Distant Temple Bell Sesshin

Boundless Way Zen offers this three-day online sesshin as an entry point to intensive practice without requiring travel or time away from home. The retreat follows a traditional sesshin schedule adapted for the online format: periods of zazen (sitting meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation) structured across three days, with dharma talks woven in. Participants sit in their own space but within the container of group practice—a format that works well for those managing work or family schedules, or testing whether residential retreat feels right.

Soto Zen practice emphasizes shikantaza (just sitting)—zazen without a formal object of focus—as the direct expression of Buddha-nature. In a sesshin, this practice deepens through repetition and the quality of attention that comes from extended, unbroken practice. Online participation means you'll follow the live schedule and sit simultaneously with the group, though you'll return to your own environment between sessions rather than living in the retreat space.

Because this is online, logistics are minimal: a quiet room, a cushion or chair, and a reliable internet connection. The main trade-off compared to residential practice is the absence of the intensive communal container—no shared meals, shared sleeping quarters, or the particular silence that comes from a group living in one space for days. That said, many practitioners find online sesshin a genuine alternative, especially for shorter intensives.