Date: August 2006

The Location

Two hours southeast of Carmel in the Carmel Valley, inland from California's central coast, Tassajara is an area of historic hot springs used since the time of the Esselen Native Americans. Since 1967, it has been the home of the Zenshinji or Zen Mountain Center connected with the San Francisco Zen Center and Green Gulch Farm located in Marin County. Founded by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi as a monastic community, it now functions as both a practice center for those entering the Zen community and as a place for retreats and training sessions open to the general public. Many programs are offered through the summer season including such things as Zen study, Japanese calligraphy, baking, Qigong, and yoga.

My Journey

My journey began at 5:30 am when I awoke and prepared for the drive to Tassajara.  I had tea and said goodbye to my family, reflecting as I drove away on how lovely and loving they are. I am truly blessed. I arrived without incident at the spot just before the rugged drive into the Zen Center where passengers without their own transportation often wait to catch a ride into the valley. This is the spot where the stagecoach of yesteryear would stop for travelers going to the resort to relax and benefit from the natural hot sulfur springs. As I pulled onto a dusty shoulder, I wondered if I shouldn't see if anyone needed a ride. Walking toward me came a friendly faced, tall slender woman dressed in a bright pink shirt with dark hair cropped close to the scalp. I introduced myself and found that Patrice did require a ride. Before she loaded her bags into my car she asked me a series of questions about the drive ahead of us--had I made it before? Did I know what the roads were like--dust, gravel, steep hills going down for miles switch-backs, sometimes sheer drops from one side. I told her I was game for the adventure (I suspect she had her doubts!). It turns out that Patrice had been coming to Tassajara for 13 years and and had lived there for a 6 month period--this time she was coming to stay for a month.

She filled me in on the Zen Buddhist tradition (as opposed to the Tibetan form of Buddhism) and some background on the Tassajara center begun by Suzuki Roshi in the 1960s. She enthusiastically told me how greatly she respected the teacher I would have, Jiko Linda Ruth Cutts, who was the current Abbotess of the SF Zen Center. Once there she walked with me to check in and help me transport my belongings to my cabin. We parted ways but saw each other in passing over then next week--she was my first friend and introduction to life at Tassajara.

The Amenities

It seems a bit odd to think about amenities at Tassajara because in many ways it is a very rustic place.  Regardless of that, it has much to offer. It is a small village spread out along a creek deep in a valley of the Santa Cruz mountains. When you arrive in the dusty parking lot you get a large wheelbarrow to haul your belongings down into the village and then to your room after checking in. There are several main buildings: office/store, kitchen building, dining hall, Zendo, large yurt, men's and women's bath houses with indoor and outdoor hot tubs, swimming pool (all of these are fed and heated by the mineral hot springs), a variety of cabins and dorm-style accommodations. There is a scenic creek (with several deep swimming holes) that runs through the valley and hiking trails in the surrounding mountains. There is a shrine to founder Suzuki Roshi. You walk everywhere and life is very simple.  Meals and meditation times are announced by a series of gongs. There is one phone, no cellular reception, not much electricity--no fans or a/c, oil lanterns in the cabins--in fact a person comes around at night and knocks to remind those who haven't put out their lights yet. My room was in a Tatami cabin. It was in the traditional Japanese style, with woven grass mats on the floor, shikibuton mattresses directly on the mats, several low pieces of furniture--bedside table, bureau, table, chair. Shoes are left outside the door on large stones by the steps. At one end of the room was a narrow closet and dressing area with a sink and toilet. The bath house is communal and is some distance away toward one end of the village.

The Program

The program I attended was a 5-day retreat of Zen and Restful Yoga. The teachers were Jiko Linda Cutts and Judith Hanson Lasater. The daily schedule was to include morning meditation and discussion, an active yoga period, and later in the day another period of yoga, this time with restful poses. Our group was welcome to participate in the life of the resident community as far as early morning meditation, work period, evening meditation, and any dharma talks that were given.

Since we had our own special meditation time and talk with our teacher, it was a perfect introduction to life in a Zen community. Linda  instructed us in the proper behaviors and rituals as far as entering the Zendo (temple), bowing to the shrine, sitting on our zafus (cushions), sitting zazen (meditating), understanding the gongs that signal different events, etc. Her dharma talks and question & answer periods were primarily focused on the subject of compassion and the representative goddess Quan Yin, who is the Bodhishattva of Compassion or the embodiment of loving kindness.

The yoga sessions, taught by Judith and an assistant, were slow paced and instructive--often times stressing the minute details of a particular asana (pose). Because Judith's background is physical therapy and because of her years of yoga expertise, she is very good at explaining why proper alignment or positioning is important in certain poses. In the morning when it was still cool we did our more active poses and flows. In her practice, she now specializes in restorative or restful yoga, training instructors all over the country. In the afternoon when it was unbelievably hot--over 100 degrees each day--we'd go slowly practicing maybe four poses and holding them, fully supported, for lengthy periods, ending with a savasana (corpse pose) with pranayama (deep breathing instruction) or guided meditation. Classes were self divided into beginner/intermediate and expert, so participants could work at a level where they felt comfortable and still receive individual instruction. Over the course my skills and confidence were increased, deepening my yoga practice.

The Food

Three delicious vegetarian meals were prepared daily. Visitors have the option of packing lunch to go depending on their plan for the day. We ate communally in the cool stone dining hall high above the creek next to the main courtyard. Breakfast was often several choices of hot cereals served buffet style with a variety of toppings, bowls of fresh fruit, teas and coffees; lunches were soup and salad, several fresh baked breads, hot and cold beverages, and cookies, also served buffet style; and dinners consisted of an entree and several side dishes (often with a theme) plus beverages and dessert brought to the tables. In addition, there was a time for light snacks in the afternoon. To one side of the main courtyard there was a large tea and coffee station open round the clock with coffee and an enormous selection of teas. Every meal has fresh breads. The center is known for it's bread and has a famous cookbook entitled the Tassajara Bread Book, by Edward Espy Brown, as well as the Tassajara Cookbook and the affiliated Greens Cookbook. Every meal was superb--fresh, healthy, with lots of variety.

Cost

The cost for the retreat I took was $300, but the room and board ends up costing more than the course in a semi private room--around $650. Cost savings can be had by entering into a "guest practice program" at only $55/day for shared accommodations. In this program visitors participate in the morning practices and work of the community, eating breakfast and lunch with the other students, but then having the afternoons off to themselves and eating dinner with the guests.  It's a great way to see first hand what it's like to live in a Zen community, to experience the beauty of Tassajara, and to make the visit more affordable. Day visitors are welcome between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm for a cost of $25 a person and lunch is $12 per person if desired. Some people have been known to drive in just for the lunch and an afternoon of relaxation!

Tassajara
Website: sfzc.org/tassajara
Information Line: 415-865-1895
Reservations: 415-865-1899