5.0
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City Refuge Retreat
3 days of stillness in the city. Great food and companions.
Pari-Nirvana Sesshin: A Meditation Retreat exploring Life, Death & the Unknown
Top Rated
Pari-Nirvana Sesshin: A Meditation Retreat exploring Life, Death & the Unknown
4.92104 reviews
79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA
February 16 - 22, 2026
About this Retreat
Larry Fuho Trussell has been practicing Zen since 1976, and received Lay Transmission from Chozen and Hogen Roshi in 2015. Fuho is the lead teacher on Sunday mornings at Heart of Wisdom. He is one of the sesshin leaders in ZCO. He works as a research scientist and is married with one grown son.
Myoyu attended her first meditation retreat in 2006. Following that, she took a dive into Zen practice and also yoga training. She began practicing with ZCO in 2013. She ordained in 2019 as a novice priest, following her vow to serve ZCO and to deepen her own practice. She is currently the Training Director at the Monastery. Before coming to the monastery, Myoyu taught yoga in Olympia WA, after graduating from Evergreen State College. During her time at the monastery, Myoyu has managed the garden and grounds, served as tenzo and Shuso and also participated in the management of the ZenWorks Store. Myoyu became a Dharma Holder in 2023.
Ed Gensho Welsh began practicing Zen in 2002 and was made a Dharma Holder in 2016. He served on the Zen Community of Oregon board of directors for 10 years. He works in IT and is a married father with three grown children.
Details of this retreat
During this sesshin we take up the Buddha’s Parinirvana–the Buddha’s death--as the essential inquiry into our own relationship with death, dying and the uncertainties of this life.
How often in your daily life do you allow yourself to reflect on your own mortality, your own death?
This sesshin provides the structure and support needed to look into the fears and anxieties surrounding death, dying and the unknown.
Supported by the stillness and quiet of winter, we allow the body, heart and mind to deeply settle and rest - as we feel into the fundamental koans - Who is it that's alive? What dies? What remains after death?
The great Zen teachers all encourage us, "if you die before you die, you will no longer fear your death or your life." In this time of great uncertainty for the planet and our species, may we have the courage to directly face the unknown and live our lives with compassion, wisdom and love.
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 full time
$50 deposit holds your space; balance due on arrival.
How often in your daily life do you allow yourself to reflect on your own mortality, your own death?
This sesshin provides the structure and support needed to look into the fears and anxieties surrounding death, dying and the unknown.
Supported by the stillness and quiet of winter, we allow the body, heart and mind to deeply settle and rest - as we feel into the fundamental koans - Who is it that's alive? What dies? What remains after death?
The great Zen teachers all encourage us, "if you die before you die, you will no longer fear your death or your life." In this time of great uncertainty for the planet and our species, may we have the courage to directly face the unknown and live our lives with compassion, wisdom and love.
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 full time
$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)
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
Zen Community of Oregon, 79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA
Accommodation
Event Fee
Event Fee (ZCO member)
Customer Reviews
Verified
5.0
Verified
Turning the Mirror Inward
Participating in inner criticism is like turning yourself around in front of a mirror—up, down, left, right, front, and back—so that you can truly see yourself clearly. You must be brave and honest enough to face your true self—the depths of your own heart. Inside, there is good and evil, light and darkness, and a tangled mix of disguise and authenticity intertwined with your external relationships.
It takes courage to see and honesty to confront this stubborn “self” and the attachment to “ego.” From my own learning experience, this is only the first step in self-cleansing. It may take years of self-acceptance (often a painful process) and the wisdom to protect that inner self. Only by taking this first step can one truly begin the practice of cultivating the mind and nurturing goodness.
I am deeply grateful to Teacher Jogen for his guidance to beginners in meditation. His approach is both kind and down-to-earth, and he highlighted the importance of turning our awareness inward. I am also thankful for all his teachings and final reminders. Through persistent daily meditation and prayer (self-reflection), we can cultivate the mind and nurture goodness.
It takes courage to see and honesty to confront this stubborn “self” and the attachment to “ego.” From my own learning experience, this is only the first step in self-cleansing. It may take years of self-acceptance (often a painful process) and the wisdom to protect that inner self. Only by taking this first step can one truly begin the practice of cultivating the mind and nurturing goodness.
I am deeply grateful to Teacher Jogen for his guidance to beginners in meditation. His approach is both kind and down-to-earth, and he highlighted the importance of turning our awareness inward. I am also thankful for all his teachings and final reminders. Through persistent daily meditation and prayer (self-reflection), we can cultivate the mind and nurture goodness.
4.0
Verified
New Member Tea
Glad I attended as it gave me more insight into why sangha matters. I had felt seperate from others, I think because my 'usual' way of relating, mostly through conversation, simply had not had nor made many opportunities as I sat at home on zoom, or even as I attended zazenkais over the last many couple of years.
I appreciate the opportunity to share and to ask questions of interest to me.
Thank you.
I appreciate the opportunity to share and to ask questions of interest to me.
Thank you.
5.0
Verified
Well worth the time
I was reluctant to sign up for a full day Basic Zen Buddhism offering but the experience was well worth the time. Teachers were excellent and covered all of the basics that aren’t covered anywhere else. It’s like learning a new culture!
I loved the environment and atmosphere and all of the people attending were so pleasant. Beautiful way to spend the day.
I loved the environment and atmosphere and all of the people attending were so pleasant. Beautiful way to spend the day.
5.0
Verified
Heart of Wisdom Zazenkai: Sept. 20, 2025
This one-day retreat was my first with the Zen Community of Oregon (ZCO) at the Heart of Wisdom temple. I found the treat so peaceful, so calming, in such a beautiful and comfortable space. The retreat was intimate, but not too small---about 25 attendees. I found this to be perfect. I found the dharma talk to be uplifting and personally impactful. I'm looking forward to the next opportunity for extended time with the ZCO!
Chad O.
Chad O.
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