Rohatsu Sesshin
2025 Rohatsu Sesshin with Ted O'Toole
Sunday, November 30, 7 p.m. through Sunday December 7, 4 p.m.
Hours: Hours for full days are 5:45 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The hours on Sunday December 7 are 5:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Please register by November 25, at 5 p.m.
Rohatsu (Buddha's Enlightenment) sesshin is arguably the year's most important event for Zen Buddhists. All over the world we sit in meditation, celebrating Buddha's awakening to an intimacy with all life as our own awakening. This formal retreat includes zazen, kinhin (walking meditation), liturgy, dharma talks, meal breaks, dokusan (one-to-one meetings with the teachers), and work practice. If you are new to sesshin practice at MZMC, attendance at the Zen Forms and Etiquette class is required. You will receive an email with detailed information three days prior to the retreat.
All participants, regardless of which days they will be attending, must attend the orientation on Sunday, November 30, beginning at 7 p.m.
Following are the options for attending. (Please note that you must choose either the in-person option or the online option. Going back and forth between the two is not an option.)
1.) In Person
If you are attending in person, you may choose from the following options:
Seven-day option: November 30 - December 7
Five-day option: December 3 - December 7
Three-day option: Dec. 5 - 7
Two-day option: Dec. 6 - 7
One-day option: Dec. 6
We offer the options in this way so as to minimize coming and going within the zendo and create a quiet container for everyone. Permission from Guiding Teacher Ted O'Toole is required in order to deviate from these options.
2.) Online
Online participation is designed to be flexible. Online participants may complete the full schedule along with the in-person participants, but if they also have the option of picking and choosing which activities they participate in during the course of a day. In order for us to minimize administrative complexity, online participants must sign up in full-day increments. However, they may participate in any combination of full days that they wish (the days don't have to be consecutive).
Suggested Donation:
$70 per day for Weekdays and Saturday
5:45 a.m. - 9 p.m.
$55 for Sunday 5:45 a.m. - 4 p.m.
A Note About Donation-only Programming
Following the Buddhist tradition of dana, or giving, MZMC offers all of our programs on a donation basis. We offer a suggested donation amount to help people understand the average amount we hope to receive to continue to make these offerings. We encourage those with more capacity for giving to make a donation above the suggested amount to support those who need to give a smaller amount.
