Welcome to Springwater Center
Located an hour south of Rochester, New York, Springwater Center offers silent meditation retreats and year-round guest visits in a beautiful and spacious facility on 212 acres of country land with streams, meadows, forests, a pond, and miles of walking trails.
There are no rituals or assigned practices.
The essence of retreat at Springwater is being together in the simplicity and openness of silent awareness. Attending moment-to-moment to what is happening within and without, in a spirit of wonder, curiosity, and discovery.
Meditation
The heart of our meditative work is simple awareness. Right now can there be simple listening, being present to what appears as sound and feeling and thinking in the midst of open silence? A vast listening space of no preferences and no judgments?
The mystery, the essence of all life is not separate from the silent openness of simple listening.
Sitting quietly is vast boundless being, not belonging to me or you. Revealing what is as it is, beholding it and yet not meddling with it in the light of wisdom and compassion too marvelous to comprehend.
Meditation
The heart of our meditative work is simple awareness. Right now can there be simple listening, being present to what appears as sound and feeling and thinking in the midst of open silence? A vast listening space of no preferences and no judgments?
The mystery, the essence of all life is not separate from the silent openness of simple listening.
Sitting quietly is vast boundless being, not belonging to me or you. Revealing what is as it is, beholding it and yet not meddling with it in the light of wisdom and compassion too marvelous to comprehend.
A Variety of Ways to Participate
Silent retreats form the heart of life at Springwater. Grounded in an atmosphere of inquiry and shared silence, a daily schedule is offered with timed sittings, a morning talk, meetings with teachers, and an afternoon group dialogue.
A one day retreat experience, our All Day Sittings begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. The day includes time for sitting, a talk, vegetarian lunch, an afternoon dialogue group, and concludes with refreshments and social time.
During quiet weeks, specific areas of the building are kept in silence, while the rest of the house continues in its work day. This provides a quiet, meditative atmosphere in the midst of everyday life.
We offer daily timed quiet sittings, events with sitting and dialogue, private meetings with teachers and retreats that are accessible online.
Retreats
Here at Springwater there is no special practice assigned or suggested. You may wish to continue with a previously learned practice, or to try something new: simply attending without a known method or purpose.
Each retreat has a daily schedule with meditation periods, a talk, private meetings with teachers, and group dialogue. All activities are optional and you are free to interact with retreat in a way that works for you. The only requirements are to participate in silence and contribute an hour of work each day.
We have been holding retreats in Springwater for over 30 years, and they have evolved over time into an innovative form that flows naturally.
Retreats
Here at Springwater there is no special practice assigned or suggested. You may wish to continue with a previously learned practice, or to try something new: simply attending without a known method or purpose.
Each retreat has a daily schedule with meditation periods, a talk, private meetings with teachers, and group dialogue. All activities are optional and you are free to interact with retreat in a way that works for you. The only requirements are to participate in silence and contribute an hour of work each day.
We have been holding retreats in Springwater for over 30 years, and they have evolved over time into an innovative form that flows naturally.
Upcoming Events
4-Day Retreat w/Stew Glick (in-person)
Stew Glick began working with Roshi Phillip Kapleau at the Rochester Zen Center around 1971. He later began working closely with Toni Packer and came on the Zen Center staff […]
Find out more »Open Meditative Dialogue w/Guest Speaker (online)
Speaking and dialoguing at Springwater Center is different from a lecture or a discussion group, where we share what we already know. The spirit of Meditative Inquiry infuses talks and […]
Find out more »All Day Sitting
Note: Stephan Bielfeldt will give the talk for this All Day Sitting and attend the dialogue remotely (via Zoom). All Day Sittings are one of the most popular ways to participate […]
Find out more »Open Meditative Dialogue w/Guest Speaker (online)
Speaking and dialoguing at Springwater Center is different from a lecture or a discussion group, where we share what we already know. The spirit of Meditative Inquiry infuses talks and […]
Find out more »7-Day Retreat w/Wayne Coger and Sandra Gonzalez (in-person)
The beautiful month of May brings Sandra and Wayne together again for a retreat in which both will give talks and meet with participants privately and in the afternoon dialogue […]
Find out more »Annual Meeting (Online)
The Annual Meeting is an opportunity for members and friends to observe and participate in the official workings of the Center. Trustee terms are staggered and most years there are […]
Find out more »7-Day Retreat w/Stephan Bielfeldt (in-person and online)
In this retreat Stephan Bielfedt will give talks, be available for private meetings for both in-person and online attendees, and take part in daily online group dialogue as well as an in-person […]
Find out more »Origins
Springwater Center was founded in 1981 by Toni Packer along with over 200 friends dedicated to the work of meditation and inquiry.
Trained as a teacher in Zen Buddhism, Toni left the tradition to work with the essence of meditative practice attending to what is happening in the immediacy of each moment.
Over the years, Springwater has evolved into a large and lively community. People of all backgrounds come here to meditate in deep silence to inquire and share with one another their questions, insights, and difficulties.
Origins
Springwater Center was founded in 1981 by Toni Packer along with over 200 friends dedicated to the work of meditation and inquiry.
Trained as a teacher in Zen Buddhism, Toni left the tradition to work with the essence of meditative practice attending to what is happening in the immediacy of each moment.
Over the years, Springwater has evolved into a large and lively community. People of all backgrounds come here to meditate in deep silence to inquire and share with one another their questions, insights, and difficulties.
