Retreat Cabin Application
Open Dates
Great Vow Zen Monastery
The retreat hut is available only to those who have already participated in a weekend retreat or longer here at the 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…
Inner Critic Workshop
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
May 23, 2026
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
This retreat will bring together parts work modality (i.e. IFS, Voice Dialogue) with Buddhist meditation practices to amplify understanding, empathy and dis-identification from parts, specifically the inner critic and perfectionist, that hinder our unfolding. Sessions will be a mix of silent and guided sitting meditation and group facilitations where participants directly explore parts of themselves such as those listed above. This is for anyone with an aspiration for a liberated heart or who wishes to address obstacles to Dharma practice and self-understanding. First time and experienced meditators are welcome and will find insight and nourishment. In-person only. Saturday May 23rd from 9 am - 5:30 pm (Lunch will be provided.)
Holding Power Wisely: Ethics, Boundaries, and Care in Buddhist Teaching Relationships
With Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi, Lama Lekshe, Laura Jomon Martin and Patrick Bansho Green
May 28 - 30, 2026
Great Vow Zen Monastery
Holding Power Wisely is a two-day, residential applied ethics workshop for Dharma teachers, teachers-in-training, and others who hold positions of spiritual teaching authority within Buddhist communities. Teachers may also send students with possible teaching responsibilities on their development horizon. Since teaching relationships carry inherent power, even when grounded in sincere intention and deep practice, the asymmetry of teacher–student roles creates conditions where vulnerability, projection, emotional dependency, desire, grief, or confusion can arise—overtly or subtly—often during challenging periods of personal difficulty or transition. Without shared language, training, and trusted peer support, these moments can escalate into boundary violations that cause real…
ZCO Annual Meeting
May 31, 2026
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple and Online
Every year, ZCO has our Annual Membership Meeting, and everyone is invited, whether or not you are a member. Come and learn about how this organization operates. During this year's meeting, we will: Introduce the ZCO Board of Directors and Officers. Learn about the financial health of the organization. Receive yearly overviews of Great Vow, Heart of Wisdom, Trillium House, and Plum Blossom Zendo. Committees will chime in about their work. Vote on a new board member. Hear from Bansho about his time training in Japan. Encouraging words from our abbots and founding teachers, Chozen and Hogen Bays. We…
Swords into Blossoms: The Alchemy of Stopping and Seeing
With Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei and Danica Shoan Ankele, Sensei
June 4 - 7, 2026
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
On the night of his enlightenment, the Buddha was confronted by Mara, a trickster figure embodying forces that sought to pull him away from awakening. Remaining firmly seated, the Buddha met these forces with stillness and awareness. Mara dissolved, and the Buddha awakened to his true nature. Why does this ancient story remain central to the Buddhist path? It reveals the two essential aspects of meditation practice: stopping and seeing. In Zen, stopping is cultivated through the stillness of zazen—steady presence and non-reactivity. Seeing is the capacity to notice thoughts and emotions as they arise without becoming entangled in them. When we meet…
16 Bodhisattva Precepts Online Class Series
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
June 7 - July 12, 2026
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.
Investigating Zen Practice: A One-Day Workshop
With Darah Shonin Ashton, Ed Gensho Welsh and Kosho Ault
June 13, 2026
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Experience an Introduction to Zen Practice through the Ten Directions. This one-day in-person workshop at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple 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 These workshops fill with waitlists. If you are not coming, please let us know ASAP so we can give your spot to someone else. Suggested donation includes a vegetarian/vegan lunch.…
Solstice Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat
With Ed Gensho Welsh
June 20, 2026
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.
Five-Day Silent Chan Retreat led by Guo Gu
With Guo Gu
June 23 - 27, 2026
Great Vow Zen Monastery
Tuesday June 23 – Saturday June 27, 2026 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…
Summer Residency Program 2026
July 7 - August 16, 2026
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.
Five Buddhist Precepts for Ethical Living – Online
With Darah Shonin Ashton
July 8 - August 12, 2026
Online
These 1 hour 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.
Beginner’s Mind Weekend Meditation Retreat
With Myoyu Haley Voekel and Onshin Landry
July 10 - 12, 2026
Great Vow Zen Monastery
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 retreat schedule includes about seven hours of sitting meditation (with breaks), Buddhist chanting services, formal oryoki meals, and a period of community work practice. On the first evening the retreat leaders will give thorough instruction on the foundations and methods of Zen meditation. Opportunities to meet with a teacher or senior practitioner to discuss…
City Refuge Retreat
With Kodo Conover
July 16 - 18, 2026
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple will be offering an extended opportunity for retreat practice in the city. This three-day non-residential retreat will include many of the elements you’ll find in sesshin.
