Introduction to Zen Training Weekend

This weekend sesshin is built for people encountering Zen practice for the first time, or those coming back after time away. Rather than assuming you know how to sit or what happens in a dokusan (private meeting with a teacher), the retreat teaches the basics: how to do zazen, how the schedule works, what the liturgy is about. That structure matters — a traditional sesshin can feel opaque if you don't know what's happening or why.

The schedule balances sitting periods with instruction, work practice (often kitchen or cleaning duties), and meals eaten together in silence. You'll have a private interview with one of the teachers, which is the heart of Zen training: a chance to sit across from someone with years of practice and ask what's actually going on in your mind when you sit. That relationship — between student and teacher — is central to Zen, and this retreat gives you a taste of what it feels like.

Fire Lotus Temple is located in New York City, so the retreat is residential on-site. Expect a quiet, focused environment for the weekend, with early mornings and full days of practice.