Presentation of La Gendronnière

"The Castle of No Fear"

La Gendronnière Zen temple was founded in 1979 by Master Taisen Deshimaru and his disciples, who were members of the International Zen Association.

Located 200 km from Paris, near Blois in the Centre-Val de Loire region, the temple is easily accessible by train or car. Comfortably accommodating up to 350 people, it is the first Zen temple founded in Europe and brings together sanghas(Buddhist communities) from all over Europe.

The estate covers more than 100 hectares. At its heart is a 400m² dojo (meditation hall) where zazen (zen meditation) takes place, as well as a converted old castle and several adjoining buildings. A smaller dojo was also built a few years ago for everyday use.

Surrounded by a forest of oak, ash and hornbeam, ponds and meadows, there is also a large vegetable garden cultivated according to the principles of permaculture, which provides vegetables and fruit for residents and participants.

For Master Deshimaru, La Gendronnière was not just a Zen temple, but also a living place of practice, where people can learn to live according to universal spiritual values, in harmony with all living species. Since its beginnings, La Gendronnière has been a place for discovering and deepening the practice of Sôtô Zen. Over the years, the temple has become the ultimate place for connecting with oneself, with others and with the world.

The first Zen temple in Europe, and the flagship of Sôtô Zen Buddhism in Europe, La Gendronnière has become, according to the wishes of its founder, ‘The Castle of Fearlessness’.

A place for spiritual retreats

Throughout the year, the La Gendronnière temple organises Zen meditation retreats. In addition to practising zazen (zen meditation), retreatants have the opportunity to attend teachings and ceremonies, to eat their meals in silence and according to ritual, and to practise samu, voluntary work in the service of the community (cleaning, cooking, gardening, caring for the estate and biodiversity, etc.).

The retreats are available in several formats:

the Sesshins or intensive retreats lasting several days
the Themed retreats, which combine the practice of Zen with the learning of an art or a discipline: the ‘Les doigts d'Or’ session, the ‘Esprit du geste’ session, and the ‘Arts et santé’ session
the Gyoji Weeks or ‘Zen and Everyday Life’, which are a complete immersion in the daily life of monks and nuns
the Long-term retreats, which offer the possibility of spending several weeks or months at La Gendronnière.

Every summer, the temple offers a full programme for the months of July and August:

In addition, events are organised throughout the year that bring together Sôtô Zen practitioners from Europe and Japan: conferences, commemorative ceremonies, Buddhist training retreats, general assemblies and various meetings.

SEE THE GENERAL CALENDAR OF RETREATS AND ACTIVITIES

Reception of beginners

Beginners are welcome at all our retreats and receive a special welcome. At the start of each retreat, an introductory session is held not only to teach them the specifics of the zazen posture, but also to inform them of the programme and the rules of community life.

The teaching

The teaching is provided by the disciples who have been with the founding master Taisen Deshimaru the longest and who have all practised for more than fifty or sixty years.

The teaching takes several forms:

teisho, teachings specific to Sôtô Zen Buddhism (commentaries on the text, the sutra, and great teachings on the doctrine of the Buddha)
kusen, teachings and recommendations given spontaneously during zazen periods
dokusan, private interviews with the teacher, an opportunity to share one's personal journey.

Re-learning how to live together

The future of our societies depends on sharing, pooling, simplicity and community life. Sharing, a fundamental Buddhist value, encourages generosity, altruism and kindness towards all beings. Pooling and simplicity consist of sharing our material and spiritual resources to reduce our needs, save time and energy, and give meaning to our lives.

Life in a community, particularly in a Zen temple, is essential for spiritual fulfilment. It is based on precise rules and constant attention to the details of everyday life.

The Zen tradition is characterised by living and practising together, within the sangha (community of practitioners), learning to overcome one's limitations and prejudices. This learning of interdependence happens ‘naturally, unconsciously and automatically’ by focusing on others and on the life of the group.

An international sangha

All the sanghas, which have been established since the death of Master Taisen Deshimaru in 1982, meet at La Gendronnière for sesshins, themed retreats, conferences and commemorative ceremonies. The temple is both the rallying point and the spiritual centre of the International Zen Association.

Approximately once a month, a Zen teacher from the AZI comes to lead a retreat at La Gendronnière. This is an opportunity for participants to meet different teachers and to practise while benefiting from different perspectives on the Way of Zen.

Practitioners of many different nationalities meet at La Gendronnière. The activities and sesshins are thus an opportunity for enriching intercultural encounters. Depending on the origin of the practitioners present, translations are regularly provided so that everyone can be informed in the same way and have access to the teachings.