July Sesshin
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei, Patrick Bansho Green and Myoyu Haley Voekel
July 20 - 26, 2026
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.
Heart of the Mountain Sesshin: A Backpacking Sesshin at the Bells Mountain
With Sara Shinei Monial and Danney Soten Lynch
August 2 - 9, 2026
Bell's Mountain Dharma Center
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.
Grasses, Trees, and the Great Earth Sesshin
With Amy Kisei, Sensei and Myoyu Haley Voekel
August 10 - 16, 2026
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…
Summer Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat
With Darah Shonin Ashton
August 15, 2026
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.
Chant for Peace at Heart of Wisdom
August 22, 2026
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Interfaith 12 Hour Chant for Peace DATE: Saturday, August 22, 2026 TIME: 9:00am - 9:00pm LOCATION: Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple ADDRESS: 6401 NE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97211, USA Awake with a passion for inner and global transformation, this 12-hour chanting vigil is a celebration of our spiritual aspirations to see the Sacred in every person, and to live Unconditional Love. This is an Interfaith event. Each hour of the Chant for Peace is led by a different spiritual tradition. We form one community and join our voices together. Chanting is spiritually potent medicine. It aligns heart and mind, connects us…
Walking Mountain Pilgrimage Sesshin with Bells Mountain
With Sara Shinei Monial and Danney Soten Lynch
August 29 - September 12, 2026
Pacific Northwest (exact location TBD)
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 8 - 13, 2026
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.…
Equinox Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
September 12, 2026
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.
Oceans of Compassion: A Retreat In Service To The Earth
With Laura Jomon Martin and Kodo Conover
September 17 - 20, 2026
Offsite: Beverly Beach State Park
In conjunction with SOLVE’s Oregon Beach Cleanup activities, you’re invited to join the Zen Community of Oregon for a weekend CAMPING/MEDITATION retreat at BEVERLY BEACH STATE PARK. Take a weekend on the coast to connect with the Sangha. With a relaxed schedule and opportunity for socializing, there will be sitting times, Dharma talks, and practices to take with you into the clean-up.
New Member Tea at Great Vow Zen Monastery
September 19, 2026
Great Vow Zen Monastery
Calling New Members~ The ZCO membership committee joyfully invites you to join us at our New Member Tea! New member tea is open to ZCO members who joined in the 2025/2026 calendar year. Come connect, make new friends, tour the temple, learn about ways to practice and the organization as a whole. It's a great opportunity to ask questions! Please RSVP so we can provide enough tea, coffee, and lunch. 10:15 - arrival 10:30 - Tour 11:00 - Q & A 12:30 - Chanting Service 12:45 Lunch ** optional hike around the grounds after lunch if the weather is nice.…
Investigating Zen Practice: A One-Day Workshop
With Darah Shonin Ashton, Ed Gensho Welsh and Kosho Ault
September 19, 2026
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Experience an Introduction to Zen Practice through the Ten Directions. This one-day in-person workshop at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple 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 These workshops fill with waitlists. If you are not coming, please let us know ASAP so we can give your spot to someone else. Suggested donation includes a vegetarian/vegan lunch.…
Soul of the Mountain Sesshin: A Backpacking Sesshin at Bells Mountain
With Sara Shinei Monial and Danney Soten Lynch
September 26 - October 3, 2026
Bell's Mountain Dharma Center
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.
October Sesshin – The Ancient Way
With Hogen Bays, Roshi, Patrick Bansho Green and Darah Shonin Ashton
October 8 - 18, 2026
Great Vow Zen Monastery or Online
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…
Autumn Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat
With Laura Jomon Martin
October 24, 2026
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.
City Refuge Retreat
With Larry Fuho Trussell
November 5 - 7, 2026
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple
Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple will be offering an extended opportunity for retreat practice in the city. This three-day non-residential retreat will include many of the elements you’ll find in sesshin.
November Sesshin – Gratitude
With Jogen Salzberg, Sensei, Patrick Bansho Green and Anusha Enryu Fernando
November 9 - 15, 2026
Great Vow Zen Monastery
With gratitude for our beloved sangha near and far, 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 manifest our meals. We will otherwise…
December Sesshin – Rohatsu
With Hogen Bays, Roshi, Larry Fuho Trussell and Darah Shonin Ashton
December 6 - 13, 2026
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…
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