Retreat Cabin Application
Open Dates
Great Vow Zen Monastery
The monastery retreat cabin rests on the edge of our 23 acres of forest. Though, just a short walk to the monastery buildings, it has a feeling of a forest hermitage. Equipped with running water, electricity, a small kitchenette with electric stovetop and small refrigerator and a compost toilet it is an ideal location for doing short solo retreat practice. You will have access to our forest trail system, beautiful meadows and gardens, as well as the privacy for solo meditation and dharma study. The intention of the retreat hut is to provide practice support for those looking to deepen…
16 Bodhisattva Precepts Online Classes
With Larry Fuho Trussell
March 5 - April 9, 2023
Online
The beginning and end of our practice is ethical living; acting, speaking and thinking in ways that support the greatest wellbeing and awakening for all beings. Anyone who has taken the 5 Precepts Class can take this class, whether you have already formally taken the precepts, are considering taking the precepts, or you are simply curious about the ethical guidelines that rest at the foundation of Zen practice.
March Sesshin – Deep Listening
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei and Anusha Enryu Fernando
March 17 - 26, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
Awareness meeting sound has been a gate into the depths of the heart-mind for as long as human beings hve longed to open. During this sesshin we come together in joyous recognition of the power of deep listening, and sink into the rhythms of our wild, wonderful and mysterious life.
Transforming the Inner Critic – Saturday workshop
With Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi
March 24 - 25, 2023
Heart of Wisdom
**This is the first time Chozen Roshi has brought this event to Portland.** Everyone has an Inner Critic. Sometimes experienced as an inner voice of clear criticism and judgement, directed inside or at others. Sometimes experienced energetically or wordlessly. When out of balance the Inner Critic has the potential to destroy relationships, turn our mind towards anxiety and depression, sap our physical energy and undermine our spiritual practice, creativity and careers. Yet the Inner Critic is not the enemy. It contains the wisdom of discernment. Rather than try to destroy or silence this powerful voice, our work is to become…
Spring Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat
April 1, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
A Zazenkai is a day of Zen practice in the city. Join us for a silent day of meditation (seated and walking), chanting, mindful eating, temple care-taking, and a dharma talk. We close the day with a ceremony to renewing our intention to live an ethical life.
Spring Practice Period: Awakening with the Earth
April 4 - May 28, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery
Spring at Great Vow Zen Monastery is beautiful. The fruit tree blossoms open towards the heavens, the forest is abuzz with new insects, birds and tree frogs are waking up from their winter slumber, and daffodils, poppies, irises and tulips paint the world. With the natural world springing to life with such exubrance and force, residency at the monastery inclines towards the out of doors. We dedicate more of our daily practice to the care and maintenance of our garden and grounds. This includes maintaining our trails and caring for native trees in our forest to planting veggies in…
When Bad News is Good News: Living in Harmony with What Is
With Hogen Bays, Roshi
April 6 - 9, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
Our practice is a continual invitation to expand our view. As our view expands, we no longer live tethered to our preferences and judgements and even the most tumultuous and challenging circumstances can become opportunities for deep insight and possibility. Living awake in this world is living on the brink of tenderness. As a human species and planet we are undergoing a time of great uncertainty and change, as a nation we are experiencing polarization and reckoning with the systems of injustice and oppression. Living through this time of change can elicit confusion, anxiety, grief, anger, rage and fear. Compassion…
April Sesshin: This is a Dream
With Amy Kisei, Sensei
April 17 - 23, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
"Now think of what is without thought. How can you think of it? Be Before Thinking. This is the essence of zazen. Shatter obstacles and become intimate with Awakening Awareness." - Keizan Zenji More details about this sesshin will be added soon)
Five Buddhist Precepts for Ethical Living: Online Class Series
With Darah Shonin Ashton
May 3 - June 7, 2023
Online
These one hour online 5 Precepts classes will happen every Wednesday for six weeks. We all want to live a compassionate life. The precepts give us a framework for what it means to live an ethical life. More then a set of rules to follow, the precepts are deep inquiries into the actual living of our lives with attention and love. The format is an introductory talk followed by class discussion. Participants will be encouraged to do a short writing on each precept and practice with the precept during the week. There are also some supplemental readings.
Lovingkindness: Tibetan Buddhist Practices for Uncovering Essence-Love
With Lama Lekshe
May 4 - 7, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
In this weekend retreat, we’ll explore meditations drawn from the words and spirit of two beloved sutras* and advice from the great Nyingma master, Longchenpa. We’ll work at the intersection of shamatha and mind/heart training to familiarize ourselves with view, meditation and actions that will help us recognize the spiritual opportunity inherent in moments of chaos and fear.
Service to the Temple: A Half-day of Zazen & Volunteering
May 6, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Working together is part of our spiritual practice, and allows us to honor and care for the sacred space that Heart of Wisdom provides in our city. Please join with community for this morning of practice and work together. There is work available for all skills and abilities. Bring something to share for lunch. Tentative schedule 9:00 to 9:50 Morning meditation 10:00 to 11:50 Work practice 12:00 to 1:00 Lunch & socializing Everyone is invited, please email how@zendust.org or sign up at the work board at Heart of Wisdom. Come for all or part of the day. Projects Include: Gardening …
Jizo Ceremony for Children Who Have Died
With Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi
May 13, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery
The loss of a child often opens a well of profound grief. No matter how the child dies, suddenly or slowly, whether through illness, accident, miscarriage, abortion, or suicide, our sorrow is deep and may be long-lasting.
