Deep gratitude to everyone who has stepped forward with open hearts to support our Zendo Fire Recovery Fund. For more information about in-kind donations and other ways to help Tassajara, please see our Offers of Support form.

Update 06/08/26:

While the news around the Tassajara zendo fire continues to unfold, the practice at Tassajara and SFZC remains strong and adaptive. In this video, the community, led by Abbot Mako, opens the Tassajara gates to the Summer Season, welcoming in guests and summer students. With the zendo newly relocated to the high-ceilinged retreat hall, residents and visitors experience enhanced acoustics as heard in this video snippet of morning service. While speaking with the press, President Michael McCord expresses our values of compassion and steadfastness as he and our Abbatial leadership guide the community through these upsetting times.

Gate Opening Ceremony

Every summer, the student community opens the Tassajara gates to formally mark the beginning of guest season with a ceremony of bows, offerings, chanting, and statements from the Abbot, Director, and Shika (Guest Manager.)

Morning Service

The Tassajara sangha has settled into a new temporary zendo located in the Retreat Hall. Every day, the retreat hall is transformed into the zendo and back again into the retreat hall and then back again into the zendo. While this requires some coordination, the space still beautifully accommodates zazen and ceremonies, as this video excerpt of morning service demonstrates.

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Update 06/03/2026:

SFZC’s President Michael McCord comments on the recent arrest of a woman allegedly responsible for the zendo fire in March.

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Update 06/02/2026:

San Francisco Zen Center learned on Friday, May 29, that the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has arrested and filed charges against an individual suspected of involvement with the March 26 zendo fire. This person is not a resident of Tassajara or a member of the sangha.

The Sheriff’s Office has just released a statement on their website regarding this arrest.

Since this is an ongoing investigation that is entirely in the hands of the Sheriff’s Office, we have very little information at this point on what exactly happened or why. Nor will we be able to offer any comments as this is an active, legal situation.

Message from Abbot David: “While this is difficult news, we are sustained by our vow to uphold the Bodhisattva Way and meet the causes and conditions surrounding the zendo fire with wisdom and compassion as they become known. May the individual allegedly responsible receive the care and support they need while also being held accountable for their actions. May all beings be safe, at peace, and free of suffering.”

We will continue to offer updates as they become available.

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Update: 04/27/2026:

Dear SFZC Community,

We are writing to share an update on Tassajara following the loss of the zendo.

First and most importantly, we want to affirm our ongoing commitment to Tassajara. The loss of the zendo does not change its central place in our training mandala or our practice of mindful hospitality. We intend to launch the summer guest season shortly, to hold practice periods in the fall and winter, and to continue monastic life in the valley as we find our way forward. The forms may shift in response to conditions, but the heart of practice at Tassajara remains.

Work on burn site remediation is expected to begin this week, and we are preparing to welcome summer guests as scheduled on May 13. The burn site has been professionally inspected; because the fire burned so fast and so hot, the exact cause cannot be determined, though it likely started in the attic and may be electrical.

The path ahead is substantial. Rebuilding to current code in a remote mountain environment is complex and expensive, and we expect costs to exceed our insurance recovery. We are working with legal counsel, Monterey County, and our Development team to address various code compliance concerns and determine next steps. This is not a project that can be started, let alone completed, quickly. We will share more as these conversations progress.

We are deeply grateful for the care and support that so many of you have already extended. The stewardship of Tassajara, like our practice and the Dharma, belongs to the sangha. We will keep you informed as this process unfolds.

With gratitude,

Rev. Tenzen David Zimmerman, Central Abbot
Rev. Michael McCord, President
Rev. Dan Zigmond, Board Chair
San Francisco Zen Center

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Update: 04/14/2026:

There is a small team of people in the valley this week to address infrastructure priorities in advance of the upcoming work period. They have successfully restored the electrical grid and completed several additional projects to stabilize and prepare the fire site. The work is proceeding well and on schedule.

Kogetsu Mok, SFZC’s CFO, has remained in the valley throughout this recovery period, serving as our primary on-site point of contact. She has been coordinating directly with the insurance company, fire inspectors, and environmental testing teams, and is the principal advisor on safety conditions governing the return timeline.

