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About Shasta Abbey
Shasta Abbey is a Buddhist monastery established in 1970 by the late Abbess, Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett, who died on
November 6, 1996. Rev. Kennett studied in Japan from 1962 until 1969 and was the disciple of the Very Rev. Keido Chisan
Koho Zenji, formerly the Chief Abbot of Daihonzan Sojiji Head Temple (1957-1967). She received Dharma Transmission
from him in 1963. In accord with Koho Zenji's wishes, Rev. Kennett returned to the West in 1969 in order to teach and train
Western disciples in the Serene Reflection Meditation tradition.
This tradition, known as Ts'ao-Tung
Ch'an in China and Soyo Zen in Japan,
traces its history back to the historical
Buddha, Shakyamuni. The master-disciple
lineage was carried by the Indian monk
Bodhidharma to China in the 6th century
C.E. (Common Era) and spread widely
under the influence of the Sixth Chinese
Ancestor, Hui Neng. The lineage was
continued on to Japan through the efforts
of the young Japanese monk Eihei Dogen in the 13th century and further developed
by Keizan Jokin a century later. Although
certain external forms were adapted
to each culture as this branch of Mahayana
Buddhism moved from India to China to
Japan and now to the West, the essence
of the Buddhist teaching remains unchanged.
The Buddhist training at Shasta Abbey
preserves both the teachings and the
spirit of this enduring tradition while
presenting them in a contemporary Western
context.
Several important elements of the Serene
Reflection tradition are: serene reflection
meditation (shikantaza, 'just simply
doing one's sitting (neither deliberately
thinking about anything nor deliberately
not thinking about anything); a correct
understanding of the fundamental Buddhist
teachings of karma, rebirth, impermanence,
no-self, and Nirvana; and the actualization
of Buddha Nature in everyday life. Central
to this tradition is the life of faith
based on the principles outlined in
Great Master Dogen's Shushogi: (1)
the precious opportunity to receive
human birth and encounter the Buddha's
Way, (2) the recognition and transformation
of our karmic inclinations of greed,
hate, and delusion into compassion,
love, and wisdom; (3) the wholehearted
acceptance of the Buddist Precepts as
a guide for living a moral life, (4)
the actualization of the Bodhisattva
vow through the cultivation of the Four
Wisdoms -- charity, tenderness, benevolence,
and sympathy; and (5) the expression
of gratitude through selfless action
in daily life. In addition, our tradition
emphasizes the careful practice of religious
ceremonial, a form of mindfulness training
developed particularly by Great Master
Keizan, in which Buddhist teaching and
our gratitude for it are given verbal,
visual, and physical expression. Underlying
all these elements and running through
them is an emphasis on the identity
of training and enlightenment.
Shasta Abbey is located in the mountains of far northern California at an elevation of 4000 feet. The immediate vicinity of the
monastery is an area of coniferous forest, three miles north of the town of Mt. Shasta. The mountain after which the town is
named lies six miles to the east of the monastery. Because of the mountainous location and altitude, weather in this area is
variable and unpredictable. Summer weather, although usually clear, can at times be unseasonably cool.
Retreat guests stay in the monastery's guest house, which accommodates about 40 people. Normally, there will be one
person per room except during large retreats, when most guests will share a room. All meals are vegetarian (lacto/ovo). We
try to accommodate the special needs of those guests who, due to age or health infirmities, find the usual daily schedule
difficult to follow.
The monastery conducts a year-round schedule of retreats and Buddhist ceremonial festivals. Please advance to our Retreats
Page if you are interested in the retreats scheduled this year, or to our Calendar if you wish to view our year-round schedule.
Introductory Retreats are held once a month. Festivals such as Wesak, Bodhisattva ceremonies, memorials for Great Masters
in our lineage, etc., are held on Sundays at 10:45 AM, and often coincide with the final day of retreats. Sunday ceremonies
are followed by a Dharma talk given by the Abbot, Rev. Eko Little, and a social tea. Members of our local congregation join
us for these events.
Throughout most of the year, Dharma talks are given by resident senior monks every Wednesday evening and Saturday
afternoon. They are included as part of the lay resident program. Resident lay training is open to anyone who has attended an
Introductory Retreat or an Introduction to Serene Reflection Meditation Retreat. The length of resident lay training may vary
from a few days to several months or longer. Please note closed dates on our calendar.

Click to enlarge photo of the community of Shasta Abbey 2004.
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