2026 Tassajara Fall Practice Period

This is a full fall practice period — an ango, the traditional monastic training season, a term that carries the sense of "peaceful dwelling" — at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, running October 7 to December 19, 2026. The description calls it three months; the posted dates span a little over ten weeks. One logistical note: this entry is filed under Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, but the retreat itself takes place at Tassajara, and registration runs through sfzc.org, the San Francisco Zen Center website.

The theme

The study text is the Genjōkōan ("actualizing the fundamental point"), a short essay by Eihei Dōgen (1200–1253), the Japanese founder of the Sōtō Zen school. It is among the most-quoted pieces in Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō and a frequent anchor for extended study. The description ties the text directly to the period's stated activities: zazen, chanting, work practice, and dharma study, carried out as monastic practice.

What's confirmed, and what isn't

The listing confirms the 116th installment in Tassajara's practice period series, a residential format, the four named practices, the Genjōkōan theme, and a listed price of $4,000.

• Confirmed: residential format; zazen, chanting, work practice, and dharma study; Genjōkōan as the study focus; $4,000 listed price.
• Not yet published: lead teacher or teachers, daily schedule, application or entry requirements, whether partial attendance is possible.

For anything not covered above, contact the center through the signup page. Given the length of the commitment, the missing details — especially schedule and entry process — are the ones to ask about first.

Who it's for

The description is explicit that the period is offered to experienced practitioners. The listing offers nothing about shorter options or a path for newcomers, so as published this is a commitment for people with an established practice — not a first retreat.