Updates

Dogen was born in Kyoto on January 2nd (January 26th in the solar calendar). On January 26th, two ceremonies are held in many Soto Zen temples in celebration of his birth, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. In the morning ceremony, a scroll with a painting of Dogen is hung in the Lecture Hall (Hatto). A pail is placed in front of the painting containing holy hot water in which such incense as aloes, sandal wood have been boiled. In the afternoon is the ceremony of appreciation (Ho-on Koshiki). Special shomyo Buddhist music is chanted as an expression of gratitude.

The image is from a film depicting his life with historical and fictional aspects.

With Bodhi day just past and other traditions you may or may not recognize and celebrate we wanted to say: We wish you health, happiness, joy & peace this season and always.

May you and all insentient and sentients beings be filled with love.

Issan-ji will be closed Saturday December 25 for the American Christmas holiday. See you soon we hope!

Rev. Heather Shoren Iarusso first moved to Tassajara in June 2008 thinking she’d stay for six months. Her spiritual sabbatical morphed into a way of life, residing amid the peace and beauty of the monastic valley for seven years aggregate. Heather was ordained as a Zen Priest in October 2015 by Teah Strozer, who served as the guiding teacher for Brooklyn Zen Center (BZC) for many years. Heather worked at BZC for two years as the Ino (Head of Meditation Hall), program director, communications coordinator, and the interim executive director.

Heather has served in various practice roles at Tassajara including the Ino, Tenzo (Head Cook), Shika (Guest Manager), and the Shuso (Head Student) with their Senior Dharma Teacher Paul Haller. She’s completed twelve, 90-day practice periods at Tassajara and has also participated in meditation intensives with Pema Chodron, Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi, Shohaku Okumura Roshi, and Shodo Harada Roshi. Heather holds master’s degrees in communications, creative writing, and English literature.

Join us for zazen (seated meditation), with the talk to follow, we offer in-person distanced attendance for those vaccinated fully + 2 weeks; We also will continue to offer a Zoom web conferencing for video and/or audio presence for the scheduled events. 9:30 zazen (you can log into the conference starting at 9am to socialize) for 40 minutes and a Dharma talk at 10:25am, followed by Q&A as well as an opportunity to check in and see how you are doing. Please click here to be routed to our Zoom gathering.

A special acknowledgement to Rev. Hokai – Max Swanger, Marc Johnson and Frank all the way from Italy who were on Zoom and we did not capture in photos

As we navigate the ongoing pandemic, within the Issan-ji temple walls the Hartford Street Zen Center Winter Light Retreat Sesshin will begin for fully vaccinated +2 weeks or online on Friday, December 3rd, including the Rohatsu celebration/ceremony; and concludes on Sunday, December 5th, mid-day. Thursday the 2nd of December evening there will be an orientation as well.

We offer this schedule to join and are sharing the full routine schedule you’ve known in the past and some suggestions for creating your at home sacred Zendo and Buddha hall space. You can apply more retreat time, self directed, using our usual schedule, or follow our in-temple retreat schedule for 2021 and in both cases please join us online when Issan-ji resident students and priests log on. And for locals who are fully vaccinated in-person is an option.

As always, the Hartford Street Zen Center relies on both your participation, but also your generous donations. We know we aren’t providing food this year to the community, but we still humbly request your generosity for this annual event.

Suggested Virtual Attendance is $40 per day – or – an amount of your own choosing. 

Login links for virtual attendance:
* Thursday night instruction 7:30pm through 8:30pm– click here

* Friday, Saturday 6am through 7am Service/Chanting –  click here

* Friday, Saturday 10:15am through 11:50 am Chanting –  click here DHARMA TALKS at 10:30am

*Friday, Saturday 6pm through 8:30pm Refuges–  click here

* Sunday 6am through 12 noon (6am-7am service, 10:15am to 11:40am preparation and then Bodhi day ceremony, but zoom open whole entire 6am to noon time slot) – click here

Chant book pages for Service/Chanting here

Please join us for our annual retreat starting this Thursday details are here

Please join us for a way seeking mind talk offered by  Rev. Daigan Gaither.

Daigan began Buddhist practice in 1995 as a Vipassana practitioner, and began to study Zen in 2003 with Ryushin Paul Haller. He received Lay Ordination in 2006 and Priest Ordination in 2011. His work and practice include many hours devoted to community service as one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (since 1995) and a volunteer caregiver with Zen Hospice Project (since 2003). He has spoken nationwide on sex, sexuality, queer identity, and gender and has sat on a number of boards of community organizations serving marginalized communities. He has lectured at colleges as well as conferences and is featured in Sex, Sin and Zen by Brad Warner.

Join us for zazen (seated meditation), with the talk to follow, we offer in-person distanced attendance for those vaccinated fully + 2 weeks; We also will continue to offer a Zoom web conferencing for video and/or audio presence for the scheduled events. 9:30 zazen (you can log into the conference starting at 9am to socialize) for 40 minutes and a Dharma talk at 10:25am, followed by Q&A as well as an opportunity to check in and see how you are doing. Please click here to be routed to our Zoom gathering.