Personal Retreats at Treetop Zen Center of Maine
The economy, war, crime, unemployment, global warming. Sometimes it seems that, in the words of the poet, “the world is too much with us” and that it’s a harsh world. When things get particularly tough, the smart go on retreat. Stepping back from the tsunami of daily life can help us gain perspective and tap a reservoir of energy to help us progress on our spiritual journey.Retreats have been a part of religion probably since the first human being looked at the sky and wondered about his place in the world. Young Lakota Indian men went on vision quests in the mountains. The Desert Fathers of early Christianity sought solitude and simplicity in the harsh wilderness. Buddhism has always emphasized retreats focusing on meditation. Perhaps the most famous mediator in the Zen tradition was
Bodidharma, the sixth century Indian monk who brought Zen to China and then was said to have spent nine years meditating alone in a cave.
At Treetop Zen Center we don’t go quite that far. The Center offers Zen residencies, monthly, over night retreats, and rigorous twice-year weeklong sesshins. However, recognizing that everyone is unique and at a particular stage on the spiritual path, the Center’s teachers have crafted a new option—the personal, custom designed retreat. These retreats, which are expected to be extremely popular, allow people to tailor a chosen period of reflection and study to their needs within a traditional Zen centers structure and environment.
FAQs about the program:
How long can a personal retreat be?
The length is open. Personal retreats can run from a couple of days to months.How would I design a personal retreat at Treetop?
You would work with the Center’s teachers to design a retreat that meets your own spiritual needs, interests, and level of experience in meditation. Retreats may be Christian in subject matter or Zen Buddhist since there are teachers at Treetop with experience and training in both traditions. You could, for instance, focus on studying a particular piece of Buddhist literature or build a retreat around an art form— photography, poetry, or journaling. Retreats can be silent, or nearly so.
What would the retreat include?
The personal retreat schedule would include daily zazen, or Zen meditation; daisan (face-to-face interview with a teacher): a period of samu (the work practice traditional at Zen Centers); private study, writing; time for personal reflection; and cooking and eating of meals. You would join the Treetop teachers and sangha for zazen on Wednesday evening and Buddhist services on Saturday morning and participate in the zendo’s monthly over night sits if they overlap with a personal retreat.What would the living arrangements be like?
Retreatants would live in a small, private retreat hut; bathroom and kitchen facilities are in the zendo nearby. If a hut is not available, retreatants may live in the zendo.How would meals be handled?
Retreatants would join Stef and Margaret, the center’s two resident teachers, for breakfast Monday through Friday. With the exception of weekday breakfast, all other meals would be cooked in the zendo kitchen.How much time would I spend interacting with the Center’s teachers?
Retreatants will meet daily with either of the two resident teachers, or at least three times a week with the non-resident teacher, in addition to daisan.Where is Treetop located?
The Zen Center is in central Maine a little over an hour from Portland, in a region of lakes, rivers, forests, and small towns. The Center is only a couple of miles off Interstate 95. It is located on a quiet road in the small town of Oakland. Nearby is Waterville, perhaps best known as the home of Colby College and Railroad Square Cinema’s Maine International Film Festival. The state capital of Augusta is less than a half hour away, as is the Belgrade Lakes Region, a well-known vacation area.What about travel to and from the Center?
Portland and Bangor, an hour to the east, are both served by international airports and daily flights by several carriers. Augusta’s smaller airport also has daily flights. Waterville is served by Greyhound bus lines on a daily basis.What is the cost of a personal retreat?
Retreats are designed to be very affordable for a person of average means. Fees are $650 per month, $200 per week (Saturday noon to Sunday noon), $75 per weekend (Friday noon or evening to Sunday noon.), or $35 per day.To reserve a hut, non-refundable deposits are required as follows: Month: $100; Week: $50; Weekend: $35.