Tassajara

Tassajara Zen Mountain Center

 

Applications are now open to become a Summer 2025 student here!

Tassajara is nestled in a mountain valley located in a remote part of California’s Ventana Wilderness, inland from the Big Sur coast. Anchored by its natural hot springs, the Tassajara valley is home to one of three Soto Zen practice communities that comprise San Francisco Zen Center. Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, also referred to as Zenshinji (Zen Heart-Mind Temple), was founded in 1967 by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, and is dedicated to San Francisco Zen Center’s mission, which is “to embody, express, and make accessible the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha.” Decades of Zen Buddhist practice have made the Tassajara valley a sacred land not only for the Esselen tribe, its original occupants, but also for Buddhists of all lineages. A heartfelt testimonial by the Esselen Tribal Chairman Tom Little Bear Nason illustrates the wonderful shared stewardship of this land between Zen Center and the descendants of the Esselen tribe.

All seasons at Tassajara present opportunities to partake in the transformative energy of the valley. Tassajara remains completely closed to the general public from September to April, when it is a cloistered and mostly silent Soto Zen training monastery, populated only by monks. During this time, Tassajara hosts fall and winter practice periods open only to practitioners whose application has been accepted (see tout below for description and application process). During the summer season (from the end of April to the beginning of September) Tassajara opens to the general public by reservation only. Guests are welcome to share the relaxed, informal, monastic environment of Tassajara summers, and may come for various group retreats anchored in the Dharma and led by experienced retreat leaders. Reservations and a calendar of events for the summer season become available online by mid-February.

The summer season is bookended by two “work periods” (September and April) during which experienced professionals of various trades volunteer to take care of skilled maintenance and improvement projects in the valley. If interested in volunteering for one of the work periods, please contact the monastery’s director at zmcdirector@sfzc.org.

 

Tassajara will remain completely closed to the general public from September 2024 to April 2025

During this time it is a cloistered and mostly silent Soto Zen training monastery, populated only by monks. Tassajara hosts fall and winter practice periods open only to practitioners whose application has been accepted (see tout below for description and application process).