Weekend silence-in-the-city

This two-day mini retreat, offered twice a year and covering Friday evening/all day Saturday, allows us to practice retreat silence in our homes overnight, thereby bringing Zen awareness to our daily environment and habits.  Please see the overview below. Advance registration required.

The winter retreat in December celebrates the Awakening of the Buddha (Rohatsu) while in April the Birth of the Buddha is celebrated.

Dates:

  • Friday, December 6 – Saturday December  7 , 2024. Registration deadline December 5

  • Friday, April 4 – Saturday April 5 2025. Registration deadline April 2

Time: Friday:  7 pm–8:45 pm; Saturday: 9 am–5:00 pm

Cost: $25 for members; $50 for non-members

Advance registration required: Please fill out this form to let us know you are coming. 

Overview:

Friday: 7 pm to 8:45 pm. Opening Words of Encouragement followed by 3 periods of zazen with kin-hin (walking meditation) in between. Closing chants.

Practitioners are encouraged to maintain silence at home overnight as much as possible.

Saturday: 9 am to 5:30 pm. The day is made up of four blocks of zazen and kin-hin (walking meditation) in between, along with a dharma talk and a short chanting service during which the ancestral lineage of the White Plum Asanga is chanted. 

Daisan — a private meeting with a teacher — is available for all who attend, and ample time is offered for breaks. Coffee, tea, and snacks are served; please bring your lunch.