Personal Retreats
We currently are offering personal retreats and residency on a very limited basis. Please CONTACT US if you are interested.
GMZC offers personal retreats of various lengths: weekend, week, month, or longer. Those on personal retreat are welcome to generally follow their own schedule and attend the resident schedule (see below) if desired; they will be expected to attend the public meditations on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and attend fully any group retreats that may be happening. GMZC does not provide meals or food; you will be given limited space in a cabinet and refrigerator for your own food. You are welcome to come and go from the abbey as you like, respecting the morning and evening quiet atmosphere. 1:1 Private Interviews with priests or with the Teachers are available; please make a donation for their time. If courses or retreats are occurring during your stay, attendance and donation for those events will be discussed on a situational basis. For those new to GMZC and not affiliated with another Zen Center, we may need to get to know you a bit before continuing with the registration process.
Suggested Donations are as follows:
Daily (less than 7 days): $50/day private room
Weekly (less than 30 days): $225/week private room
Monthly (30 days or more): $750/month private room
Residential Zen Training
GMZC offers short-term and long-term residential Zen Training, though limited due to space. Our residential schedule (see below) is also limited, as our residents tend to have jobs and are gone for parts of the day and week. Zen training, as different from a personal retreat, includes supporting the needs of the teachers and residents, learning the day-to-day functions of the abbey, helping with retreats and courses, attending most scheduled activities, and attending to assigned weekly chores. Depending on your skills, work-trade for rent may be available. Typically, we will only accept residents who have a prior relationship with GMZC, but exceptions do happen, especially if the applicant has prior experience practicing Zen or Buddhism with a different center.
After the initial trial month, rent is $700/month for a private room. Rent includes retreat fees if making a long-term commitment (6 months minimum). GMZC does not provide meals or food.
Residents' Schedule
Residents are required to attend at least 5 of the following scheduled meditations per week:
Monday: 5:30am-6:20am
Tuesday: 5:30am-6:20am, 6:30pm-8:00pm (public program)
Wednesday: 5:30am-6:20am
Thursday: 5:30am-6:20am
Friday: 5:30am-6:20am
Saturday: 8:00am-11:30am (public program)
Sunday: Hossan (relaxed schedule)
Residents have their own private daily zazen practices that supplement this schedule.