Environmental testing results have been arriving in stages throughout last week. The final report has been received: no significant hazardous materials were identified beyond what would be typical of a standard structure fire. An important finding from the environmental report is that remediation work can proceed concurrently with people in the valley without posing a meaningful health risk. We should have a remediation contractor lined up shortly.

Our revised opening dates are as follows: Students will begin returning on April 19, work period will start on April 21, and guest season will open on May 13.

The decision to cancel the first two weeks of guest season was very difficult and not made lightly. We know how important it is for people to come to Tassajara and how much folks have been looking forward to spending time here this spring. We have done our best to reschedule reservations and very much appreciate how even in the middle of their disappointment, people have been very understanding and kind.

The fundraising campaign started to offset the costs of the fire and the loss of the zendo continues to be a source of connection and encouragement to all. Knowing how important this simple building was to people from all over the world is deeply moving. We continue to bow to our sangha for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

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Update: 04/07/2026:

Thank you for your questions and concerns about Tassajara in the aftermath of the zendo fire.

A small number of people are currently in the valley caring for Tassajara as we move through the slow process of assessments and testing. Until this process is complete, we are not able to make any final decisions about the work period or the summer guest and student programs. We also do not yet have any information about how the fire started.

Electricity and internet service are functioning at a minimal level, and numerous safety and insurance inspections are underway. In some cases, we will need to wait a week or more for results.

It is our hope and intention to reopen as soon as it is safe and we are able to staff Tassajara for the summer. In the meantime, the opening of the summer guest season has been postponed until May 13. All retreats and Sangha Weeks scheduled before that date have been canceled.

The Summer Student Program has also been delayed until we have more clarity about when Work Period will begin. If you are interested in applying as a student, please continue to submit your application, with arrival dates likely in late April at the earliest. The ZMC Director will remain in close contact with applicants and those scheduled to come to Tassajara this summer.

Correction: The original post below has been updated to clarify that the zendo instruments saved from the fire are not the original instruments gifted by the Shumucho Soto Zen Headquarters in Japan. Those instruments were unfortunately lost in the 1978 zendo fire.

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Update: 04/01/2026:

Yesterday, the fire site was professionally inspected and we learned that the fire contained dangerous materials that may be present in the soil, on the rubble, and in the air. Additional environmental testing and assessment was recommended and immediately scheduled for this week. Following this, the area will need to be cleared by professionals.

Even if the environmental testing comes back better than we thought, the clean up process must be completed by people with professional experience and equipment. Therefore, we have had to make the difficult decision to move as many people out of Tassajara as possible.

This means that current residents/students will be temporarily relocated to GGF or CC and any incoming summer students will either do the same or pause their arrival until Tassajara is cleared for full occupancy.

Work period has been paused to start later in April and run through early May. In the meantime, a significantly downsized crew will come in to work on necessary projects and help to restore electricity to the valley.

The opening of guest season will be delayed slightly (people with reservations will be contacted about this) but we hope to have our full summer season up and running in early May.

Our number one priority is to be sure that people are safe and well cared for and every decision is being made with that in mind. Any people remaining at Tassajara during this time will have all the necessary equipment needed to assure their health and safety

While this is our current plan, please understand that things may shift depending on circumstances. We will do our best to keep the sangha and our wider community informed in a timely manner.

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Update 03/31/2026:

The most important next step is for the inspectors to arrive to determine the cause of the fire (still unknown) and how safe the ruins are for clearing. Once we have that information, we can assess what’s possible for Work Period and the Summer Guest Season/Summer Practice Program. The inspectors are scheduled to arrive today.

The sangha continues to maintain the morning and evening zazen and service schedule in the large room of the retreat hall. Over the first couple of days after the fire, the residents gathered for a sharing circle and later a fire debriefing to offer their experiences and feedback from the heart. They are being supported by SFZC leadership through sessions with trauma therapists, some of whom work with firefighters. Tassajara leadership has also created a “buddy system” where two practitioners check in with each other. If residents feel overextended or unwell, they can take whatever time off that they need.

During the final few days of the practice period, the sangha will participate in the traditional Dharma inquiry ceremony for the head monk, the closing of the practice period, and the departing monk ceremonies.

