Sesshin

A sesshin is an intensive zazen practice period. From one to several days of collective living, concentration and silence in the dojo. Several meditation sessions each day, puncuated by lectures, mondo, manual work, samu and meals. The pictures below were taken during sesshins held by Master Roland Rech in Maredsous.

In the Soto school, zazen is practised without aim, without object, facing the wall. After zazen, there is a slow march (Kinhin):

Sometimes after zazen there is a mondo (mon, questions ; do, answers). During the mondo, the disciple asks questions to the master:

Several activities take place during the sesshin.