A retreat offering for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Led By Fugen Tom Pitner Roshi
Thursday, March 16th, 3 pm ET (New York) - Sunday, March 19th, 12:30 pm ET (New York)
Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center, NH
In partnership with Dragon Heart Dharma
About the Retreat
When you join a Shining Bright Lotus retreat, you will be immersed in practices that retain the rigor and intensity of a traditional monastery, yet also reflect the unbreakable, loving heart and profound wisdom of our founder, Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi.
Jun Po Roshi was committed to providing his wisdom and compassion to all beings without consideration of superficial characteristics such as skin color, gender identification or socio-economic status. Often, his teachings were only accessible to those who could afford week long retreats. The intention of this retreat is to welcome all people into our community. This program is for all persons regardless of race, color, gender. We welcome anyone who would like to attend. With the support of several donors, this retreat is accessible for all persons with a particular invitation to black and Indigenous people of color.
Mondo Zen™ Facilitation is designed to accomplish the first step on the path of awakening through the use of Koans. The Koans ask questions that offer an opportunity to deconstruct your current story, allowing for a new understanding which fosters awakening. With this two-fold understanding - experiential and philosophical - we experience the openness and fearless stability within our ordinary mind. We acquire new perspectives that allow for a more compassionate way of being with intense feelings such as anger, shame and disconnection. This emotional koan process offers a means for transcending the pain and suffering for any and all who have suffered injustice.
The Mondo Zen Four day intensive begins with the traditional practices of the morning service, meditation and movement, followed by Mondo Zen Facilitation in small groups with trained Mondo Zen Facilitators. Fugen Roshi provides integrative teachings. .
This program is for any person to attend with a specific invitation to people of color. We are offering this program with a sliding scale starting at $25. Those who can contribute more, however, help ensure that the community of POC meditators continues to flourish.
“To accept one’s past - one’s history - is not the same as drowning in it; it is learning how to use it”
Program Fees:
This program is being made possible by Frederick P. Lenz Foundation. The invitation is to choose the appropriate enrollment amount for your unique situation. The suggested sliding scale is $25 - $400.
Registration:
Registration is a two step process
Step One: You’ll be asked to make a financial payment.
Step Two: You’ll be asked to complete a brief application.
Travel Planning and Accomodations
Please plan to arrive by between 1 pm and 3 pm on the first day of the retreat and to depart after 12:30 pm on the last day. Book your flights and ground transportation accordingly.
For more information about the location Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center
Bedding is provided.
Participants will share rooms and bathrooms.
Three vegetarian meals a day are provided.
If you need support with transportation please identify this on you application.
The closest airport is Boston, Logan Airport.
Retreat Leadership
Fugen attended the very first Hollow Bones Retreat for the ManKind Project in September, 1999, and he’s been innovating ever since. He is now the primary liaison between Hollow Bones and the ManKind Project, and he’s been instrumental in bringing state-of-the-art facilitation tools to both organizations.
He has inspired thousands of people toward new experiences of personal and organizational empowerment through a unique brand of Mondo Zen life coaching and organizational consulting. Fugen’s is an inside-out integrative approach. He focuses first on the individual, then on the problem or situation to be solved.
Fugen Roshi is the abbot of Dragon Heart Dharma the partner sangha on this project.
What People Are Saying
“The Mondo Zen Intensive has given me the chance to experience the difference between meditating regularly on a daily basis and an intensive meditation practice during 4 days together with an awakened community. I feel how depth and stability of my awareness of this awareness have increased significantly. Thank you for all the deeply caring support and service. I am so gratefull, to having had the opportunity to participate!”
- Elmar S.
“I am beyond excited that I chose to attend the seisshin because I feel lighter, more present, in a space of awareness that everything I do is a CHOICE. I have gained another set of tools to truly live my life in a deeper, heartfelt presence where I get to choose how I want to BE.
-Lisa B.
“I feel blessed to have participated in this Mondo Zen sesshin. It is just wonderful, a deep intervention that works. I feel renewed, with a new sense of wonder, that was rather dim before the retreat. I now know, that I can access clear deep heart mind any moment, which enriches my life and the lives of those around me tremendously.”
-Philipp
Tentative Schedule
Thursday
3:00 pm Opening Check-in
3:30 pm Orientation
5:00 pm Zazen – Meditation Instructions
5:30 pm Dinner – Casual dinner
7:00 pm Zazen – Evening service – Silence begins - Dokusan begins
7:30 pm Kinhin
7:40 pm Qigong
8:10 pm Kinhin
8:20 pm Zazen – Closing Service
8:50 pm Closing
Friday
5:00 am Wake-up bells
5:15 am Zendo opens
5:30 am Morning Service
6:00 am Kinhin
6:10 am Zazen
6:40 am Kinhin
6:50 am Qigong
7:20 am Zazen
7:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Zazen
9:30 am Mondo Zen Facilitation
11:30 am Zazen
Noon Lunch
1:30 pm Zazen
2:00 pm Mondo Zen Facilitation
3:30 pm Zazen
4:00 pm Tanto led discussion
4:45 pm Qigong
5:00 pm Zazen
5:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Zazen – Evening service
7:30 pm Kinhin
7:40 pm Qigong
8:10 pm Kinhin
8:20 pm Zazen – Closing Service
8:50 pm Closing
9:00 pm End of Day
Saturday
5:00 am Wake-up bells
5:15 am Zendo opens
5:30 am Morning Service
6:00 am Kinhin
6:10 am Zazen
6:40 am Kinhin
6:50 am Qigong
7:20 am Zazen
7:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Zazen
9:30 am Mondo Zen Facilitation
11:30 am Zazen
Noon Lunch
1:30 pm Zazen
2:00 pm Mondo Zen Facilitation
3:30 pm Zazen
4:00 pm Kinhin
4:10 pm Tanto led discussion
4:50 pm Kinhin
5:00 pm Zazen
5:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Zazen – Evening service
7:30 pm Kinhin
7:40 pm Zazen – Closing Service
8:00 pm Evening Gathering – Silence Ends
9:30 pm End
Sunday
5:00 am Wake-up bells
5:15 am Zendo opens
5:30 am Morning Service
6:00 am Kinhin
6:10 am Zazen
6:40 am Kinhin
6:50 am Qigong
7:20 am Zazen
7:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Mondo Zen Facilitation
9:50 am Kinhin
10:00 am Closing Circle
10:30 am Clean and Pack
11:30 am Lunch
1:00 pm Off the campus – Leave no trace