Upcoming Events
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Sunday Schedule
Every Sunday (please call to check during holidays and bad weather)
Come and join us for our regular Sunday schedule. Coffee and tea are available from 8:30am onwards, and we start at 9:30am with a service, followed by zazen until 11:00am. A short break is followed by a dharma talk by Tenshin Roshi or one of his senior students, and then we share a delicious vegetarian lunch.
For first-timers, we run a Zen Meditation Instruction class which also starts at 9:30am. This is a great time to come along for your first time and learn the basics of zen practice and how you can do it. The class joins the regular schedule at 11:20am for the dharma talk and then lunch. There is a recommended donation of $15.00 for those who wish to take the class.
We have a number of instructional videos that you may find helpful either before or after visiting Yokoji for the first time. If you would like to know more about how we do things here, please refer to our videos on meditation, or zazen, and the basic forms we use.
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January
Jukai Workshop
Saturday January 9th, 9:30am - 11:00am
The class will be held via Zoom over three consecutive Saturdays in 2021: Jan 9, Jan 16 and Jan 23.
Jukai literally means receiving the precepts. Commonly referred to as lay ordination, the ceremony of Jukai is a public commitment to yourself and the community to maintain and practice the sixteen Bodhisattva precepts. These vows form the core of our practice and taking Jukai marks the beginning of making the path of wisdom and compassion your own.
In this series of classes led by Tenshin Fletcher Roshi, Abbot of Yokoji Zen Mountain Center, we’ll look at the practices that are part of the ceremony, of bowing and placing the hands together in gassho, sewing and wearing the rakusu, and chanting The Verse of the Kesa. Also, we’ll explore what it means to receive the precepts. We’ll look at what atonement means as part of the ceremony, and finally, we’ll examine the Zen lineage that you will become a part of.
This class is suggested for those curious about Jukai and is recommended for anyone considering taking Jukai. Yokoji members who have been practicing at Yokoji for at least one year may petition Tenshin Roshi to receive the precepts.
$50 for Members
$80 for Non-MembersAdditional donations appreciated for those that can afford to support the center at this time. Registration required.
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March
Sesshin
Sunday March 7th, 3:30pm - Sunday March 14th, 12:30pm
Sesshin can be translated as “to unify the mind.” Sesshin is at the heart of Zen Practice—a chance to give full attention to one’s life without distraction. Participants live at the Center for the duration, following a simple yet challenging schedule of zazen, chanting services, formal meals, work practice and rest periods. Dharma talks are given daily and Tenshin Roshi, if present, offers face-to face interview (dokusan) to all students. There are sometimes visiting teachers who will also give dharma talks and interviews. Please visit the sesshin page for more information about sesshin.
If you would like to participate in a 7-day sesshin for the first time, we recommend that you attend a Day of Zen Practice class or a weekend sesshin first. If you cannot attend either of these first, you must at least be present for the first evening of sesshin to receive instruction.
For those with prior sesshin experience, part-time participation is acceptable if you cannot make the whole event.
Members: $400.00
Non-members: $550.00Registration required. Part-time rates are listed on the sesshin page. Please look over the schedule for sesshin before signing up.