The Main Gate at Tassajara, constructed by Paul Discoe and apprentices in 2013. Photo by David Silva.

We will be posting updates here about Tassajara’s response to the Timber Fire which is currently active along the Big Sur coast and Ventana Wilderness. We have found that the Watch Duty App is a good way to keep up with the fire’s progress and the various agencies engaging with the fire, including evacuation notices. Also helpful is the website The Lookout for in depth (though unofficial) analysis on fire behavior run by a 30-year wildland fire veteran.

Thank you for your care and interest in Tassajara and for the many living beings surrounding it. May all be safe and free from harm.

Timber Fire Update 09/17/2026

We are pleased to announce that the evacuation orders for Tassajara have been lifted and staff and students will start returning after nearly a month of taking shelter at City Center and Green Gulch Farm. They will begin moving back shortly, over the next week or so.

The practice period will still officially start on October 7, with a shortened and focused work period taking place beforehand for specific, targeted projects.

The eastern side of the fire nearest to Tassajara has remained quiet, showing no heat signatures. Air quality in the valley has been good for the past several weeks and should remain that way, according to Russell, our firefighting professional currently stationed there.

Thank you to all of our friends and supporters for your best wishes and concerns during this difficult moment. May all beings be safe and free from calamity.

Timber Fire Update 09/11/2026

With the current behavior of the Timber Fire and our best analysis of the scenario, SFZC and Tassajara leadership have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to move the start date of the Tassajara Fall Practice Period to October 7. This will allow us time to work through the current fire situation and then turn our attention to preparing Tassajara for hosting the practice period.

There will not be a traditional work period but there may be some specialized crews brought in for key tasks leading up to or during the Practice Period, as conditions allow.

In the meantime, we are still monitoring the fire and keeping a fire team onsite ready to address anything that may come up.

If you are interested in joining the PP with the new start date of October 7, the application has been reopened and can be found here.

Thank you to all of our friends, supporters, members, and alumni who have been supporting us as we navigate this uncertain time. Our gratitude is boundless.

Timber Fire Update 09/10/2026

The Timber Fire continues to linger about 3.75 miles away from Tassajara, with a few flare-ups here and there. A cooling trend is coming which will not put the fire out but may delay things for a few more days. Meanwhile, our fire crew in the valley remains in good spirits and ready to meet what comes next.

Timber Fire Update 09/04/2026

The Timber Fire is continuing to hold at 3.75 miles from Tassajara. It’s been stalled by cooler temperatures, high overnight humidity, and a persistent coastal marine layer.

Cal Fire’s Operations leadership recently visited Tassajara and toured the fire operations with Russell. They believe they can hold the fire to its current footprint through hitting its edge hard from the air and inserting crews via helicopter rappel. Rain in the Pacific Northwest has made more crews available for the Timber Fire as well as the Plaskett Fire.

We will keep a close eye on things, especially next Tuesday/Wednesday, when it is predicted that the fire will likely become active again, and we will continue to prepare as if it will reach Tassajara, though that now looks less likely.

Tassajara residents are temporarily posted at City Center and Green Gulch Farm and both centers have expressed how much they appreciate having them. The zendos and dining rooms are full and good spirits abound.

Timber Fire Update 09/01/2026

Due to some moisture over the area, the Timber Fire continues to remain in a holding pattern about 4 miles out from Tassajara, although that is expected to change in the next few days. We are happy to report that Russell, the wildland fire professional currently stationed at Tassajara, was able to take a short break from the valley during this quieter time.

Additionally, CAL-Fire has been through for a visit and we are still awaiting word on what they will be able to commit to Tassajara in the coming days.

We have received many offers from people wanting to come to Tassajara to help. We are so grateful that our community is coming forward in this way but it is not possible to have anyone but fully trained fire professionals at Tassajara right now. Please continue to send your love and energy to all impacted by this fire.

