All are welcome to join in sesshin via Zoom, as much as you are able. By donation. Schedule PDF below. Registered online participants will receive confirmation, guidelines and link to sign-up for online dokusan.
Zoom link for sesshin: Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86945011170?pwd=dWhoN3QvRFJCUTc5WkFoYlR0NWdTZz09
Meeting ID: 869 4501 1170 Passcode: 039281
One tap mobile
+16475580588,,86945011170#,,,,*039281# Canada
+17789072071,,86945011170#,,,,*039281# Canada
Sesshin schedule PDF: Click here
Chant book PDF: Click here (chants will ot be screen shared during sesshin)
Sesshin chants and page numbers PDF: Click here
To add names to the memorial service dedication: Click here
To add names to the well-being service dedication: Click here
Sesshin—a deep immersion in the ancient Way of Zen
Sesshin means "touching the heart/mind". Since the time of the Buddha practitioners have gathered in community during the rainy season to deepen their practice and touch the true nature of Mind. Please join guiding teachers Myoshin Kate McCandless and Shinmon Michael Newton and the Mountain Rain sangha for this six-day residential retreat on the shores of pristine Loon Lake. Unfortunately, our our founding teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer will not be able to come this year. For more information on our teachers click Teachers.
The Facility
Loon Lake Retreat Centre is located in the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, on a beautiful mountain lake outside Maple Ridge. Distance from downtown Vancouver is 60 km. Accommodation is dormitory style (2-4 per room), double rooms with shared washroom, and a very limited number of single rooms. For more information, see the Accommodations page at the Loon Lake web site.
The Schedule
This is a silent retreat which follows a monastic-style schedule. Full participation in the schedule is expected. Personal modifications to the schedule can be arranged to accommodate special needs, in dialogue with the teachers and ino (head of zendo) at the retreat. Please note special needs on your registration form, and check in with the ino at the beginning of the retreat if you have any questions or concerns about the schedule.
The daily schedule includes:
Zazen: sitting meditation (approximately 6 hours per day)
Kinhin: walking meditation
Dharma talks daily by Zoketsu Norman Fischer and MRZC guiding teachers
Oryoki: formal meals in the Japanese Zen tradition (orientation provided)
Formal afternoon tea service in the zendo
Dokusan: individual meetings with teachers
Samu: work practice to maintain the community
Meditation Experience
We recommend that you have some meditation experience prior to participating in this retreat. You are welcome and encouraged to join Mountain Rain Zen Community for an orientation at one of our regular Wednesday evening or Sunday morning sits. Practitioners from other traditions are warmly welcome. Please inquire if you have any questions about whether this retreat is right for you.
Meals
Three delicious vegetarian meals are provided daily, as well as coffee, tea, and snacks. We are happy to accommodate special dietary restrictions providing you advise us in advance through your registration. Thank you for your understanding.
Fees and Registration
Dormitory (3-4 person rooms): $650
Double rooms: Johnson/Panabode $730
Single Rooms: Johnson/Panabode $850
Oryoki bowls: $15 (For those who cannot bring their own oryoki set. This fee helps us to maintain our supply of oryoki sets to borrow.
Part-time attendance: see below.
Reduced fees available to those on a limited income: see below.
Supporting contribution: allows us to offer reduced fees to those on limited income.
Online (Zoom) attendance: sliding scale $25-$200
Dana (Donations to the teachers)
Retreat fees cover expenses only. Dana (donations) to the teachers can be made at the retreat.
Half-Time Attendance
Because we are till not at full capacity due to Covid concerns, we will give priority to full-time participants., subject to further assessment. If you would like to request part-time attendance please contact the registrar at registrar@mountainrainzen.org and specifiy first-half or second-half and preferred accomodation choice. We will let you know if half-time attendance becomes available.
We have typically asked that half-time attendees arrive only at the beginning of the retreat or by noon on Tuesday, in time for lunch.Those who have never attended a Zen sesshin and can only attend half-time please are asked to come for the first half of the retreat so that you can be there for the orientation and oryoki training.
Reduced Fee Requests
Reduced fees are available for those on a limited income. To request a reduced fee please fill out a Reduced Fee Request form. (Click the link to open the form.) For general reduced fee requests with no special needs, please register for the dormitory room. On receipt and approval of reduced fee request, the registrar will refund the amount by which your fee will be reduced.
Note: If you're requesting a reduced fee and require a Single Room due to special needs, please complete the reduced fee request as above, and register for single room. Please describe special need on form pop up and indicate that you are also completing reduced fee request form. On receipt and approval of reduced fee request, the registrar will refund the amount that your fee will be reduced. Any questions, please contact : registrar@mountainrainzen.org.
Additional Information form that pops up when you press "Continue Registration," complete the section on Reduced Fee Requests. The registrar will contact you.
Rides/carpooling
There is no public transit to Loon Lake. Please arrange carpools on your own as much as possible. Please indicate on the registration form whether you need or can offer a ride. Our ride coordinator will match up those needing rides with those offering rides. This is more challenging for half-time participants. 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.
Registration—Please read carefully. In-person attendance is on a waitlist basis now.
In-person sesshin registration is full, subject to assessment of capacity. Please contact registrar@mountainrainzen.org to be put on a waitlist. You will be contacted as soon as further spaces open up, either through cancellation or increase in capacity.
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, contact the registrar at registrar@mountainrainzen.org.
Payment is not confirmation; please do not make travel plans until you receive your confirmation letter.
Please make your accommodation selection, then fill out the online registration form.
Please make sure to pay the $15 oryoki fee below if you do not have your own set of bowls.
Scroll to the end to register for online attendance.
