Grasses, Trees, and the Great Earth Sesshin

The format and setting

This is a traditional six-day sesshin — the intensive silent retreat form central to Soto Zen practice. Most of the retreat happens outdoors at the monastery's grounds, which shifts the usual rhythm: instead of sitting in a hall, you'll practice zazen (sitting meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation) in the natural environment. Camping is available for those without access to the dormitory buildings.

What the schedule includes

A traditional sesshin follows a structured daily rhythm: early wake (typically 4:30 or 5:00 a.m.), alternating periods of zazen and kinhin, communal meals in silence (oryoki style, likely), dokusan (private meetings with the teacher), and evening instruction. The outdoor setting means you'll be sitting with trees and open sky rather than walls. This is not a nature retreat with teachings attached — it's a full sesshin format that happens to use the natural world as its classroom and container.

The five elements theme

Rather than a specialized topic retreat, this sesshin uses the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space) as a lens for exploring how we're interconnected with the world around us — a classical Buddhist teaching made tangible through being in direct contact with the land. This can deepen the ordinary sesshin practice, or simply provide a specific focus for the week.

Practical details

• Residential: You'll stay on-site, either in dormitory buildings or camping
• Silent throughout: Noble silence (no talking) from start to finish
• All meals included and eaten communally
• Bring: sleeping bag and pad if camping; weather-appropriate clothing (August at a Zen monastery in Oregon means variable conditions)
• Dokusan available: Private meetings with the teacher are part of the schedule

If this is your first sesshin, this is an accessible entry point — Great Vow welcomes beginners, and the outdoor, grounded nature of the retreat can feel less claustrophobic than indoor practice spaces for some people. If you're experienced, the emphasis on natural elements may offer fresh perspective on familiar practice.