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Ten days of silence at a Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto
05:00 wake-up, 45-minute Zazen, breakfast in silence, temple work, more Zazen. Ten days. This is what actually happens — and who this is not for.
Kyoto, Japan 10 days 13 min read
The story
Amara covers a 10-day silent Zazen retreat at a working Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto (she names the temple; there are only three that accept foreign guests properly). She walks the daily schedule, the physical realities (leg pain is the retreat), and the psychological trajectory. The section titled "Who should not do this" is the most useful part of the piece — she lists specific contraindications with clinical clarity. Aspirational co-star: none; this piece is about the reader's relationship with themselves.
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