Kshanti Paramita: Dealing Creatively with the Wrongs Life and Other People Do Us June 10, 2010

The practice of Kshanti Paramita (“forbearance”) begins when we are having a hard time, whether it is caused by circumstances or other people.

How do we turn gritting our teeth over injury and offense into a dynamic flow of creativity? Kshanti may be the only paramita that is facilitated by originality, in addition to the letting go associated with zazen meditation. Kshanti practice has long-range implications for our peace of mind when we consider that even in our most joyous moments, we know that life is hard and short.

Related Bio:
Surei Darlene Cohen
Surei Darlene Cohen, M.A., has written three books describing a meditative approach to life’s physical and emotional pain. She currently leads five meditation groups, two for people in pain. Darlene and her husband, Tony Patchell, live at the Russian River Zendo in Guerneville,

The Baths and Hot Springs
Tassajara’s hand-crafted Japanese-style bathhouse is clothing-optional, and has separate sides for men and women, with co-ed bathing on the men’s side in the evenings. Each side has a tiled indoor hot plunge, an outdoor plunge, steam room, communal showers, and a private bath. There are decks for sunning and yoga, with steps leading down into the creek

About Tassajara Zen Mountain Center:
Nestled deep in a mountain valley, Tassajara is located inland from the Big Sur coast in a remote part of the Ventana Wilderness. For centuries, the native Esselen people have visited here as a place of healing and renewal, and a hot springs resort was built in the 1800s. In 1967, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and the San Francisco Zen Center established a monastic community at Tassajara, making it the oldest Zen training monastery outside Asia.

Over the years, a rich Zen-inspired culture of living mindfully with the earth and each other has developed at Tassajara. In the winter, Tassajara closes its gates and turns inward, as residents engage in intensive Zen training. During the summer months, our attention turns to welcoming and serving our guests. We warmly invite you to come and refresh yourselves in this very special place.

Tassajara Zen Mountain Center is part of the San Francisco Zen Center, which also includes Beginner's Mind Temple (City Center) in San Francisco and Green Gulch Farm in Marin County, California.

San Francisco Zen Center is a nonprofit organization, and we gratefully accept your donations. You may add a donation directly to your reservation, or please contact us for more information.

Official Website: http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara