5am: Choka; Zazen; Kinhin
6am: Zazen
10am: Instructional Talk [Day 7] / Zazen [Day 5, 6
11am: Zazen
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 7th
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
• 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

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.

Posted on

Public Teisho During September OSesshin

Public Teisho During September OSesshin

September 9th through 15th, 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 public cases (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.

Posted on

September 2025 OSesshin Registration—Now Closed

Dear One Drop Sangha and Friends,

The September 2025 OSesshin with Harada Roshi at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins with kokuho on the evening of Monday, September 8th and concludes the evening of Monday, September 15th. 

OSesshin: Monday, September 8th – Monday, September 15th, 2025

  • Kokuho is Monday evening, September 8th.
  • Participation all seven days is required. A reduced schedule is available for those over 70. This may also be available for those whose physical needs require an abbreviated schedule.
  • OSesshin concludes the evening of Monday, September 15th.
  • The link to the OSesshin application is near the bottom of this email. 
  • The fee is $450. Donations to support financial aid are welcomed.
  • Information about our covid protocol is below.

We will start sending out acceptance emails on July 16th. If you are accepted, we’ll send you a link to a page where you’ll confirm your attendance and agree to the sesshin policies. Payment information will be included in the acceptance email. Please pay your sesshin fee as soon as possible.
 

The application deadline is Monday, August 11th, 2025. Note that if you wait too long to apply, the sesshin might be full and you will be put on the wait list. 


IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS OSESSHIN

  • Covid protocol: Please take a covid test before you come to Tahoma and wear a mask during your trip. We’ll also require masking during chanting, so please bring a supply of N95/KN95 masks.
  • We are not requiring a covid vaccination, but you are encouraged to get one. It’s best to get it about six weeks before the sesshin, which is about when we’ll send the acceptance emails.

Covid protocols are subject to change. If you are accepted into the sesshin, please read the most current information provided on the Policies Agreement that you will receive.

  • If you would like to arrive a day or two before sesshin and/or stay a day or two after sesshin please give us your arrival and departure dates when you complete the Policies Agreement. Any help with set up before or clean up following OSesshin would be greatly appreciated. We will contact you to regarding arrangements for the extra days. 
  • We hope that we will be able to conduct our September 2025 OSesshin but please 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: Registration Now Closed
 

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

Posted on

Public Teisho During May OSesshin

Public Teisho During May OSesshin

May 16th through 22nd, 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.

Posted on

May 2025 OSesshin

Dear One Drop Sangha and Friends,

The May 2025 OSesshin with Harada Roshi at Tahoma Zen Monastery begins with kokuho on the evening of Thursday, May 15th and concludes the evening of Thursday, May 22nd. 

OSesshin: Thursday, May 15th – Thursday, May 22nd, 2025

  • Kokuho is Thursday evening, May 15th.
  • This sesshin will be a samu sesshin with an extended samu period in the morning and one 25-minute period of zazen before lunch. There may be additional periods of zazen in the afternoon after teisho.
  • OSesshin concludes the evening of Thursday, May 22nd.
  • The link to the OSesshin application is near the bottom of this email. 
  • The fee is $450. Donations to support financial aid are welcomed.
  • Information about our covid protocol is below.

The application deadline for OSesshin is Monday, April 7th, 2025. You will receive an email regarding your acceptance or wait list status soon after the deadline. If you are accepted, we’ll send you a link to a page where you’ll confirm your attendance and agree to the sesshin regulations. Payment information will be included in the acceptance email. Please send your sesshin fee as soon as possible.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS OSESSHIN

  • Covid protocol: Please take a covid test before you come to Tahoma and wear a mask during your trip. We’ll also require masking during chanting, so please bring a supply of N95/KN95 masks.
  • We are not requiring a covid vaccination, but you are encouraged to get one. It’s best to get it about six weeks before the sesshin, which is about when we’ll send the acceptance emails.

Covid protocols are subject to change. If you are accepted into the sesshin, please read the most current information provided on the Policies Agreement that you will receive.

  • If you would like to arrive a day or two before sesshin and/or stay a day or two after sesshin please give us your arrival and departure dates when you complete the Policies Agreement. Any help with set up before or clean up following OSesshin would be greatly appreciated. We will contact you to regarding arrangements for the extra days. 
  • If you haven’t been to Tahoma before, we expect you to come on May 14th to make sure you have time to get oriented to the monastery and to ensure that you attend the orientation on the 15th. People new to Tahoma who plan to arrive the day of kokuho sometimes miss the orientation because of traffic or ferry delays. 
  • We hope that we will be able to conduct our May 2025 OSesshin but please 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: [Event has passed]

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