Welcome to our all-online 2025 Rohatsu retreat at Treeleaf Sangha. This event is held on the weekend of December 6th and 7th, and it celebrates the ‘official’ closure of our Ango (90-day special practice period) at Treeleaf. The retreat is a part of the 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.

Sesshins are traditional Soto Zen retreats that include Dharma talks, zazen and walking meditation, mindful eating (oryoki), ceremonies, and the opportunity for group practice. These retreats provide a powerful container, supporting what’s at the core of our practice: verification of our true awakened nature through purposeful, subtle, and wondrous practice. This is our goalless practice within realization, not towards it.

This retreat is for all, regardless of how experienced or inexperienced we might consider ourselves. All that’s required is a commitment to see this one thing through and do our best.

If you’d like to participate in this year’s retreat, please carefully review the information on our Rohatsu Page, where you’ll find both the complete schedule for this event and a series of preparatory lessons to help you make the most out of this opportunity. There you’ll also find digital resources such as a printable schedule you can fill in with exact times based on your location and a chant book to follow along during ceremonies.