Top Rated

Sesshin - Rohatsu

Name: December Sesshin - Rohatsu
Start: 2025-12-07
End: 2025-12-14
Location: Zen Community of Oregon
Rating: 4.91

4.9174 reviews

79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA

December 7 - 14, 2025

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Hogen

Larry

Myoyu

Hogen Bays, Roshi

Hogen Bays, Roshi began practicing in 1968 with Philip Kapleau, Roshi and was part of the residential staff at Zen Center of Rochester in Rochester, New York until 1975. He lived and trained at Zen Center of Los Angeles under the direction of Taizan Maezumi, Roshi from 1980-1984. In 1990 he took priest’s ordination with Maezumi, Roshi. After advice and consultation with Harada, Roshi and other Zen teachers, in 2000 he received Dharma Transmission from Chozen, Roshi. Since 1990 Hogen has continued his Zen studies with Rinzai Zen teacher Shodo Harada, Roshi, abbot of Sogen-ji monastery in Japan and One Drop Zendo in Tahoma, Washington. He has been a leader of Zen Community of Oregon since 1985 and worked full-time for the sangha since 1997. He is co-abbot of Great Vow Zen Monastery. Hogen holds a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) and Master’s Degree (MS) in Psychology. He worked for the Oregon Department of Corrections for 15 years. Hogen is a lifelong and devoted student of the Dharma and continues to broaden his practice by studying with teachers outside the Zen tradition.

Larry Fuho Trussell

Larry Fuho Trussell has been practicing Zen since 1976, and received Lay Transmission from Chozen and Hogen Roshi in 2015. Fuho is the lead teacher on Sunday mornings at Heart of Wisdom. He is one of the sesshin leaders in ZCO. He works as a research scientist and is married with one grown son.

Myoyu Haley Voekel

Myoyu attended her first meditation retreat in 2006. Following that, she took a dive into Zen practice and also yoga training. She began practicing with ZCO in 2013. She ordained in 2019 as a novice priest, following her vow to serve ZCO and to deepen her own practice. She is currently the Training Director at the Monastery. Before coming to the monastery, Myoyu taught yoga in Olympia WA, after graduating from Evergreen State College. During her time at the monastery, Myoyu has managed the garden and grounds, served as tenzo and Shuso and also participated in the management of the ZenWorks Store. Myoyu became a Dharma Holder in 2023.

Details of this retreat

The light of the Buddha's awakening has not dimmed. This very moment, alive, awake and luminous. Each year people from all over the world gather to celebrate, to sit in stillness and to be nourished by this truth. All over the world people join in the ritual of Rohatsu sesshin. This sesshin is the culmination of a year of practice and is also the culmination of our fall Ango practice period.

At many centers and monasteries, this is the most valued sesshin of the year, and may be the only one that many people are able to attend.

We are honored to have Hogen and Chozen Roshi, stepping forward again and again, to help guide us through the trenches and pitfalls, joys and sorrows of our own minds as we partake once again in this sacred ritual.

This sesshin starts on Sunday evening and ends the following Sunday afternoon. It is historically one of our more rigorous sesshin--we are early to bed and early to rise. Be inspired by this global effort to awaken fully and help bring others to awakening! Together!

Sesshin is a rigorous and, at times, challenging silent meditation retreat that is not recommended for beginners. In order to attend in person, we require that you attend one of our silent weekend retreats or a five-seven day silent retreat at another Zen Center before registering for our longer zen retreats. For more information about what to expect when attending a sesshin, click here.

$50 deposit holds your space; balance due on arrival.

Tentative Schedule: Monday -Saturday

3:50 Wake Up

4:30 Zazen

6:50 Service

7:30 Oryoki Breakfast

9:00 Work Practice

10:20 End Work

11:00 Zazen

12:20 Service

12:30 Lunch

3:00 Zazen

3:30 Teisho

5:20 Service

5:30 Dinner

7:00 Zazen

9:20 Formal Tea

Schedule

Please note: this is an approximation; sesshin schedules vary with leader and season.

First evening
5:00 p.m. Registration begins
6:00 p.m. Dinner (informal) and sesshin orientation
9:00 p.m. Zazen and formal opening of sesshin
10:00 p.m. Monastery doors locked

All full days
4:20 a.m. Wake up bell
5:00 a.m. Zazen
6:50 a.m. Service
7:20 a.m. Breakfast (oriyoki) in dining hall
8:30 a.m. Work period begins
9:50 a.m. Warning bell to clean up
10:00 a.m. End of work period
10:30 a.m. Zazen
12:20 p.m. Service
12:30 p.m. Lunch (oriyoki) in dining hall
3:00 p.m. Zazen
5:20 p.m. Service
5:30 p.m. Dinner (oriyoki) in dining hall
7:00 p.m. Zazen
9:20 p.m. Formal Tea/Zazen
10:00 p.m. Monastery doors locked

Last Sunday
4:50 a.m. Wake-up bell
5:30 a.m. Zazen
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Closing Circle
10:00 a.m. Sunday Program (service, zazen)
11:20 a.m. Dharma talk and formal end of sesshin
12:00 p.m. Lunch (informal)

Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Zen Community of Oregon, 79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA

Accommodation

online only

online only (scholarship rate)

Event fee

Event fee (ZCO member rate)

Customer Reviews

4.91 out of 5.0 average rating

Anonymous • Jan 06, 2025

5.0

Verified

Reflections

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. .

Judy • Nov 18, 2024

5.0

Verified

HOME HERMITAGE WITH JOGEN NOVEMBER 2024

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

TERESA • Sep 22, 2024

5.0

Verified

Contemplative Jizo Ceremony

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 🙏

Anonymous • Aug 24, 2024

5.0

Verified

Beautiful experience

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 🙏

Nevitt • Aug 20, 2024

4.0

Verified

Grasses, Trees, and the Great Earth Sesshin

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.

Sesshin - Rohatsu

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Hogen Bays, Roshi

Larry Fuho Trussell

Myoyu Haley Voekel

Details of this retreat

Schedule

Getting Here

Accommodation

Customer Reviews

Anonymous • Jan 06, 2025

Reflections

Judy • Nov 18, 2024

HOME HERMITAGE WITH JOGEN NOVEMBER 2024

TERESA • Sep 22, 2024

Contemplative Jizo Ceremony

Anonymous • Aug 24, 2024

Beautiful experience

Nevitt • Aug 20, 2024

Grasses, Trees, and the Great Earth Sesshin

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