Day-Long Retreats
Photo credit: Hands of the Gesh-la by Anastasia Keriotis.
When: Selected Sundays from 9 am - 4 pm
Where: In person in Oakland and hybrid by Zoom
Register: Details will be announced prior to the event
Cost: By donation, $50-150 suggested, no one is turned away
Vegetarian lunch provided
RSVP is required.
Upcoming retreats in 2024:
August 3rd and November 4th
Details will be announced about a month before the event.
Details will be announced about a month before the event.
Scroll down for a sample of previous day-long retreats...
May 19, 2024
Not Knowing is Most Intimate
Not Knowing is Most Intimate
"Not knowing is most intimate." -Zen koan
When we are faced with a difficult situation, our usual response is to try to figure out the right answer. But in Zen, we value not knowing, or beginner's mind. This not-knowing isn’t clinging to a state of indecision or ignorance. Instead, it’s a way we engage the next moment: fresh, open, unbiased. We let go of clinging to fixed views, of our sense of being a person who knows (or should know). It’s grounded in reality, because in truth, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. You don’t know for sure what’s going to be effective. You don’t know the person standing in front of you – at least, not completely, and maybe hardly at all. You don’t know who you are, as if you could sum yourself up in a sentence or paragraph. And, paradoxically, the unknown carries the seeds of hope we all need in these challenging times.
In our May one-day retreat we will explore the open field of not-knowing, and the surprise that we can find there. These retreats are such an important opportunity to slow down, reset, and give and receive support for our practice. Please join us!
When we are faced with a difficult situation, our usual response is to try to figure out the right answer. But in Zen, we value not knowing, or beginner's mind. This not-knowing isn’t clinging to a state of indecision or ignorance. Instead, it’s a way we engage the next moment: fresh, open, unbiased. We let go of clinging to fixed views, of our sense of being a person who knows (or should know). It’s grounded in reality, because in truth, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. You don’t know for sure what’s going to be effective. You don’t know the person standing in front of you – at least, not completely, and maybe hardly at all. You don’t know who you are, as if you could sum yourself up in a sentence or paragraph. And, paradoxically, the unknown carries the seeds of hope we all need in these challenging times.
In our May one-day retreat we will explore the open field of not-knowing, and the surprise that we can find there. These retreats are such an important opportunity to slow down, reset, and give and receive support for our practice. Please join us!
February 4, 2024
Simplicity and Spaciousness
Simplicity and Spaciousness
Zen is known for its aesthetic of simplicity and spaciousness. In this retreat, we will explore these qualities of heart-mind, how we can cultivate them in our lives, and how we can support each other in community. This retreat will include sitting and walking meditation, a dharma talk, a sutra service, and soulful conversation. Lunch is provided. All are welcome, no meditation experience required.
November 5, 2023
Turning Ghosts to Ancestors
Turning Ghosts to Ancestors
All are welcome! Please join us for our fall day-long meditation retreat. Autumn is the season where the veils between the worlds grow thin, and when we feel our connection to those who came before us. The ancient Chinese believed that death creates a ghost, and that ghosts are a collaboration between who the dead person was, and what we felt about that person. In this retreat, we will reflect on a ghost who still haunts us, and offer a simple ceremony to reveal and release our contribution to the ghost. Then the ghost becomes an ancestor, a presence capable of blessing and supporting our practice.