Support Zento Going on Summer Retreat

My given name is Ryan, but many people know me by my dharma name, Zento (Meditation Light). I am a Zen Buddhist and a student of Koshin Paley Ellison-sensei at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. I work full-time as a staff chaplain at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI. I live with my partner of almost 18 years and our dog, Stella the Labrador.

I am raising money so that I can attend "sesshin," which is an 8-day silent meditation retreat. Sesshin is the heart of Zen Buddhist practice; it is the time when we are able to deepen our meditation practice while learning to be with one another in community. The average day in sesshin begins at around 4:30 or 5am with meditation and stretches till about 9pm at night. During that time, we do about 8 hours of meditation and spend the rest of the time in silence. There is also time to do work practice (such as cleaning the toilets or sweeping the floors), meet with a teacher one-on-one to discuss our practice, and attend the dharma talk (like a sermon). As the hours go on, we are able to drop our thinking minds and learn to simply be with one another in harmony. Personally, my time in sesshin is what enables me to be a chaplain. The depth of that week of practice stays with me for the rest of the year and becomes a large part of what I offer to others. I can't overstate how central sesshin practice has been to becoming the person I am today.

My sangha (congregation) holds sesshin twice a year at a former Capuchin monastery in the Hudson River Valley. The price is $1595, which includes food for 8 days but does not include travel expenses. I have received a $400 scholarship from my sangha. I am trying to raise some extra money so that I can get a room on the 2nd floor, instead of the 3rd floor (which is $1432). This will mean less steps to climb, since I am still recovering from my femur fracture in August of 2024.

Although I work full-time, my partner is disabled, so we live on a single income and we have many medical expenses. As much as sesshin is vital to my life and practice, it is often financially out of reach for us. This year, however, I am going to try to ask others for help. No amount is too small, anything is deeply appreciated.