Monastery
Five Buddhist Precepts for Ethical Living - in person at Great Vow
With Laura Jomon Martin and Patrick Bansho Green
Introduction to Monastic Practice: 1 day retreat at Great Vow
With Senior Lay Practitioner and/or Ordained Priest
This one-day in-person workshop at Great Vow Zen Monastery is for those who want an introduction to practice and to the monastery. Learn how to practice using ancient methods that are applicable in today’s world: Basic posture instruction and guidance on sitting with stability Carrying practice into our daily life Chanting Seated and walking […]
Deepening Freedom through The Work: A Gentle Deconstruction of Identity
With Eduardo Kyozen Zambrano
There is a true person of no rank who is constantly coming and going from the portals of your face. Who is that true person of no rank? ~ Rinzai Why Come: In the quiet of the monastery we will combine zazen with Byron Katie’s inquiry, The Work, to question the stories that hold the […]
Jizo Sesshin
With Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi and Laura Jomon Martin
This retreat begins on Tuesday! This retreat will focus on the qualities of Jizo Bodhisattva, guardian of all that comes from the earth, and Jizo’s qualities – benevolence, optimism, fearlessness, determination, and vow. A unique element of this retreat is the inclusion of time devoted to art projects, creative time, and a slide show […]
Jizo Ceremony for Children Who Have Died
With Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi
Autumn Ango - Fall Residency 2025
With Hogen and Chozen Roshi, Patrick Bansho Green and Myoyu Haley Voekel
This Dharma is abundantly present in each human being, but if we do not practice it, it does not manifest itself, and if we do not experience it, it cannot be realized. - Dogen Zenji In communion with our ancestors who set aside time each year for deep retreat, the Monastery offers this Autumn Ango. […]
October Sesshin - The Ancient Way
With Hogen Bays, Roshi, Jogen Salzberg, Sensei and Danney Soten Lynch
There is something very special about the magic of autumn and the kicking off of the fall ango practice period that makes this sesshin so powerful. What a great gift it is to be able to sit together in silence. This is our longest sesshin of the year. The extra days enable us drop down […]
Love & Spaciousness: A Loving Kindness Weekend Retreat
With Myoyu Haley Voekel
With wonderment on our side, and in relationship with all that is, we recognize the inherent compassion that naturally arises from deep and sustained presence. Held in a container of zen forms and the vibrant dance of a monastery in Autumn, we will explore the nature of being anything at all! During this silent retreat […]
November Sesshin - Gratitude
With Laura Jomon Martin, Myoyu Haley Voekel and Anusha Enryu Fernando
With gratitude for our beloved sangha near and far, the Monastery joyfully offers another sesshin. This sesshin has no set price. All are welcome to attend, and donations from the heart are welcome. During this week of practice, we will eat only the offerings brought to us specifically for this retreat. So food donations, while […]
December Sesshin - Rohatsu
With Hogen Bays, Roshi, Larry Fuho Trussell and Myoyu Haley Voekel
The light of the Buddha's awakening has not dimmed. This very moment, alive, awake and luminous. Each year people from all over the world gather to celebrate, to sit in stillness and to be nourished by this truth. All over the world people join in the ritual of Rohatsu sesshin. This sesshin is the […]
Beginner's Mind Weekend Meditation Retreat
The teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism empower us to live our lives wholeheartedly with openness, insight and compassion. During this weekend retreat we follow a silent retreat schedule, which allows us to temporarily put aside outside concerns and go deeply into inner work. The silent retreat schedule includes about seven hours of sitting meditation […]
Monastery Winter Practice Period
In the stillness and quiet of the monastic container, when we allow the dust to settle and the thinking mind to open and relax, spontaneous wonderment and delight naturally appear. Attention is love. How do we attend to our life? During this practice period we will lean into the natural expression of love and creativity […]
Spring Practice Period: Awakening with the Earth
Spring at Great Vow Zen Monastery is beautiful. The fruit tree blossoms open towards the heavens, the forest is abuzz with new life as birds, insects and tree frogs are wake up from their winter slumber. Early spring flowers emerge in abundant color, offering fresh perspectives and encouragements. With the natural world springing to […]
