Summer 2025 Student

What brought you to Tassajara?
"I grew up with my parents going to Green Gulch and other [SFZC temples], and I slowly developed a sense of comfort and nostalgia towards the elements of Buddhist practice. I didn’t start fully practicing until recent years [when] I was in a place where I was seeking a fuller sense of spirituality and purpose. I was also dealing with loneliness. Tassajara offers the opportunity to face yourself in an environment free from distraction alongside others who are facing their own selves in unique and beautiful ways."
What practice did you find most supportive at Tassajara? How does practice show up in your everyday life (as a zen student and as a nurse)?
"It is not an exaggeration to say Tassajara changed my relationship with work. Working in the Tassajara kitchen is an extremely fulfilling position where you are feeding and nourishing a community of grateful people who are also working to keep Tassajara beautiful. The kitchen helped me test my creativity, be more present, and feel deep purpose and meaning in tasks as simple as rinsing lettuce. Every day I looked forward to the kitchen despite challenges and mistakes from days before.
I do nursing work and because of the Tassajara environment I felt a shift in my mind and body that happened when stepping into the nurse role that I had never been present enough to notice before. It was like a dial that had been turned all the way up, and I was able to sit with it every day during meditation. Before, I was using meditation in my daily life as a way to decrease the stress of my job. Every day for me now is more of an opportunity to try extending my practice into my work, especially during the challenging shifts."
What do you love about Tassajara?
"My favorite thing about Tassajara is the community, which provides a level of freedom and vulnerability that is so rarely found on such a large scale. Everywhere you turn, there is a deeply compassionate and fascinating person wanting to meet you. Being heard and understood so fully is something everyone should experience. The community sits with you through difficult moments and wonderful moments, and every day is an opportunity to deepen your empathy and perspective and learn about someone new."