Recently Russell shared some interesting information on the website The Lookout detailing just how prepared Tassajara is for fire. Even if some of the details may be a bit too technical for the layperson, this list illustrates our care and commitment to do the best we can to care for this beautiful place. From Russell:

1. We have unlimited water from four different sources: a flowing creek, 60,000 gal in two storage tanks above Tassajara that feed 60psi into our permanent, underground standpipe system, 60,000 gal pool, hot springs well pump.
2. Extremely favorable topography. We are in the bottom of a green drainage with very little terrain from any direction rising towards us. Exterior sprinklers on every structure. These are hardlined in and part of the buildings’ infrastructure. We run these off of a pump permanently housed at the creek.
3. We have three backup pumps in place devoted to this system. I cannot stress enough—when we fire this system, you’ll want to put a raincoat on, anywhere in the valley. It creates such a humidity bubble that you would have to climb up the hill if you wanted to back burn.
4. A contingency hose lay stretching over the whole valley. This is a standard 1 ½ hoselay with a 1” laterals every hundred feet. This is separate from our sprinkler system and is intended for agency use. This all runs off of a single mark 3. We have 7 spare mark 3s.
5. Two helipads. One on the road for medical (light or medium ship) and one on the hill that has been approved by CalFire Blackhawks (heavy).
6. Sprinklered parking for agency vehicles.
7. Several buildings that you couldn’t burn down if you tried.
8. Flowing creek stretching the entire southern perimeter with no structures on the other side of the creek
9. A huge amount of food and housing available to Agency resources. Hot springs pools for bathing.
10. An enclosed cab UTV and an ATV.
    

Timber Fire Update 8/28/2026

Recent rain in the area is helping slow the nearby wildfire’s progress, giving our teams valuable extra time to prepare—though it won’t put the fire out on its own. Our on-site contract professional firefighting team remains fully engaged in fire preparation and readiness.

Because of the ongoing fire activity, we’ve made the decision to cancel Tassajara’s September work period. We’re now planning to bring smaller crews in during October’s practice period to take care of some key infrastructure work.

We’re grateful for the community’s steadiness and support. More updates to come.

Timber Fire Update 08/27/2026

The fire remains about 4 miles from Tassajara. It burned actively overnight but is behaving as expected, following the terrain. This afternoon, a weather system is expected to bring cooler, wetter conditions—good news overall—though it may also bring shifting winds that make fire behavior less predictable, so our team is watching closely.

Cal Fire’s leadership toured Tassajara yesterday, and we’re waiting to hear whether they’ll commit additional crews. In the meantime, our own team on the ground continues strong preparation work: we ran the sprinkler system across Dharma Rain again overnight, and the valley remains wet this morning.

We’re also bringing in additional experienced support. A professional firefighter and longtime friend of Russell’s arrives today to help with preparations and will be with us for about a week. A local firefighter familiar with Tassajara arrives tomorrow, and a wildland firefighter and EMT from Jamesburg is on-site today as well. Once our plant manager briefs the team on plant operations, she’ll head safely out of the valley, staying available by phone for anything that comes up.

Russell reports that we are very well prepared, and that the main concern right now is air quality rather than direct fire risk. The Plaskett Fire to the south, aside from contributing additional smoke, does not pose any additional threat to Tassajara.

We will continue to update the Sangha as news develops.

Timber Fire Update 08/24/2026

On Sunday, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department ordered an evacuation of Tassajara. The Timber Fire is about five miles away and growing in our direction. This is not an urgent situation, and Tassaraja is still not directly threatened, but it’s important to be sure the evacuation is done in a calm and safe way. Additionally, smoke continues to be an issue. Currently, Jamesburg is not being evacuated.

While it is very hard to leave Tassajara, the safety of our residents is our top concern. Students will find shelter at City Center and Green Gulch Farm and will join the communities there until we know more.

We have been working with a professional wildland firefighter for many years, who has lived at Tassajara and knows it very well. He will stay behind and coordinate the arrival of other trained wildland firefighters to assist him if Tassajara does become threatened. We are deeply grateful for his efforts, and for all efforts to contain the fire.

We will continue to update the Sangha as news develops.

Timber Fire Update 08/23/2026

We have made the decision to cancel the rest of the Tassajara guest season, as well as to start evacuating students.

The fire is not yet threatening the property and there is no official evacuation order, but the direction of the fire is creating an enormous amount of smoke in the valley and impacting air quality.

Our contract wildland firefighter Russell will stay in the valley along with a skeleton crew of students for the time being. Due to the small footprint, we will be able to keep people in more enclosed spaces with better air quality, air filters, and masks as we continue to monitor the fire.

