Parents-children: Welcoming families in sesshin and summer camp.

This structure has been created in order to harmonize life for families and the sangha, the practice and societal life.

It aims to create harmony between families and with the whole sangha :

-    by helping parents to be able to concentrate more on the sesshin by encouraging them, with the help of the sangha, with their parental responsibilities;
-    by developing patience, a loving spirit, creativity, attention, observation and concentration in an informal and fun way ; thus developing respect, tolerance, responsibility, the relationship with nature… all universal values which can lead to the flourishing of future citizens.
Children are the seeds of generations to come.

Through the presence of children, this structure also gives the whole sangha a chance to:
• practice fuse, benevolence, patience, gentleness;
• educate oneself through the spontaneity of children’s’ reactions, and their requests for clarifications and explanations ;
• learn from them the spirit of playing and joy !
It also enables families to develop their understanding, respect, love for one another.

Opening the sesshin to children integrates them in temple life :
Children from ages 5 to 10 harmonize with temple life, the teachings, temple activities and rules, with which there is a certain amount of flexibility and guidance.

ZAZEN: All children may experience:

-    the silence of zazen in the zendo for 5 to 10 minutes,
-    or experience silence in another « silent » place,
-    participate in quiet activities ( clay, mandala....)

SAMU : Children may participate in either adult samu (accompanied by adults) or in samu adapted to their age and abilities. For the latter, the length of samu is shorter than for the adult samu.

MEALS : Children have meals  with everyone, so that they are stimulated by the general concentration of everyone.

LODGING : When possible, families are regrouped together to simplify morning and evening child minding and the general organization.

In order to ensure the best quality of this structure, the number of children is limited and registration is required (see the information sheet about registration).
For now, we can accommodate 7 children in sesshin and 10 during the summer camp.

Information sheet (pdf).
Registration (pdf).

The « parent, child, and practice» commission.
This reception structure is organized by a group of motivated and competent people, making up the « parent, child and practice»  commission.

Its members are :

François Lanusé - chair
Chiara Pandolfi
Dorothée Schell
Franca Mondino

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