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Oceans of Compassion: A Retreat In Service To The Earth
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Oceans of Compassion: A Retreat In Service To The Earth

4.93107 reviews
Location icon
79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA // 6401 NE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97211
Date
September 17 - 20, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

Inspired by SOLVE Oregon Beach Cleanup activities, and in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, you’re invited to join the Zen Community of Oregon for a weekend CAMPING retreat at BEVERLY BEACH STATE PARK.

Take a weekend on the coast to connect with the Sangha. With a relaxed schedule and opportunity for socializing, there will be sitting times, Dharma talks, and practices to take with you into beach clean-up practice.

We will share work practice together — cooking, set-up, clean-up — as a continued expression of care for each other and the Earth. We will focus on themes of Compassion, listening practice, our precious living earth and waters, and the Bodhisattvas who look after them.

When: Dinner on Thursday, September 17th – Breakfast on Sunday, September 20th (you are welcome to come early, but be sure to bring your own food until Thursday dinner)

We will practice beach cleanup on Saturday, September 19th from 10am – 1pm.

COST: $175 if registered by August 21  Late registration $200.  

The group campsite area will not be available. You will need to reserve your own tent site (https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/beverly-beach-state-park/OR/402126/overview) at the state park: 3 nights costs $91.  Campsites do fill up fast.   There are no more yurts available through the state park reservation system.  We have reserved a couple of yurts for three nights at an additional cost of $202 each.  They can sleep up to 4.  Please contact Jomon if you need a yurt.  We are prioritizing Silver Dragons (participants 60 or better) for yurts.  

A $50 deposit holds your space in the retreat. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Scholarships are available by emailing registrar@zendust.org.

Deadline for registration September 10, 2026

BRING:

Tent
Sleeping Pad, Sleeping Bag, Pillow
Layers of clothing
Comfortable shoes for beach cleanup
Camp chair (optional)
Toiletries
Oryoki set if you have one
Water bottle
Sitting supplies – your own cushion or bench.  There will be chairs on site.
Bring a thick blanket or yoga mat to use as a Zabuton (the floor is hard)
A sieve or wire strainer for sifting small plastic pieces out of the sand.  

Questions about the retreat, email Kodo.Conover (at) gmail.com

 

Getting Here

Location icon Zen Community of Oregon, 79640 Quincy Mayger Road, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016, USA // 6401 NE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97211

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

Overnight guests stay in the guest hall (semi-private dormitory), follow the daily monastery schedule, and share meals with the community. A donation is suggested. Private retreat accommodations are sometimes available for those with significant prior meditation or contemplative experience. Private retreatants can follow their own schedule in solitude.

Program Price $175 if registered by August 21. Late registration $200.

Venue & Amenities

A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon 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.

Meals

Menu Types

Vegan icon Vegan
Vegetarian icon Vegetarian
Pescetarian icon Pescetarian
Ayurvedic icon Ayurvedic
Includes Meat icon Includes Meat
Organic icon Organic
Gluten Free icon Gluten Free
Dairy Free icon Dairy Free
Nut Free icon Nut Free
Meals are simple. Breakfast is usually hot grain cereal, nuts or nut butter, dairy and non-dairy milk, fruit, yogurt, and tea. Lunch is the most substantial with a main entree, salad, vegetable side, and condiments. Dinner is soup and bread. Many retreats are served as buffet. Zen-style retreats feature meals that are oriyoki, a Zen form of mindful eating in monasteries that goes back 1,000 years. Imagine Zen tea ceremony, but eating. Newcomers are guided on how to do it and people get the hang of it after a couple days. Meals are vegetarian with vegan options. Gluten-free alternatives can be accommodated. Coffee, caffeinated, and herbal tea are provided.

Customer Reviews

4.93 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
Verified logo
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.

5.0
Verified logo
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.

5.0
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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.

5.0
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City Refuge Retreat
3 days of stillness in the city. Great food and companions.

5.0
Verified logo
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.

Select your options

Available Dates
September 17 - 20, 2026
  • $175.00
    Program Price $175 if registered by August 21. Late registration $200.
Secure your spot today with a $50 deposit
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Policy Info Refund & Cancellation Policy

The event is 100% refundable if cancelled 30+ days before the event start date. The event is 50% refundable if cancelled 15-29 days before the start date. There's no refund for cancellation 0-14 days before an event.

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