Residential Sesshin with Jack Duffy and Lee Shields, March 13-20 2027
Three Treasures Sangha typically sponsors two seven-day sesshins each year in the Fall and the Spring. Our Spring 2027 sesshin will be a traditional residential sesshin with teachers Jack Duffy and Lee Shields from March 13-20 2027, at Samish Island Camp and Retreat Center.
These retreats are rigorous and quite demanding. They are silent except for daily teisho (Dharma talks) and dokusan (practice-related interviews).
If you would like general information, have questions, or have no prior sesshin experience, feel free to contact Steve Sachs at ttsangha@gmail.com or 206-395-5226 to learn more. You can also find information about costs and registration by clicking here to see the online registration form; you will be able to review it without submitting the application.
Shorter zazenkais are held at Dharma Gate throughout the year to balance the longer and more strenuous spring and fall sesshins. See our Calendar for more information.
Application:
Applications can be submitted online: Apply Online or by printing and mailing the form: Download Application Form
Sesshin General Schedule:
March 13th, Saturday
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm—arrive, help set up, get settled
5:00 pm – light supper, clean up
6:50 pm – gather in zendo, zazen, introductions, cautions
9:15 pm – closing
10:00 pm – lights out
Sunday – Friday
5:00 am – wake-up
5:30 am – opening ceremony, tea, zazen, kinhin, and dokusan
7:30 am – breakfast, work and rest
9:15 am – end of work period
9:30 am – sutras, zazen, kinhin
12:00 pm – lunch, rest and work
2:00 pm – zazen, kinhin, teisho, and dokusan
6:00 pm – supper, work and rest
7:30 pm – zazen, kinhin, and dokusan
9:30 pm – closing ceremony
10:00 pm – lights out
March 20th, Saturday
5:00 am – wake up
5:30 am – opening ceremony, tea and zazen (no dokusan)
7:30 am – closing ceremony and breakfast
9:00 am – clean-up, sandwich makings and fruit for the road
12:00 am – end of sesshin
Note:
If you are 65 or older and believe that participating in the full sesshin schedule would be physically unhealthy, you may choose to skip either the early morning block or the late evening block. Please advise Jack or Lee before sesshin of your choice.
You, of course, can show up for the block you have chosen to miss but once you come to the zendo you will need to stay for the entire block. Missing a block will be a time for further rest, stretching or outdoor walking. The kitchen will not be available for coffee, tea or fruit. If your time for dokusan comes during one of those blocks, you will be skipped over until your place in the dojo comes around again. If you have a medical necessity to miss more than one block a day, please talk to Lee or Jack in the coming weeks to arrange a personal schedule.