DECEMBER 1ST THROUGH DECEMBER 8TH
8 Days of Aspiration in honor of our aspiration to awaken. Everyone is Welcome.
I've included a short description of Rohatsu.

Schedule: Dark to dawn sitting starting on Friday, December 1st ending on December 8th. Sunday December 3rd there will not be the dark to dawn sitting in the morning but the regular morning sitting from 7:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. And an evening sitting as scheduled.

Mornings
5:00 a.m. To 5:25 Sitting
5:25 a.m. To 5:35 Walking
5:35 a.m. To 6:00 Sitting

Midday
Noon to 12:25pm Sitting
12:25 to 12:35pm Walking
12:35 to 1:00 pm Sitting

Evenings
6:00 pm to 6:25 pm Sitting
6:25 pm to 6:35 pm Walking
6:35 pm to 7:00 pm Sitting

There will be class on Wednesday night

The rohatsu sesshin is the consummation of a year’s training, a time when everyone faces the final reckoning of a year of practice. Excerpted with permission from "Morning Dewdrops of the Mind: Teachings of a Contemporary Zen Master," published by North Atlantic Books/Frog, Ltd.

Every year when December approaches, monks everywhere tremble in anticipation of the arrival of the rohatsu sesshin [intensive meditation retreat]. In Zen dojos [practice halls] everywhere, people intensify their training energy in preparation for this sesshin held from the first to the eighth of December. The rohatsu sesshin is the consummation of a year’s training, a time when everyone faces the final reckoning of a year of practice.The Buddha was enlightened on the eighth of December when he looked up at the morning star, the planet we call Venus. The brightness of this planet was seen by Buddha from the depths of one week of samadhi [deep awareness]. The Buddha received that brightness with the same eyes of zazen [sitting meditation] that enable us to realize perfect enlightenment.One week straight of this deepest possible samadhi was burst through by the brilliance of that morning star. A whole week’s experience of that world burst the brightness of the morning star, plunging into the Buddha's eyes and giving rebirth to the Buddha’s consciousness.He cried:That’s it! That’s it! That’s it. That’s me! That’s me that’s shining so brilliantly!How deeply he was moved and what wonder he felt. From this comes all of the Buddha’s dharma. From within this state of mind the Buddha said:How wondrous, how wondrous! All beings are endowed with this pure nature! What a wondrous, astonishing thing has been realized! All the ten thousand things, all the flowers, all the trees, all the rocks, all things everywhere are shining brilliantly! What an amazing thing! It’s the same landscape, but how brilliantly it is illuminated! What freshness is everything!From within this deep illumination of the mind of the Buddha, all the Buddha’s wisdom was born. All of Zen is held within the deep impression of the Buddha’s mind at that moment.People vow to experience this very same experience of the Buddha as they approach the rohatsu sesshin. In every single Zen dojo, people put their lives on the line to be able to experience the exact same state of mind, on the eighth of December, as that of the Buddha. This is the firm vow with which they come to the rohatsu sesshin.

May 15th through June 15th

Morning Schedule

Monday & Friday & Saturday
5:30 Sitting
5:55 Walking
6:00 Sitting
6:25 Chanting
6:30 Bow Out
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
5:30 Sitting
5:55 Chanting
Sunday 7:00 - 10:00 am

Evening Schedule

Monday

6:00 Sitting
6:25 Walking
6:30 Sitting
6:55 Chanting
7:00 Bow Out

Tuesday
6:30 Sitting
6:55 Chanting
7:00 Bow Out

Wednesday Class at 6:30

April 10th -16th

Monday 4pm 1 period of sitting, chants, bows
Tuesday 7:30 am 1 period of sitting, chants, bows
Wednesday 7:30 am 1 period of sitting, chants, bows
Thursday 7:30 am 1 period of sitting, chants, bows
Friday No Open sitting
Saturday 6 am 1 period of sitting, chants, bows
Sunday regular schedule 7 am to 10 am
Thank you

March 25th-26th

Sitting resumes
Friday 5:30 am 1 period of zazen; chant & bows
Saturday 6:00am 1 period of zazen, chant & bows
SUNDAY regular schedule 7am - 10am

Out of Zendo until MArch 22nd. Check back. Thanks.

Sunday February 19th through February 25th

Sunday Morning Regular Schedule 7:00 am to 10 am
Sunday DOAN Practice 10 am to 11 am
Sunday Afternoon 5:00 to 6:00 2 periods of zazen
Monday 5:30 am 2 periods of zazen, chanting , bows
Monday 6:00 p.m. 2 periods of zazen
Tuesday 5:30 am 2 periods of zazen
Wednesday NO OPENING SITTING in the morning; sitting and class at 6:30 pm
Thursday 5:30 am 2 periods of zazen
Friday 5:30 am 2 periods of zazen
Saturday 6:00 am 1 period of zazen

February 6th through February 11th

Monday 5:30 am 2 periods
Monday EVENING 6:30 p.m. 2 periods NEW!
Tuesday 5:30 a.m. 2 periods
Wednesday 5:30 a.m. 1 period
Wednesday night 6:30 pm Precepts class
Thursday and Friday 5:30 a.m. 2 periods
Saturday 6:00 a.m. 1 period