Sesshin

Sesshin offers a unique opportunity to deepen your practice in a supportive atmosphere.

Our sesshins are seven-day silent retreats. We hold two a year. At the moment we are offering sesshin mid-summer (January) and early spring (September). We are trialing this summer/spring format to avoid holding sesshin during the winter flu/Covid season.

All our sesshins are held at Bella Rakha, a beautiful retreat centre on the outskirts of Auckland city.

Sesshin is conducted in disciplined silence, with every aspect of the day supporting whole-hearted practice and focus on the present moment. Dokusan (one-to-one instruction with the teacher) is offered three times a day, and additional sitting, outside of the formal rounds, is encouraged. Prior zazen experience is required for sesshin.

Note: We also offer non-residential urban retreats at Auckland Zen Centre in Onehunga. Check our events page to see what’s coming up.

Sesshin schedule

Arrival

Check-in (usually between 4 and 5 p.m.), followed by orientation and dinner, then and sitting from about 7:30 p.m. You'll receive an email with more details.

Day One to Final Day

4:10 Wakeup
4:30 Outdoor Kinhin
4:45 Zazen*
5:15 Chanting Service
5:45 Zazen with dokusan
7:00 Formal Breakfast
7:20 Samu (work practice)
8:30 Rest
9:30 Zazen
10:15 Teisho
11:05 Zazen
12:30 Lunch (informal), rest
1:30 Zazen with dokusan
3:30 Chanting Service
3:50 Group Exercises
4:40 Zazen
5:15 Formal Dinner, rest
7:00 Zazen with dokusan
9:30 Four Vows

* The standard round is 35 minutes, followed by kinhin (walking meditation).

Final Day

As above until after teisho, followed by zazen with final dokusan, lunch, and work practice (packing up, re-setting Princes St zendo). Work finishes by approximately 4:00pm.

What to bring to sesshin

Robes

For the zendo bring your own sitting robe (and rakusu) if you have them.

• If you don't have a robe, you can use a loaner robe. Please pick one out at the Centre the week before sesshin, so you get one that fits well, and then bring it with you to sesshin (and wash it afterwards and then return).

• If you can’t get to the Centre ahead of sesshin, email info@aucklandzen.org.nz to request a loaner robe.

Clothes

Bring plain, loose, modest clothing for wearing under your robes. Robes are worn at all times except for work or exercises.

• Avoid wearing hooded sweatshirts or very thick fleece in the zendo (as these make it hard for the kyosaku to be used accurately).

• Clothing with busy patterns, pictures, or writing is not suitable for the sesshin work or exercise periods.

• Subdued colours are preferable. If you need to wear socks in the zendo, make sure they are dark (not white or brightly coloured).

• Make sure you have warm clothes and plenty of layers, so you can adjust if we get a spell of cold or hot weather.

• Raincoat and umbrella are both useful.

Shoes

Bring closed shoes for working in the kitchen (jandals or sandals are not OK in the kitchen for safety reasons).

• Also highly recommended: slip-on shoes, jandals or sandals for going to dokusan, sturdier shoes for walking, gumboots for winter

Other items

• Sheets and pillowcase (essential- not provided)

• Towel, personal toiletries (no strong perfumes please) including toothpaste, torch, insect repellent (odourless).

• Earplugs if you are a light sleeper.

• Any prescription medicines you need.

Things to not bring

• No books or reading material

• No journals or writing material

• No extra food should be brought to sesshin unless absolutely necessary for health reasons (please discuss with Amala-roshi ahead of time).