Shuso Hossen Sesshin
Zen
Six-day residential sesshin at Fire Lotus Temple in New York. Daily zazen practice (7–10 hours), chanting, oryoki meals, and private meetings with teachers. Silent retreat, traditional format.
About this retreat
A traditional residential sesshin — the intensive form of Zen practice centered on zazen (sitting meditation). Six days of silence and structured schedule: you'll sit in the meditation hall for 7–10 hours daily, broken into periods of zazen and kinhin (walking meditation). Chanting services anchor the day. Meals are eaten in silence, formally, in the meditation hall.
Private dokusan (meetings with a teacher) are built into the schedule. Work practice — cleaning, cooking, maintenance — is part of the retreat rhythm, not separate from it. This is how traditional sesshin works: meditation, ritual, labor, silence, and direct teaching all woven together.
Fire Lotus Temple is in New York City. The retreat is residential, meaning you stay on-site for the full six days. Bring only what you need; most centers provide sitting cushions, robes if required, and basic bedding. "Noble silence" means no talking except during dokusan or with teachers if necessary — you communicate through attention and presence.
Full details from Zen Center of New York City/Fire Lotus Temple
An intensive six-day residential Zen retreat characterized by silence and deep introspection. The schedule includes 7-10 hours of zazen daily, chanting services, formal silent meals, work practice, and private interviews with teachers.
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