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Summer retreats
Since the time of the Buddha, certain periods of the year have been dedicated to long term spiritual retreats. These originally corresponded to the rainy season.
Since then, this tradition has been carried on, and is now also being continued in Europe. A rare opportunity to withdraw from the world and devote oneself to the practice of zazen - Zen meditation.
At Ryumonji Monastery, throughout the day, each activity allows for the practice of concentration to be fully experienced in the present moment.
The participants follow the daily routine of the nuns and monks: Zen meditation (zazen), teachings, samu (service for the community), ceremonies.
All teachings are given by Master Reigen Wang-Genh, who is assisted by experienced nuns and monks.
Between June and August, several retreats are offered to allow practitioners to come and really immerse themselves in the heart of Zen practice for a long period.
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Le programme commun des retraites
1. Zen meditation, zazen and walking meditation, kinhin - sessions 2, 3 or 4 times a day, depending on the period.
2. Buddhist teachings and the opportunity to talk to Master Wang-Genh or the monks and nuns around him.
3. Giving of oneself in activities for the community: samou periods (cooking, tending the garden, cleaning, tidying up, woodwork, DIY, shop, etc.). )
4. Rituals and ceremonies to punctuate the day (bells, drums, songs...) and bring us back into the
the present moment
5. A healthy, balanced diet (vegetarian or vegan)
6. A precise and effective framework, drawn from the Zen monastery tradition, to help us regain our concentration and inner discipline.
Daily life retreats (short or medium term)
The rhythm is that of our daily life throughout the year. There are two meditation sessions a day, as well as samou (gardening, cooking, DIY, cleaning, etc.).
A good opportunity to discover the practice of Zen, if you are a beginner.
Minimum two-day retreat, to be scheduled in the periods below:
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4th to 6th June
11th to 20th June
25 June to 12 July
23rd to 28th July
20th to 25th August
3rd to 5th September
Practical information about daily life retreats :
You can extend your Daily Life retreat with the following activity: sesshin or thematic retreat on request.
You will find the prices on this page Gyoji prices > At the bottom of the page
Here the daily programme
- Ici le programme journalier
Sesshin
‘Sesshin’ is Japanese for ‘to touch the mind’. These sessions focus on Zen meditation, zazen and silence. There are 4 meditation sessions a day. These retreats are fairly intensive, so please check the schedule before registering.
- 7 - 9 june
- 21 - 23 june
- 18 - 21 july
- 15 - 18 august
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Summer retreats - JULY or AUGUST
A nine-day meditation retreat to plunge you into the heart of the Zen Buddhist tradition. The retreat is divided into two parts:
Friday evening to Wednesday: a simple retreat with three Zen meditation sessions a day, particularly suitable for beginners. Social evening on Tuesday evening, rest on Wednesday
Wednesday evening to Sunday: sesshin, intensive retreat (4 sessions of Zen meditation a day).
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THEMATIC RETREATS
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Themes this summer:
Zen and creativity - Calligraphy, Qi-Gong, Shiatsu, Kesa sewing
Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 July
Jukai retreat, receiving the precepts
13 to 21 July
Zen Discovery’ retreat, simple retreat
10 to 14 August (for the first part of the summer retreat in August
Family retreat
23 to 25 August
Additional information
- Arrival on the day before the 1st day indicated - meal at 8.30 p.m. - departure on the last day after lunch.
- For retreats of more than seven days, there is a rest day each week. Generally from Sunday 2pm to Monday 5pm.
- Meals are provided.
Closed periods
- 29 July to 9 August: the monastery's residents go on retreat to a large temple in central France, La Gendronnière. If you would like to stay at the monastery for several weeks during the summer, straddling July and August, you can also accompany the residents to La Gendronnière during this period. Find out more!
- from 26 August to 1 September