We will continue to update the blog if there is further news.

Timber Fire Update 08/19/2026

We have been monitoring the Timber Fire near Tassajara since August 8th, and while at this time the fire is not directly threatening Tassajara, smoke remains a concern.

Since August 11th, we have not allowed students who were previously scheduled to arrive at Tassajara to come into the valley. Several students have already departed due to health concerns as there has been significant smoke with considerable fluctuations in air quality. Given these factors, we have canceled all retreats from August 17th through 23rd while we continue to monitor the fire.

With this reduced student footprint, we are now reviewing the final two weeks of the summer guest season to determine what, if anything, is possible for us to support even if the fire continues to not threaten Tassajara and the smoke declines. One benefit of this smaller footprint is that we’re able to have everyone eat together in the guest dining room, which is enclosed.

As of this date, the work period scheduled for September and the Fall Practice Period are still on track to proceed.

Professional wildland firefighters who are deeply familiar with Tassajara are closely tracking the fire’s progress and they remain in daily contact with SFZC leadership. Should an evacuation become necessary, clear protocols are already in place and every student currently on site has been trained in that procedure. Any student concerned about their health or safety due to smoke can choose to leave at any time. And because we’ve had no guests these past few days, students have been able to stay indoors and keep their smoke exposure to a minimum.

Thank you to our friends, members, and supporters for your kind words and for holding Tassajara and all who have been affected by the fire in your hearts. Please reach out to our Reservations Office at (415) 865-1899 with any questions.

Timber Fire Update 08/14/2026

Due to the presence of smoke, air quality, and the proximity of the Timber Fire, SFZC and Tassajara have made the difficult decision not to remain open next week. All guests who have reservations and all students who have been scheduled to come to Tassajara next week have been informed. Guests can contact the Reservations Office at (415) 865-1899 and students should email the Tassajara Director at zmcdirector@sfzc.org if there are any questions.

There are no current evacuation warnings or orders for Tassajara, Tassajara Road, or Jamesburg. The fire is still several miles away and is not directly threatening Tassajara at this time. However, all remaining guests and students are encouraged to leave at any time if they wish to do so. We will continue to update the Sangha as this situation unfolds.

Keido Les Kaye with Misha Merrill

Keido Les Kaye, a longtime Soto Zen teacher and one of the early American students of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, passed away on September 5, 2006 after a brief period of hospice care at Stanford University. Through more than half a century of practice and teaching, Les helped establish Zen as something that could be lived fully in the midst of ordinary American life—not apart from work, family, responsibility, and relationship, but directly within them.

Keido Roshi began practicing Zen in 1966, after discovering that Suzuki Roshi was teaching in the Bay Area. He became part of the small community at Haiku Zendo in Los Altos, where Suzuki Roshi regularly taught, and in 1971 Suzuki Roshi ordained him as a priest, giving him the Dharma name Kakuzen Keido, translated as “Awakening in Zen, Peaceful Way.”

The book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind was created from the talks Suzuki Roshi gave on his weekly visits to Haiku Zendo.

Keido Roshi practiced at Tassajara in the early 1970s and later received Dharma transmission from Hoitsu Suzuki Roshi, Shunryu Suzuki’s son and Dharma successor, authorizing him to teach in the Suzuki Roshi lineage.

He went on to found Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center in Mountain View, where he served as spiritual leader and, eventually, abbot. Under his guidance, Kannon Do grew from the earlier Haiku Zendo community into an enduring Soto Zen temple in the heart of Silicon Valley. He served as abbot for approximately forty years before retiring in 2023 and becoming Abbot Emeritus, continuing afterward to meet with students and offer teachings.

He authored many books, including Zen at Work and his final book, I Had a Good Teacher: Practicing Suzuki Roshi’s Way of Zen, published in 2025, which gathered Dharma talks and recollections from a lifetime spent carrying forward what he had received from Suzuki Roshi.

May his teachings and practice continue to benefit all beings.

For more on Keido Les Kaye:

• Les Kaye’s page on Cuke.com
• Kannon Do’s website
• I Had a Good Teacher (SFZC bookstore)
• An interview with Les Kaye in Sangha News Journal

October 10 is Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Day. If you don’t know what a DAF is, you aren’t alone. Let’s demystify this simple, tax-efficient way to support nonprofits such as San Francisco Zen Center.