We will update this post as more information becomes available.

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On Thursday, March 26, during the last sesshin of the winter 2026 practice period, a fire destroyed our beloved zendo at Tassajara. Fortunately, no one was injured, even as the blaze raged for several hours. Although the cause is still unknown, the result is known: charred wood, scorched metal, grey ash, and open space are all that remain of the structure, which had stood since 1978.

Once residents noticed the fire around 11:50 pm, they notified Abbot David Zimmerman, who is leading the ango. Fortunately, Abbot David was one of the five fire monks who saved the monastery in 2008 from the Basin Complex Fire.

“As someone who’s had experience with fire at Tassajara before, it’s been beneficial to have me here to support the sangha with both meeting the fire and handling the post-fire impacts and realities,” he said.

Many of the 32 residents battled the blaze with an old-fashioned fire brigade, using buckets to carry water from the creek and numerous irrigation spigots to quell the flames. The fire was mostly contained when volunteer firefighters from the nearby hamlet of Cachagua arrived at 12:30 am. They stayed on site until 6:30 am and no evacuations were necessary. Steve Scarlett, a local friend of ZMC and retired firefighter, was also on hand to help with the efforts

In a Facebook post on Friday morning, the Cachagua Fire Department wrote: “The staff at the Tassajara Mountain Zen Center should be incredibly proud; their initial fire attack efforts helped keep the fire contained, buying critical time for responding apparatus to arrive and preventing further damage. Thanks to their quick actions, only one structure was lost.”

Abbot David said the Fire Department recommended monitoring the ruins for 24 hours to ensure no hidden embers reignite. However, the residents kept an hourly vigil for two days over the charred wood, scorched metal, and gray ash. There were no flare-ups.

Most of the buildings at Tassajara have been without electricity since the fire; fortunately, there’s still power in the Stone Office and the kitchen, so there is refrigeration and residents are able to cook meals. However, internet access is limited, and the bathhouse has hot water only for a few hours a day.

In addition to the zendo, the fire also razed the public bathrooms and the first aid shed at the bottom of the east stairs that run parallel to Carbaga Creek. The outer wall of the library facing the back of the zendo was scorched, but the library interior was unscathed.

Fortunately, a number of precious ceremonial instruments also went unscathed: the mokugyo and the wide, heavy brass bell had already been moved into the library. (Traditionally, during sesshin, only the small bell is used during liturgical services and oryoki meals to minimize sensory distractions.) The taiko drum and the densho on the wooden walkway were also saved from the flames, as was the central wooden altar.

However, the altar’s centerpiece—the 2,000-year-old stone Buddha statue—cracked and crumbled against the outer library wall, where it had been placed for safekeeping. Miraculously, the head is still intact. This is the second time this museum-quality Gandharan (500-700 C.E.) Buddha has been damaged in a fire. During the 1978 zendo fire, it broke into pieces and was painstakingly and beautifully restored by the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. See pages 30-31 of the Summer 1983 Wind Bell for full restoration details.

During the 2008 Basin Complex fire, the late Myogen Steve Stucky, SFZC Abbot from 2007 until his death in 2013, buried the statue in the bocce court, where it safely rested for a week while the fire monks battled the encroaching wildfire.

This is also the second time that a Tassajara zendo has burned. In April 1978, the original zendo that was located in the current student eating area burned down. According to the Winter 1978-79 Wind Bell, the new zendo was erected in the Upper Garden during work period. It was supposed to be “temporary,” and while it became more permanent than initially intended, its recent destruction reminds us that everything is transient.

“Tassajara practice continues uninterrupted,” Abbot David said. “The sangha is resilient. Canyon wrens sing on the kaisando roof in the morning, and frogs chant along Cabarga Creek at night. Gratitude to the Buddhas and Ancestors, the mountains and waters, for this liberative Way of life.”

Zendo Fire Donations: giving.sfzc.org/zendo-fire

Image is of the Tassajara zendo han when it was first hung. Calligraphy by then Abbot Myogen Steve Stücky. Photo by Renshin Bunce.