May Sesshin – The Light of our Ancestors
With Hogen Bays, Roshi
May 15 - 21, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
Zen is a direct Mind to Mind transmission--a transmission of light. We study with teachers who help us recognize and embody our awakened wisdom and compassion. During this sesshin, we will connect with our roots and draw strength from the stories of those who have come before us. Our ancestors are real people, walking the path of their lives and opening the Dharma truths - just as we aspire to do. Join us for this intimate week of practice. Sesshin is a rigorous and, at times, challenging silent meditation retreat that is not recommended for beginners. In order to attend…
Deepening Mind Weekend Meditation Retreat
With Hogen Bays, Roshi
May 26 - 28, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery
The best thing we can do for our practice is continue. This retreat is a wonderful refresher for those who have attended a Beginner's Mind Retreat and a nice dip for seasoned practitioners who would like to spend a weekend held in the Great Vow practice container. Those new to practice are also welcome. The teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism empower us to live our lives wholeheartedly with openness, insight and compassion. During this weekend retreat we follow a silent retreat schedule, which allows us to temporarily put aside outside concerns and go deeply into inner work. The silent…
Investigating Zen Practice: a one-day workshop
June 3, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Experience an Introduction to Zen Practice through the Ten Directions. This one-day in-person workshop is for beginners or those who want to dive deeper into Zen practice. Learn how to practice using ancient methods that are applicable in today’s world: Meditation and sitting with stability Mindfulness practice off the cushion Chanting Mindful eating Work practice Stillness Walking meditation Koans Tradition and ritual Dharma teachings Lunch is included. Your RSVP helps us know how much lunch to prepare.
June Sesshin – Loving Kindness
With Laura Jomon Martin and Patrick Bansho Green
June 5 - 11, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
Our Original Heart is always open. Loving Kindness practice can help dispel fear and anxiety, that prevents us from experiencing the ease and joy of the present moment. This is not a complacent practice but a call to honest intimacy with ourselves and the world in which we live. Join us for this meditation retreat where we immerse ourselves in the teachings and practices of Loving Kindness. This Sesshin will take place both in-person at Great Vow Zen Monastery and Online. Sesshin is a rigorous and, at times, challenging silent meditation retreat that is not recommended for beginners. In order…
Six-Day Chan Retreat with Guo Gu
With Guo Gu
June 19 - 25, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
This retreat is offered both in person and on Zoom. In the Chan tradition, there are two main approaches to awakening: the method of silent illumination (mòzhào) and investigating a critical phrase (huàtóu). The former is a settling method of serene reflection on the nature of awareness; the latter is an explosive approach that aims to concentrate and shatter all mental states so awakening manifests. Retreat practice is an excellent way to deepen our practice, as it allows practitioners to engage with the meditation method in a sustained, focused way under a protected environment with a retreat teacher. Practitioners receive guidance on issues or experiences that wouldn't…
Summer Residency Program 2023
July 6 - August 20, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery
The Summer Program at Great Vow Zen Monastery is an opportunity to plunge into Zen practice with the support of community and teachers, and to taste the benefits of calming the mind and opening the heart. Our Summer Program is a special part of our on-going residential program at the monastery. It is designed to give you a genuine immersion in Zen practice, through the practices of meditation, mindful eating. ritual/liturgy, movement practices (yoga/qi gong), and temple work.
July Sesshin – Cultivating the Empty Field
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
July 17 - 23, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery
Summer is bright and alive. The sun hangs high in the sky, illuminating the earth with unflinching clarity. What wisdom does a warm summer day offer? Everything is laid bare before the luminous rays of the sun. In this meditation immersion, we will endeavor to study the self, forget the self and glimpse Buddha Nature, opening in silent communion with this community of human and non- human beings. This is our collective awakening.
Summer Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat
July 22, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
A Zazenkai is a day of Zen practice in the city. Join us for a silent day of meditation (seated and walking), chanting, mindful eating, temple care-taking, and a dharma talk. We close the day with a ceremony to renewing our intention to live an ethical life.