What is a DAF?
A Donor-Advised Fund is a tax-advantaged charitable giving account. Donors contribute stocks or other assets to a fund managed by a sponsoring organization, such as a community foundation, public charity, or a financial institution. Over time, donors recommend grants (that’s the donor-advised part) to nonprofit organizations. These grants are then distributed to the nonprofit organizations.

Why give through a DAF?
For many donors, a DAF can make charitable giving easier and more strategic. Depending on your circumstances, benefits may include:

• Contributing stocks or other assets to a DAF may qualify for a charitable tax deduction when you make the gift.
• Donating eligible appreciated securities or other assets may help reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes that would otherwise apply if you sold them yourself.
• Giving now and granting later allows you to make a charitable contribution in a year when it is most advantageous for you, and decide over time which nonprofits you would like to support.
• Simplifying your giving by creating one convenient place to organize and manage your charitable contributions.

Learn about starting a DAF to direct your charitable giving.

Have questions about making a gift from your DAF?
If you already have a DAF, recommending a grant to SFZC can be a simple way to support the teachings, programs, temples, land, and community that make practice possible.
Our Development team would be happy to help. Please contact us at development@sfzc.org.

Wendell Berry with Ango Sara Tashker

SFZC was saddened to learn of the death of the great poet, novelist, social critic, farmer, and ecologist Wendell Berry on August 31, 2026.

Wendell was a friend of Green Gulch Farm and visited a handful of times over the years. He last came in September 2008, when he and Wes Jackson, along with their wives, were in town for the Slow Food Nation gathering where they were the headliners. He toured the farm with then (and now!) Farm Manager Sara Tashker, and visited with old friends and Zen farmers Steve Stucky and Wendy Johnson, among others.

Wendell has been an inspiration for generations of young farmers. His clarity, humor, humility, and steady spirit will continue to inform how we practice our care for the land at Green Gulch Farm and beyond. There will be a memorial ceremony for him at Green Gulch Farm.

Photo by Shundo David Haye

The gardens are starting to wake up again after summer heat dormancy as we come upon the autumnal equinox. The equinox is really the true “new year” for California gardeners—the start of the cool, moist growing season after our long, dry summer.

Another new beginning is that Heiko Lake (that’s me, author of this post) will be stepping in as a gardener for City Center. I look forward to meeting our regular volunteers and any new volunteers ready to start. We may use some different methods, but we will remain focused on the practice of offering all of our good and heart-full work for all beings.

For our upcoming volunteer days we’ll combine some landscaping work with review and testing of the irrigation system as well as maintenance. We will also discuss any future projects/efforts of interest.

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or simply curious, I look forward to meeting and working with you. Come to share your knowledge and skills, tune into the on-growing garden process, and engage in contemplative work practice.

You are invited to come and go on Saturday as fits your schedule. This September we have just one volunteer day: Saturday, September 19, from 11:20 am–2:30 pm. We’ll meet at the Garden Shed in the rear/side Courtyard of 300 Page after the Saturday Dharma talk for bow-in and orientation.

Thank you all for your steady care and presence in the garden. Each act of care and tending supports our community practice and the atmosphere that sustains it.

Sangha News Journal sat down with Susan O’Connell, a SFZC priest and founder of Zen-Inspired Senior Living which has created Enso Village, a retirement community in Healdsburg, CA and its sister community, Enso Verde in Simi Valley, CA. She was one of the first people to move into Enso VIllage almost three years ago. Here she looks back at the founding of this groundbreaking approach to aging, also called Conscious Aging, and what it takes to expand this concept out into the world.

Hello Susan and welcome. Thank you for talking with us today. Let’s start at the beginning. How did all of this come to be?

Around 2015-16, San Francisco Zen Center created a small affiliated entity called Zen-Inspired Senior Living (ZISL) out of the need for us to house and care for our senior teachers. We created a new paradigm for senior living, expanding our mission from just taking care of our own teachers to sharing this way of living with the wider world. A world with a generation of people that is ready for a new way, a generation who came out of an initial interest in consciousness. The response to Enso Village was so strong that we sold out in record time. In the senior living world, we’re actually kind of famous, like rock stars (laughs)!

