Every December, our community gathers to remember the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha.

This celebration is not an attempt to recreate a distant historical episode or idealize spiritual heroism. It is a way of pausing and recognizing that awakening remains alive in practice, step by step, moment by moment.

In Soto Zen, enlightenment is not treated as something extraordinary reserved for exceptional beings. It is the natural flowering of original nature when mind settles and opens to what has always been present.

During the first week of December we hold Rohatsu, an intensive retreat.

Although demanding, Rohatsu is one of the most meaningful periods of our annual cycle. Teachings during these days explore central dimensions of Buddha’s awakening: letting go of extremes, deep trust, and the clarity that appears when we stop seeking outside what already lives within.

Each teisho, each shared silence, and each encounter becomes an invitation to recognize awakening as a real possibility in every person.

The retreat culminates in a solemn all-night vigil of sustained practice.

In that night, we connect with the spirit of the Bodhi-tree vigil, when Buddha resolved not to rise until understanding the root of suffering and opening fully to reality as it is.

We do not attempt to imitate his experience. We resonate with his determination and trust.

No special states are pursued. We simply allow practice to pass through the night, honoring his awakening while making room for awakening here and now.

What moves us in the image of Buddha under the Bodhi tree is not only what he attained, but how he attained it: after years of extremes, he sat down completely, stopped fleeing, and stopped fighting reality.

That gesture of wholehearted trust remains the heart of this celebration.

For CSZCM practitioners, December is also a time to renew inner resolution. We return to zazen as one returns home after a long journey. We remember that each person who sits in the meditation hall is sustaining the same vow: to live with clarity, compassion, and natural responsibility toward all beings.

From this view, Buddha’s enlightenment is not an individual triumph. It confirms that our life is inseparable from the life of the world.

Celebrating enlightenment therefore means updating a living present, not commemorating a dead past.

It is the possibility of awakening in this very body, in this very moment, amid responsibilities, doubts, affection, and daily tasks.

Sangha makes this possible. We do not walk alone: each person’s presence nourishes the confidence of others.

The celebration closes with a simple ritual act of gratitude and remembrance.

Its core is internal disposition: returning to practice, returning to clarity, returning to trust.