Sesshin

A sesshin is a period of intense traditional Zen training. A typical sesshin at the Clear Water Zen Center begins on a Wednesday evening and continues until the following Sunday afternoon. Dokusan (private interview with the teacher) is typically offerred three times per day.

A sesshin can be a major challenge. There are roughly 10 hours of formal sitting per day, with breaks for three meals, a work period for cleaning the zendo and surrounding grounds, a formal exercise period, and several rest periods. All of these activities are as valuable as sitting meditation; Zen practice teaches us how to live in the world. We don't "take a break" from practice when we leave the zendo for the breakfast table, or for any other reason. The whole point of Zen practice is to lower and eliminate the barrier between "practice" times and "no practice" times.

Noble silence is maintained throughout the sesshin.

Any participant would call sesshin a remarkable experience. Many have said a sesshin changed their lives. After their first sesshin, many people start attending as many sesshins as possible. Long-time students have developed more resonant voices, fluid movements, experienced increased responsive to people, animals, and nature, and everything around them. They become more decisive, worry less, and laugh more. Sesshin is hard but worth it.

These benefits are merely side effects, however, and are not the goal of Zen. If you come to Zen for self-improvement, you have already stumbled past it.

A typical Sesshin Schedule

Sesshin Application Long Form (html) (pdf)

Sesshin Application Short Form (html) (pdf) for use by those having permanent info on file with Sensei.