In Person Only

Summer Ango Retreat: The Heart and Wisdom of Compassion

July 19 - August 3
Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut

Explore the heart of wisdom and compassion at two back-to back summer sesshins—July 19 through August 3 at Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut.

You may join us for 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.

Study Materials:

Set Up: July 18

Returning to Silence Sesshin: July 19 – 25

A refreshingly quiet week of sitting and walking meditation, without dharma talks, but including daily work practice, body practice, liturgy and private interview with Roshi Shinryu Thomson and Village Zendo teachers.

The week will conclude with a Precepts Ceremony (Jukai), in which several VZ students will receive the Buddhist Precepts from Shinryu 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 26 – August 3

A “classic sesshin” including dharma talks around the theme of our ango study text. We will be returning to family style Oryoki (a traditional Zen way of taking a meal together). The week will conclude with a Shuso Hossen ceremony in which our Shuso (ango practice leader) will give voice to their wisdom by giving their first dharma talk and the sangha will respond with wisdom of its own by challenging them in “Dharma Dialogue”.

Important Note for First-Time Retreatants

If this is your first time attending a retreat with the Village Zendo, we kindly ask that you speak with one of our teachers before registering. Sesshin can be a rigorous and intense experience, and this conversation is meant to help ensure that it is an appropriate and supportive step for you at this time. Before beginning your registration, please get in touch with a teacher by contacting registrar@villagezendo.org.

Service Positions

If you would like to be assigned a service position for sesshin you must register by July 8th and plan to stay for the entire week. In addition, if you come for only a few days of sesshin we cannot guarantee that you will receive private interview with a teacher.

Questions? Please contact registrar@villagezendo.org.

Additional Retreat Details:

Safety Protocols for COVID-19 for Summer Ango 2025

During Summer Sesshin, we will be following CDC guidance and Wisdom House’s COVID-19 safety protocols. We highly recommend that all participants be up-to-date with the latest COVID, influenza, and RSV vaccines to maintain a safer environment for ourselves and others in this contained setting. We ask that participants bring one or two Covid tests along with them in case they should feel unwell after arrival at the retreat.

As an added precaution, we suggest participants perform a home COVID test on the day of travel to the retreat.

Arrival and Departure Times

Arrival time for those coming to help set-up 7/18 is 3pm.

For those arriving on 7/19 or 7/26, check-in time is between 2:00 – 4:00pm.

Departures on 07/25 will be after lunch and 8/03 will be around 11-12pm.

Schedule

Friday 7/18: Early arrival, setup.

Saturday 07/19: Arrival, Ango Entry that evening.

Sunday 7/20– Friday 7/25: Jukai study groups and quiet retreat for others.

Friday 7/25: Jukai Ceremony in the AM, followed by celebratory lunch.

Saturday 7/26: HOSAN, arrivals for 2nd week, begin the retreat that evening. This week will follow a classic sesshin schedule with Oryoki and talks.

Saturday 8/2: Shuso Hossen in the evening.

Sunday 8/3: 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

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

Best to select stations from the dropdown menu: From Grand Central to Waterbury

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Village Zendo Fees:

Cancelling more than 1 week ahead of the retreat: 100% refund.
Cancelling within 1 week prior to the start of the retreat: non-refundable.

Registration

Registration is now closed. Please contact registrar@villagezendo.org.

Fees

Returning to Silence Sesshin
Jul 19 – Jul 25

Members:
Shared room: $960
Single room: $1,140

Non-Members:
Shared room: $1,140
Single room: $1,320

Voice of Wisdom Sesshin
Jul 26 – Aug 3

Members:
Shared room: $1,280
Single room: $1,520

Non-Members:
Shared room: $1,520
Single room: $1,760

Both Retreats
Jul 19 – Aug 3

Members:
Shared room: $2,300
Single room: $2,750
Non-Members:
Shared room: $2,750
Single room: $3,200

Connect with Us

Join Village Zendo's newsletter to receive updates on events, workshops and retreats, and our monthly bulletin.

Thank you for subscribing!