Non-residential Online Retreat via Zoom
This is an online retreat, held via Zoom video conference. You will need an internet-connected computer device with Zoom installed, equipped with a camera and audio.
This will be a silent retreat, which in the Zoom context means we will not engage in social conversation during Zoom sessions, and we will keep silence as much as possible outside of Zoom sessions. You should attempt to have no communication with the outside world for the duration of the retreat. You will need to arrange a sacred retreat space where you will not be interrupted, which has sufficient space for walking meditation (or be able to do this outside in a secluded area).
It will be necessary to have a designated space in which one can be silent (except for speech related to teachings or simple tasks) without interruptions if possible, and with some floor space for walking meditation (either circumambulating the room or designating a path of 20 steps or so, in which you can walk back and forth for a designated period of time). If you walk outside, you will need to be in earshot of the gong or set a timer.
In order to sustain the organization of a retreat, for any meditations when we're not on Zoom, you will likely benefit from a timer to maintain consistent lengths of sessions and rounds of meditation. And since we won’t have a bell ringer to wake us up in the morning, and to show up for each session during the day, each participant will need to have a dependable alarm clock.
Another obvious issue that sets an online retreat apart from a residential retreat is that participants are responsible for their own food preparation, so please have supplies readily available for this.
Most importantly, on an online retreat you may need a bit more self-discipline and resolve than on residential retreats in order to maintain silence and consistent practice. Please set your intention accordingly.
Attendance is required at every day session of the retreat. There is no partial retreat attendance on this retreat, except that participants who cannot attend the morning of the last day may be excused. Please plan to arrive early for each session.
Schedule:
7:30 pm Orientation
7:45 pm Vow of Silence (except for teachings and tasks)
8:00 pm Teaching (brief)
Monday:
6:00 am Wake-Up
6:30 am Meditation
7:00 am Breakfast
8:30 am Recitation of the precepts
8:40 am Final sharing (with breaks)
12:00 pm Release from Silence