Photos by Janet Delaney; Drawing by Studio Bondy

By Rev. Shōren Heather Iarusso

The first time Bill Bondy, founding principal of Studio Bondy, came to Beginner’s Mind Temple it was not to sit in the zendo, stare at a wall, and study himself. What drew him inside the doors of Julia Morgan’s historic building was studying words and phrases with a Zen master of a different type.

“I became involved with Zen Center in the early ’80s when I first moved to San Francisco,” Bill said. “Back then I wasn’t an architect though. I went to City Center to take a class in Elizabethan poetry with (poet, Zen priest) Philip Whalen.”

Years later, Bill now sits on the SFZC Board of Directors, and his firm became involved in assessing the feasibility of redesigning and renovating Beginner’s Mind Temple to make it more accessible, upgrade its antiquated plumbing and communal restrooms, and create a Welcome Center. The renovation project began in January 2024, and City Center celebrated its grand opening on February 22, 2025.

“I will say that the dedication ceremony for City Center, for me, was really beautiful,” Laura Rambin, a principal at Studio Bondy said. “I thought Mako’s words were really compelling about the space and the specialness of it and how the community thinks of themselves within the larger community. That day for me was an important part of the project.”

For their wholehearted efforts, Studio Bondy has won a religious architecture renovation award for its thoughtful, meticulous, and inspiring redesign of San Francisco Zen Center’s urban temple. The award was given by Partners for Sacred Spaces, a Philadelphia based non-profit organization that assists faith communities with preserving their historic properties.

“This is a renovation that listened to and realized the client’s dreams,” the jury said in a statement. “The architects respected the historic character of Julia Morgan’s classical building and, without changing the building footprint, found space for accessory upgrades and an expanded program, including the new Welcome Center. Overall, there is a quiet clarity to the renovated space, especially the meditation hall, which is entirely befitting of the client’s spiritual mission.”

In addition to Bill, who oversaw the long-term vision and Welcome Center design, two other members of Studio Bondy spearheaded and shepherded the project from concept through construction: Laura Rambin led the day-to-day architectural work, including design development and documentation, and Scott Larsen, the lead architect who managed on-site execution, coordination, and problem-solving.

“Everybody has their own sacred space,” Bill said. “It could be a window in your house that faces the right direction, or it could be the zendo. Our approach is that there’s no real preconceptions before the process starts. It’s a mediation between the two parties and not something that we have invented and then added to the space like furniture. You have to have somebody that you’re making this space for. You just can’t make a sacred space like a space capsule and think it’s gonna be sacred.”

The Studio Bondy team emphasized the importance of working with highly skilled and collaborative partners during each phase of the design, demolition, and construction: Herrero Builders, the general contractor; Murphy Burr Curry, structural engineer firm; Central Abbot David Zimmerman, and City Center Director Choku Proudfoot.

”The collaboration on this project with the entire team was incredible,” said Scott Larsen. “Truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had working on construction during a project. It was really great. I can’t praise everyone enough.”

Although it might not seem like a large endeavour because it was a “compact project,” Bill said, every trade was involved, and repairs and modifications were made on each of the four floors. Scott mentioned an example of the team collaborating efficiently to draft a retrofitting plan when deteriorating structural concrete was uncovered while demolishing the restroom areas.

“This was a completely unforeseen event,” Scott said. “Our office, Herrero and their subcontractors and the structural engineer drafted a plan to retrofit and do remedial work to the slabs and columns and beams. So while we’re trying to get this project done under a schedule, Herrero and their subs came in and pulled it all together. It was amazing to watch.”

Bill noted that San Francisco Zen Center had in its possession Julia Morgan’s original drawings for this building which was completed in 1922. The team was delighted to study her beautiful design which was laid out in only 18 sheets. By contrast Studio Bondy needed approximately 100 sheets to just complete the renovations.

“So you can imagine the level of detail that we have to have to build something today,” Bill said. “And we had to fit those plans into a building that was built based on basically what was in the minds of whatever craftsperson was out there working on a particular day with some general direction. Nowadays, you can’t just write the answer on the beam like you used to with your big fat pen. You have to go through a lot of paperwork or talk to the city inspector. It’s a very labor intensive process.”

