Spring Sesshin

Saturday October 2 to Saturday October 9 (including Labour Day October 4)
SZC Spring sesshin will be led by Gillian Coote, roshi and apprentice teacher will Moon
“Over the silent peaceful days, breath by breath, as the ochre cliffs, eucalyptus forests, brilliant starry skies and the songs of frogs, crickets and birds advance and confirm the self, birds and trees and stars and we ourselves come forth in perfect harmony.” Our founding teacher, Robert Aitken, Dawn Cloud, 1917-2017.
Sesshin is an invitation to leave the tumbling, noisy, incessant world behind. At Kodoji, in the valley of beauty and wilderness, practising in deep silence and letting go of ideas and preoccupations creates opportunities to wake up moment by moment – to come home to the lyrebird’s song, the starry heavens and the vastness of this universe. To come home to your true self.
Sitting quietly
doing nothing,
Spring comes,
the grass grows by itself.
– Basho
Traditional sesshin offers countless opportunities for practice – zazen, kinin, walking meditation in the bush, dokusan, teisho, sutras and samu (or work practice). Old timers and new students are most welcome. As traditional Zen sesshin involves seven or eight hours a day of zazen – sitting meditation – it is not suitable for people without previous meditation experience.
COVID safe: This sesshin, for safe distancing there will be a limit of 17 participants. There is very limited indoor accommodation so students will pitch their own tents, bring their own masks and yoga mats. We will be COVID careful, with social distancing, taking great care preparing food, washing and sanitising hands, and when we sit we’d like you to wear a face mask. Importantly beforehand, if you have any cold/flu symptoms in the days leading up to the weekend please don’t come. Anyone who develops respiratory symptoms during sesshin will be asked to leave.
Venue – Kodoji or Ancient Ground Temple, is SZC’s retreat centre in the Upper MacDonald Valley, about 2 hours north-west of Sydney, via Wisemans Ferry and St Albans.
Contact: Janet Selby janetselby@bigpond.com
Application form here
Flyer here
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SZC will hold other sesshins during the year:
Rohatsu sesshin at Annandale, led by Jane Andino
Saturday December 4 to Wednesday December 8
Contact: Julie Robinson julesandco@live.com.au