Since there’s nothing else like this in the senior living realm and we knew that there are many more people who could benefit from this, we kept our feelers out for another location. A few years ago we were shown a beautiful piece of land in Southern California that just naturally felt like a retreat center. It was another example of SFZC’s excellent land karma!

Land karma?

SFZC has some of the most beautiful places in the world: Tassajara in the Ventana Wilderness. Downtown San Francisco in a Julian Morgan building with a campus of five buildings. Green Gulch Farm in Marin. Enso Village in Healdsburg, and now this new property, Enso Verde. So to me this is like the universe is saying: here you go, here’s a spot for you to make this offering. We don’t own the Enso properties, of course, but still, we are able to be a part of making something wonderful there.

The future home of Enso Verde in Simi Valley, CA

So this parcel of land was the beginning of Enso Verde, right? Can you say more about it?

Enso Verde is on this beautiful piece of land in Ventura County, in Southern California, up against the mountains in Simi Valley. It’s surrounded by 2,800 acres of open space and it’s a 20 acre site with a dry creek running through the middle. It’s never been built on. It’s gorgeous. It feels like a retreat center, very quiet and serene. And yet, if you want to get to downtown LA, there’s an Amtrak two miles away. You hop on that and you’re downtown in 35 and 40 minutes. Or you can get to Burbank Airport in 30 minutes. So it’s isolated from the hustle bustle and the traffic of LA, but you have access to all of the great things that LA has to offer.

Los Angeles is a huge territory, over 8 million people and our challenge is how are we going to find people who would be attracted to this? San Francisco Zen Center is known internationally, but a little bit less known in Southern California than in Northern California. A lot of our success with Enso Village was that people knew SFZC and knew they could trust us.

How are you working with that?

So one thing we’re doing is talking about Enso Verde more in the realm of mindfulness, as opposed to just Zen or Buddhism. We are talking specifically about mindful awareness, mindful aging, which is a word that is very well known by the people who would be attracted to living in this way.

In many ways, Enso Verde is set up a lot like Enso Village, with retired spiritual teachers and leaders living amongst people who want to live this way, too. One small change is the teachers will be from various contemplative traditions. We have someone right now who is a Unitarian minister and a Zen teacher. We have a couple of Buddhist teachers but we are also looking for a yoga teacher who has taught contemplative yoga. We would love to have a rabbi. And so on.

So we start from using the word Zen more lightly, but not changing the basic guiding principles and offerings. There will still be a kitchen garden, a meditation hall, a head of spiritual practice, Mindful Community training for residents and staff—all of those elements that we have at Enso Village, will also be at Enso Verde.

Rendering of the Enso Verde campus

We’re applying things we’ve learned from Enso Village. The architects are coming up to Enso Village next week to do another walkthrough of the lobby and kitchen area to see what we can learn about flow and sound and things like that. So Enso Verde will benefit from us having done this once already.

How’s it going so far? Are people signing up?

At this point, we’re 56% reserved. So we’re reaching people, we are talking to people. We did a little video that Peter Coyote narrated—he was very happy to help out in that way. And we have teachers from other Buddhist traditions moving in. So for instance, Jack Kornfield and his wife Trudy Goodman from Spirit Rock just signed up, they just did a wonderful interview for our newsletter for the depositors.

When do you think Enso Verde will be open?

We hope to start construction in the spring of 2027. We’ll have all of our pre-sales done by then and we should have all of the permits from the city, etc. And then it takes a couple years of construction, so we’re looking at 2029.

Let’s dive a little deeper into Zen-Inspired Senior Living. What does ‘Zen-Inspired’ mean and what does it look like?

When we talk about Zen-Inspired Senior Living (ZISL), there are two aspects to consider. One is the physical environment and how we provide spaces for contemplative practices. The other is how we tend to our inner life, our spiritual life, and our wellbeing as we age. I also refer to this as Conscious Aging.

The physical environment contains things like a meditation hall, a place to meet with the teacher to have a conversation about your life and practice, a kitchen garden that’s directly related to the kitchen itself, so that we’re in the midst of appreciating food and understanding where our food comes from.

It involves having a spiritual director and someone who is monitoring the meditation hall so that programs are provided and the presence of practice is provided.

