Summer 2025 at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center

Curious About Zen?

Join Us This Summer!

April 8 – September 22

 

 

Apply to be a Summer 2025 Student here:

Tassajara Summer Student Application


Summer practice at Tassajara offers the opportunity to live in an intentional spiritual community nestled in a mountain valley in California's Ventana Wilderness. During the summer, students engage in work practice to care for each other, the guests, and the beautiful gardens. The days begin and end with seated meditation and Zen chanting and bowing, creating a gentle introduction to Zen training and fostering a culture of connection. Stay for as little as two weeks or as long as the whole summer, and experience the richness of Zen practice in community. There is no charge to participate in the summer program.

 


 

What Does a Tassajara Summer Offer?
Work Practice
  • Work practice is an integral part of Zen practice where students bring mindful attention to daily tasks, often working in crews with other students
  • Students engage in mindful work practice to help care for the community in the kitchen, garden, shop, bookstore, and dining room
  • Please indicate on your application if you have prior kitchen experience or trade skills!
Visiting Teachers
  • Weekly talks by Zen teachers
  • Classes on Zen and Buddhism
  • Opportunity to interact with visiting guests and Zen practitioners from around the world
Mountains, Creeks, Hiking, and Amenities
  • All vegetarian meals and housing provided
  • Spring-fed swimming pool
  • Japanese-style hot springs
  • Swimming holes along the creek
  • Extensive Buddhist library
  • Yoga space
  • Vast hiking trails
  • Body work when available
Student Community
  • All students follow the same temple schedule and eat together, which fosters unity and a shared experience
  • Student-only events include classes, community meetings, small groups, skit night
  • Make new friends and experience the intimacy of spiritual community
Intro to Zen Training
  • 1:1 meetings with Zen teachers to discuss meditation and work practice
  • Optional half-day sittings
  • Daily morning and evening meditation
  • Learn Zen forms including meditation posture, daily chanting, and playing ceremonial instruments
Practice Period Credits
  • Students who stay for either three or five continuous months earn credits to participate in future practice periods (intensive Zen retreats) at City Center, Green Gulch, or Tassajara
  • Students who stay for three to five months also receive a small stipend

 

Join our Summer and Year-Long Cohort Programs

Students who join as part of a cohort can experience intimate connection and community with their peers as they move through residential life and practice together.

Summer Cohort: People who live at Tassajara continuously for 3-5 months can apply for the Work Practice Apprenticeship (WPA). They meet regularly in small groups with a teacher to study Zen practice, discuss community life, and support each other.

One-Year Cohort: Students who are accepted for the fall and winter practice periods  move through the year with their cohort, deepening their shared experience and understanding of Zen/Buddhism.  Practitioners who immerse themselves in monastic training for a year have found it truly transformative.The friendships forged amid the mountains, trees, and creeks of Tassajara often last a lifetime.


 

Tassajara Students In Their Own Words

Gerry
Summer 2024 Student 
(Three months)

"Tassajara was the gift I didn’t know I needed. This is a safe space where people can be their authentic selves."

Sarah
(One-year student)
 

"I love living so closely with the elements here—it makes us human. Practicing with the land has also supported my practice in the zendo."

Nadav
Summer 2024 Student 
(One month)

"Tassajara has opened the door for me to Buddhism. In a polarized world...meditation helps me stay centered and true to my values."

Follow us on Instagram at @tassajaratales to get a peek into student residential life.

 


 

Apply to be a Summer 2025 Student 

Students new to San Francisco Zen Center are required to submit at least one letter of recommendation from a Zen teacher or from someone who knows the student and Tassajara work practice well. SFZC welcomes international visitors in the US on B visas to participate in our offerings, workshops, and retreats. We also welcome international students to participate in our Apprenticeship Program through an M-1 visa. For more details about visas, click here.

  • Applications open: November 2024
     
  • Priority deadline: February 15, 2025
    (Applications submitted by this date are given priority in review and acceptance decisions)
     
  • Extended deadline: March 15, 2025
    (Applications submitted are reviewed and accepted as housing capacity allows.  Priority is given to longer term stays.)
     
  • We will continue to accept rolling applications throughout the summer, depending on housing capacity and need.
     
  • The summer season runs from April 8 through September 22, 2025. Note that if you want to earn two practice period credits, you would need to arrive at Tassajara by April 22, 2025 at the latest (to spend 5 months of the summer with us). If you want to earn one practice period credit, you would need to arrive by June 22, 2025 at the latest (to spend 3 months of the summer with us).
     
  • Find the Summer 2025 Student Schedule here.
     
  • Please contact zmcdirector@sfzc.org for any questions about Tassajara.
     
  • Please fill out the Tassajara Summer Student Application