It had been 10 years since my last sesshin at Fell End. In the intervening years I had continued my practice ploughing a lone furrow but with regular contact with Suigen Sensei, my teacher. Like many Sangha members, I experienced immense support through sitting via Zoom from pandemic times onward. My world had changed during […]
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When I thought about the subject of sesshins past I was a little surprised that the memories of sesshin that came up weren’t of any particular sesshin or of the the long hours in the zendo, much as I honestly love the sitting. Instead what popped up were other accompanying moments. Wandering leisurely through the […]
Read more…As part of a series of posts about sesshin gathered for the StoneWater Zen newsletter, here Roshi shares a very condensed diary of three weeks spent at Zen Mountain Center, California, August 4th, leave Manchester Airport 12 noon. Arrive Ontario airport, Los Angeles, 8pm, eight hours behind UK time. Tenshin meets me. Drive through desert […]
Read more…One of Roshi’s recent talks where he asked us to talk about our difficulties with zazen reminded me of a retreat I did with the Chan group in mid-Wales. This was about 2 years ago and was one of the final retreats before Maenllwyd closed for good. As always, we began in the old farmhouse,15 […]
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In September and October we ran two online sesshins. The aim was to replicate, as far as possible, a physical sesshin, with extended sitting periods, interviews, work periods (samu) and services. There were also suggestions provided for meal preparation and other shared samu activities. The feedback for both these events was very positive. Whilst everyone […]
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Sesshin used to be an even more special place than it is today, and that is saying something. Sesshin was Special because this was where that SOMETHING was going to happen. Exactly what that SOMETHING was was not clear to me, and I couldn’t put it into words. I don’t think I even realised I […]
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Many thanks to Karen Robbie for sharing these poems about her experiences on the last Crosby sesshin in October and for this image of her painting, Flower. Morning Zazen The zendo warm and smoky. Glowing with a candle. I sit on my zafu. The fold of robes as they fall. Think about words. Letting […]
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Here we have another contribution on the theme of Difficult Emotions. This time from Jan Jones on her experience of sitting with sadness on retreat: I think the emotion I’ve found most difficult to sit with is sadness. I have a really strong memory of attending sesshin a while back and as I settled into […]
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During Alasdair’s month in the Lakes as shuso (head monk), he posted each week on the StoneWater Zen Northampton blog. Here, is a collation of the posts for those of you who missed them. And off he goes.. So I leave for the Lakes tomorrow to start my four week training period as shuso or ‘head […]
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We are currently gathering contributions from sangha members of the theme of showing up with our insecurities. Here Karen shares her experience of facing hers on a Chan retreat. In between branches the moon bright and clear I look up I arrive in the dark in the mud. A bright head torch and a friendly […]
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