The North Carolina Zen Center is happy to announce that it will hold its Summer Sesshin from August 3 through August 6. The retreat will begin with informal dinner at 6PM on Thursday, August 3, and will end at noon on Sunday, August 6.
This retreat will be guided by Teshin Matt Sweger. Teshin has recently accepted the Center’s offer to become the Center’s Abbott, and he will take that position officially on August 1. This will be his first retreat with the NCZC, and it will be a great opportunity to practice with Teshin and to get to know him as a Zen teacher.
Teshin was trained in the lineage of Philip Kapleau Roshi and the Rochester Zen Center. He has 25 years of Zen training including residential training at Rochester and at Windhorse Zen Center in Asheville. He studied under Bodhin Roshi at Rochester, then under Lawson Satcher Roshi at Windhorse, and completed his study under Sevan Ross Roshi and was given full sanction to teach by him in 2015. He has been teaching for five years through a Zen group at the University of Rochester.
The retreat will be conducted in a format similar to past retreats at the Center, although there will be some changes to form and schedule based on Teshin’s wishes. The retreat will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, interview with the teacher, Dharma talks, and periods of work around the Center. Some of the work will be out-of-doors, possibly involving grounds maintenance, so come prepared to work outside in the summer, with appropriate light clothing.
Cost of the retreat is $60 per night. Part-time attendance is permitted, however lodging preference will be given to full-time participants. For more information about retreats at the NC Zen Center, or to pay in advance for the retreat, please visit the Retreats Page on the Center’s website. If you have not already made your deposit of half the cost, based on the number of nights you plan to attend, please do so as quickly as possible so we can properly plan for the number of attendees.
