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Summer Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat

Location icon
6401 Northeast 10th Avenue, Portland, OR, USA
Date
July 19, 2025

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

Zazen is going right into the Ocean of Awareness, manifesting the body of all Buddhas. The natural luminosity of mind suddenly reveals itself and the original light is everywhere. -Keizan Zenji

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.

Suggested donation includes a vegetarian/vegan lunch. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Your registration helps us know how much lunch to prepare.

This retreat is held in silence.

7:30 a.m. Zazen
9:00 a.m. Service
9:30 a.m. Break
10:00 a.m. Work Circle (work practice includes cleaning, cooking, or gardening.
11:00 a.m. Zazen
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Zazen
2:00 p.m. Dharma Talk / Interviews
3:00 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Zazen
5:00 p.m. Closing Circle and Temple Cleaning

Please note: This is an approximation; Zazenkai schedules may vary.

Schedule

This retreat is held in silence.

7:30 a.m. Zazen
9:00 a.m. Service
9:30 a.m. Break
10:00 a.m. Work Circle (work practice includes cleaning, cooking, or gardening.
11:00 a.m. Zazen
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Zazen
2:00 p.m. Dharma Talk / Interviews
3:00 p.m. Break
3:30 p.m. Zazen
5:00 p.m. Closing Circle
5:30 p.m. Temple Cleaning

Please note: This is an approximation; Zazenkai schedules may vary.
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Location icon Zen Community of Oregon, 6401 Northeast 10th Avenue, Portland, OR, USA

Accommodation

Customer Reviews

4.92 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Gratitude and Full of Dharma Joy
This was a seven-day silent retreat that was challenging both physically and mentally. I learned a lot and my heart was filled with gratitude and joy.

I was surprised and amazed that there are still koans being practiced in modern times. We are initially pushed toward letting go of our carefully guarded egos.

I am very grateful to the three teachers for teaching their own experiences and practice methods with us. Zen Teacher Fuho said: The greatest purpose of being born as a human being is to achieve enlightenment. When practicing, one breath after another, one phrase after another, you should never give up your original intention of achieving enlightenment.

Chozen Rosi emphasizes the use of powerful physical breathing techniques to achieve a state of mindlessness in practice. Rogen Rosi said: You have to love to continue to meditate with practicing breathing techniques like this. On the last night, Zen Teacher Fuho said It is a great gift that Chozen Rosi has given us an opportunity to meditate silently together in the meditation hall.
I must grasp what I have learned and keep practicing.

5.0
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A deep experience in a nourishing setting
I appreciated the container that ZCO has built to plunge deeply into practice. Food was astonishingly good. The teachers were incredibly skilled with means of transmitting the dharma, striking the right notes at auspicious times. A most intimate sesshin.

5.0
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Highly recommended
Great Vow’s teachers demonstrate commitment, kindness, and authenticity. Community members and participants show remarkable maturity. Grounds are lovingly maintained.

5.0
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Koan Sesshin is a masterclass
This was a challenging Sesshin. The wake-up bell rang at 4:20; formal tea ended at 9:30. In between, Chozen and Fuho gave explicit instructions on developing concentration and switching from thinking mind to awareness mind. Their dharma talks gave the full context for koan study, but made clear that this was koan practice - a surrender of small mind into big mind. This seemed mysterious at first, but made more sense as the days went by. Koan Sesshin is not for the faint of heart, but worked its magic even on beginning students.

5.0
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Introduction to Zen
A wonderful one day session covering all the basics. The teachers were lovely and I have so much gratitude toward them for all that they shared.

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