ZEN WEEKEND IN ATHENS WITH BERND BENDER, 26 – 28 MAY 2023

Don’t we all long for healing? Two years of pandemic lockdowns, a war in Europe, and many other armed conflicts worldwide, a global climate crisis – all of this leaves many of us bewildered, feeling isolated and lonely, and in fear about what our future will look like.

Zen is a healing practice that offers a way to transform our feelings of isolation into connectedness, our sense of doom and doubt into confidence and trust, and our anger and despair into care and compassion.

This weekend will be an opportunity to meet and practice together. The retreat is open to everyone, regardless of whether you have experience with meditation or not.

On Friday evening, an introductory lecture on Zen will be offered for beginners, as well as experienced practitioners who wish to renew their “beginner’s mind.”

On Saturday and Sunday, we will meditate, share, and reflect on our experiences, and those who wish to do so can have one-on-one conversations with the teacher.

Pleae visit our website Sesshin / Retreat — Akazienzendo

When & Where:

VΑΚΑΛΟ Art & Design College

Friday evening, May 26

Introductory lecture on Zen: 19:00-21:00

Address: Lambrou Katsoni 26, Athens 114 71
This event is free and can be visited independently from the weekend retreat.

Zen Center Athens

Retreat Saturday & Sunday, May 27-28, 11:00 – 18:00

Zazen, Dharma talks, and private conversations with the teacher:

Address: Limpona 2, Athens 105 60

You can attend parts of the retreat.

Suggested donation (at your own discretion and means):
0-50 €: Low income
50-100 €: Average income
100 plus €: Benefactors

No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

Questions & Registration: [email protected]

Bernd Bender is the guiding teacher of Akazienzendo in Berlin and has been practicing Zen since 1987. He lived for 18 years at the San Francisco Zen Center where he was ordained as a Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki’s “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” and received Dharma transmission in 2017. He is authorized to teach Zen and to ordain people in this tradition. Since 2012, Bernd has been living in Berlin, offering Zen meditation and courses, giving lectures, leading secular meditation and mindfulness seminars, and accompanying people on their spiritual path.