Do you want to give meaning to your life?
Are you looking for peace of mind?
Do you want to see more clearly in a world whose values you don’t share?
Then come and take part in a spiritual retreat in a Zen monastery,
discover Buddhist practice and Zen meditation (zazen).
This discovery weekend is aimed at people who have never practised zazen, as well as those who have never been to Kanshoji.
A spiritual retreat
In the heart of the Périgord Vert region, on the edge of a lake, you will be welcomed to the Kanshoji monastery in a peaceful atmosphere.
Throughout your stay, you will be accompanied by the monks, nuns and residents, who will introduce you to the life of the monastery and, through it, to the practice of Zen.
An introduction to meditation will be at the heart of this spiritual retreat.
Daily life
You can follow the daily life of the residents:
- As soon as you get up, you’ll head to the dojo for sitting zazen meditation, facing the wall (i.e. facing yourself), in silence and stillness.
- This will be followed by a brief ceremony of homage and gratitude to the Buddha and the masters of the Sôtô Zen lineage.
- Then comes breakfast. Guenmai, traditional rice soup
- Afterwards, you’ll join everyone else in samu, a selfless activity in the service of the community: washing up, cleaning, peeling vegetables, vegetable gardening…
- Then there’s the tea and coffee break… and sometimes a teaching from the abbot, which is always appreciated.
- At the sound of the bell, samu resumes, always with the attention and concentration that lead to a calm and open mind…
- The midday meal is eaten in silence, with gratitude for those who have prepared it, and with care and respect for vegetarian and organic food.
- After a time of rest, the practice continues: samou, 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 the midst of a difficult and complicated society,
we need to return to happy simplicity
through meditative practice
based on thousands of years of transmission
and universal, eternal values.
Come and experience it for yourself,
during this spiritual retreat,
the value of this teaching and practice.
See you soon!
