Summer Residency Program 2026

This is a six-week immersion — longer than a typical sesshin and designed to let practice rhythms take hold. You'll live at the monastery for the full period, moving through a structured day that includes zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), mindful eating (oryoki), and temple work alongside several week-long sesshins that intensify the practice schedule.

The program weaves together formal Zen training — sanzen interviews with a teacher, chanting, ritual — with the ordinary work of maintaining a monastery. This mix of formal practice and daily labor is central to Soto Zen training. Classes throughout the residency provide context and teaching.

Great Vow is an established Soto Zen center. The calendar description does not specify experience level requirements, lodging details, meal arrangements, or a named teacher for this program. Contact the center directly for information about whether this residency is open to first-time practitioners, what's included in the $300 fee, and who will be teaching.