City Refuge: Meditation Retreat

I attended the Life Vows Weekend Retreat. The Retreat provided a balance of private and shared time that allowed me to fully engage in creating my first Vow. The leaders and attendees were very welcoming and supportive. After a long hiatus away from Zen Community of Oregon, it was a wonderful way to start the New Year and reconnect with my self and others. .

I appreciated the pace and offerings by Jogen in this Home Retreat. It gave me an opportunity to treat the daylong time and space with care and awareness and consider how to make such care a practice.
Thank you.
Judy Todd
Portland Oregon

My heart is finally at peace after participating in the Jizo Ceremony. I've held on to the grief for over 40 years and it has been released. I really appreciated spending time to create a sacred garment to drape over one of the Jizo statues. It kept my mind focused on the love that I felt in my heart for the children I had lost. The pre-ceremony was held in silence so the group could be with their feelings. The actual ceremony was emotional and yet very peaceful beneath the parent tree in the Jizo Garden. What a gift that anyone of any religious background can attend these ceremonies. Thank you, namaste, with gratitude and appreciation 🙏

I had never visited Great Vow before attending the week-long summer "Grasses, Trees & The Great Earth" sesshin. I could not be happier that I went. The personality of Great Vow is very warm while also peaceful and quiet. I would highly recommend the outdoor grasses & trees sesshin. It was magical in a different way from an indoor zendo sesshin. We sat in a great big circle and Kisei and Kodo were wonderful as our teachers.

Thank you 🙏

The feature that distinguishes this sesshin from others is its focus on the natural environment and the fact that all activities take place outside. The facility has stunningly beautiful grounds which include many wildflowers, moss-covered rocks, a bamboo grove, and large blackberry bushes. It also includes walking paths through a lush forest. All this makes the outdoor venue very attractive. We had cool weather, though sitting in direct sun was very uncomfortable and even dangerous for those of us with much skin damage. To be fair, we didn't have to sit in direct sunlight for more than one hour each day, usually in two different periods. The weather is sometimes hotter during this time, which would make the experience more challenging. There are also lots of mosquitos, though the facility does provide bug spray. I suppose these are just part of practice when one signs up for an outdoor sesshin!

The buildings are comfortable, including the dorms. Many people slept outside in tents, though I was not one of them. The dorm area includes a "workout" area complete with yoga mats and various tools for massaging sore muscles. Although the shesshin is silent, everyone exhibits kindness and consideration. All meals are vegetarian with vegan options, and I thought they were all very good.

The two teachers were very good. They prepared a well thought-out and meaningful program focused on earth awareness in its various aspects. I couldn't accept the more anthropomorphic interpretations of natural beings, but the teachers seemed aware of this possibility and were not dogmatic about the subject. They made sure everyone who wanted to have a one-on-one session with a teacher could be accommodated.

Overall, I was content with the sesshin.