Top Rated

Sesshin - Rohatsu

Name: December Sesshin - Rohatsu
Start: 2026-12-06
End: 2026-12-13
Location: Zen Community of Oregon
Rating: 4.93

4.93107 reviews

79640 Quincy Mayger Rd, Clatskanie, OR 97016, USA

December 6 - 13, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Hogen

Larry

Darah

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.

Darah Shonin Ashton

Darah Shonin Ashton has practiced with the Zen Community of Oregon since 2009 and was made a Dharma holder in 2019. She currently co-leads Thursday evening meditation at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. Since 2019 she has served as treasurer for ZCO. Shonin recently retired from a 30 year chiropractic career and enjoys spending more time with family and friends. A sewing hobbyist, she happily tutors zen students through the construction of wagessas and rakusus.

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 Roshi and Zen Teacher Fuho, 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 sit into the night and are early to rise. Be inspired by this global effort to awaken fully and help bring others to awakening! Together!

The expectation for this retreat in particular is that all of us be ready to follow the full schedule and be in full alignment with the forms. We will move as one body during this retreat. The silver dragon option will be available only if you are over 60. Otherwise, please be prepared to be upright and present for everything on the schedule. Part time attendance is not an option.

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.

We ask that you plan on attending Full Time.
$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 Rd, Clatskanie, OR 97016, USA

Directions

Ride sharing can be arranged from the airport with some advanced notice with our registrar. The monastery is located 80 miles northwest of Portland, Oregon on twenty forested acres overlooking the Columbia River flood plain. The drive takes 80-90 minutes.

Directions from the airport:
1. Take I-205 North to I-5 North. I-5 North to exit 36 Longview (south of Seattle, north of Portland).
2. At the exit travel west on to 432 towards Longview City Center.
3. At the sign to “Highway 30 to Oregon”, turn left (south) onto “Oregon Way” .
4. Cross the Lewis and Clark Bridge into Oregon.
5. Turn right (west) onto Highway 30 towards Astoria. Clatskanie is 12 miles from this point.
6. In Clatskanie turn right at the stoplight onto Nehalem Street
7. Go straight to the end, and then follow the road left onto 5th street.
8. Stay on this road (do NOT take the first left fork to the Poplar Farm).
9. You will reach a fork after 2.9 miles; stay left, on Quincy-Mayger Road. Following the street signs saying “Zen Monastery”.
10. The Monastery is 1.8 miles past the fork, at 79640 Quincy-Mayger Road on the right.

Accommodation

online only

online only (scholarship rate)

Event Fee

Event Fee (ZCO member)

Venue & Amenities

A/C in Rooms

Free Wifi

Spa

Sauna

Pool

Towels

Free Parking

Kitchen

Tour Assistance

Hot Tub

Coffee/Tea

Cafe

Restaurant

Fitness Center

Yoga Studio

Housekeeping

Bicycles For Rent

The monastery includes a spacious meditation hall, guest and resident dormitories, dining hall, and a large organic vegetable garden.

Within the forest is Great Vow's famous Jizo Garden, a memorial garden for people who have died, and the newly dedicated Shrine of Vows, a place where people leave tokens of their deep aspirations.

Customer Reviews

4.93 out of 5.0 average rating

Jui-mei • Feb 25, 2026

5.0

Verified

Birth and Death — the Great Matter

Attending the death-themed session was very meaningful. I am very grateful to teachers Fuho and Myoyu for their guided meditations and teachings, and for providing us participants with the key points of the 6 method that we can take home for continued reflection and practice.

The teachings of the two teachers throughout the session gave me a deeper understanding of Guru Padmasambhava's verses:

Karma is not void.
Cause and effect
are exact and unfailing.

Birth and death —
the Great Matter!
Impermanence —
swift as lightning.

Days and nights pass.
Life diminishes
with every breath.

Awaken!
Do not sleep in delusion.
Do not squander
this rare human body.

Turn the light around.
Rouse the great resolve.
Break through —
before the last breath falls.

Sunil • Feb 14, 2026

5.0

Verified

RE: First Retreat at ZCO, The Work (Byron Katie)

I had the privilege of attending a retreat on The Work by Byron Katie, at the Great Vow Zen Monastery.

While I am not a Buddhist, I am interested in the religion, and as a lay person felt welcome and supported by the teachers and residents, who were kind, warm, and supportive.

I learned so much, and highly recommend consideration of the temple's programs in your spiritual and personal development.

Tamara • Feb 09, 2026

5.0

Verified

Transformational experience

I was familiar with Byron Katie’s books before The Work retreat but had no idea how much more I would learn about the process during the 3 days I was at Great Vow. Words cannot explain the tremendous insight on so many levels I received.
The teachers of the retreat were both so kind, skillful and marvelous. They were there to support us every step of the way.
To sum it up I LOVE Great Vow so much! It is my refuge.

Anonymous • Nov 09, 2025

5.0

Verified

City Refuge Retreat

3 days of stillness in the city. Great food and companions.

Jui-mei • Nov 05, 2025

5.0

Verified

Turning the Mirror Inward

Participating in inner criticism is like turning yourself around in front of a mirror—up, down, left, right, front, and back—so that you can truly see yourself clearly. You must be brave and honest enough to face your true self—the depths of your own heart. Inside, there is good and evil, light and darkness, and a tangled mix of disguise and authenticity intertwined with your external relationships.

It takes courage to see and honesty to confront this stubborn “self” and the attachment to “ego.” From my own learning experience, this is only the first step in self-cleansing. It may take years of self-acceptance (often a painful process) and the wisdom to protect that inner self. Only by taking this first step can one truly begin the practice of cultivating the mind and nurturing goodness.

I am deeply grateful to Teacher Jogen for his guidance to beginners in meditation. His approach is both kind and down-to-earth, and he highlighted the importance of turning our awareness inward. I am also thankful for all his teachings and final reminders. Through persistent daily meditation and prayer (self-reflection), we can cultivate the mind and nurture goodness.

Sesshin - Rohatsu

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Hogen Bays, Roshi

Larry Fuho Trussell

Darah Shonin Ashton

Details of this retreat

Schedule

Getting Here

Directions

Accommodation

Venue & Amenities

Birth and Death — the Great Matter

RE: First Retreat at ZCO, The Work (Byron Katie)

Transformational experience

City Refuge Retreat

Turning the Mirror Inward

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