Sundays at the Monastery:
Anyone wishing to come to the Zen Monastery Practice Center to participate in the Sunday morning program is welcome. If you would like to stay for lunch, please let the Guestmaster know by Friday morning.
If this is your first time visiting the Monastery, we require that you attend an orientation. Orientations are offered once a month and need to be scheduled with the Guestmaster by phone.
Sunday morning:
10:00 sitting meditation
10:30 group discussion
11:30 sitting meditation
12:00 lunch
Retreats & Workshops: Workshops and retreats of varying lengths are offered on a variety of subjects
supportive of spiritual practice. To
sign up for a retreat or workship, please take a moment
to read the instructions on the LivingCompassion.org
website.
Monastic Practice Periods: Participants follow the daily monastic schedule. A typical day includes sitting, walking and working meditation. The weekly schedule also includes group discussions, and individual spiritual guidance. This opportunity is only available to previous retreatants who are committed to making the practice a central focus of their lives.
Short-Term Training Opportunities
If you are a Sangha member who has done retreats at the Monastery and would like
to have a mini experience of what it is like to train as a monk without making
a long-term commitment, the Monastery offers two modified, less-intensive opportunities
to practice.
VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT PROGRAM: HOW TO REGISTER: Please go to: http://www.livingcompassion.org/registration.html and fill out a Personal Information Form.Select There Is Nothing Wrong With You from the drop-down list of retreats, and select the start date of the retreat you would like to attend as a volunteer from the drop-down list of retreat start dates. In the box that allows you to type in information about special needs, please type in that you are applying to be a Volunteer for the retreat. TRAINING DURING NON-RETREAT TIMES Feel free to contact us if you have further questions. |
Retreats: Zen practice retreats are offered in a variety of locations throughout the country, including Carmel CA, Pittsburgh PA, and several locations in North Carolina. It is possible to work with the Monastery to arrange for Cheri or other Zen students to lead a workshop or practice period anywhere in the country.
Mountain View Sangha in Palo Alto: The Mountain View Sangha in Palo Alto offers a variety of workshops and regular practice opportunites. For a current schedule, click here or call (650) 966-1057.
Other Local Sitting Groups: Weekly sittings and group discussions take place at these locations. Please call to set up a first visit. Individual meditation instruction can be arranged.
The Monastery is a non-profit organization supported by donations and the sale of our books. There are no rules or "shoulds" about donations, but people will often ask how much is enough, prompting us to offer the following as a guideline: There is a "right" amount for you to give. Follow your intuition. If you give too much, it won't feel right. If you give too little, it won't feel right. Either way, you will have second thoughts. Somewhere between those two points is the middle way and it often changes. One time $100 feels like too much, another time $1,000 doesn't feel like enough. Whatever the amount, donations are never to be thought of as payment for services.
For retreats and workshops, the registration pledge amount varies depending on the location. (Check with the Guestmaster for the amount of the registration pledge for the event you plan to attend.) Your pledge covers your room and board and the travel expenses of the facilitators. The teaching is offered on donation.
Registration pledges will be refunded if cancellation is made three weeks in advance of the event. Participants who cancel after that, do not attend, or leave early may consider their pledge a donation.
Here are some suggestions on beginning to participate:
The quarterly newsletter, In Our Practice, features current workshop and practice schedules, articles, and other news and information. In Our Practice is now an online newsletter.
Zen Monastery Practice Center
P.O. Box 1979
Murphys, CA 95247
Phone: 209-728-0860
Fax: 209-728-0861
Email: thezencenter@livingcompassion.org
Office Hours
We encourage people to call during office hours whenever possible. (All times are Pacific Standard Time.)
Mondays: 9-11:45 a.m.
Tuesdays: 9-11:45 a.m., 2-4:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 9-11:45 a.m.
Fridays: 9-11:45 a.m., 2-4:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 9-11:45 a.m.