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Grasses, Trees, and the Great Earth Sesshin

Location icon
79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA
Date
August 11 - 17, 2025

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

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 at Great Vow Zen Monastery. Due to this retreat being held mostly outdoors, we are not planning a Zoom option for attending this retreat.

Lodging is dormitory style, however for this retreat we will open up a tent camping area. Please bring your own tent and sleeping bag if you would like to sleep outside.

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.

Please plan on attending the whole sesshin.
$50 deposit holds your space; balance due on arrival.

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

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

Accommodation

Event fee
Event fee (ZCO member rate)

Customer Reviews

4.91 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Great Vow Work!
I really enjoyed the guidance and framing on this retreat.

I also very much enjoyed the cultural diversity and feel it really added to the richness of discussion. Very much a highlight for me.

5.0
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Reflections
I attended the Life Vows Weekend Retreat. The Retreat provided a balance of private and shared time that allowed me to fully engage in creating my first Vow. The leaders and attendees were very welcoming and supportive. After a long hiatus away from Zen Community of Oregon, it was a wonderful way to start the New Year and reconnect with my self and others. .

5.0
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HOME HERMITAGE WITH JOGEN NOVEMBER 2024
I appreciated the pace and offerings by Jogen in this Home Retreat. It gave me an opportunity to treat the daylong time and space with care and awareness and consider how to make such care a practice.
Thank you.
Judy Todd
Portland Oregon

5.0
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Contemplative Jizo Ceremony
My heart is finally at peace after participating in the Jizo Ceremony. I've held on to the grief for over 40 years and it has been released. I really appreciated spending time to create a sacred garment to drape over one of the Jizo statues. It kept my mind focused on the love that I felt in my heart for the children I had lost. The pre-ceremony was held in silence so the group could be with their feelings. The actual ceremony was emotional and yet very peaceful beneath the parent tree in the Jizo Garden. What a gift that anyone of any religious background can attend these ceremonies. Thank you, namaste, with gratitude and appreciation πŸ™

5.0
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Beautiful experience
I had never visited Great Vow before attending the week-long summer "Grasses, Trees & The Great Earth" sesshin. I could not be happier that I went. The personality of Great Vow is very warm while also peaceful and quiet. I would highly recommend the outdoor grasses & trees sesshin. It was magical in a different way from an indoor zendo sesshin. We sat in a great big circle and Kisei and Kodo were wonderful as our teachers.

Thank you πŸ™

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