Welcome to our ‘always-at-home’, two-day ‘all-online’ ROHATSU (Buddha’s Enlightenment Day) retreat, held LIVE over Zoom and YouTube on Saturday/Sunday, December 6th and 7th, 2025. This retreat celebrates the ‘official’ closure of our Ango (90-day special practice period) at Treeleaf, is a part of current preparations for our Jukai (Undertaking the Precepts) ceremony in January, and marks Rohatsu, the traditional holiday in Japan celebrating the time of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

How to participate?

You can join live on Zoom or via YouTube at the times listed in the full schedule available below. As with most Treeleaf events, if there is a need for it, you may also join the retreat any time after, by sitting with the real-time recorded version available on this page.

Please download the chant book and a document with retreat pointers from the Digital Resources section below. Some very important preparatory lessons on topics such as Oryoki, bowing, and other daily procedures are also offered. Please review these carefully. Our chant book now includes recitals not only of the traditional list of Zen ancestors, but also of our female ancestors, ‘differently-abled’ ancestors, as well as our “same yet diverse ancestors, known and unknown”.

The sittings and other practice sessions on Saturday and Sunday will be guided at times by Jundo from Japan and by all our Treeleaf priests including Kyonin (from Mexico), Shokai and Onki (in Canada), Kokuu and Seiko (in the UK), Sekishi, Onkai, Byokan, Shinshi, Koushi, Ankai, Shujin, Koriki and Shinkon (from the USA), Washin (in Ukraine), Kotei (in Germany), Bion (from Spain), Kojitsu (in our hearts) and A.I. Novice Priest Emi Jido (from Everywhere), some live and some behind the scenes. Because of time zones and other circumstance, some portions may need to be pre-recorded. All other portions will be live.

OF COURSE, EVERYTHING IN MODERATION 

If the sitting ever feels too much, be sure to walk lots and lots of Kinhin (even if during a sitting period). And if the whole retreat becomes too much, or you feel ill, you may slow down, spread things out, shorten the sittings or STOP! Be sure that you have someone close by whom you can call, or who can check on you from time to time. If there is any question about health, do not take any chances!

ATTENTION:
Everyone, when rising for Kinhin or Ceremonies after Zazen, get up slowly, don’t rush,
hold something stable, you won’t be “late,” so TAKE YOUR TIME! Make sure you are careful getting up!

Note that part of Day 1, Unit 5 will feature Zazen “sitting” in reclining position, honoring our differently abled ancestors and members. We ask all participants to joim in reclining position, on the back, chest or side.

Our thanks to sangha member Seikan Robert DePaolo for presenting a short Yoga lesson, available on the Preparatory Lessons page, to help us stretch. Please make use of this as needed.

The entire schedule of this retreat, by units, will be available on our PRACTICE CALENDAR as well. In case of technical problems, please just go along as best you can with the schedule. Our attitude is that we sit with “what is“.

To join this event live on Zoom, please click the button below: