James

Summer 2024 Student
(Three months)

James

 

What brought you to Tassajara?

“First, I was hoping to experience a lifestyle more directly connected to a community and the natural environment. Secondly, I was seeking a space where I could do some deep spiritual exploration, and I already had much interest and curiosity about Buddhism in particular. So upon learning of Tassajara, I immediately felt as though it was exactly the kind of place I was searching for. I was also just beginning to have a deep desire for personal healing and I saw Tassajara as a wonderful opportunity to explore this.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at Tassajara?

“I have so many cherished memories from Tassajara. Hiking was one of the things I loved the most. On hikes I had so many amazing and nourishing conversations with other students that were so precious and I’ll never forget them. The wilderness that surrounds Tassajara is pristine and beautiful! I would get feelings of such wildness and magic when hiking the various trails.

I also had the best July fourth ever at Tassajara! It was such a wholesome and joyful night. I was really moved by the performances for skit night and the dance party was so freeing and amazing.

In general, though, my absolute favorite part about Tassajara is the people you get to meet and exchange with. There is something so nourishing and precious about talking with people in the environment of Tassajara. I felt deeply fulfilled and enlivened by the conversations I got to have this summer.”

What do you love about Tassajara?

“A summer at Tassajara is truly an amazing way to meet people—people you will learn so much from. It’s an extremely rich and supportive space for exploring spirituality. And it’s a very special place to connect with nature and to a sense of community and ancestral tradition—something that I had really longed for back at home where I felt a lack of this.

Lastly, if you want to be present, there is no better place to support this than Tassajara. I found the structure of life at Tassajara to be extremely liberating. All I ever had to worry about at Tassajara was the present moment. This gave me a new sense of safety which allowed me to relax and feel into each moment much more than I am often naturally able to in my life at school and home.

My summer at Tassajara has kindled something very deep within me that feels huge and real. I can’t really put a name to it exactly but I can say that I left Tassajara this summer with a sense of so much more meaning to life that has never dwindled away and has only gotten stronger ever since. At Tassajara, I experienced feelings I had never had before and this struck a deep chord within me that still rings powerfully. I’d prefer to keep these things vague for now because they are personal and I haven’t fully made sense of them yet.”


Read more about the Tassajara Summer program and apply to be a Summer Student here.
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