Seeing Through Obstacles – Inner Critic, Perfectionist and More…
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
July 28 - 30, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery
“Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.” – W. Whitman Transformation of our hearts and minds has never been more vital. The very possibility for future humans to experience Truth, Beauty and Goodness is up in the air! And yet, most of us have significant challenges following through with our aspirations and continuing through the ups and downs that come with committed Dharma work. This retreat will bring together Parts Work modality (i.e. IFS, Voice Dialogue) with Buddhist meditation practices to amplify understanding and dis-identify from ‘voices’ or ‘selves’ that hinder our…
Grasses, Trees, and the Great Earth Sesshin
With Amy Kisei, Sensei and Kodo Conover
August 14 - 20, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery
Earth body, sky heart. Rooted and flowing. Luminous and open. We are made of earth and sky, of wind breath and rain song, our lives woven from the teachings of the natural world. This retreat is an opportunity to re-connect and relax into the wild, ancient, wisdom of the Grasses, Trees and Great Earth. We will spend time learning from each of the five elements, as they manifest in our experience. Deeply exploring and releasing into our interconnection with the living, breathing body of the Earth, waters, energizing air, bright fiery sun, and vast spacious sky. This retreat is held…
Wilderness Backpacking Sesshin: a weeklong meditation retreat
With Danney Soten Lynch and Kosho Ault
September 10 - 17, 2023
Mt. Hood Wilderness (Wy'east)
This retreat will be held in the Mt. Hood Wilderness, Oregon. Previous meditation retreat and backpacking experience is highly recommended. Immerse yourself in the silent wisdom of the forest, mountains, and sky. Allow these wild places to awaken within you and inform how you experience and embody this life.
Jizo Sesshin
With Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi and Laura Jomon Martin
September 12 - 17, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery - In Person Only
This retreat begins on Tuesday! This retreat will focus on the qualities of Jizo Bodhisattva, guardian of all that comes from the earth, and Jizo’s qualities – benevolence, optimism, fearlessness, determination, and vow. A unique element of this retreat is the inclusion of time devoted to art projects, creative time, and a slide show and talk about Jizo. As part of our practice, we will be making small Jizo-related items. Due to the nature of this retreat schedule, we will be sitting outside and also out of the zendo to make art, there will not be an online option.…
Wilderness Backpacking Sesshin: Resting in Wild Spaces
With Sara Shinei Monial and Kurt Hoelting
September 24 - October 1, 2023
Mt. Hood (Wy'east) Wilderness Oregon
Previous meditation retreat and backpacking experience is highly recommended. Immerse yourself in the silent wisdom of the forest, mountains, and sky. Allow these wild places to awaken within you and inform how you experience and embody this life.
Investigating Zen Practice: a one-day workshop
September 30, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Experience an Introduction to Zen Practice through the Ten Directions This one-day in-person workshop is for beginners or those who want to dive deeper into Zen practice. Learn how to practice using ancient methods that are applicable in today’s world: Meditation and sitting with stability Mindfulness practice off the cushion Chanting Mindful eating Work practice Stillness Walking meditation Koans Tradition and ritual Dharma teachings Lunch is included. Your RSVP helps us know how much lunch to prepare.
Five Buddhist Precepts for Ethical Living: Online Class Series
October 4 - November 8, 2023
Online
These one hour online 5 Precepts classes will happen every Wednesday for six weeks. We all want to live a compassionate life. The precepts give us a framework for what it means to live an ethical life. More then a set of rules to follow, the precepts are deep inquiries into the actual living of our lives with attention and love. The format is an introductory talk followed by class discussion. Participants will be encouraged to do a short writing on each precept and practice with the precept during the week. There are also some supplemental readings.
Service to the Temple: A Half-day of Zazen & Volunteering
October 7, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Working together is part of our spiritual practice, and allows us to honor and care for the sacred space that Heart of Wisdom provides in our city. Please join with community for this morning of practice and work together. There is work available for all skills and abilities. Bring something to share for lunch. Tentative schedule 9:00 to 9:50 Morning meditation 10:00 to 11:50 Work practice 12:00 to 1:00 Lunch & socializing Everyone is invited, please email how@zendust.org or sign up at the work board at Heart of Wisdom. Come for all or part of the day. Projects Include: Gardening …
October Sesshin – The Ancient Way
With Hogen Bays, Roshi
October 12 - 22, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
There is something very special about the magic of autumn and the kicking off of the fall 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…
Autumn Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat
October 28, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
A Zazenkai is a day of Zen practice in the city. Join us for a silent day of meditation (seated and walking), chanting, mindful eating, temple care-taking, and a dharma talk. We close the day with a ceremony to renewing our intention to live an ethical life.
November Sesshin – Generosity
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei and Larry Fuho Trussell
November 6 - 12, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
With gratitude for our beloved sangha near and far, in person and on zoom, the Monastery joyfully offers another sesshin. This sesshin has no set price. All are welcome to attend, and donations from the heart are welcome. During this week of practice, we will eat only the offerings brought to us specifically for this retreat. So food donations, while always welcome, are particularly helpful! Bring food that you like to eat, bring food that will challenge our kitchen team and cook. The head cook (tenzo) will need to dive into creativity and allow the surprises of each donation…
Half-Day Zazen Retreat
November 18, 2023
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple and Online
If you use your mind to study reality, you won’t understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you’ll understand both. -Bodhidharma This Ango check-in is a half day of Zen practice and an opportunity to share reflections on your Ango (traditional intensive period of practice) experience and ask a teacher questions about it. Join us for a silent half day of meditation (seated and walking), chanting, and interaction with community and teachers. During this half day of practice we’ll sit facing the wall, embodying the spirit of Bodhidharma’s Zazen. This retreat is held…
December Sesshin – Rohatsu
With Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi and Hogen Bays, Roshi
December 3 - 10, 2023
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
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…