What is a Retreat?

First of all, a retreat or “Zen retreat” is a cleansing machine

Our brain and body are comparable to a computer, but they collect so much dust: dust from desire, anger and ignorance, but also dust from many opinions. So we have to use the not-knowing soap to soap away our opinions, our desires, our anger and our ignorance. Then we can experience the situation clearly and preserve the big question: What is it? This exercise ultimately leads to a great white-not, and that is purification, the clearing of our consciousness. After a longer Zen retreat, our consciousness is cleaner. A Zen retreat is therefore a big cleaning machine.

Furthermore, a retreat is a Dharma filling station

Our life has energy. This is karma energy, karma fuel. But karma means “I, mine, mine”. When we shed “I, mine, me”, then we and the universe become one. Then Dharma energy or universal energy comes into us. So when we sit a Zen retreat together, we put down all our opinions: my opinion, my situation, my sensitivities.
Then the correct opinion, the correct situation and the correct sensitivities appear, so that we and the universe are one. In this way, the Dharma gasoline fills us and after a Zen retreat we feel a lot of Dharma energy. Having Dharma energy means living in harmony with the universe and being able to follow the right path. If you show up to the Zen retreat with a lot of karma gasoline, then the Zen practice will cause that karma gasoline to be used up and Dharma gasoline can come in. This is why we say that a Zen retreat is a Dharma refueling station.

There is also a lot of hunger in this world

There are two types of hungry people: physically hungry and mentally hungry. Physically hungry people do not get enough to eat, then they starve and die. They suffer, but they don’t cause so much suffering for others. Spiritually hungry people have had enough, but want more: “I want more, I want more. People with a hungry spirit suffer, but they also cause a lot of suffering for others. So when we come to the retreat, we attain Dharma, and then when we go home, we make Dharma food. We make dharma sweets, dharma cookies, dharma cakes, dharma rice and dharma bread and all kinds of great dharma food. Then we share the Dharma food to satisfy the hunger of people’s minds and realize world peace. A retreat is therefore a Dharma food factory.

Come to the Zen retreat, purify your consciousness in our purification machine, receive Dharma fuel, Dharma energy, and then make Dharma food in your life, give it to others to satisfy their spiritual hunger and eliminate suffering in this world. This is our practice and our mission.

Zen master Dae Bong