Presence of practice?

Living amongst people with an established spiritual practice, experienced teachers who have trained in and taught contemplative practices all of their lives. So a presence of wisdom.

It also involves the option of taking this training that we developed from our understanding of hospice and being with dying. We call it Mindful Community Training. It’s what it means to live in community with each other and do this aging thing together. We offer it to any resident who wants to take it. At Enso Village, over 150 people have participated. We also require it for the staff, so that the staff has a similar understanding of what it means to be present, what it means to be compassionate, what it means to deal with loss all the time. How to do that, and also what it means to set appropriate healthy boundaries.

On top of that, there are a set of principles, guiding principles, which are also about what it means to live together in community, which we bring from our many years of living together at SFZC. It basically means not turning away. So here’s the definition:

“Conscious Aging is the intentional practice of growing older with awareness, purpose, and self-compassion. It involves accepting the realities of aging while actively nurturing physical health, emotional resilience, mental clarity, and spiritual well-being. Rather than resisting change, conscious aging invites people to reflect on their values, adapt to new stages of life, deepen relationships, and find meaning in both limitations and possibilities. It invites us to see aging not as a loss, but as a deepening. The process emphasizes mindfulness, lifelong learning, gratitude, a willingness to evolve, helping individuals approach aging not as decline alone, but as an opportunity for wisdom, compassion, connection, and personal growth.”

So we’re very directly looking at our fears and concerns, the same thing we do in meditation practice. Whatever arises, we meet it. Reb [Anderson] used to always say this, which I love: Our practice is meeting whatever comes with no complaints whatsoever.

“Thank you very much. I have no complaints.”

And what happens when we do this, in my experience, when we stop resisting what is, we have much more energy to engage with our actual life, not our wishful life that isn’t here right now. So it’s practical in that way.

Ultimately when we say Zen-inspired, some people get hung up on the word Zen. Of course, some people love it but others aren’t that keen on Zen, whatever it means to them. But what it’s really about is wisdom and compassion. The wisdom to understand that everything changes and that we’re all connected, and compassion is knowing that we’re all in this together.

People like to talk about living in multi-age communities which is fine, of course. But when you’re in a community where everyone’s going through the same thing, you are really learning from each other all the time.

I see it as another application of how SFZC has historically responded to what the world is asking for. With Greens Restaurant and Green Gulch Farm we were responding to a need for a more healthy food system, a more enjoyable and delicious way of nourishing ourselves.

It was the same thing with Hospice (now Zen Caregivers Project). People started coming to Zen Center during the AIDS crisis saying, “We want to die with you.” Well, what do you do with such a request? We figured out how to set up a hospice; we taught ourselves how to be hospice volunteers. We taught ourselves and then we taught others. It was an offshoot of our practice, an indication that we’re aware of what’s going on in the world, and that we have a new way, a creative way, of meeting those challenges.

Pictured left to right: Susan O’Connell, SFZC Central Abbot David Zimmerman, Enso Village resident Teah Strozer

You were one of the first people to move in and so you’ve had three years of involvement and engagement. What do you see at Enso Village so far?

I’ve got a couple of different filters for what I see. First I see community evolution. So, starting with the pioneers and the people very enthusiastic about forming the community, there is a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of participation, a lot of ownership and setting up the policies and the processes to reflect our guiding principles. We don’t want cookie cutter corporate stuff. We want stuff that really, really emphasizes compassion. So that’s going on in a kind of a normal way.

However, there’s another filter, which is my theory that the people who responded to these ideas are bodhisattvas. Whether they actually know it consciously or not, what they responded to is the message of compassion. And so we have a huge number of caring people, and it manifests in many ways.

Can you give an example?

At Enso Village, we have a self-created Care Committee that has about 70 people on it. They organize around things like if someone is whisked off to the hospital, they check in to make sure everything is going OK, they check on the person’s dog or cat. They go pick up meds. They make sure that when you come back, your meals are going to be delivered. This is in addition to the staff. And it is so robust! So many people participate that this feeling of care and attention is everywhere.

Let’s touch on the cost. For some, it may seem very high, unreachable even.

We understand that this paradigm, this model, doesn’t meet everyone’s needs, particularly financially. This is very difficult because of course we want all people to benefit from the elements of conscious aging.