Another major addition was installing a new ramp, a chair lift, and an elevator. This upgrade was the most challenging because the shaft required precise alignment from the basement up through the third floor while maintaining the building’s structural integrity.

“The elevator is a set size,” Scott said. “You need a big enough hole all the way through. It can’t jog; it’s a straight shot. It was just remarkable that the shaft fit within the original footprint, which meant we did not have to cut any major structural beams.”

Bill was the lead imaginer for transforming the fragmented, cramped front office and bookstore into a welcoming, well-lit, and functional 1,350 Welcome Center. It now feels like one unified space that flows from the reoriented bookstore with a wall-length glass display, into the large center room and through to the lobby and Buddha Hall.

Laura, who led the day-to-day architectural work, said that in submitting the project for several awards, the project team discussed how Julia Morgan, who was also the structural engineer, incorporated many large rooms for public use: the dining room, a salon (which is now the Buddha Hall); the basement was a theatre performance space; and there was a dance hall (which is now the library).

“With the Welcome Center, we just found another space by removing a guest room, the reception area, and the little spaces of the bookstore,” she said. “We kept the infrastructure of the building, but found a heart.”

First Communal work of 2026 at Green Gulch Farm

Each spring, new farm and garden apprentices join our community and experience a unique opportunity to study themselves and the natural world through meditation practice and working directly with the land in the Green Gulch watershed.

This April marks the 32nd year Green Gulch has offered its world-renowned, Zen practice-based Organic Farm and Garden Apprenticeship Programs. These six-month programs now include creek restoration and land stewardship.

Wednesday during the growing season, after a short period of formal Zazen, the whole community changes into work clothes and hoes silently in the fields as an extension of their zazen practice.

Green Gulch’s new Tanto, Eli Brown-Stevenson, hoeing during Communal Work

Photo by Shundo David Haye

San Francisco Zen Center is pleased to announce an update to our Abbatial structure and bylaws. This change clarifies the roles of our abbots and formalizes a leadership structure that has already been functioning provisionally for years.

Since 2010, SFZC’s abbacy structure has included a Central Abbot and an Abiding Abbot at City Center and Green Gulch Farm. The Central Abbot serves primarily in an organization-wide capacity, while the Abiding Abbots focus primarily at their respective local temples. Tassajara has not previously had a designated abiding abbot and has been generally overseen by the Central Abbot, who does not reside there.

In 2023, Doshin Mako Voelkel and Jiryu Rutchman-Byler were inducted as abbots of City Center and Green Gulch Farm, respectively, while Tenzen David Zimmerman transitioned from City Center Abbot to the role of Central Abbot.

However, in recent years, Abbot Mako has spent much of the year residing at Tassajara to provide greater leadership presence there. During this period, Abbot David has served as both Central Abbot and Acting Abbot of City Center, and Abbot Jiryu has continued to serve as Abiding Abbot of Green Gulch Farm.

In consultation with the SFZC Elders Council and Senior Dharma Teachers (ie, former abbots), the abbots have proposed, and the Board and Elders have agreed, that Abbot Mako formally assume the role of Residing Abbot of Tassajara, recognizing the role she’s already been serving in practice.

At the same time, Abbot David will formally resume the role of Abiding Abbot of City Center (which he previously held from 2019 to 2023) while continuing to serve as Central Abbot. Abbot Jiryu’s role as Abiding Abbot at Green Gulch Farm will remain unchanged.

This arrangement of abbatial roles and responsibilities will continue indefinitely, or until another configuration is determined. Leslie James, who has served as Abiding Teacher at Tassajara since 2010, will step down from that role but remain Senior Teacher at Tassajara.

In April, the SFZC Board of Directors approved both this updated abbatial structure and the extensions of the current abbots’ terms per the bylaws: Abbots David and Jiryu will extend their respective terms for another three years, while Abbot Mako will extend her term up to three years.

As co-abbots, David, Mako, and Jiryu are deeply honored to hold their respective roles and responsibilities on behalf of the Buddha-Dharma and San Francisco Zen Center, and look forward to continuing their practice and service for the benefit of all beings.

Note: Currently, SFZC uses “Abbot” as the standard gender-neutral term.

