ZMM Retreats

Upcoming Retreats at Zen Mountain Monastery

Explore Zen Mountain Monastery through one of our upcoming retreats. Please don’t let financial issues prevent you from attending a program at the Monastery. If you can’t afford the program fee, there are options. If you are looking for retreats at the Zen Center of New York City, click here.

intro To Zen

INTRO TO ZEN WEEKEND

Experience Zen training for yourself. Our most popular retreat and a great place to start.

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Coming To The Monastery

COMING TO THE MONASTERY

How to enter the schedule and life of the Monastery for the first time. Come visit us on Mount Tremper.

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ONE-MONTH RETREAT

Each month we’re joined by individuals seeking an immersive experience of Monastery life.

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RETREAT CATEGORIES

– Arts

– Buddhist Studies

– Introductory

– Meditation Intensives

– Women’s Retreats

Upcoming Retreats at Zen Mountain Monastery

July Interdependence Sesshin

with Shugen Roshi & Hojin Sensei

July 22 - 28, 2019
Characterized by silence and deep introspection, sesshin is recommended to anyone who is sincerely interested in experiencing intensive Zen training. We wake up each day before dawn to begin a schedule that includes 7 to 10 hours of zazen, chanting services, formal silent meals in the zendo (oryoki), […]

August Introduction to Zen Training Retreat

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

August 2 - 4, 2019
Are you new to meditation or Zen Buddhist practice? Have you read books about Zen, or been doing meditation on your own? Do you think you’d like to study with a teacher? Designed for those new to Zen or formal Zen training, this introductory retreat allows you to immerse yourself in Zen practice and experience […]

Brush with Our Time

with Kazuaki Tanahashi

August 9 - 11, 2019
While practicing basic aesthetics and techniques of brushwork, we will notice... Step by step, we will find ways to foster the joy and serene excitement that can be applied to everyday life. Using a variety of papers and brushes, we will experiment with artistic interpretation […]

Intermediate Kyudo: Zen Archery Intensive

with Don Symanski

August 13 - 18, 2019
This is one of the foremost Kyudo training opportunities in the US. You'll receive personalized instruction in basic and formal group shooting. You'll learn formless aspects of Kyudo as well. Designed for anyone who has taken “first shot” at the Monastery or elsewhere.[…]

Beginners Kyudo: Zen Archery Intensive

with Don Symanski

August 14 - 18, 2019
Through meticulous attention to detail, all aspects of the Kyudo form and movements provide a subtle mirror of the self, as well as an opportunity for deep study. In this outstanding retreat, beginners will receive training in the Seven Coordinations[…]

Being the Bowl: A Clay Retreat with Raku Firing

with Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei

August 14 - 18, 2019
Being the Bowl is the profound study of staying unconditionally with one thing. How can we return, again and again, to just this one thing through the cascade of our ever-changing moods and emotions? How can we meet ourselves freshly each moment? How can we challenge ourselves to respond spontaneously, allowing ourselves to hear, feel, […]

August Hazy Moon Sesshin

with Shugen Roshi & Hojin Sensei

August 19 - 25, 2019
NOTE: Participants must enter on Monday evening. Characterized by silence and deep introspection, sesshin is recommended to anyone who is sincerely interested in experiencing intensive Zen training. We wake up each day before dawn to begin a schedule that includes 7 to 10 hours of zazen, chanting services, formal silent meals in the zendo (oryoki), […]

Peaceful Dwelling: Meditation Intensive

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

August 29 - September 1, 2019
Our traditional zazen intensives, such as sesshin, are carefully planned and scheduled to help practitioners develop inner and outer meditative strength and stability. Yet, when the schedule and structure falls away—at home, after the intensive is over—you may find it challenging to maintain your clarity of purpose and practice. The Peaceful Dwelling retreat provides a […]

September Introduction to Zen Training Retreat

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

September 6 - 8, 2019
Are you new to meditation or Zen Buddhist practice? Have you read books about Zen, or been doing meditation on your own? Do you think you’d like to study with a teacher? Designed for those new to Zen or formal Zen training, this introductory retreat allows you to immerse yourself in Zen practice and experience […]

Wild Grasses Sesshin: A Meditation Intensive for Women

with Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei

September 12 - 15, 2019
Characterized by silence and deep introspection, sesshin is recommended to anyone sincerely interested in experiencing intensive Zen training. We wake up each day before dawn to begin a schedule that includes 7 to 10 hours of zazen, liturgy, formal silent meals in the zendo (oryoki), work practice and talks by the teacher […]

