
Tassajara Director, Ashley Ng, and City Center Abiding Abbot, Dōshin Mako Voelkel.
As I watch the sunlight begin to wane and the valley’s leaves turn red, orange, yellow, and brown, I feel deep gratitude for the seasons and how each turning brings its own purpose and beauty. This morning, my mind goes to our recent vibrant and warm-hearted Tassajara 2025 Summer Practice Program and how we are already preparing for the next one in 2026.
I write with an invitation to return to Tassajara this coming summer, or perhaps to discover it for the first time, as a student. Come and settle into the ancient rhythms of monastic life: the early morning bells, the stillness of zazen, the mindful care of work, and the simple intimacy of practicing in community together.
Whether you’re a returning resident who knows well the sounds of chanting services and the tastes of mindfully prepared vegetarian meals, or someone curious to discover a kinder and more grounded way of being, you’ll find yourself held by a tradition devoted to awakening in the midst of our actual, sometimes messy, but always beautiful life.
Throughout the season (April 7 – September 22, 2026) we’ll be joined by teachers from across the Zen and wider Buddhist world, each offering their unique expression of the teachings. So far, this includes folks like my co-Abbots Jiryu Rutschman-Byler and Tenzen David Zimmerman along with Ryushin Paul Haller, Guo Gu, Jane Hirshfield, Marc Lesser, Kodo Conlin, Mei Elliot, Dawn Neal and more than a dozen visiting teachers from across the country, bringing their own sanghas.
You’ll have the opportunity to sit with seasoned practitioners, meet face to face with teachers, grow lifelong friendships, and to discover what it means to live the Dharma day by day.
And of course, Tassajara itself is a teacher. From the frogs croaking in the Tassajara Creek to the deep heat of midsummer days to the cool plunge into the spring-fed pool, life here has a way of revealing what is most essential. By entering into practice here, you’ll encounter a rare opportunity to step away from the habit energy one engages in to cope with stress (such as use of social media and doom scrolling) and into the transformative container of continuous and embodied practice.
In a world that often feels fractured and overwhelming, Tassajara offers something increasingly precious: a place to let our natural kindness unfold, to establish a steady posture of sitting, and to touch into the boundless intimacy that flows from forgetting everything you think you know. We practice together not to escape the world’s suffering, but to cultivate the wisdom and compassion needed to meet it fully.
We look forward to welcoming you to Tassajara for the 2026 Summer Practice Program. Let’s walk together in the footsteps of Suzuki Roshi and all those who have practiced here before us, continuing this lineage with sincerity and dedication, each in our own way. If this call speaks to you, answer it. If you think it may speak to someone you know, please share this invitation with them.
Give yourself or another the gift of discovering how our shared practice naturally softens and clarifies the heart.
With deep bows,
Abbot Dōshin Mako Voelkel and the community of practitioners at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
PS There is no charge for our Summer Practice Program, which includes everything mentioned in this letter as well as housing, meals, and, with longer commitments, an opportunity to earn fall/winter practice periods. Early applications help us organize housing, so please consider making your plans soon.












