If sipping a martini at a crowded bar by the side of an overly populated ocean is your idea of a vacation…read no further. However, if you consider outdoor activities, the solace of nature, beating sun and beads of sweat exciting and even entertaining, then I have a trip that is sure to invigorate your vacation.
While many tourists flock to the predictable sunny weather of Sand Diego or the glamorous, yet surgically constructed scene that Los Angeles invites, few people experience the untapped beauty of northern California.
Hidden amongst trees, dry brush and gorges lays the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Established by Suzuki Roshi and the San Francisco Zen Center in 1966, the Tassajara is approximately 27 miles inland from Big Sur, California. The Tassajara is accessible solely by one road that wraps sharply around the mountains, leading to a 17 mile dirt path which ends at the secluded Zen Center. Also known as Zenshin-ji (Zen Mind Temple), this Soto Zen Buddhist monastery provides educational workshops on Zen Buddhist philosophies and culture, such as the art of calligraphy or meditation, as well as sleeping facilities that foster relaxation, contemplation and simplicity.
Secluded amidst the course vegetation and wild nature of the Ventana Wilderness, Tassajara Creek remains a mystery to most. This creek supplies the Buddhist monks, and their visitors with hot springs. Men and women rejuvenate their bodies by bathing in these sulfur springs, while looking out into the rocky stream and vast mountain ranges.
While guests participate in the meditation practices explained by Buddhist monks, others enjoy intensive hiking in the hot, dry sun through the numerous trails that surround the Zen Center. Such trails lead to gorges, where both children and adults can be seen basking in the water enclosed by rock formations. Visitors realize and respect the raw beauty and unpredictability of the wilderness as they venture into the home of rattlesnakes, mountain lions and endless trees and solidarity. While it is rare to experience a threatening encounter, the power and serenity of the location of the Zen Center allows its visitors to put their lives into perspective.
Because this Buddhist community appreciates and wishes to conserve the isolation of the center, the Tassajara is closed from September to April for monastic Zen training. From May through August, guests are allowed to make reservations for both day and night trips to the center, and participate in retreats, workshops, study programs or indulge in the pure simplistic beauty of the nature that surrounds the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
For further information on leaving the confines of society and entering into the essence of serenity and reflection visit: www.sfzc.org/zmcindex.htm or call (831) 659-2229
