Specific dates have not been set for this program in Spring 2027. Please join our mailing list to stay informed.
“I came to realize that mind is no other than mountains and rivers, and the great wide earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars.” – Dogen (1200-1253), founder of Soto Zen
Join Wildtender on the newest manifestation of our oldest (and most beloved) offering: a wild Zen backpacking pilgrimage through the Big Sur backcountry (ancestral lands of the Esselen People), concluding with a three-night stay at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Following in the philosophical footsteps of the ancient, hermetic Zen sages, we will turn to the mountains in pursuit of a wild Dharma (timeless Buddhist wisdom) that is embodied and expressed by boulders, grasses, trees, and all aspects of the wild landscape. Until we reach the Tassajara monastery, the wilderness will serve as our zendo (place of practice), where refined Zen rituals will take on feral forms. We will sit in meditation beside creeks and atop high ridges, backpack in mindful silence, forage wild plants for tea ceremonies at camp, and reflect on Buddhist poetry and texts amidst the blooming wildflowers of Spring.
When we cross the threshold of the backcountry together, we will enter into the ancient and culturally universal practice of pilgrimage, and become initiates in the great legacy of Buddhist wilderness practice. We will carry only what we need, walk with presence and wonder, and gather meaning from our inner and outer landscapes. Together with an intimate group of twelve participants, we will form a Sangha (spiritual cohort) which includes and honors the land and our wild kin – the plants, fungi, stones, waters, and animals of Big Sur.
Our four-night backpacking journey through the mountains will deliver us to Tassajara to participate in a three-night sangha retreat including formal Zen instruction, light service work (three hours per day), hot spring baths, delicious vegetarian cuisine, integration, and rest.
Zen or wilderness/backpacking experience is not required. Please see eligibility criteria below and let us know if you have questions about your ability to participate.
Testimonials
“Wild Dharma was nothing short of deeply healing and transformative. The cultivation of inner reflection, connection to the subtle energy of natural life about and within, and the immersive creation of community made this an exceptional voyage. ” — Felicia, Wild Dharma, 2024
“...a deeply sacred, transformational, and beautiful experience.” — Paul, Wild Dharma, 2024
“The lessons I received from the land are ones that will never be lost. They will carry me into my future in a magnificent way. This was directly due to the excellent and unique quality of the experience.” — Lisa, Wild Dharma, 2023
Tassajara’s founder Suzuki Roshi lecturing in the original Zendo (c. 1968)
About Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Fifty years ago, Zen first took root in California in an enchanting monastery deep in the Big Sur backcountry – the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Founded in 1967 by the luminous Japanese Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi as an extension of the San Francisco Zen Center, Tassajara was the first Zen Buddhist monastery and among the first Buddhist monastic communities established in the western world.
Established on traditional, unceded lands and waters sacred to the indigenous Esselen people, Tassajara has been a sanctuary for generations of monks, and many centuries of people seeking healing and wisdom. For more about the relationship between Tassajara and the Esselen Tribe, go here.
In the spring and summer of 2026, Tassajara will open its gates for curated retreats known as “Sangha weeks”. Wildtender is honored to be among the select few groups participating in this tradition. With its serene accommodations, nourishing hot springs, sumptuous vegetarian meals, expansive wilderness, and Zen practice in the traditional meditation hall, Tassajara encourages a more spacious and present way of being in the living world.
Program Itinerary
This thru-hike of the Santa Lucia Mountains will carry us through backcountry wilderness to the sublime Tassajara river valley. The majestic and biodiverse trails that await us were made millennia ago by the Esselen People to cross their ancestral lands – for trade, for harvest, for ceremony. Long before that, deer, mountain lions, grizzly bears and antelope cut similar shapes into the land with their hoofed and padded feet on pilgrimages of their own. We share the trail with all who have gone before, and all who will come after, renewing it as we walk.
Two separate Wild Dharma groups (of 12 people each) will journey over the same timeframe, taking different trail routes. The pilgrimage routes will be decided closer to the program’s start date, based on trail conditions in early Spring. We expect any itinerary to be of a moderate to strenuous difficulty, through rugged terrain, in the range of 25-30 miles total (4 to 8 miles per day). Regardless, the hikes will unfold over four nights and five days, and conclude at Tassajara for three nights of shared retreat.
(Day 1) | Meet at 10am in Big Sur or Carmel Valley (TBA - depending on route), cover essential orientation and equipment checks, and begin our backpacking pilgrimage.
(Days 2-4) | Backpacking through the Ventana Wilderness. Learning from and about the land. Practicing together and with the place.
(Day 5) | We will complete our hike into the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, arriving by 3:00 PM for an orientation to our Sangha retreat, dinner, Zazen in the meditation hall, hot springs and rest.
(Days 6-7) | Full days and nights at Tassajara, including Sangha/Zen instruction and practice, light service work, hot springs baths, delicious vegetarian meals and tea, and free time.
(Day 8) | Half-day at Tassajara, including morning Zazen, breakfast, morning service work, and lunch. Depart by shuttle by 1:30 PM, arriving in Big Sur or Carmel Valley (TBA - depending on route) to retrieve personal vehicles by 4:30 PM.
Other Information
Terms & Conditions (including registration and cancellation terms, and program requirements)