Tassajara Zen Mountain Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Zendo at Tassajara
Religion
Affiliation	Soto Zen
Location
Location	39171 Tassajara Road Carmel Valley, CA 93924
Country	United States
Architecture
Founder	Shunryu Suzuki
Completed	1967
Website
http://sfzc.org/tassajara/

The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center is the oldest Japanese Zen Buddhist center in the United States. It is a special place where people learn and practice Zen Buddhism. Tassajara is located deep inside a big forest called the Los Padres National Forest, near Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

Getting to Tassajara is an adventure! You can only reach it by a long, narrow, dirt road over a tall mountain. In winter, snow or heavy rain can sometimes make the road impassable. People who want to learn about Zen live and study there. During the summer months, from late May to early September, visitors can also come to stay or visit for the day. Tassajara is also known for its natural hot springs, which have been turned into relaxing Japanese-style baths. There's even a steam bath built right over a hot spring in Tassajara Creek. This center was the very first Zen monastery (a place where monks live and study) to be started outside of Asia.

History of Tassajara

The name "Tassajara" comes from an old word. It's a changed version of Tasajera, a Spanish-American word. This word came from an even older word in the Esselen language, which was spoken by Native Americans in the area. It means "place where meat is hung to dry."

In 1967, the San Francisco Zen Center bought the 126-acre property where the Tassajara Hot Springs are located. They bought it from Robert and Anna Beck. The center was improved and renamed The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, also called Zenshinji (which means "Zen Mind Temple"). This happened when Shunryu Suzuki was its first abbot (the head of the monastery). When it was bought in 1967, it became the first Zen monastery outside of Asia.

Because Tassajara is in a remote area of the California Coastal Range, it is often in danger from wildfires. In 2008, a big fire called the Basin Complex Fire reached the monastery. Some monks stayed behind and bravely protected the buildings from the flames. After this, the San Francisco Zen Center created a special group of trained firefighters. These people, sometimes called "fire monks," help defend Tassajara and the other two monasteries belonging to the San Francisco Zen Center. An outdoor sprinkler system, called "dharma rain," was also put on the buildings to help protect them. Tassajara was also threatened by the 2016 Soberanes Fire and the 2021 Willow Fire, but thankfully, it was not damaged.

Life at Tassajara

Practice Periods

During the fall (September to December) and spring (January to April), Tassajara has "practice periods." These are times of intense study and practice for the monks and students. During these months, Tassajara is closed to the public. The daily schedule is very strict and busy. Activities mainly include zazen (which is a type of seated meditation), studying, and working.

Guest Season

Lunch buffet at the Center

After the practice periods, Tassajara opens its doors to the public. This "guest season" runs from mid-April through early September. During this time, the daily schedule is more relaxed. The guest season is very important for Tassajara because it helps support the center financially.

Tassajara is famous for its delicious vegetarian food. The center has a big kitchen operation. People from Tassajara also started the Tassajara Bakery in San Francisco and Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. A book called Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown was published in 1970. Many people say this book helped make homemade bread very popular in the United States. He also wrote the Tassajara Recipe Book, which is well-known for its vegetarian recipes.

Gallery

See also

• American Zen Teachers Association
• Soto Zen Buddhist Association
• Retreat (spiritual)
• Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States
• Glossary of Japanese Buddhism