Pathless Path

The Redemptorist Renewal Center is the host facility for Pathless Path program in Tucson, Arizona. This unique experience includes two components, namely 1. Contemplative Intensive Retreat and 2. Zen Sesshin.

With the late Father Pat Hawk’s recommendation, Pathless Path retreats continue with invited instructors. For more information, please contact Alexis Murrieta for details of the Pathless Path Program, at 520.744-3400 x 7111, or toll free at 866.737-5751.

No Public sittings are held at this time. 

1. Contemplative Intensive Retreat (With new appointments of new retreat directors, this retreat will not be organized until future notice)

Contemplation is an ancient Christian tradition rooted in the Scriptures and the life of Jesus. It developed in an age of uncertainty, similar to our own, attracting thousands of lay men and women who yearned to lose themselves in God. These early Christians, who practiced a lifestyle that we describe by the term “contemplative,” left a rich heritage with explicit instructions on living the New Life in Christ.

Contemplation is the fruit of personal practice and experience. The practice is the ancient Christian tradition of Contemplation not only at specific times of prayer, but especially under all circumstances and conditions of ordinary daily life: at prayer, and also while peeling potatoes, washing dishes, cleaning, gardening, sleeping and so forth; a practice that fulfills the directive of St. Paul,” Pray always.”

Contemplation is often mistakenly identified with monasticism. For the first Christian contemplatives, it was simply the Christian way of living moment to moment with the grace of God. The testimony of their lives has inspired countless individuals throughout the centuries whose deepest desire was to conform themselves to Christ.

To view more information about our Contemplative Intensive Retreat programs, please click here.

The Retreat Experience

We are happy to provide this Contemplative Retreat at the Redemptorist Renewal Center, At a retreat a person is invited to separate himself/herself from his/her daily affairs in order to sink deeply into contemplation, freed to transcend the background chatter of the busy, superficial mind. This retreat will be held on .

There is a limited number of participants for this retreat. 

Further Information and Reservations

Please contact Alexis Murrieta at office@desertrenewal.org, 520.744.3400, ext. 7111 or toll free: 866.737.5751 or use our online registration form.

2. Zen Sesshin

Sesshin means “to touch the mind,” and is a traditional three-to-eight day silent retreat in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Sesshin is an opportunity to deepen one’s practice, strengthened by the presence of others doing the same.    We practice alone and together; seek harmony between body and mind, and between the individual and the group. We emphasize doing things together as one way to help each other realize this harmony.

Each day of sesshin includes zazen (seated focused awareness), kinhin (walking meditation), silent meals, sutras, dokusan (private interviews with the teacher), teisho (talk given by the Roshi or teacher), and samu (work practice).

Our Zen Tradition:

Fr. Pat Hawk Roshi, who passed away May 8, 2012, will be remembered as the guiding teacher for our sesshins. Father Hawk founded the Pathless Path Program at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson. He was a Zen Master in The Diamond Sangha, a lay sangha founded in Hawaii in 1959 by Robert and Anne Aitken. The Diamond Sangha is an independent Zen lineage in the Harada-Yasutani tradition: a blending of the Rinzai and Soto schools of Zen. We trace our lineage back to Hakuin Ekaku, the 18th century reformer of the Rinzai sect, and dogen Kigen, the 13th century founder of the Soto sect in Japan.

Fr. Hawk Roshi formally began Zen practice in 1978 as a student of Robert Aitken Roshi; and in 1981 as a student of Fr. Willigis Jaeger (OSB) Roshi. Fr. Hawk Roshi received Dharma Transmission from Aitken Roshi and was confirmed a Zen Master of the Diamond Sangha in May, 1989. Fr. Hawk was an ordained priest in the Roman Catholic church, and a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists).

Father Pat Hawk, CSsR., founder of the Pathless Path program at RRC.  (Born – Nov.18, 1942; Professed – Aug. 2, 1963; Ordained –  June 27, 1969; Completed this Life – May 8, 2012)

Guidelines

There are four blocks of meditation: early morning, mid-morning, afternoon and evening. Each block is broken up into several periods of 25 minutes of sitting followed by a minimum of five minutes of kinhin. There is at least one longer walk together outside each full day. Each participant has a daily work assignment as a way to bring our meditation practice up off of our cushions and into every-day life. Meals are vegetarian.

What to Bring

Bring solid dark (black or navy blue) comfortable clothing or robes. Tank tops and shorts are not permitted in the zendo (place of the way), but you may wear them during free time. Refrain from wearing clothes with patterns and logos.

The zendo is kept on the cool side. Bring a wrap which you may keep at your place in the zendo. No strong scents or elaborate jewelry please. Leave pagers, cell phones, or anything that beeps at home. You may also wish to bring a broad-rimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for outside kinhin or samu.

Retreat Schedules and Reservations

Rohatsu