Illuminating the Mind 7-night Residential Zen Retreat, 12-19 April https://westernchanfellowship.org/events-and-retreats/event-details-page/?EventID=470 Silent Illumination is a profound meditation practice which leads to a mind of great calmness and insight, using ancient Chinese Zen methods which are just as applicable to the modern West. It is the origin of the Japanese Soto Zen practice of Shikantaza but is approached somewhat differently and full instruction will be given. This seven-night silent retreat is an opportunity to learn and deepen this practice through intensive meditation, with instruction and personal guidance by individual interviews with an experienced teacher. Whether or not a breakthrough to Enlightenment may occur, establishing a practice gives a firm basis for subsequent ongoing mindfulness and compassion in everyday life. (fb)

Western Zen Retreat 5-night Residential Retreat 15th to 20th March 2025, Peak District UK https://westernchanfellowship.org/events-and-retreats/event-details-page/?EventID=469 Who am I? Thoroughly confronting this question can take us directly to the centre of our being. Over the course of this five-day retreat you will investigate the question "Who am I?" within a standard retreat framework, using silent meditation in conjunction with a unique method of verbal inquiry. This format allows you to use words to go beyond words and thereby enter the main gate of Chan. The intensive nature of this process of inquiry drives each practitioner into a self-presentation that is difficult to experience in other ways. To guide and support you, personal interviews with the teachers are offered regularly throughout the retreat. With whole-hearted engagement this retreat may lead to the acceptance of self, the experience of "self at ease," and may even provide an opportunity for direct insight into the ground of being. Read reports by part participants: https://westernchanfellowship.org/dharma/retreat-reports/retreat-reports-western-zen-retreat/ (fb)