Introduction to Zen Training Weekend

This weekend is framed as an introduction to formal Zen training rather than a general meditation retreat — the title signals that the focus is on learning the forms and structure of training. According to the listing, it takes place at Zen Mountain Monastery in the Catskill Mountains, though it is listed under the Zen Center of New York City's Fire Lotus Temple. Four areas of instruction are named:

• Zazen — seated meditation, taught with instruction
• Liturgy — the chanting and ceremonial forms used in Zen training
• Work practice — physical work treated as part of practice
• Private teacher interviews — one-on-one meetings with a teacher

The listing states its audience plainly: people new to Zen Buddhism or new to formal Zen training. Instruction is offered rather than familiarity with the forms assumed, and no prior-experience requirement is mentioned. If you have been sitting on your own and want to learn how the pieces of Zen training fit together — the liturgy, the approach to work, how meetings with a teacher function — that is the introduction this weekend describes.

What the listing doesn't say

The dates are June 4–6, 2027, and the listed price is $300; what that fee includes is not specified. No teacher is named, no daily schedule has been published, and the listing does not describe lodging arrangements or name a specific school of Zen. If any of those details matter to your decision, the monastery's retreat page (zmm.org) is the place to ask before registering.