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Sesshin - Rohatsu

Name: December Sesshin - Rohatsu
Start: 2024-12-01
End: 2024-12-08
Location: Zen Community of Oregon
Rating: 4.92

4.9265 reviews

79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA

December 1 - 8, 2024

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Jan

Hogen

Larry

Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi

Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi has studied and practiced Zen Buddhism since 1973. She received Jukai (lay precepts) in 1975 and Tokudo, Priest's Ordination, in 1979 from Taizan Maezumi, Roshi. From 1978 to 1983 she lived at Zen Center of Los Angeles, studying with Maezumi, Roshi and directing the Zen Center's non-profit Medical Clinic. She finished formal koan study in 1983 and she was given Dharma transmission (authorization to teach) that same year. Following the death of Maezumi, Roshi in 1995 she has continued her training with Shodo Harada, Roshi, a Rinzai Zen teacher and the abbot of Sogen-ji monastery in Japan. [embed]https://youtu.be/wJyB3-8KXNk[/embed] Since 1985 Chozen, Roshi has been the teacher for Zen Community of Oregon. In 2002 she helped to found Great Vow Zen Monastery and is the co-abbot. In 2011 she also helped found Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, Oregon. She has published many articles about Zen in the periodicals Tricycle and Buddhadharma. Her first book, Jizo Bodhisattva, Modern Healing and Traditional Buddhist Practice (Tuttle, 2002), has been re-issued in paperback as Jizo Bodhisattva, Guardian of Children, Women and Other Voyagers by Shambhala. She is the author of How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness (Shambhala, 2011), and Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food (Shambala 2011). Chozen, Roshi is also pediatrician, mother, and wife.

Hogen Bays, Roshi

Hogen Bays, Roshi began practicing in 1968 with Philip Kapleau, Roshi and was part of the residential staff at Zen Center of Rochester in Rochester, New York until 1975. He lived and trained at Zen Center of Los Angeles under the direction of Taizan Maezumi, Roshi from 1980-1984. In 1990 he took priest’s ordination with Maezumi, Roshi. After advice and consultation with Harada, Roshi and other Zen teachers, in 2000 he received Dharma Transmission from Chozen, Roshi. Since 1990 Hogen has continued his Zen studies with Rinzai Zen teacher Shodo Harada, Roshi, abbot of Sogen-ji monastery in Japan and One Drop Zendo in Tahoma, Washington. He has been a leader of Zen Community of Oregon since 1985 and worked full-time for the sangha since 1997. He is co-abbot of Great Vow Zen Monastery. Hogen holds a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) and Master’s Degree (MS) in Psychology. He worked for the Oregon Department of Corrections for 15 years. Hogen is a lifelong and devoted student of the Dharma and continues to broaden his practice by studying with teachers outside the Zen tradition.

Larry Fuho Trussell

Larry Fuho Trussell has been practicing Zen since 1976, and received Lay Transmission from Chozen and Hogen Roshi in 2015. Fuho is the lead teacher on Sunday mornings at Heart of Wisdom. He is one of the sesshin leaders in ZCO. He works as a research scientist and is married with one grown son.

Details of this retreat

The light of the Buddha's awakening has not dimmed. This very moment, alive, awake and luminous. Each year people from all over the world gather to celebrate, to sit in stillness and to be nourished by this truth. All over the world people join in the ritual of Rohatsu sesshin. This sesshin is the culmination of a year of practice and is also the culmination of our fall Ango practice period.

At many centers and monasteries, this is the most valued sesshin of the year, and may be the only one that many people are able to attend.

We are honored to have Hogen and Chozen Roshi, stepping forward again and again, to help guide us through the trenches and pitfalls, joys and sorrows of our own minds as we partake once again in this sacred ritual.

This sesshin starts on Sunday evening and ends the following Sunday afternoon. It is historically one of our more rigorous sesshin--we are early to bed and early to rise. Be inspired by this global effort to awaken fully and help bring others to awakening! Together!

Sesshin is a rigorous and, at times, challenging 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.

$50 deposit holds your space; balance due on arrival.

Tentative Schedule: Monday -Saturday

3:50 Wake Up

4:30 Zazen

6:50 Service

7:30 Oryoki Breakfast

9:00 Work Practice

10:20 End Work

11:00 Zazen

12:20 Service

12:30 Lunch

3:00 Zazen

3:30 Teisho

5:20 Service

5:30 Dinner

7:00 Zazen

9:20 Formal Tea

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

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

Accommodation

Retreat Fee

Retreat Fee (ZCO member)

online only

online only (scholarship rate)

Customer Reviews

4.92 out of 5.0 average rating

Megan • May 12, 2024

5.0

Verified

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.

Anonymous • May 12, 2024

5.0

Verified

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.

Anonymous • May 12, 2024

5.0

Verified

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.

Mark • May 08, 2024

5.0

Verified

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.

Gina • Apr 22, 2024

4.0

Verified

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.

Sesshin - Rohatsu

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi

Hogen Bays, Roshi

Larry Fuho Trussell

Details of this retreat

Schedule

Getting Here

Accommodation

Customer Reviews

Megan • May 12, 2024

Zen Practice- One Day Workshop

Anonymous • May 12, 2024

Great retreat. Plan to do more with Zen Community of Oregon

Anonymous • May 12, 2024

Investigating Zen Practice

Mark • May 08, 2024

Sit. Breathe. Listen.

Gina • Apr 22, 2024

April seshin 2024 online particpation

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