Summer Ango Retreat: The Heart and Wisdom of Compassion

July 23 - August 6
Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut

Explore the heart of wisdom and compassion at two back-to back summer sesshins—July 23 through August 6 at Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut.

You may join us for part of a week, a whole week, or both weeks.

In-person and online practice at our location in Tribeca will continue throughout this period. For those not able to attend the retreat, please remember that ango can be a time of intensifying our practice in the midst of our ordinary daily lives of coming and going to work, our families and relations. This is a time when we personally commit to more zazen, study, and other practices, such as clear awareness of our interaction with others and attentiveness to the precepts.

Returning to Silence Sesshin: July 23- 29

A week of quiet “no-frills” sitting and walking meditation, without dharma talks, but including work practice, body practice, liturgy and private interview with Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara and the Village Zendo teachers.

The week will conclude with a Precepts Ceremony (Jukai), in which several VZ students will receive the Buddhist Precepts from Enkyo Roshi. The ceremony provides an opportunity for all of us to renew our vow to manifest the mind of wisdom and compassion by embodying the Buddhist ethical teachings.

Voice of Wisdom Sesshin: July 30-August 6

A “classic sesshin” including dharma talks around the theme of our ango study text. The week will conclude with a Shuso Hossen ceremony in which our Shuso (ango practice leader) will give voice to his wisdom by giving his first dharma talk and the sangha will respond with wisdom of its own by challenging him in “Dharma Dialogue”.

We’ll be adhering to the latest CDC guidelines and the recommendations of our Village Zendo medical team. Vaccination plus a booster is required for in-person attendance.

Questions? Please contact registrar@villagezendo.org.

COVID-19 Guidelines

We will be following the Wisdom House policy regarding COVID safety procedures, which can be found here.

We would like to emphasize that people are welcome to wear a mask should they choose to do so.

Should someone become ill during the retreat, they will be asked to isolate, test for COVID, and leave.

If the rate of COVID changes, we may modify our policy.  Should that occur and you are unable to attend all or part of the retreat, we will return your (prorated) fee.

Please note that while all VZ retreat participants will be vaccinated, there may be people at Wisdom House who are not.

Additional Retreat Details:

Directions to Wisdom House

Take Metro North to Waterbury CT and then take a car to Wisdom House.

It’s the NEW HAVEN line, with a transfer at Bridgeport.

Here is the schedule https://new.mta.info/schedules

Note best to select stations from the dropdown menu- From Grand Central to Waterbury

PDF of the paper schedule: https://new.mta.info/document/90491

Arrival and Departure Times

Arrival time for those coming to help set-up 7/22 is 3pm.

For those arriving on 7/23, check-in time is between 2:00 – 4:00pm.

Departures on 07/29 and 8/06 will be around 11-12pm.

Schedule

Sunday 7/23: Arrival, setup, Ango Entry that evening

Monday 7/24: Quiet day of sitting (no talks, no group study)

Tuesday – Friday 7/25-7/28: Jukai study groups (non-jukai participants continue quiet retreat schedule with no talks)

Saturday 7/29: Jukai Ceremony in the AM, followed by HOSAN!

Sunday 7/30: HOSAN, arrivals for 2nd week, begin the retreat that evening. This week will follow a normal sesshin schedule with talks.

Saturday 8/5: Shuso Hossen in the evening.

Sunday 8/6: Morning sit, packing and departing in the AM.

SAMPLE Daily Schedule:

5:00 Wake Up
5:20 Be in Zendo, Jundo, Zazen
5:50 Kinhin
6:00 Zazen
6:30 Kinhin
6:40 Zazen
7:00 Verse of the Kesa – Service
7:25 Oryoki
8:05 Breakfast Crew/Zendo Set
8:50 Cardio
9:50 Wash Up

10:00 Samu
11:10 Clean Up
11:20 Zazen
11:25 Dharma Talk
12:10 Kinhin
12:20 Zazen
12:30 Mid-day Service
12:50 Oryoki
1:30 Lunch Crew
2:15 Rest/ Body Practice
3:15 Clean Up

3:30 Zazen
4:00 Kinhin
4:10 Zazen
4:45 Evening Service
4:55 Oryoki
5:35 Dinner Crew/Zendo Set

7:00 Zazen
7:30 Kinhin
7:45 Zazen
8:15 Kinhin
8:25 Zazen
8:55 Four Vows, Three Bows
9:30 Lights Out; Optional Zazen

Registration is closed. Please contact registrar@villagezendo.org

Fees

Returning to Silence Sesshin
Jul 23 – Jul 29

Members:
Shared room: $840
Single room: $1,020

Non-Members:
Shared room: $1,020
Single room: $1,200

Voice of Wisdom Sesshin
Jul 30 – Aug 6

Members:
Shared room: $980
Single room: $1,190

Non-Members:
Shared room: $1,190
Single room: $1,400

Both Retreats
Jul 23 – Aug 6

Members:
Shared room: $1,960
Single room: $2,380
Non-Members:
Shared room: $2,380
Single room: $2,800

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