July 1 - 6, 2020
with Okumura Roshi
Limited to 22 participants This retreat focuses on the study of the Bodhisattva precepts that Buddhists receive as guidelines for living a life of practice. It will offer zazen, lectures and discussion, work practice, and silent meals. Talking is allowed during breaks. Anyone is welcome to participate in the retreat itself. A precepts ceremony (jukai) is held during the last day of the retreat in which those who have made arrangements will receive the Buddhist precepts and a rakusu, or lay robe, which they have sewn beforehand. The community is present as witness and family and friends of precepts recipients are welcome at the ceremony. Please note that Hoko will give the precepts in 2021 and 2023; Okumura Roshi will give them in 2020 and 2022. All spots are taken for 2020; we are now taking applications for 2021. If you would like to take precepts in this lineage before 2021, you may contact Shodo Spring at Mountains and Waters Zen Community in Minnesota or Shoryu Bradley at Gyobutsuji in Arkansas to see about doing it with one of them. For opportunities in Europe, please see our Sanshin Network page. Those interested in receiving the precepts at Sanshin must fill out and submit the request form on the right side of this page to begin this process. Please allow time to arrange for an in-person meeting with Okumura Roshi or Hoko at which you will both decide whether to proceed; if so, instructions for sewing retreat registration will follow. Full attendance at the April sewing retreat and the precepts retreat are expected; partial attendance is not an option. The cost of registration two weeks before the start of the retreat is $400; within 2 weeks the cost is $460. Registration will not be accepted within one week of the start date. Daily Schedule: Wednesday 5:00 Zendo forms training/review for those who wish 6:00 Supper 7:30 Orientation 8:00 Zazen 8:50 End of Day Thursday - Sunday 04:40 Wakeup 05:10 Zazen 06:00 Kinhin 06:10 Zazen 07:00 Breakfast 07:30 Soji (temple cleaning) 08:00 Break 09:00 Dharma talk 10:30 Question & answer 10:50 Break 11:10 Zazen 12 pm Lunch/break 01:00 Work period * 02:50 Tea 04:00 End of work/break 05:10 Zazen 06:00 Supper/break 07:10 Zazen 08:00 Kinhin 08:10 Zazen 9:00 End of Day "For precepts recipients, work period will frequently be devoted to preparing for jukai. Complete attendance is required. Monday 04:40 Wakeup 05:10 Zazen 06:00 Kinhin 06:10 Zazen 07:00 Breakfast 07:30 Soji (temple cleaning) 08:00 Break 09:00 Preparation for jukai 10:00 Jukai 11:00 Temple cleaning 11:30 Sangha gathering 12 pm Lunch/cleanup End of Retreat |
We receive the precepts from a preceptor, but they really come from the Buddhas and ancestors. The preceptor is a person between the recipient and Buddha Our traditional belief is that the precepts are transmitted from Bibashi Buddha, the first Buddha, from the very beginning. The reality to which Buddha awakened is the source of these precepts. That's our faith. I can't "give" the precepts to anybody. They aren't my possessions; they were transmitted to me from my teacher, and his teacher transmitted them to him. The recipient does not become "my" possession either. Even Buddha sad that he had no disciples.
-- Shohaku Okumura PLEASE CONSIDER YOUR REGISTRATION CAREFULLY. Once you've registered, we expect that you will fully participate in the retreat on all of the days for which you've signed up, beginning with the first zazen bell of the morning and ending with the last bell of the evening. Casually deciding to quietly disappear before the conclusion of your expected participation is not respectful or unselfish and is strongly discouraged. For more on this issue, please see this item in our FAQ.
After you make your payment you'll be taken automatically to our registration form, which you can complete and submit online.
Accommodations
Our dorm is sold out for this event. You may choose to sleep in Sanshin's dorm, in the zendo with your own bedding, in your own tent on our grounds, or somewhere offsite for which you've made arrangements. There is no charge for camping or sleeping on the zendo floor while you're attending a Sanshin practice event. No need to add anything to your shopping cart; just indicate on your registration form that that's your plan. Accommodations are not included in the event fee and must be reserved separately. Signing up for an event does not guarantee you a bed. Dorm space is not held until paid for. Please be sure to indicate in your shopping cart the number of nights for which you are reserving a bed; the default is one.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for additional useful information.
Retreat guidelines
Dorm guidelines Guidelines for camping/zendo stays Registration and cancellation policies |