In the Zen school, Rohatsu – the anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment is traditionally celebrated in early December by meditating through the night to the dawn. It is said that the Buddha sat down beneath the Bodhi tree and made the great resolve, “Though only my bones and sinews remain and my skin and flesh [...]

We were honoured to have Shinzan Roshi come to the UK in May and lead a sesshin, a Zen retreat, at Gaunts House in Dorset. Shinzan Roshi laid out the way to ‘kensho’ – ‘percieving your true nature’ meditating on the koan or spiritual question, ‘Mu’. “If you want to pass this barrier, you must [...]

Announcement: Autumn Zen retreat at beautiful Anam Cara in the highlands of Scotland. Come and join Zen Master Daizan for “Wake up and Live”, a week of intensive Zen practice. The retreat runs 12th-17th October and is only £360 all inclusive. You’ll need to be quick to email welcome@anamcara.org before places run out. You can [...]

“Utterly Fearless”, dynamic Zen retreat at Anam Cara in the Scottish Highlands. Studying the unique teachings of Zen Master Suzuki Shosan. These teachings feature coming face to face with death and fears of death. Cost only £305 all-inclusive. Check www.anamcara.org for details. 12-17 October 2010

Japan enlightenment trip – Zen retreat, exploring Japanese culture, and practicing in the mountains of Gifu-ken, central Japan. 9-22 May 2010

May 9th – 22nd 2010 I’m glad you’re interested in coming to Japan in 2010 to experience both the culture that gave the world Zen – the way of enlightenment and to taste that enlightenment for yourself. Here’s what we’ll be doing. The first half of the trip will be a Zen retreat. This is [...]

If you have a strong interest in experiencing the truth of who you are and an interest in the traditional culture of Japan, in which this experience can be seen to be manifested, this Japan journey could be for you. It’s a rare chance to study with a Japanese Rinzai Zen Master in a temple [...]