Do you want to give meaning to your life?
Are you looking for peace of mind?
Do you aspire to see more clearly in a world whose values you do not share?
Then come and participate in a spiritual retreat in a Zen monastery,
discover Buddhist practice and Zen meditation (zazen).
A spiritual retreat
In the heart of the Périgord Vert, on the edge of a lake, you will be welcomed at Kanshoji monastery in a peaceful atmosphere.
You will be accompanied throughout your stay by the monks, nuns and residents who will help you discover the life of the monastery and through it, the practice of Zen.
The initiation to meditation will be at the centre of this spiritual retreat.
Daily life
You can follow the daily life of the residents :
– As soon as you get up, you will go to the dojo for sitting meditation zazen, facing the wall (i.e. facing yourself), in silence and immobility.
– This will be followed by a brief ceremony of homage and gratitude to the Buddha and the masters of the Soto Zen lineage.
– Following this comes breakfast. Guenmai, traditional rice soup
– Then you will participate with everyone in the samu, the selfless activity of serving the community: washing dishes, cleaning, peeling vegetables, gardening…
– The tea-coffee break… and sometimes a teaching from the abbot, always appreciated.
– At the sound of the bell, the samu resumes, always with the attention and concentration that lead to a calm and open mind…
– The midday meal is taken in silence, with gratitude for those who have prepared it and with attention and respect for vegetarian and organic food.
– After a time of rest, the practice continues: samu, lectures, and meditation continue until nightfall.
The teachings
During the weekend, teachings on Buddhist practice and wisdom will be given by the monastery’s founding abbot, Zen master Taiun Faure.
In our daily lives, in a difficult and complicated society
it is necessary to return to happy simplicity
through a meditative practice
based on a thousand-year-old transmission
and on universal and eternal values.
Come and experience this for yourself,
during this spiritual retreat,
the value of this teaching and practice.
See you soon!
