Presentation of the monastery

The Zen temple La Gendronnière was founded in 1980 by Master Deshimaru and his disciples of the Zen Internationale Association.

The temple is located in the Centre-Val de Loire region, just 15 km from Blois and 200 km from Paris. Easily accessible by train or by car, it was the first Zen temple founded in Europe and it's the meeting place for all European communities (sanghas).

Made up of different buildings, the temple is surrounded by a magnificent forest and a few ponds, on a 100-hectare estate. The premises can comfortably accommodate up to 350 people. The heart of the monastery is the 400m² dojo (meditation hall), where zazen (Zen meditation) and ceremonies take place. A smaller dojo was also built a few years ago for daily life. Master Deshimaru

A former château and its outbuildings have been converted for accommodation. The new building contains a large refectory, a modern kitchen and two floors dedicated to accommodation.

A PLACE FOR SPIRITUAL RETREATS

Throughout the year, La Gendronnière temple organizes meditation retreats (sesshin) and many activities, such as mettings and major commemorative ceremonies, bringing together Sôtô Zen practitioners from Europe and Japan. In summer and winter, people can come and immerse totally in Zen practice with our long-term retreats.

At the same time, other types of thematic retreats have developed, combining the learning of an art or discipline with that of Zen meditation: “Les Doigts d'or” retreats, “L'Esprit du Geste” retreats, “Arts et santé” retreats, and so on.

To view our retreats & activities calendar: click here.

The temple also offers visitors the chance to stay for varying periods of time, from a few days to several months. A great opportunity to share the life of the resident nuns and monks.

To find out how to stay at La Gendronnière, click here.

IMPORTANT: beginners are lore than welcome!

AN ECOLIEU PROJECT

The vegetable garden supplies organic vegetables and a field produces wheat for our bread. The forest provides firewood. Together, they ensure a degree of energy and food self-sufficiency, using high-quality natural products. Above all, these different locations enable the regular practice of samu, a service to the community which is the practice of meditation in action, enabling us to live Zen on a daily basis.