Rohatsu Sesshin — Mountain Rain Zen Community

Rohatsu Sesshin is a six-day residential Zen meditation retreat held by the Mountain Rain Zen Community of Vancouver, British Columbia. Rohatsu is traditionally the most intensive sesshin of the year, commemorating the Buddha's enlightenment under the bodhi tree. It is led by Myoshin Kate McCandless and Shinmon Michael Newton at Loon Lake Retreat Centre, about an hour east of Vancouver near Maple Ridge, and it is open to people who want to sit deeply in community.

Sesshin means "touching the heart/mind." Since the time of the Buddha, practitioners have gathered during the rainy season to deepen their practice and touch the true nature of Mind. This retreat concludes Mountain Rain's nine-week practice period, and it closes with a traditional rohatsu ceremony celebrating the Buddha's enlightenment.

What to Expect

The days follow the form of a traditional Zen sesshin. Full participation in the schedule is expected.

- Zazen: sitting meditation, about six hours a day, both indoors and outdoors.
- Kinhin: walking meditation, indoors and outdoors.
- Dharma talks: given daily by Mountain Rain guiding teachers and the shuso.
- Oryoki: formal meals in the Japanese Zen tradition, with orientation provided.
- Afternoon tea: a formal tea service in the zendo.
- Dokusan: individual meetings with the teachers.
- Samu: work practice that helps maintain the community.

Personal modifications to the schedule can be arranged for special needs, in dialogue with the teachers and the ino (head of the zendo). Note any needs on your registration form and check in with the ino at the start of the retreat.

The Setting

Loon Lake Retreat Centre sits in the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, on a mountain lake outside Maple Ridge, about 60 km from downtown Vancouver. Accommodation is dormitory style with two to four people per room, double rooms with a shared washroom, and a very limited number of single rooms. Only 12 single beds are available at present, and more may be released closer to the date. If not having a single room would be a significant obstacle to attending, let the organizers know.

Meals follow the Zen monastic style, eaten from oryoki bowls. If you do not own a set, you can rent one from Mountain Rain Zen by paying the oryoki fee at registration. Oryoki meals are meant to provide just enough food for practice, and for this sesshin they will be vegan. A snack table adds eggs, dairy, peanut butter and fruit so that no one goes hungry. Participants are asked to practice with their dietary preferences and to limit food requests to what would jeopardize their health in small amounts over six days. There are no cooking facilities for general use, though people with significant restrictions may ask about bringing extra snacks.

There is no public transit to Loon Lake. Carpools are arranged through a ride coordinator who matches those needing and offering rides, using details from the registration form. Cost-sharing for a rental car, co-op car or airport shuttle may be requested, and arrangements are usually confirmed about two weeks before the start. Rides cannot be guaranteed for late registrants.

Before You Go

Both residential and online non-residential options exist. Full-time participants are given priority. Half-time attendance depends on room availability, and half-time participants arrive at the start or by noon on Tuesday for lunch. Anyone new to Zen sesshin who can attend only half the time is asked to come for the first half, in order to receive the orientation and oryoki training.

A subsidy fund supports people facing financial hardship who have already practiced with Mountain Rain through weekly events, day retreats or earlier sesshin. Chant books, a meal chant and daily service lists are provided ahead of time, and names can be submitted for the well-being and memorial dedication services.