Please Note: This retreat has been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. The registrar will contact those who have registered and issue full refunds.
This year, for the first time our Mountains and Waters Sesshin will be six days long. We will follow a traditional Zen sesshin (intensive silent retreat) schedule, incorporating periods of outdoor walking and sitting meditation in the beautiful setting of Sea to Sky Retreat Centre located on Daisy Lake between Squamish and Whistler. This is an opportunity to experience the daily rhythms of residential Zen practice and settle deeply into the stillness of the surrounding forest. The retreat will include dharma talks, and dokusan (individual meetings) with the teachers. We will eat formal Zen-style meals (oryoki). Instructions provided.
Myoshin Kate McCandless and Shinmon Michael Newton are the guiding teachers of Mountain Rain Zen Community. They have been practicing Zen since 1983, and received dharma transmission from Zoketsu Norman Fischer in 2011.
Accommodation
Single rooms are available in the Main Lodge and in two small cottages, which do not have washrooms. (They share the main lodge washrooms nearby.) Please indicate on your registration under comments if you have mobility issues, that limit ease of walking or using stairs. Single rooms will be limited, and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis , also considering health and mobility issues. We will do our best to accommodate requests.
Single tents are also available. Indoor washrooms are nearby all tents. Tents are spacious and equipped with mattress and bedding. (Tents can accommodate two, for a somewhat lower cost. Please contact the registrar if you are interested in this option, only if you have already arranged with your tent-mate.)
Double rooms are available in the Retreat House. We encourage you to choose a roommate if you know someone who is attending. Please decide together and let the registrar know. (There is one cabin, with its own washroom and kitchen, that can accommodate two, for a higher price than a double room with shared washroom. Please contact the registrar if you are interested in this option, only if you have already arranged with your roommate.)
* Snoring: If you know you snore, please select a single room or single tent, out of consideration for others.
Half-time attendance
This is the first time this sesshin will be six days long, so we will try offering half-time attendance. The halfway point will be 1:00 Sunday, July 19. Priority will go to full-time participants until June 16, at which time we will take half-time participants, in the order of registration, and as we can match first/second half spaces in the available rooms/tents. If you wish to register for half-time, please register as soon as you can, and we will put you on the half-time list. We will not process your registration until we can confirm your place after June 16.
Registration Details
Fees
Single room: Full-time-$875 Half-time-$438
Double room, or single tent: Full-time-$603 Half-time-$302
Oryoki fee: Oryoki sets (bowls, utensils and cloths) will be provided for those who do not have their own. We request that you contribute $15 towards maintaining and renewing our supply of oryoki sets.
Fees include accommodation, meals and bedding.
Rides
There is no public transportation to Sea to Sky Retreat Centre. If you need a ride or can offer one please indicate this on the registration form. Our ride coordinator will match up those needing rides with those offering rides. As we are getting more participants coming by air from a distance, and more people are living urban lives without cars, we may ask you to share costs of a rental or co-op car, or airport shuttle. We will try to let you know arrangements two weeks before the start day. We cannot guarantee rides for late registrants.
Dana (Donations)
Retreat fees cover expenses only. There will be an opportunity to give a donation/dana to the teachers at the retreat.
Reduced Fees
Reduced fees are available for those on a limited income. For residential retreats we ask that you pay at least half of the cost, or more if you are able. Please pay the $50 deposit using the registration button below, and also complete the Residential Sesshin Reduced Fee request. You can pay the remainder of your fee at the retreat.
Reduced fees are available for a double room or single tent, but not for a single room, except in cases of special need.
Full fee deposit option
For this retreat we offer the option of paying a $50 deposit to those who are not requesting a limited income reduced fee, but for whom paying the full amount early may be difficult. Please select Full fee deposit on the registration menu below, and note on the form for the registrar what your accommodation choice.is. Please pay the remainder of your fee by the registration deadline, July 3.
Questions?
Upon receipt of your registration the registrar will send you a confirmation letter with further information about the retreat. If you still have questions or concerns, please contact the registrar at registrar@mountainrainzen.org.
Registration Deadline: July 3 Priority to full-time registrations until June 16, at which time we will fill in any remaining spaces with half-time participants. Please register early to ensure your place. This retreat will be full.
Registration: Please be sure to order an oryoki set if you do not have your own.