Shuso Ceremony at Tassajara

Congratulations to Ellen Simpson (O-do Jo-e, Responsive Way/Settled Wisdom) whose shuso ceremony on March 31 marked the end of practice period at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. The Practice Period was led by Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman.

Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman and Ellen Simpson

Shuso Ceremony at City Center

Congratulations to Lorenzo Garbo (Hokyo Yoshin, Jewel Mirror Cultivating Intimacy) whose shuso ceremony on March 27 marked the end of practice period at City Center. The Practice Period was led by Lorenzo’s teacher, Senior Dharma Teacher Kikū Christina Lehnherr.

Kikū Christina Lehnherr and Lorenzo Garbo

From left to right: So-on Eli Brown-Stevenson, Naomi Saltis, Sozan Michael McCord, John Jursca, Connie Stoops, Ryushin Paul Haller, Tenzen David Zimmerman, Anshi Zachary Smith, Griffin, Atalaya Murphy

Congratulations to the initiates who received the precepts in a Lay Bodhisattva Initiation Ceremony at SFZC’s City Center on April 18.

Receiving the precepts from So-on Eli Brown-Stevenson: Naomi Saltis –Yushin Mukan / Unbound Heart, Seamless Way

Naomi Saltis with So-on Eli Brown-Stevenson

Receiving the precepts from Sozan Michael McCord: John Jursca – Sei Yō Kū Shō / Earnest Hawk Unbounded Soaring

John Jursca with Sozan Michael McCord

Receiving the precepts from Ryushin Paul Haller: Connie Stoops – Ko Kai Jo Kaku / Boundless Ocean Joyous Awakening

Connie Stoops with Ryushin Paul Haller

Receiving the precepts from Tenzen David Zimmerman: Griffin – Ko Shin Kai Jaku / Tiger’s Progress Ocean Tranquility

Griffin with Tenzen David Zimmerman

And receiving the precepts from Anshi Zachary Smith: Atalaya Murphy – Kaiē Hōka / Ocean Song, Letting Go

Atalaya Murphy with Anshi Zachary Smith

Barbara Kohn (r) pictured here with her teacher Blanche Hartman (l) at Houston Zen Center.

Update: There will be a memorial service for Barbara, officiated by her longtime friend Rev. Mary Mocine, on Saturday May 23 at 4pm PT. It can be accessed via Zoom by clicking on the Enter the Zendo Now link from the Clear Water Zendo page.

Seirin Barbara Kohn passed away on Saturday April 18, 2026 after a moderate length of illness. She was living near her daughter and family in Northern California after she retired from leading Austin Zen Center. She was 88 years of age.

Barbara came to live at San Francisco Zen Center in the 1980s, along with her husband Jim Jordan. While at SFZC, Barbara served in many positions, including Tassajara Shika, Tenzo, and Director; Ino at GGF; Shuso (head Monk) at Tassajara; and President. She was ordained a priest by Tenshin Reb Anderson and received Dharma Transmission from Zenkei Blanche Hartman in 1999.

In early 1998 Barbara was sent to Austin, TX by then Abbess Blanche Hartman to formally dedicate the zendo for a group of practitioners there. This group would soon become the Austin Zen Center. On October 13, 2002 she became their first Head Teacher and resident priest, serving in that role until May 2009.

Her daughter reports: She passed peacefully and without too much struggle. My family and I were by her side. Throughout the day her other children, step-children, grandchildren and a great grandchild as well as other important folks said goodbyes. I’m incredibly sad but also grateful to have had her for so long.

From Konjin Gaelyn of Houston Zen Center: “The passing of a generous, ebullient, and sincere practitioner of the Way.”

The blaze devouring the west side of the zendo. My favorite tree, the Asian maple, stands in the center. It miraculously survived!

Fire Heats, Water Wets . . .
A Sacred Space Forever Abides

By Rev Shoren Heather

(Editor’s Note: This essay, written by former Tassajara Tanto Heather Iarusso, was originally published in her substack Spark Zen. Heather currently is the Director of Branching Streams as well as a regular contributor to Sangha News Journal.)

