Great Tree Zen Temple Home

Retreats

Retreats at Great Tree are designed to help practitioners explore Zen practice in different ways. These retreats range from introductory workshops and body awareness to retreats for women, families and children. The fee does not include compensation for teachers. A dana (offering) basket will be available for gift offerings to teachers. The Ethics Statement governs all who participate in practice and workshops at Great Tree.

Registration:
Registration is required for all retreats, practice days, and sesshins and needs to be received at least two (2) days prior to the event. We ask that participants register for events as far in advance as possible to facilitate planning and preparation. For day events, if you wish to arrive early or stay after the event, arrangements can be made to stay at Great Tree. Simply indicate your wishes on the registration form. To register, please download the registration form or request a Word registration form from info@greattreetemple.org and send it with a deposit of half the cost of the workshop by snail mail to Great Tree.

Silence:
Silence is an opportunity to communicate with our whole being, our body language, our unspoken thoughts, and a creative expression which speaks more clearly than words. It is authentic and all inclusive – in Silence we are able to hear, express, and engage from the core of our Being.
At Great Tree Zen Temple, ‘Silent Retreat’ means to enter into every activity with mindfulness and a desire to honor the quiet within, being present in the moment without the distraction of unnecessary words or discussion. Amidst our busy lives it is often difficult to imagine communicating without words. A silent retreat offers an opportunity to explore and honor the gifts and insights which arise from SILENCE.

Dana:
Dana means “generosity” and is the practice of giving. In Asian countries giving support for the Dharma (teachings and the pursuit of Truth) is considered a privilege and an opportunity to share in the spiritual practice which is maintained by those who devote their lives more fully to the Dharma.
The fees for events at Great Tree are minimal and are used to cover the costs of mortgage, building maintenance and retreat expenses. Teachers who lead activities at Great Tree offer their services on a dana basis and are not given any direct compensation by Great Tree. There will be a dana basket available for teachers at each retreat or sesshin and participants are asked to give as generously as they can to support Dharma teachers who come to Great Tree.
Any additional gifts you can give to Great Tree are also greatly appreciated.

For more information, see the detailed explanations below. The family events are described on the Family page.

Date	Theme	Leader
March 20 - 21	Mother and Child Retreat: Led by Rev. Teijo Munnich This retreat is an opportunity for mothers to strengthen their spiritual practice in a sharing environment with their children. It is also an invitation for mothers and children to explore spirituality together through meditation, play, work, and study. Activities will be done together to create an environment where children naturally learn from the example of their mother and others. There will also be opportunities for mothers to share without children and children to share without mothers. The weekend will include activities such as stories, songs, games, playmaking, origami, and sand gardens, in addition to work activities such as cooking, cleaning, and Temple projects. We look forward to seeing you – all ages are welcome. 9:30 AM Saturday March 20 (Check-in from 7-9 AM, Orientation 9 AM) – Noon Sunday March 21. Please indicate on the registration form if you wish to arrive Friday evening, the usual overnight suggested contributions will apply: $25 for members, $50 for non-members Registration Required: $130 for members, $150 for non-members, dana	Rev. Teijo Munnich From Catholic Convent, to life on the road, to a university education and time spent as a dancer, Rev Teijo Munnich has spent the last 25 years as a Zen Buddhist Monk. A teacher for the last 15 years, since the death of her teacher the renowned Japanese Zen Monk who helped bring Zen to the West, Dainin Katigiri Roshi, Teijo focuses a lot of her practice on the feminine experience. As Abbess of Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple in Alexander, NC Teijo provides a space for women to come together and explore the mysteries and possibilities of a spiritual practice for women.	Rev. Teijo Munnich Abbess Great TreeTemple
February 25 - 28	Unleashing Dakini Wisdom: A Woman's Retreat Co-led by Rev. Nancy Spence, Rev. Teijo Munnich Dakini Practice For many women on the Buddhist path, Kanzeon emerges (is offered as) as the female ideal of the open, compassionate heart. And practices such as Tonglen (receiving and sending) are offered as heart-stretching ones that allow us to open ourselves to the "is-ness” of each moment. For this retreat, we will begin inquiry into the Buddhist female forms known as Dakinis. Often associated with exuberant energies, Dakinis might best be described as a female embodiment of enlightened energy. The late Nyingma master, Chagdud Tulku, explained, "Dakini refers to the feminine principle of wisdom that manifests in female form to benefit beings. This feminine principle embodies the inseparability of emptiness and wisdom." Contacting our heart's longing for this enlightened wisdom, in this retreat we will explore what holds us back from this wisdom. We will evoke dakini energy through guided imagery, rituals and meditation. Sitting, moving, and guided meditation, Dharma teachings, and discussions. Silence. 7 PM Thursday Feb. 25 (Orientation 6 PM) - Noon Sunday Feb. 28 Registration Required - Cost: $225/$195 members, dana.	Nancy Spence Nancy Spence, author of The Tibetan Book of the Dead: An Adaptation for Reading Aloud to the Dead, and Back to Basics: An Awareness Primer, is founder and teacher of Anattasati Magga, Inc., a Zen Buddhist Sangha for the Laity which adheres to the practices of Soto Zen training. In 1977, Nancy began lay training and entered Priest training at Vichara Bodhiyana Monastery in California. She leads monthly Buddhist Services, offers individual spiritual guidance, and leads three-day and week-long silent meditation retreats, both in NC and CA. Nancy, who competed a Master of Science in Psychology in 2001, also has a private counseling practice, and facilitates personal growth groups through InnerVision. Rev. Teijo Munnich From Catholic Convent, to life on the road, to a university education and time spent as a dancer, Rev Teijo Munnich has spent the last 25 years as a Zen Buddhist Monk. A teacher for the last 15 years, since the death of her teacher the renowned Japanese Zen Monk who helped bring Zen to the West, Dainin Katigiri Roshi, Teijo focuses a lot of her practice on the feminine experience. As Abbess of Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple in Alexander, NC Teijo provides a space for women to come together and explore the mysteries and possibilities of a spiritual practice for women.	Rev. Teijo Munnich Abbess Great TreeTemple Nancy Spence
March 13	Intro to Zen: Led by Jonathon “Rendo” Flaum This class will offer instruction in sitting meditation (zazen) from the Soto Zen Buddhist tradition which is the simple practice of sitting quietly, sometimes described as “just sitting.” The morning will include instruction in basic form, sitting (zazen) and walking (kinhin) meditation, and opportunity for questions and discussion. “Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. At present you need to live the question.” — Rainer Maria Rilke Saturday, March 13: 9 AM – Noon Registration Required, Cost: $25, dana	Jonathon “Rendo” Flaum Jonathon Flaum is Founder and Director of The WriteMind Institute for Corporate Contemplation. Jonathon is the author of How the Red Wolf Found Its Howl: The Internal Journey to Leadership, published by Lotus Way Press, July 2008 and How the Paper Fish Learned to Swim: A Fable about Inspiring Creativity and Bringing New Ideas to Life. He is also the co-author of The 100 Mile Walk: A Father and Son on a Quest to Find the Essence of Leadership. These were published by AMACOM BOOKS in 2006. His work has been featured in BusinessWeek, The New York Times, Investor’s Business Daily, and on 800CEOREAD.com. A former playwright and philosopher of religion, Jonathon holds a Master of Arts in philosophy of religion from Florida State University and a Master of Fine Arts in playwriting from the University of Southern California. Jonathon has been a Zen student of Rev. Teijo Munnich since the early 1990’s and brings a unique perspective to everyday practice.	Jonathon Flaum