August 19th and 20th

We will initially meet on the Saturday morning, load up a couple of cars with our camping gear and our cushions and mats, drive out to the fire trail to where we will stay overnight in a rock shelter, and move our gear into the shelter. We will initially walk, practicing mindful walking practice. We will return to the rock shelter, lay down some tarps on the floor, setup our mats and practice zazen throughout the afternoon and into the night, sitting around the crackling campfire. We will rise early, and practice zazen throughout the morning, and finish with a walk up to one of the scenic high spots around the middle of the day. Meals will probably be largely BYO pre prepared and shared. We may do some minor preparation on site such as heating food over the fire and dishing it out. More details will be provided after registering interest.

The weekend will be very dependent upon the weather being favourable. If it is wet or windy it won’t go ahead. We will sleep on the floor of the rockshelter on the tarps, or on the nearby rock platform (depending upon the numbers). A good thick rollup sleeping mat and very warm sleeping and sitting gear is essential. Temperatures are on average 10 degrees cooler than in Sydney. We will experience briefly what Bodhidharma experienced for 9 years, sitting in a cave doing zazen, experiencing the sounds of nature. With the call of the thrush, or the currawong, is there any time at all? There may also be an opportunity for dokusan in a less formal setting.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact Will: wilmoon@gmail.com