Great Vow Zen Monastery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Great Vow Zen Monastery
Religion
Affiliation	White Plum Asanga
Location
Location	P.O. Box 188, Clatskanie, Oregon 97016
Country	United States
Architecture
Completed	2002
Website
www.zendust.org/

Great Vow Zen Monastery is a special place where people learn and practice Zen Buddhism. It was started in 2002 by the Zen Community of Oregon. The monastery is led by two main teachers, called abbots: Chozen Bays and Hogen Bays. They offer many activities like Sunday morning programs, weekend classes, and longer meditation retreats. It's a place for quiet learning and reflection.

Who Teaches at Great Vow?

Great Vow Zen Monastery is a place for training in the Soto Zen tradition. This is a type of Japanese Buddhism. The monastery follows the White Plum lineage. The main teachers, called Abbots, are Hogen Bays and Jan Chozen Bays.

Where is the Monastery Located?

The monastery is in a building that used to be an elementary school. It sits on about 20 acres (around 81,000 square meters) of land. From the monastery, you can see the Columbia River floodplain, which is near Clatskanie, Oregon.

Inside the Monastery Building

• Two parts of the old school, called "pods," are now dorms. These are where people who live or visit the monastery sleep.
• The main offices and the meditation hall are in the middle of the building.

Outside the Monastery Building

• An open field surrounds the monastery building.
• Behind the building, there's a wooded area. This area has many walking trails for people to explore.

What is Zen Training Like?

The training at Great Vow Zen Monastery mainly follows the Soto Zen style. However, it also includes ideas from other types of Buddhism and other practices.

A Typical Day at the Monastery

People who live at the monastery follow a daily schedule:

• The wakeup bell rings at 4:50 in the morning.
• They spend two hours meditating.
• There's a bowing and chanting service.
• After breakfast, they have two periods of work.
• Lunch and dinner each start with a short religious service.
• The day ends with two more hours of meditation in the evening.
• Sometimes, this schedule changes for special events or classes.

Workshops and Retreats

• Every month, the monastery holds weekend workshops.
• They also have weeklong meditation intensives.
• Other Buddhist teachers often visit to lead or help with these retreats and workshops. Some of these teachers include Gyokuko Carlson, Daniel P. Brown, Keith Dowman, Arinna Weisman, Alan Wallace, and Ajahn Amaro.

Becoming a Priest

Great Vow also offers training for people who want to become a Soto Zen Buddhist priest. This includes living at the monastery full-time.

Jizo Bodhisattva's Role

A special figure called Jizo Bodhisattva is very important at Great Vow. In Japanese tradition, Jizo is a helper for those in need.

Practices with Jizo

• People chant the Jizo mantra every day.
• They also make small statues of Jizo to sell.
• There's a special meditation retreat focused on Jizo.
• Twice a year, ceremonies are held for children and loved ones who have passed away.
• Every August, there is a yearly Jizo-Bon festival.

How the Monastery is Supported

The monastery is supported by the Zen Community of Oregon (ZCO). This group includes many lay members (people who are not monks or priests).

Community Support

• Many ZCO members meet for meditation in Portland at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.
• There are also smaller groups connected to the monastery in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

Other Ways of Support

• The monastery gets help from fundraising events.
• Visitors also give donations.
• Fees from retreats and workshops help support the monastery.
• They also sell meditation supplies and Buddhist images.

Visiting Great Vow Zen Monastery

Great Vow Zen Monastery welcomes visitors.

Sunday Morning Program

• Every Sunday morning at 10 a.m., there's a public program.
• It includes a short chanting service, followed by meditation.
• One of the teachers gives a talk.
• The program ends with lunch.

Short-Term Stays

• Visitors can arrange to stay at the monastery for a short time.
• Both residents and visitors sleep in dormitories. These rooms have several beds and are separated by gender.
• All meals served at the monastery are vegetarian.

Gallery

• 

  Abbot Chozen Bays

• 

  Chozen Roshi with Kaz Tanahashi

• 

  Abbot Hogen Bays