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San Francisco Zen Center, founded in 1962 by Shunryu Suzuki-roshi (1904-1971) and his American students, is one of the largest Buddhist sanghas (communities) outside of Asia. Zen Center operates three practice places in Northern California: Tassajara Zen Mountain Center at the end of Carmel Valley, Green Gulch Farm on the edge of the Pacific Ocean in western Marin County, and City Center in San Francisco. Buddhist practice at Zen Center is expressed through the Soto Zen tradition established by Dogen Zenji in 13th-century Japan, and brought to the West by Suzuki-Roshi and other teachers.
All the Zen Center projects described, were undertaken as a group effort with the participation of many people, including members of the Zen Center sangha as well as volunteers from the lay community.
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center is secluded in the Los Padres National Forest, at the end of Carmel Valley. It was originally built in the 19th century as a hot springs resort and remains isolated in a narrow valley, along the banks of a year-round creek. The fourteen-mile dirt and gravel road leading to Tassajara begins in the Carmel Valley and climbs a 5,000 ft. peak, overlooking Big Sur and the fog along the coast, before descending to the valley.
These are the so-called “three peaks” that greet you when
you enter the Tassajara gate. Suzuki Roshi pointed out that if you entered on
the left side of the creek at the outer gate you would see the three peaks in
the distance framed by the near-scape. He said even if you are looking down and
don’t see them, the peaks will affect your stay at Tassajara.
Tassajara – The “temporary” Zendo The original zendo and library were destroyed by fire. Building a new zendo became our main priority. We intended to rebuild the zendo in its original location. In the meantime, we began work on what was to be a temporary zendo, to last until we were able to rebuild the old one. In fact, the so-called temporary zendo remains to this day.
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The zendo was built on the stone plinth where a hotel made of cut sandstone blocks stood in the first half of the 20th Century. The hotel burned down sometime in the 1950s and to collect insurance money the owners pushed the stone wall into the basement, leaving a flat terrace contained by stone walls. |
The zendo layout is based on the zendo at Eiheiji, the home
temple for Soto Zen in Japan. Front and back doors are located in the center of
opposite walls, the altar is in the middle of the room and the raised tan is
against the wall. Tassajara does not have a Buddha hall so chanting and bowing
and lectures all take place in the same space. The Buddha on the altar is
Shakyamuni and a smaller Monjushri bodhisattva for the zendo sits in front of
the altar. This is the same Gondarven sculpture as in the Buddha hall, which
went through the fire that destroyed the old zendo.
The covered walkway continues around the building
protecting the windows from sun and rain. On the side facing the kitchen, the
han, bell and drum hang from the roof and are used to signal the activities of
the day.
San Francisco Zen Center’s Green Gulch Farm, also known as Green Dragon Temple, is located just north of San Francisco in Marin County near Muir Beach. The guest house or “Lindisfarne Hall” blends the roof plans from octagonal to round.
Built in 1979 and located at Fort Mason in San Francisco, the highly acclaimed Greens vegetarian restaurant incorporates 12 types of wood, much of it recycled or reclaimed.
(photo (c)Lee W. Nelson
iNeTours.com)