Rohatsu, also known as Bodhi Day, is a celebration of the historical Buddha’s awakening. At Hollow Bones Zen, our tradition is to engage in this celebration with a silent retreat, offering an opportunity for deep inquiry and the continuance of our awakening.

Hosted by Zen River Sangha in Appleton, WI, this practice will also be open for online participation. Those participating in person will need to arrange for their own lodging in the Appleton area, but meals are included in the retreat price. 

The daily retreat schedule includes morning and evening services, seated zazen meditation, kinhin walking meditation, conscious embodiment qi gong practice, teisho dharma talks, and opportunities for dokusan (one-on-one interviews with a roshi).

During the retreat, we observe essential silence and ask that you plan your week to be free from outside communication and distractions. Those who will be joining online are encouraged to consider their plans for meal preparation, notification silencing, and space sharing ahead of time in order to reduce distractions as much as is practical.

Hollow Bones retreats are a modern adaptation of traditional Japanese Rinzai zen retreats. All practices are done in English in order to facilitate direct, personal understanding of the methods and goals. 

This retreat is not only a joyful celebration and opportunity to reconnect with sangha friends from all over the world–it also offers a strong container for you to experience intensive personal practice and to prepare yourself to dwell in Clear Deep Heart Mind during the upcoming holiday season. Whether this Rohatsu marks the beginning or the continuation of your practice, know that this is your time for awakening!

2023 Rohatsu Photo Gallery

2022 Rohatsu Photo Gallery