Loving Kindness

Greetings, Practitioners!

Doing a retreat at home can be empowering, take up the practice in your own home and know the peace and clarity of mind in your own dwelling place! To support doing home retreat we recommend doing the following:

1. Reflect on your intention
2. Create a sacred space with a simple altar and meditation supports in a clean room that allows for calm/peace of mind
3. Commit to a schedule, we have a schedule posted below. We ask that you commit to at least 4 hours of meditation a day. Part-time attendance is welcome. Join for a day, the weekend or the whole week. Please let us know the dates you plan to attend.
4. Give up or reduce media, phone and extra computer use for the duration of the retreat
5. Keep the practice going during the “breaks” by engaging with Mindful Eating during meals and choosing simple work (gardening, cleaning, etc.), body practice/exercise (walking, yoga, qi gong) or creative projects that support your meditation practice/intention.
6. Consider being in silence for the whole retreat or practicing silence for specific periods during the day.
7. If you live with others, communicate with them what your intention is for this week of practice and ask them to support you

Please email Gensei (Gensei@zendust.org) if you have any questions. 

The orientation session begins Monday at 8:00PM PT. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Sending you blessings for a fruitful sesshin!

Morning service: Alternate between Service A (page 8) and Service B (page 20)

Noon Service:  Metta Sutta

Evening Service: liberation from all obstructions

Closing Chant: Torei Zenji’s Bodhisattva Vows 

Meal Chant and Work Chant: See Above. You’re invited to join in our tradition of chanting before each meal and before work. 

This is the link to connect to the zendo. The zoom meeting will be started at 5:00 AM and left running all day. You are welcome to join before the meditation period officially begins and get settled in your meditation space. 

There will be opportunities during the week to connect with the retreat leaders as a group. These meetings are optional, but you are strongly encouraged to attend

Thanks for joining this Sesshin! Any changes to the schedule or updates about group sanzen will be posted here. 

Monday Night

8:30 Zazen/Opening Talk

 

Tuesday – Saturday

5:00 Zazen
6:50 Chanting Service

11:00 Zazen
12:20 Chanting Service

3:00 walk
3:30 Teisho (Dharma Talk)
~4:40 Zazen/Group Sanzen
5:20 Chanting Service

7:00 Zazen
9:20 Formal Tea / Closing Chant / Yaza (Night Sitting)

 

Sunday Morning

6:00 Zazen/Closing Remarks
8:30 Closing Circle
10:00 Sunday Program Chanting Service/Zazen
11:30 Dharma Talk

Kisei Raksu

Amy Kisei Costenbader

Retreat Leader
kisei@zendust.org

Patrick Bansho Green, Zen Teacher

Patrick Bansho Green

Retreat Leader
bansho@zendust.org

Gensei Doug Hull

Retreat Co-ordinator
gensei@zendust.org