Chado: The Japanese Art of Tea Ceremony

with Andrew Hobai Pekarik

September 20 - 22, 2019
The Japanese tea ceremony merges the sophisticated aesthetic of the Zen arts and careful attention to detail with the ordinary act of making a cup of tea. Tea ceremony developed in close association with Zen, and it emphasizes […]

September Mountains and Rivers Sesshin

with Shugen Roshi, Hojin Sensei & Hogen Sensei

September 23 - 29, 2019
Characterized by silence and deep introspection, sesshin is recommended to anyone who is sincerely interested in experiencing intensive Zen training. We wake up each day before dawn to begin a schedule that includes 7 to 10 hours of zazen, chanting services, formal silent meals in the zendo (oryoki), […]

October Introduction to Zen Training Retreat

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

October 4 - 6, 2019
Are you new to meditation or Zen Buddhist practice? Have you read books about Zen, or been doing meditation on your own? Do you think you’d like to study with a teacher? Designed for those new to Zen or formal Zen training, this introductory retreat allows you to immerse yourself in Zen practice and experience […]

Qigong for Health and Vitality

with Pragata Blaise

October 18 - 20, 2019
The word “qigong” is Chinese, but the arts of energy have been practiced since antiquity: by the Indians as “yoga,” the Tibetans as “wisdom art,” and the Egyptians and Greeks as “mystery art.” It is claimed that in physical terms the right practice of Qigong is superior to conventional exercise. Combining focused breathing and subtle meditative movements, practicing Qigong […]

October Harvest Sesshin

with Shugen Roshi, Hojin Sensei & Hogen Sensei

October 21 - 27, 2019
NOTE: Participants must enter by Thursday evening. Characterized by silence and deep introspection, sesshin is recommended to anyone who is sincerely interested in experiencing intensive Zen training. We wake up each day before dawn to begin a schedule that includes 7 to 10 hours of zazen, chanting...

November Introduction to Zen Training Retreat

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

November 1 - 3, 2019
Are you new to meditation or Zen Buddhist practice? Have you read books about Zen, or been doing meditation on your own? Do you think you’d like to study with a teacher? Designed for those new to Zen or formal Zen training, this introductory retreat allows you to immerse yourself in Zen practice and experience […]

Four Truths Chan Retreat

with Rebecca Li

November 8 - 10, 2019
The Buddha’s teachings in the Four Noble Truths invite us to examine the human condition of suffering. In this retreat, we reconnect with ourselves by cultivating clear awareness of the ways in which we experience suffering, from the most obvious forms to the subtler ones. With this awareness, we penetrate the mind to discover […]

November Shuso Hossen Sesshin

with Shugen Roshi, Hojin Sensei & Hogen Sensei

November 18 - 24, 2019
Characterized by silence and deep introspection, sesshin is recommended to anyone who is sincerely interested in experiencing intensive Zen training. We wake up each day before dawn to begin a schedule that includes 7 to 10 hours of zazen...

December Introduction to Zen Training Retreat

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

November 29 - December 1, 2019
Are you new to meditation or Zen Buddhist practice? Have you read books about Zen, or been doing meditation on your own? Do you think you’d like to study with a teacher? Designed for those new to Zen or formal Zen training, this introductory retreat allows you to immerse yourself in Zen practice and experience […]

Buddha’s Enlightenment Vigil

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

December 6 - 8, 2019
At Zen Mountain Monastery, we celebrate the Buddha’s enlightenment with a vigil dedicated to the simple yet profound practice of zazen. We’ll begin Friday evening with introductory remarks and a renewal of our bodhisattva vows. Then, we’ll mark the Buddha’s enlightenment by sitting together through the night and day. In the spirit of hermitage practice...

31st Annual Dana Dinner

with MRO Teachers and Senior Staff

December 13 - 15, 2019
The Holiday Dinner is a non-denominational event, free to all and has been an annual event since its inception in 1988 […]

December Rohatsu Sesshin

with Shugen Roshi & Hojin Sensei

December 26, 2019 - January 1, 2020
ZMM
NOTE: Participants must enter by Thursday evening. Characterized by silence and deep introspection, sesshin is recommended to anyone who is sincerely interested in experiencing intensive Zen training. We wake up each day before dawn to begin a schedule that includes 7 to 10 hours of zazen...