We have innovated a way to at least serve some people: our teachers and spiritual leaders. By placing them at Enso Verde and Enso Village we are giving a home to people who have dedicated their lives to the Dharma and the spiritual/religious path, which is not always a lucrative career choice. So in that way we are meeting affordable housing needs for aging.

To do this and have it at a price point that more people could afford is not something that the systems in the United States support. The cost of construction, the cost of health care, the cost of regulations, the cost of land—all of that means we only have a very narrow cost margin. Of course, we wish it were more possible to offer this everywhere. We want to be able to do this for everyone.

Susan O’Connell and future spiritual leaders at the Enso Verde groundbreaking ceremony

Are there any plans to go beyond Enso Village and Enso Verde, or is it too soon to say?

The ZISL model could definitely work in other settings. We are in the process of clarifying that model in order to be able to partner with other larger entities in the future. ZISL is also supporting SFZC, not only through giving our teachers a place to live but also with financial support.

Another way it benefits the world is that people leave employment here having been trained in conscious aging and they bring that training, those values, with them to their next job. Hopefully this will help spread a way of working with, of being with, the gifts and complexities of aging.

But we can’t do this on our own, we’re not experts in senior living, which is a very complex and highly regulated area. We need other partners.

Any final words?

As practitioners, we’re in the world and we meet the circumstances that arise. This is our job; skillful means is our job. Paying attention, being still enough to hear the winds of change. We hear it, we see it, we smell it. And then with wisdom and compassion, we step forward with our practice offering.

Thank you Susan! How can people contact you?
They can email me at susan.oconnell@sfzc.org

Enso Village
Enso Verde

Sylvia Yee and Brian McCaffrey

Legacy Spotlight: Brian McCaffrey Esq.
By Andrea Vecchione, Major Gifts Officer

Long-time sangha member Brian McCaffrey is a retired Estate Planning Attorney who has been practicing in San Francisco for decades. He is also a Legacy Donor who has added SFZC as part of his estate planning. His experience and knowledge prompted me to sit down and ask him about the estate planning process and his thoughts about why people should consider adding SFZC to their will or trust.

He shared this story with me: “I remember working with a client. She said to me ‘if I die …’ and I then said to her, ‘no—when you die. It’s not up to us when it will happen, but it will happen’.” He encourages everyone who has not started writing their estate plans to just take that first step. “Find the lawyer that you feel comfortable with, and make a call or send an email and then get out your calendar and write it down. Then follow through with the appointment.”

When I asked why he decided to give a legacy gift to SFZC he replied, “We are all part of the Sangha, and part of a history from Japan to here. The seeds have been planted. SFZC is a substantial institution and it requires feeding and watering. What is helpful about legacy gifts is that you can give a gift with guidelines and put your money where it is most needed, either toward general operations or a specific restricted fund.”

One such fund is the Temple Stewardship Fund which is a restricted fund with the sole purpose for the infrastructure and upkeep of the three SFZC temples: City Center, Green Gulch Farm, and Tassjara.

Make-a-Will Month is an opportunity to start your estate planning process now. If you have any questions or would like more information about leaving a legacy gift to SFZC please contact development@sfzc.org.

Jana Nason and Tom Little Bear Nason. Photo by Michael Troutman.

Tom Little Bear Nason
May 29, 1960 – August 1, 2026

On Sunday morning (8/2/26) Cara Nason let SFZC know that Little Bear passed away in her arms the previous night, peacefully and in no pain. He had spent the day Saturday at their place in Rana Creek with family, and Cara said that he had told her that this was what made him happiest.

Little Bear was the Tribal Chairman of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County since 1993. He was a traditional cultural resource specialist, Tribal Archaeology Monitor, and Wildland Consultant. For 30+ years, he had been involved in the preservation of traditional landscapes, working with tribes, state agencies, land trusts and conservation groups to expand tribal land stewardship throughout the state.

Little Bear had a deep relationship with the Ventana Wilderness, the Four Winds Council and the Esalen Institute, and with Tassajara. His ancestral family has occupied these unceded Esselen lands for centuries. Little Bear led a lifetime of retreats centering around initiation, ritual, and ceremony between humans and their relationship with each other, land, and Spirit. He was also a Culture Bearer, Fire Ecologist, and Bear Dance Leader.

