Building a Grass Hut
A PZI & Bluegrass Zen Retreat
An End of Summer Retreat: Building a Grass Hut
with David Parks Roshi
of Bluegrass Zen & Pacific Zen Institute
In Person
Cathedral Domain in the Eastern Kentucky Mountains
5:00 pm Friday evening on August 12th, through Sunday 12:00 noon on August 14th
I built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.
When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it’s been lived in, covered by weeds.
The person in the hut lives here calmly,
not stuck to inside, outside, or in-between.
—Shitou Xiqian
For years, Shitou Xiqian meditated in a hut built on a rock near Nan Monastery. The poem, Song of a Grass Hut, is Shitou’s reflection on his years of practice in this hut.
Uncertainty defines our time. Peril and pestilence, fires and floods, war—what next? Why not a practice that you can carry with you wherever you go, whatever may befall?
Why not a grass hut of the heart, where in the midst of it all, you can return to the grace of this moment, the refuge of here?
—David Parks
Our retreat will be held at the beautiful Cathedral Domain, an Episcopal retreat center in the heart of the eastern Kentucky mountains. In this natural setting, you will find trails, hills, rocks and streams—and an invitation to build the grass hut of your practice.
The retreat house features individual rooms, each room with a bathroom.
Meals are provided by the retreat center.
For those flying into the retreat, Lexington, Kentucky is the closest airport.
If you need to arrive a day early, members of Bluegrass Zen have volunteered to open their homes on Thursday night.
Schedule (all times are EDT):
Registration is limited to 20 people. Registration fee is $260 for the weekend.
Scholarship aid is available, contact [email protected]
Who is David Parks Roshi?
David Parks Roshi is a Zen Teacher and Director of Bluegrass Zen in Lexington and Waco, Kentucky.
David Parks Roshi has a deep interest in community and leadership development in Western Chan Koan Zen. For him, Koan Zen is about the opening and transformation of the heart-mind. Meditation and koans are the tools.
David was a leader in The United Church of Christ for 40 years, and uses resources available in the Christian faith as encouragement on the Koan Zen path.
How do I register if I want to attend?
Registration Form and Checkout Tips:
For registration questions, contact our registrar: Amy Pemberton [email protected]
How do I register? Select 'Register' with the image button below. Next, choose (1) @ $260.00 and click 'Add to Cart.'
How can I donate or give teacher dana? In your Cart, for your convenience, you may add 'Donation to PZI' and/or 'Teacher Dana,' then check out with your total. If you wish, you may add a personal note.
Where do my donations go? All of your donations help support PZI events, web offerings, our KALPA online library of teachings, and our teachers.
Your receipt for the retreat is in your 'Thank You' message, and also will be emailed to you.
For registration, donation, and dana giving questions, please get in touch with [email protected]
