Rohatsu 7-Day Sesshin

December 8-14, 2025

Shakyamuni Buddha said, “Living beings all are buddha nature.”

Buddha nature is not a secret or a puzzle to solve. It is already all living beings, nothing to be attained. But do we realize it? Does our life directly indicate it?

To realize Buddha nature we need great doubt, great faith and great determination. The mind of great doubt, great faith and great determination, the Beginner’s Mind that realizes Buddha nature, is not-knowing.

Enter Rohatsu through the great not-knowing. Here nothing is hidden. Nothing extra is added. We directly experience not hidden in every aspect of sesshin – seated meditation, walking meditation, silence, chanting, oryoki meals, bowing, washing our hands, cleaning the floor, the wind, the zendo walls, the dharma teachings. We directly realize nothing is added by setting aside everything to enter the sesshin container and practice zazen.

To receive the full benefits of Rohatsu is recommended that you attend the entire sesshin. If full attendance is not possible you may attend a minimum of two consecutive days. Medical exceptions will be considered for attending partial days.

Kigetsu Ramana will lead Rohatsu. She and Tendo Stacy will both offer dokusan (going alone to the teacher), which is an essential ingredient of sesshin.

Register and pay by Wednesday, November 19.

$350 general, or $280 for pledging sangha members. A partial work-exchange scholarship may be available to pledging sangha members.

Settling, white dew

does not discriminate,

each drop its home.    - Sōin

Health Protocols

If you have the flu or flu-like symptoms in the 10 days before sesshin please alert the leader of sesshin. COVID testing may be required of participants depending on conditions in December. 

Registration

Cost for Rohatsu is $350, or $280 for pledging members of the sangha. For those not attending the full sesshin this is $50/day, or $40/day for pledging sangha members. A partial work-exchange scholarship may be available for pledging sangha.

It is our tradition to express gratitude to the teacher through a dana offering. For this purpose a bowl will be out during Rohatsu for donations.

Once you register you will receive more information about sesshin: what to bring, what to leave behind, and guidelines to support you in receiving the full benefits of sesshin

Application and payment are due by Wednesday, Nov. 19

Payments by:

1) Check to AZC, delivered with your application to Ashland Zen Center, 740 Tolman Creek Road, Ashland OR 97520 (preferred)

2) PayPal (below)

Registration Form

Print out and return the form below.

NOTE: If you pay using the button below the prices listed are for all seven days of sesshin with an additional charge included to cover some of the PayPal fees.

In the payment choices you may click 'other amount' to pay per day for fewer than seven days of sesshin. The price for each day with an additional charge included to cover some of the PayPal fees is:

$52/day for regular registration

$41/day for pledging members.