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Summer retreats 2025
Since the time of the Buddha, summer (which corresponds to the rainy season in India) has been an opportunity to withdraw from the mundanities of social life and devote oneself to the practice of meditation, zazen.
This is what the Ryumonji monastery offers throughout the summer. Here, each activity allows you to devote yourself entirely to the practice of concentration , to live fully in the present moment. Retreatants follow the daily routine of the nuns and monks: zen meditation (zazen), teachings, samou (service to the community), ceremonies and rituals.
All the teachings are given by Master Reigen Wang-Genh, assisted by experienced nuns and monks.
OUR DIFFERENT FORMULAS - between july and september 2025
RUBRIQUES :
- 1- The joint pensions programme
- 2- Long-term pensions
- 3- Gyoji or ‘Daily Life’ retreats (short or long term)
- 4- ‘Sesshin’ or intensive retreats
- 5- Summer camps (July / August)
- 6- Thematic retreats
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1 - THE COMMON PROGRAMME FOR ALL RETREATS
1. Zen meditation, zazen and walking meditation, kinhin - Between two and four sessions a day, depending on the period.
2. Buddhist teachings and the opportunity to talk to Master Wang-Genh or the monks and nuns around him.
3. Giving of oneself in activities for the community: samou periods (cooking, tending the garden, cleaning, tidying up, woodwork, DIY, shop, etc.). )
4. Rituals and ceremonies to punctuate the day (bells, drums, songs...) and bring us back into the
the present moment
5. A healthy, balanced diet (vegetarian or vegan or gluten free)
6. A precise and effective framework, drawn from the Zen monastery tradition, to help us regain our concentration and inner discipline.
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2 - LONG-TERM RETREAT
Five long-term retreats are planned for this summer, each lasting around three weeks. The daily schedule follows the Gyoji or ‘Daily Life’ programme and the Sesshin programme (depending on the calendar).
Coming for 3 weeks allows retreatants to ‘put down their bags’, to anchor themselves in a spiritual place and to establish new habits for their daily lives.
+ list with dates and prices
3 - GYOJI OR ‘DAILY LIFE’ RETREATS
These short or medium-length Gyoji retreats follow the rhythm of the ‘daily life’ of the nuns and monks, excluding sesshin or themed retreats. There are two zazen sessions a day, as well as samou (gardening, cooking, DIY, cleaning, maintaining biodiversity, etc.).
Gyoji periods in June, July and August (minimum two-day retreat to be scheduled in the periods below, no arrivals on Saturdays or Sundays - you can extend your Gyoji retreat with the following activity (sesshin, themed retreat) on request).
Minimum two-day retreat, to be scheduled in the periods below:
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All June
29 June to 11 July
25 July to 29 July
8 & 9 August
18 to 21 August
1 to 4 September
8th to 30th September
Practical information about 'daily life retreats' :
- You can extend your Daily Life retreat with the following activity: sesshin or thematic retreat on request.
- You will find the prices on this page Gyoji prices > At the bottom of the page
- Here the daily programme
4 - ‘SESSHIN’ OR INTENSIVE RETREATS
‘ Sesshin ‘ is Japanese for “to touch the mind”. These sessions focus on Zen meditation, zazen and silence. There are four zazens a day. These retreats are fairly intensive, so please check the schedule before registering.
- 13th to 15th June
- 27th to 29th June
- 17th to 20th July
- 15th to 17th August
- 5th to 7th September
- ADD LINKS
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5 - SUMMER CAMPS (July / August)
A nine-day meditation retreat that plunges you into the heart of the Zen Buddhist tradition. The retreat is divided into two parts:
- 4 days of preparation: a simple retreat with three zazen sessions a day, particularly suitable for beginners. Social evening on Tuesday evening, rest on Wednesday.
- 3 or 4 days of sesshin: intensive retreat with 4 zazen sessions a day
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6 - THEMATIC RETREATS
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Themes this summer:
Zen and creativity - Calligraphy, Qi-Gong, Shiatsu, Kesa sewing22 to 25 July
Jukai retreat, receiving the precepts
12 to 20 July
Zen Discovery’ retreat, simple retreat
???
22nd to 24th August
Additional information
- Arrival on the day before the 1st day indicated - meal at 8.30 p.m. - departure on the last day after lunch.
- HERE'S ALL THE PRACTICAL INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW
Closed periods
- 30 July to 7 August: the monastery's residents go on retreat to a large temple in central France, La Gendronnière. If you would like to stay at the monastery for several weeks during the summer, straddling July and August, you can also accompany the residents to La Gendronnière during this period. Find out more!
- from 25 August to 1 September
