Events
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Please check our Weekly Schedule page for details of our regular meetings.
UPCOMING EVENTS 2025
3 Day Silent Retreat with Shozan Jack Haubner
27th – 30th September 2025
Venue: Birchcliffe Centre and IOU Hostel Hebden Bridge
Cost: £220 Residential sharing (single rooms fully booked)
£140 non residential. All meals provided
Jack’s words of invitation:
“Because a lot of our problems seem to come from outside of ourselves, we often search outside of ourselves for answers. Bodhidharma, the first Zen master, offered a different path. He said that Zen is a “special transmission outside the scriptures, not founded upon words and letters, by pointing directly to one’s mind.”
A Zazenkai or weekend sitting retreat is a precious opportunity to come together and do the practice of “pointing directly to one’s mind.” We will chant together, eat in silence together, walk together, I’ll give dharma talks and private Dokusan (practice instruction). But mostly we will practice Zazen, or “just sitting.” By doing simple things completely our very own lives become that “special transmission” that Bodhidharma spoke of. See you there!We will be using the Hebden Bridge IOU Hostel for accommodation and Birchcliffe Centre for zendo and kitchen space.
Please email or ring with any questions and to reserve a place.
07970 425932
hebdenzen@gmail.com
“Shozan Jack Haubner spent 13 years as a full time monk at the Mount Baldy Zen Center in California. He was ordained/tokudo shiki in 2006 and received osho/teaching transmission in 2011. He has led or participated in over 100 weeklong Dai-Sesshin Zen retreats, and has led spiritual writing retreat weekends at the Omega Center in Upstate New York and the Enpuku-ji Zen Center in Montreal. His first book, Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk, featured a forward by Leonard Cohen, was chosen as one of NPR’s Best Books of 2013, and won an Independent Publisher Book Award. His latest book is Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex (Although Not Necessarily in That Order). His writing has won a Pushcart Prize and been published in The New York Times, Tricycle, The Sun, the Best Buddhist Writing Series, Lion’s Roar and other publications. He posts weekly teachings on his YouTube channel Zen Confidential and lives in Vienna with his girlfriend and her many, many houseplants. Books: https://shorturl.at/EzBni YouTube Channel: https://shorturl.at/iTCD2 “
PAST EVENTS
Retreat with Shundo David Haye
Six Instances of Prajna
Fri 19 April 2024 – 7.30-9.30pm
Sat 20 April 2024 – 9am-5pm
Generosity, pure precepts, calm patience, diligence, quiet meditation and wisdom
The idea of the six perfections might seem intimidating and far away, but the paramitas which are some of the oldest Buddhist categories are also wonderful guides for living and dealing with others. Dogen refers to them as six instances of prajna. In this weekend, Shundo will address these six, focusing the first three in a Friday evening talk, and the second three during a day-long sitting on Saturday.
Shundo is a zen priest who trained for sixteen years at San Francisco Zen Centre, including five years of monastic life in the mountains in Tassajara. He spent eight years doing many of the traditional temple administration jobs, was ordained as a priest in 2009, and did head monk training at Tassajara in 2012.
These days, he is interested in taking meditation out to people who might not ever set foot in a zen temple, and teaches in tech companies, the county jail, schools and colleges. He likes to be outside, hiking, riding a bike or carrying a camera, and maintains a daily dharma blog.
The retreat is non-residential based in the Studio at the Birchcliffe Centre. There is accommodation at Hebden Bridge Hostel if you need it.
Suggested donation £20 full day, £10 evening. Book 1 or both sessions. Bring your own lunch, drinks provided.
To book or enquire please email: hebdenzen@gmail.com
SEPTEMBER
Retreat with Brad Warner 2024
We are delighted that Brad Warner will be visiting Hebden Zen on his European tour. Bookings are open! We were oversubscribed in 2023 so please try to book early to avoid disappointment.
Open Talk Evening – Sat 7 Sept 2024 – 7pm
Open to all, not just retreatants. Please let us know if you want to just attend this. This is the only event which is open to others.
Retreat – Sat 7 Sept, 3pm – Tues 10 Sept, 12pm
The retreat will mainly be in silence and a mixture of zazen, kinhin, dharma talks, free time, sessions of body work, walking in the valley, practice discussion. All meals are provided and will be primarily vegan with some dairy options.
A residential and non-residential retreat, based in the Studio at the Birchcliffe Centre and Hebden Bridge Hostel.
Cost
Residential: £210 sharing with 1-2 others; £270 single room
Non Residential: £130
Payment is preferred in 2 installments. The first one (50%) is payable as soon as possible to confirm your booking, the final one 2 weeks before the retreat. Get in touch if there is a problem as we can be flexible to fit with needs, costs are suggested not fixed.
To book or enquire please email: hebdenzen@gmail.com
