On the night of Thursday, March 25, 2026, at about 11:30 pm local time, a fire broke out in Amber Hall, the zendo at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. The zendo was completely burnt down, as was part of the library. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, and we are grateful to local firefighters and residents who did their best to contain the fire and prevent further damage to the complex.

Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, also known as Zenshiji (Zen Mind Temple), has a long history as the oldest Japanese Buddhist monastery in the United States. The property was purchased by the San Francisco Zen Center in 1967 and developed into a monastery by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, who envisioned it as a training center for Sōtō Zen practitioners in the United States.

This is not the first time a fire has burned down the zendo at Tassajara. The original zendo (which also served as the dining room) burnt down in April 1978. The fire was accidental and unrelated to a wildfire; it is believed to have started in a basement storage area, possibly from a propane refrigerator. Because the building’s wood was old and dry, it burned very rapidly. A new zendo was constructed immediately following this event.

More recently, several wildfires have threatened to damage the Tassajara complex. In 2008, the Basin Complex Fire almost reached the monastery, and again in 2016, when damage from the Soberanes Fire led to its closure.

This is a heartbreaking turn of events, and at the same time, the fire reaffirms the teaching of impermanence: everything is constantly changing. Time and again, history shows that temples and other structures burn down in every corner of the globe and are later rebuilt, often incorporating updated features and improvements. In time, a new zendo will be rebuilt. For now, it is reported that residents at Zenshinji have shifted the meditation practice space to the conference center, allowing the practice period to continue.