Won Dharma Center — Claverack, United States
A Won Buddhist meditation and retreat sanctuary on 426 acres in Claverack, NY
On a retreat day at Won Dharma Center, the wake-up is at 5:40 and the first sitting begins at six. It happens in IlWon Hall, the main meditation hall. On arrival night, guests enter noble silence as they leave that hall. The silence lifts the next morning, or on the day of departure, at early meditation.
The Center sits on 426 acres of wooded foothills and fields in Claverack, New York. A brook runs through the land, and the property slopes west toward the Hudson Valley and the Catskill Mountains. Its practice comes from Won Buddhism and the teachings of Sotaesan (1891-1943), who is named as the tradition's founding teacher. The ministers, called kyomunims, lead the programs. The circle symbol Il Won Sang, found in Won Buddhist temples, is one of the subjects of the Center's introductory class. The stated mission is a world free from suffering, pursued by a community of people from many faiths who study, practice and work together.
The retreat calendar for 2026 runs from a New Year's meditation to a Won Moving Meditation Retreat over New Year's, led by Rev. Daesung Song of the Won Institute of Graduate Studies. In between are silent weekends, a restorative yoga teacher training and a Return, Rest & Restore weekend with a winter sound bath. A typical day mixes dharma talks, small-group discussion, qigong, walking meditation and tea meditation. Guests who want solitude can book a self retreat of two nights up to two weeks, staying in Timeless Zen House or Placeless Zen House. From 2026 a scholarship program covers 50 to 70 percent of retreat costs for people in financial hardship.
Meals are plant-based, often eaten in silence, and many ingredients come from the Center's organic gardens. Chefs Jimmy Shin and Lexa Walsh have also produced a cookbook. The wider community can come without registering: Wednesday evening meditation and Sunday Dharma Service are free, and Tuesday yoga and Friday chair yoga are open to drop-ins. Seven miles of trails are open from dawn to dusk, April through November.
Traditions: Won Buddhism, Sitting Meditation, Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Tea Meditation
Programs: Sunday Dharma Service, Wednesday Evening Meditation, Tuesday Community Yoga, Friday Chair Yoga, Self Retreats, Won Buddhism Introductory Class, Return, Rest & Restore Retreat, Won Moving Meditation Retreat