Omicron, Rohatsu Sesshin, and Suspension of In-Person Sittings

The Center’s COVID-19 Task Force met yesterday afternoon, and they are still cautiously hopeful that the hybrid Rohatsu sesshin (January 8-15, 2022) can go ahead as planned. As mentioned earlier, a decision will be made, tentatively, on Tuesday, January 4, and we’ll let everyone know if in-person participation can proceed or not. However, there is always the possibility of last-minute cancellation if we have a significant outbreak among staff on the Friday or Saturday before sesshin.

To give ourselves the best chance of success, the Task Force made the following recommendations:

• New Year’s Eve sitting and ceremonies will be streamed from the Arnold Park zendo, with no in-person participation except for Arnold Park residents. The evening’s schedule is posted on the Center’s website.
• Beginning this Friday, December 31, the Center will close to non-residents so that we can preserve a COVID-free bubble for the seven days leading up to sesshin. Staff at Chapin Mill will do the same.
• However, daily sittings will continue to be broadcast on Zoom and Mixlr as usual.
• During those seven days, anyone hoping to attend sesshin should minimize non-essential contact and use a KN-95 mask or better when indoors in public places.
• We will be administering COVID rapid tests to everyone attending sesshin and asking everyone coming from out of town to test before they leave home.

We’ll be sending an email to sesshin participants with further details in a day or two.

If you have any questions, please contact Trueman Taylor.