October 31, 2011
Rohatsu Sesshin

City Center: Dec 4-10

Green Gulch Farm: Dec 4-11

Oryoki bowls

Rohatsu is Japanese for “eighth day of the twelfth month,” and December 8 is the day Japanese Buddhists celebrate Buddha’s enlightenment.

The annual Rohatsu sesshin at City Center and at Green Gulch Farm is both a challenge and an opportunity to engage deeply in zazen as the year ends and the days shorten.

Shakyamuni Buddha made a vow that he would continue to sit in meditation until he either died or found the truth. On the morning of the seventh day after this vow, he experienced enlightenment. Rohatsu sesshin ends with Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony, the closest Saturday to December 8, a commemoration of that event.

The City Center Rohatsu will be led by Abbot Ryushin Paul Haller. Please register by Monday, Nov 28.

The Green Gulch Farm Rohatsu will be led by Senior Dharma Teacher Tenshin Reb Anderson. Registration must be received by noon on Tuesday, Nov 29.

Sesshins are traditional Soto Zen meditation retreats that include formal zendo meals, Dharma talks, sitting and walking meditation, and private interviews with senior teachers.