Village Zendo Annual Winter Retreat

Village Zendo Annual Winter Retreat

Living Zen

The Village Zendo’s year-end retreat is a chance to step out of ordinary life and enjoy deep silence and contemplation at the turning of the year.

Our schedule is serious (with plenty of zazen meditation) but also spacious, with time to enjoy the beautiful grounds and nearby trails. Dharma talks are given daily, and there is opportunity to meet individually with teachers. Delicious vegetarian meals are offered buffet-style.

If you have put off doing a residential retreat, or felt intimidated to try one, this is a wonderful retreat to attend. Come and join the Village Zendo sangha as we greet the new year with clear minds and open hearts.

This retreat will be held in silence.

PRICING & REGISTRATION

Registration is a 2-part process:

1. Program Fee – In order to reserve your spot on this retreat, there is a separate registration fee due to Village Zendo. Please register for the course HERE first.

2. Then, register for room & board with the Garrison Institute, using the registration form at the bottom of this page.

There are two options being offered for this retreat:

Full Retreat: December 26 to January 1
Half Retreat: December 26 to December 29

SCHOLARSHIPS

There are a limited number of partial HEMERA scholarships available for this retreat. Please do not sign up for the retreat if you have submitted an application. Please wait to hear from us. For questions, please contact us at: scholarships@garrisoninstitute.org. Please click here for more information, and click here to apply.

TEACHERS

The Village Zendo is a community of people who come together to practice in the Soto Zen tradition. We offer zazen (sitting meditation), one-on-one instruction with a teacher, dharma talks, chanting services, retreats, workshops and study groups. Co-founded in 1986 by Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara and Roshi Barbara Joshin O’Hara, the Village Zendo is committed to authentically continuing the Zen tradition while keeping it contemporary and relevant to today’s world. We are located in lower Manhattan and additionally offer a hybrid zendo, with a vibrant online community that participates virtually, from different locations all over the world.

Our abbot, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, received dharma transmission in the White Plum lineage of Taizan Maezumi Roshi, which incorporates both the Soto and Rinzai Zen traditions. Our zendo has been given the Japanese name Dotoku-ji (True Expression Temple). Enkyo Roshi is supported by twelve dharma successors who form the VZ teaching staff. The zendo is known for its vibrant and diverse community and the stability of a sangha that draws from a core of longtime dedicated practitioners. Our programming emphasizes the myriad ways Zen relates to our daily lives writing, social action, health and well-being, and the arts as well as traditional Zen studies.

Our new abbot, Roshi Shinryu Thomson, received dharma transmission from Roshi Enkyo O’Hara. He has been affiliated with the Village Zendo since 1998. He also leads the Phajjsi Qollut Jalsu Zen Center in La Paz, Bolivia, which he co-founded in 1992. Shinryu and Enkyo Roshi are in the White Plum lineage of Roshi Taizan Maezumi who brought the Soto Zen tradition from Japan to the United States.

Our zendo has been given the Japanese name Dotoku-ji (True Expression Temple). Enkyo Roshi has empowered twelve dharma successors who form the Village Zendo teaching staff.The zendo is known for its vibrant and diverse community and the stability of a sangha that draws from a core of longtime dedicated practitioners. Our programming emphasizes the myriad ways Zen relates to our daily lives writing, social action, health and well-being, and the arts as well as traditional Zen studies.

Please email events@garrisoninstitute.org with any questions.

COVID-19

The health and safety of our guests and staff is a top priority for the Garrison Institute. To attend a retreat or event all guests, teachers, and staff are required to self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site, and to bring a 2nd self-test kit when coming on site. We encourage everyone to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before your visit. If you experience symptoms or have a positive diagnosis, please notify us immediately at events@garrisoninstitute.org We will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by our local officials, New York State and the CDC.