My heart is saddened and singed as I write this. A precious Dharma presence burned to the ground two weeks ago: the meditation hall at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. The capacious building was a sacred space for thousands of people who crossed its threshold for 48 years. All that remains of its wood, though charred, its metal, though scorched, its rice-paper, though ashed, are the elements returning to their Nature.

In the monastic valley, nestled deep in the Los Padres National Forest, fire is the spectral frenemy that is ever-present: shimmering in the sunrise-orange bark of the madrone, shining in the sunset-red branches of the manzanita, and gleaming in the green spiky swords of the yucca.

Numerous fires—both wild-land and structural—have blazed through Tassajara since its gate first opened as a Soto Zen monastery in July 1967. Shunryu Suzuki and his first disciples meditated, chanted, ate oryoki meals, and listened to Dharma talks in the original zendo which had stone walls and a dirt floor. In April 1978, seven years after Suzuki Roshi’s death, a fire destroyed this meditation hall, and the residents erected a new one in the upper garden, which was supposed to be temporary. While it became more permanent than initially intended, being razed by a fire reminds us all that everything is transient.

This photo shows the April 1978 fire that burned the original zendo along with several other structures. It is from the 1978-79 WInter issue of Windbell.

When I first stepped across the zendo threshold in June 2008, I thought my stay at Tassajara would be very temporary: just a six-month sabbatical from the ennui of the work-a-day world. Back then, I never imagined that the zendo would become a place as close to my heart as my childhood home. Although I came and went many times during the past 18 years, in total I lived at Tassajara for nine of them—having just left for the “last” time on Dec. 18th, 2025. Here is what I wrote in my journal the morning of my departing monk ceremony:

The most profound, transformative, and unexpected adventure of my 58-year-old self has been residing amid the stunning, ordinary beauty of this mountain valley. Words cannot describe how much I will miss this wild neighborhood where the moons and stars are our streetlights; the sunlight our lamplight; bells and wooden gongs our clocks; the zendo our sanctuary; the mountains our cathedral; and the hot springs our watery balm.

Whether burning down or standing firm, temporary or permanent—the zendo did not mind these labels of mind. The zendo never named itself; neither did the objects it housed: chant books and oryoki kits; metal bells and wooden fish; meditation cushions and chairs; candles and oil lamps; incense sticks and flower vases; an altar and statues. Mundane or sacred, the zendo made no distinctions. And yet…

“Because earth, grass, trees, walls, tiles, and pebbles, all engage in buddha activity, those who receive the benefit of wind and water caused by them are inconceivably helped by the Buddha’s guidance, splendid and unthinkable, and awaken intimately to themselves. Those who receive these water and fire benefits spread the Buddha’s guidance based on original awakening.”

“Splendid and unthinkable” indeed. By confining myself to the space within that building for thousands of hours, I received the benefits of water and fire, morning, noon, and night; spring, summer, winter, and fall. While meditating, chanting, prostrating; smiling, crying, and surrendering, the zendo was my one continuous, impartial witness. She welcomed me whether I was late for zazen, nodded off instead of sat upright, announced the wrong chant, struck the wrong bell, or entered with the wrong foot.

She stood steadfast as I stared at her white walls while tears streaked my cheeks, anger gripped my gut, and joy thrummed my heart. Whether my mind was devising grand plans or replaying ancient hurts, whether distracted or focused, I always felt embraced and enlivened by her cave of emptiness. When bats flew in and circled and swooped over head, she kept her cool. When I lost mine as the head of the meditation hall after pranksters left yellow rubber duckies and green gummy bears on meditation cushions, she remained unfazed.

In the pre-dawn dark, my spouse Tanya took this photo in November 2025 from the small bridge over Carbaga Creek. It’s not been altered, FYI. Just the magic of the iPhone and her photographer’s eye.

What did not burn—what can never be contained by walls, floors, and roofs—is the zazen of every single person who’s ever stepped across the threshold, whether their feet were stockinged or bare, whether they entered with their left or right foot, whether they sat crossed-legged or upright in a chair. Their energy and intention, their hearts and minds, radiate endlessly through the ash, the metal, the wood.

Still intact amid the rubble is the head of the 2,000 year-old stone Buddha that was the centerpiece of the zendo altar.