Autumn Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat

Zazenkai — literally "zazen gathering" — is the Zen term for a half- or full-day sitting retreat. This one-day format at Great Vow offers a middle path: longer than a weekly sit, but accessible for people who can't commit to a multi-day sesshin. The retreat holds the structure of traditional practice — extended zazen periods, noble silence (no talking outside of formal instruction), communal meals — in a single-day container.

Great Vow, located in rural Oregon, sits within the Soto Zen lineage. Soto emphasizes shikantaza ("just sitting") — zazen without koans or specific objects of focus, the meditation itself understood as the full expression of Buddha-nature. A day like this lets you experience that quality of practice in a supported group setting, without the intensity or time commitment of a longer retreat.

The schedule typically runs from morning through evening, with several blocks of zazen separated by kinhin (walking meditation) and a communal lunch. Expect to sit for 4-6 hours total across the day, with breaks built in. No prior experience is required; the monastery welcomes beginners alongside regular practitioners.