Kessei at Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji starts September 21. Ideally students come for three months, but shorter stays are also possible (a minimum of two weeks at a time). Join a very special community under the leadership of head monk Muken Mark Barber.
Residential students participate in a schedule of daily meditation, chanting, caretaking, study and creative work. Shinge Roshi describes the residential experience in this short video. During Kessei, the monastery holds three monthly sesshin, an intensive meditation retreat led by our teachers. Kessei culminates in Rohatsu Dai Sesshin, an eight-day retreat honoring Buddha’s enlightenment.
The mountain monastery, with its beautiful Japanese-inspired architecture, sits on the shore of the highest lake in the Catskills, surrounded by 1,400 acres of pristine wilderness. The crisp quiet of autumn offers an especially powerful time to deepen your Zen practice, as leaves turn color, golden wind blows and ice begins to form over Beecher Lake.
The fees for Kessei are $2,000 for the full three months; $1,600 for two months; $800 for one month; and $500 for two weeks. Scholarships are available. To apply, email the DBZ office (office@daibosatsu.org) or call (845) 439-4566.
While we have opened our temples to in-person practice, we continue our online teachings, meetings and sittings. We rely on you to keep everyone safe. Read our full Health Protocols.