Little Bear, his father Fred Nason, and the members of the Esselen tribe have been very good friends of Tassajara and SFZC, helping us over the decades with various construction and land-restoration projects including post-fire recovery and flood protection after the 2008 Basin Complex fire.

Little Bear did so much for so many people, this is a huge loss to his large extended family and the Esselen tribe. Little Bear was very influential in the land back movement (which is why they were living in Rana Creek—now Esselen tribal land) and worked closely with Governor Newsom and the Office of Tribal Affairs and other tribal leaders. He will be greatly missed.

See the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County’s Facebook page for more information on memorials and services.

For an article on Little Bear and his relationship with SFZC and Tassajara, see our 2020 Impact Report, Ventana Wilderness: 126 Acres Stewarded.

Little Bear’s Instagram page

In this Sangha News article, SFZC Engages in Healing and Reconciliation with Indigenous Nations, Little Bear discusses his four-decades long relationship with Tassajara and SFZC.

Little Bear at Tassajara, speaking to his long-held relationship with SFZC and the many stories Tassajara holds.

Left to right: Ben Lahr, Hannah Ellison, Anshi Zachary Smith, Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, Ango Sara Tashker, Avi Kotte, Hope Gale-Hendry, Nick Newman, Drew Bright

Congratulations to the initiates who received the precepts in a Lay Bodhisattva Initiation Ceremony at Green Gulch Farm on June 28.

Receiving the precepts from Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler:
Hope Gale-Hendry – Shinkai Eigan / Faith Ocean, Eternal Vow
Nick Newman – Antan Daiji / Resting in Hara, Boundless Compassion
Hannah Ellison – Shōjin Kōgyō / True Person, Imperturbable Practice
Avi Kotte – Fumyō Misshō / All-Embracing Wonder, Intimate Awakening

Left to right: Avi Kotte, Hannah Ellison, Abbot Jiryu, Hope Gale-Hendry, Nick Newman

Receiving the precepts from Anshi Zachary Smith:
Drew Bright – Shinryō Jūsan / Deep Understanding Living Practice

Drew Bright with Anshi Zachary Smith

Receiving the precepts from Ango Sara Tashker:
Ben Lahr – Kigan Denshin / Radiant Vow, Field of Intimacy.

Ben Lahr with Ango Sara Tashker

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 07/20/2026:

From Tassajara Director Ashley Ng (@tassajaratales):

Morning jundo with Abbot Mako and Jisha Josh.

Every morning, the Abbot and Jisha offer incense and bows to each of the altars at Tassajara. Kaisando, Kitchen, Gatehouse, Bathhouse, Zendo main altar. An intimate ceremony accompanied by the sound of the Han, brisk footsteps, birdsong, creek, light as we transition from dawn to joining the community for zazen and shared practice.

How many bows do you see? 🙏

With the zendo gone, we’ve made some changes as there is no longer a Zendo bathroom altar and the jundo requires many more steps with a longer walk to the retreat hall. Practice continues, wherever we are. 🙏❤️‍🩹

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Update 07/13/2026:

Members of the Tassajara sangha learned how to make ink from charcoal. We wanted to share photographs from this hands-on process with the wider sangha. Photos from Ashley Ng (@tassajaratales).

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Update 07/06/2026:

The Sotoshu Shumucho is the administrative headquarters of the Sōtō Zen School of Buddhism in Japan. Because of the connection with SFZC’s founding teacher, Shunryu Suzuki, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center is registered as a special temple of Sotoshu.

SFZC received this letter of sympathy from Rev. Daiken Kurayama, the Director of the Education and Dissemination Division of the Sotoshu Shumucho in Japan, regarding the zendo fire.

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Update 07/01/2026:

A View From Tassajara

Sharing this beautiful image from Tassajara director Ashley Ng, with her description of the scene:

Sunset views from the “old” zendo. Hard to believe this is where the zendo stood only two months ago. Once wooden floors, then charred rubble, and now fresh wood chips crackling beneath our feet. Grateful to all those who helped to transform this ground, from wood to ash to earth. Through it all, the practice continues 🙏

May all beings be safe, at peace, and freed from suffering.

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Update 06/08/2026:

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.