Sesshin Information (Hybrid Zen Meditation Retreats)
Sesshin is the traditional silent Zen meditation retreat that includes 5-8 hours of seated meditation per full day, walking meditation to offer breaks between 25-40 minute periods of meditation, samu (work practice) to lean to carry meditation into everyday life, Dharma talks by the teachers and assistant teachers, optional 1:1 private interviews with the teachers, 3 meals per day and a snack/tea table, and a small amount of free time for resting.
Currently, our sesshins are offered in hybrid form (in-person or virtual). Join part-time or full-time. Please do not let an inability to meet the suggested donation restrict your involvement. We understand; please join!
Requirement: All participants attending in-person must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Daytime In-person Participants ($65/day)
Virtual Participants ($30-50/day)
Overnight In-person Participants ($80/night)*
*Overnight accommodations are currently not available for weekend sesshins except in specific limited situations for out-of-town members. Overnight accommodations will be available for 7-day retreats for a limited number of participants (members will have priority). In-person participants are encouraged to use their own homes (if local) or nearby hotels, B&Bs, VRBOs, or Air B&Bs.
Meals will be provided by GMZC for in-person participation. The meals are vegan and gluten free, other than some items which are served on the side such as bread and hard-boiled eggs. If you have specific dietary restrictions beyond this, please bring food for yourself. We have some refrigerator space you can use if needed.
SUMMER 7-DAY SESSHIN SCHEDULE
WEEKEND SESSHIN SCHEDULE – HYBRID
BEGINNER’S MIND ZAZENKAI SCHEDULE
ROHATSU VIRTUAL SCHEDULE
NEW YEAR’S SESSHIN SCHEDULE – HYBRID
Please register to join a retreat. Go to: REGISTER.
Use this link to join virtual programming: https://zoom.us/j/373766642
See the Sample Itinerary for sesshins below. For detailed weekend and week-long sesshin schedules, download the above PDFs.
First Night
7:00pm Zazen meditation & opening talk
7:40pm Kinhin walking meditation
7:50pm Zazen meditation
7:20pm Kinhin
7:30pm Zazen
8:50pm Four Bodhisattva Vows
Full Day(s)
5:30-8:00am Zazen, Kinhin, Dokusan
8:00 Breakfast & rest on own
9:15-9:53 Chanting Service, Zazen
10:00 Dharma Talk
11:15-12:30pm Zazen, Kinhin (Samu for in-person participants)
12:30 Lunch and Samu work practice (attend to chores in your own home)
2:30 Stretching
3:10-5:00 Zazen, Kinhin & Dokusan
5:00 Dinner & rest
6:30-8:50 Zazen, Kinhin, Dokusan
Final Day
5:30-8am Zazen, Kinhin, Dokusan
8:00 Breakfast & Samu work practice (attend to chores in your own home)
8:45 Samu (work practice)
9:45-10:20 Zazen & Kinhin
10:30 Closing Circle
Guidelines for Virtual Engagement
- Mute and Unmute. Please mute your Zoom profile during zazen and chanting. Only unmute during dokusan, opening circle, and closing circle. When chanting, there is a delay in the streaming and the chants are off. Only the residents in the zendo will be heard for chanting.
- Be early. Please connect to Zoom and be in your seats 5 minutes before periods of zazen and for Dharma talks. This way, we can pass on important information, updates, and manage dokusan.
- Dokusan. At the beginning of a period of zazen that will include dokusan, you will be asked by the Jisha (most likely Mui) to open the chat box and write your name or “I do” so that the Roshis and Yugen can have a list of people who want dokusan. The Roshis will facilitate the movement of folks from the zendo to the breakout/dokusan room.
Suggestions for Deepening Practice Virtually
- SmartPhone. Make a commitment to turn your phone off for the entire retreat, or for certain parts of the sesshin.
- Reading & Television. Make a commitment not to read or watch television during the entire sesshin.
- Noble Silence. Make a commitment to remain silent, except for dokusan, chanting, and the closing circle. Have a conversation with your partner/roommate to come to an agreement.
- Meals. Prep your meals ahead of time so that you are not rushed during meal times.
- Chanting Service. Print the Chanting Service so you can read along and see the residents perform the service, or use your other screen (phone, iPad, etc.). LITURGY
- Formal Wear. It may help your mindset to change out of your night pajamas into your day pajamas, or your lay robes, or samue, or at last something that fits the standard etiquette of the zendo, which is dull, dark, comfortable clothes that cover the shoulders and the knees.