Sesshin - The Ancient Way

Location icon
79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA
Date
October 10 - 20, 2024

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

There is something very special about the magic of autumn and the kicking off of the fall ango practice period that makes this sesshin so powerful. What a great gift it is to be able to sit together in silence. This is our longest sesshin of the year. The extra days enable us drop down into the bare bones essentials of our lives. We have this rare opportunity to turn towards the practice/awakening that is our true nature, and to celebrate quietly together in the container of sesshin.

Day after day plunge into the waters of mystery and exploration. Turn off the media machine, look, and look again. We do this together. Each person an important part of the web that holds us all together.

 

Sesshin is a rigorous and, at times, challenging. This silent meditation retreat that is not recommended for beginners. In order to attend in person, we require that you attend one of our silent weekend retreats or a five-seven day silent retreat at another Zen Center before registering for our longer zen retreats. For more information about what to expect when attending a sesshin, click here.

Schedule

Please note: this is an approximation; sesshin schedules vary with leader and season.

First evening
5:00 p.m. Registration begins
6:00 p.m. Dinner (informal) and sesshin orientation
9:00 p.m. Zazen and formal opening of sesshin
10:00 p.m. Monastery doors locked

All full days
4:20 a.m. Wake up bell
5:00 a.m. Zazen
6:50 a.m. Service
7:20 a.m. Breakfast (oriyoki) in dining hall
8:30 a.m. Work period begins
9:50 a.m. Warning bell to clean up
10:00 a.m. End of work period
10:30 a.m. Zazen
12:20 p.m. Service
12:30 p.m. Lunch (oriyoki) in dining hall
3:00 p.m. Zazen
5:20 p.m. Service
5:30 p.m. Dinner (oriyoki) in dining hall
7:00 p.m. Zazen
9:20 p.m. Formal Tea/Zazen
10:00 p.m. Monastery doors locked

Last Sunday
4:50 a.m. Wake-up bell
5:30 a.m. Zazen
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Closing Circle
10:00 a.m. Sunday Program (service, zazen)
11:20 a.m. Dharma talk and formal end of sesshin
12:00 p.m. Lunch (informal)
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Location icon Zen Community of Oregon, 79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA

Accommodation

Event fee
Event fee (ZCO member rate)
Online only (sustaining rate)
Online only (scholarship rate)

Customer Reviews

4.92 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Zen Practice- One Day Workshop
This workshop was excellent. Our guides were attentive, caring, friendly, and humble. The teaching and instruction was super helpful, and the group energy was warm and caring. The day was broken up nicely into manageable/modest stretches of meditation (sitting, walking, eating) and instruction/teaching, and the lunch we were provided was tasty. The space is beautiful. I left feeling inspired to continue to deepen my
meditation practice. I am grateful for this experience, and intend to return to this welcoming temple.

5.0
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Great retreat. Plan to do more with Zen Community of Oregon
Retreat was great. Really nice, kind, helpful retreat teachers. Appreciated how they walked us through the basics of meditation posture with different physical supports for different folks. Reminded me of how Iyengar yoga uses props to make a practice accessible to all. The meditations themselves were really nice. When doing sitting meditation, I always close my eyes. It was interesting to do guided meditations with eyes open. Just a really nice, valuable day, with really nice people, in a really nice, well-organized, well-structured group.

5.0
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Investigating Zen Practice
I learned about more formal zen practice in a community session, some clear instruction in zen meditation techniques, some background on chanting service, different types of meditation, and had a great lunch that incorporated mindful eating practice. The attendees were a diverse group. As a non-meditator who was truly "investigating". I didn't feel out of place or intimidated. The hosts were warm, clear, and kept the day unfolding at a nice pace. Appreciated hearing other people's questions about zen practice. The experience was positive and helpful.

5.0
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Sit. Breathe. Listen.
The sesshin on Tonglen in May 2024 was my second retreat at Great Vow. The first was a Beginners Mind retreat in May 2023. It is a beautiful facility - Who would have thought an elementary school would make such an amazing Zen Monastery? The people here are beautiful as well. And the sesshin on Tonglin will stay with me forever.

4.0
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April seshin 2024 online particpation
Overall, the sesshin was very good. The dharma talks and instructions during sitting were extremely beneficial for me. I chose to participate online due to health concerns. Some aspects of online participation could be enhanced. Unless speakers were using a microphone I could not hear the instructions for what was happening. At times it was quite confusing. Also, it would have been preferable to receive individual sanzen just as in person participants do.