Morning Star Virtual Zendo

Quarterly Virtual Retreat Schedule

(revised) Summer June 14-16, 2024

Registration closes  5 days before.

Online registration for the retreat is now open. Click here to register.     

* Fr Robert Kennedy, Roshi, will be present in MSZ Zendo on Saturday 9:30-4:00. Door will open at 9:00. Please plan to bring your own lunch. Join meeting with retreat meeting code and password will be sent three days prior to retreat.


Friday Evening, 

7:00 - 7:25 pm Welcome, Sesshin Structure and Zazen

7:25 - 7:35 pm Kinhin

7:35 - 8:00 pm Zazen (Meditation instruction)

8:00 pm Closing for the Day

*2:00 – 3:00 pm EST ( Zendo will open for people of different time zone who wish to sit)


Saturday, 

7:00 - 7:25 am Incense Offering, Gatha of Repentance, Zazen

7:25 - 7:35 am Kinhin

7:35 - 8:00 am Zazen

8:00 - 9:30 am Meal Break

9:30 - 9:55 am Zazen (all join meeting with regular Saturday meeting code and password)

9:55 - 10:00 am Kinhin

10:00-10:30 am Teisho

10:30-10:45am Q&A

10:45-11:00 am Tea Break

Join meeting with retreat meeting code and password

11:00-11:25 am Zazen

11:25-11:30 am Kinhin

11:30-11:50 am Zazen

11:50-12:00 pm Kinhin

12:00-12:25 pm Zazen

12:25-12:30 pm chanting

12:30- 2:00 pm Meal Break


2:00-2:25 pm Words of Encouragement and Zazen

2:25-2:35 pm Kinhin

2:35-3:00 pm Zazen

3:00 pm End of day chanting

3:15-4:15 Optional Daisan (Private meeting with Teacher)


Sunday


7:00 - 7:25 am Gatha of Repentance, Zazen

7:25 - 7:35 am Kinhin

7:35 - 8:00 am Zazen

8:00 - 9:00 am Meal Break

9:00 - 9:25 am Zazen

9:25 - 9:30 am Kinhin

9:30- 10:00 am Teisho

10:00-10:15 am Tea Break

10:15-11:00 am Final Chanting / Council Circle

11:00 Closing words


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Silent retreats (sesshins) offer an opportunity to develop a deeper contemplative prayer life, strengthened by the presence of others. Zazen or sitting meditation is the practice of stilling the mind through attentiveness to the breath. Together with stillness of the body, this frees the mind from its ordinary activities of thinking, and speculating.

Zen silent retreats are open to persons of all religious and non-religious affiliations; they includes zazen (seated meditation in 25 minute periods), kinhin (walking meditation), chanting, dharma talks and daisan (one on one interviews with the teachers), and beginners instruction. 

ANGOS - During the Lenten and Advent seasons, Roshi Kennedy often presents a reading each weekday at 5 pm when he is not travelling in order to support the deepening of our practice.   We call these periods of intensified practice Angos.  You can view an archive of our 2009-2016 Ango readings here


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Quarterly weekend retreats March 1-3, 2024, June 14-16, 2024 (changed), September 6-8, 2024, December 6-8, 2024.


July 4-9 Grey Heron Zendo,Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland. Contact Anita at dominicanretreat@gmail.com. website.https://greyheronzen.ie/ 


August 4-9 Mercy Retreat, Madison, CT acaserta@mercybythesea.org


May 17-19

Maryknoll Sisters
10 Pinesbridge Rd.
Ossining NY 10562

$250 includes 6 meals.

There are 42 beds. Please register with half payment ASAP to

Russ Michel
8 Vermont Ave
White plains NY 10606

914 403 3623 (Zelle Payments accepted)

whiteplainszen@gmail.com  

(Maryknoll is home to Sr. Kathleen Reiley, now living in Japan, dharma sister to Roshi Kennedy)