Session Great Sangha

Each year, the Great Sangha Session brings together practitioners from all over Europe. It offers an opportunity to practice a sesshin together, as well as to meet and exchange.

This two-and-a-half-day sesshin will begin with the AZI’s Annual General Assembly, a time for discussion and reflection on the association’s direction. On the second day, a ceremony will be held in tribute to Stéphane Kosen Thibaut.

Finally, the Great Sangha Session will conclude with a ceremony marking the anniversary of Master Deshimaru’s passing, in memory of his teaching.

A Hossen Shiki ceremony will also take place on the morning of Thursday, April 30.

TO DOWNLOAD : 

• The poster : The Great Sangha Session - April-May 2026

PROGRAMME

- For assistants: From Monday, April 27 to Sunday, May 3. Arrival takes place from Sunday, April 26 in the afternoon.

- For practitioners who wish to attend the Hossen Shiki ceremony: arrival takes place on Wednesday, April 29 before 7:30 p.m.

• Thursday, April 30

Morning: 07:00 Zazen / 10:30 Teisho by the Sokan + Hossenshiki

Afternoon: Free

Evening: Arrival for the sesshin

- For practitioners attending the sesshin

Arrival takes place on Thursday, April 30 before 7:30 p.m.

• Friday, May 1

Morning: 07:00 Zazen / 11:00 Zazen

Afternoon: 14:30 AZI General Assembly / 20:30 Zazen

• Saturday, May 2

Classic sesshin day

Morning: Ceremony in tribute to Stéphane Kosen Thibaut

• Sunday, May 3

Morning: 07:00 Zazen / 10:30 Ceremony in tribute to Taisen Deshimaru

Departure after lunch.

TEACHING

Raphaël Doko Triet is the abbot of the Seikyuji temple in Spain (Andalusia). At the age of twenty-one, he began practising zazen. Master Taisen Deshimaru ordained him as a monk in 1973. He was in charge of the dojo in Paris from 1990 to 1997 and of the International Zen Association (AZI) from 2004 to 2013. In 1997, he received the Dharma transmission from Master Yuko Okamoto, a friend of Master Deshimaru. In the same year, he founded the dojo in Lisbon.

Raphaël leads sesshin (Zen retreats) in many countries, including Spain, Portugal, France, Quebec and Sweden, as well as in the Seikyuji temples (of which he is the abbot).

He served as abbot of the Gendronnière temple from August 2012 to August 2015.

RATES

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

To find out : 

• What to bring
• Information on what to wear
• Accommodation
• Access to La Gendronnière temple

Please read the PRACTICAL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE

REGISTRATION

To register, go to THE REGISTRATION PAGE