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Sunday: |
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| 2-3:30pm | Arrival of Middle and High Schoolers | |
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4:00 |
Orientation | |
| 6:00 | Dinner | |
| 7:30 | Campfire | |
| 9:30 | Lights out | |
| Monday to Friday: | ||
| 7:00 | Wake-up bell and rising-The Great Silence begins | |
| 7:20 | Meditation and morning service in Zendo | |
| 8:00 | Clean-up with Buddha Family | |
| 8:15 | Formal Breakfast in Zendo | |
| 8:45 | End of the Great Silence. Kitchen clean-up | |
| 9:00 | Free period, crafts, activities, games | |
| 10:00 | Work Period with Buddha Family | |
| 10:30 | Snack/Free period | |
| 11:00-11:50 | Group Discussions (High School, Middle School, Juniors) | |
| Noon | Lunch | |
| 12:30 | Kitchen clean-up, rest, free time | |
| 1:30-2:30 | Special Activities | |
| 3:00-4:00 | Swimming, more campers arrive on Tuesday | |
| 3:45 | Snack put out | |
| 4:15-5:00 | To Be Announced, or Free Time | |
| 5:15-6:00 | Buddha Family Class | |
| 6:00 | Dinner | |
| 6:40 | To Be Announced, or Free Time | |
| 7:30 | Campfire | |
| 9:00 | To bed | |
| 9:30 | Lights Out. | |
| Saturday: | ||
| 7am | Rising-The Great Silence begins | |
| 7:20 | Meditation and morning service in Zendo | |
| 8:00 | Room clean-up, packing up personal stuff. | |
| 8:15 | Formal Breakfast in Zendo | |
| 8:40 | Procession to Great Tree and Closing Ceremony | |
| 9:00 | End of the Great Silence. Kitchen clean-up. | |
| 9:15 |
Free time/ Play period |
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| 10am | Skit Practice with Buddha Family | |
| 10:30 | Snack/Play period | |
| 11:00 |
Discussion, wrapping up, journal signing (High School, Middle School, Juniors) |
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| 12 Noon | Families start to arrive | |
| 12:30 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Kitchen Clean-up, move personal stuff out of rooms. | |
| 2:00 | Perform skits | |
| 2:45 |
Sangha circle, Mandala on the Mountain thanks you and says good-bye. |
The formal part of the day is in the morning. The day starts with a wake-up bell at 7:00. Campers rise quietly, not talking except when absolutely necessary. We sit in silent meditation for twenty minutes in the Zendo. Each camper sits on a zabuton (mat) with either a cushion or a bench, facing a wall. Instruction on how to meditate is offered on the first day, and questions are always welcome. Some of the younger children count breaths on a mala, or by moving stones from one pile to another, one stone, one breath. Twenty minutes may seem like a long time, and it does to the campers too, but it happens fairly easily. There is some wiggling and looking around, but having a room full of peers and counselors all staring at the same wall is very helpful in supporting stillness and quiet.
After meditation we do service. This consists of some bowing and chanting. We chant the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo a number of times; this is a short hymn to the Bodhisattva of Compassion. We start slow and get faster and louder till we are shouting. There are drums, bells, clappers and gongs that accompany and punctuate the chanting. Older kids apprentice in one of the various ceremonial roles over the course of the week, taking care of the altar, assisting the teacher by carrying incense, using the instruments and leading the chanting.
There is then a short clean up period, and then formal breakfast in the Zendo. We serve ourselves buffet-style, then eat together on our cushions, facing inwards. Breakfast is silent, and we remain at our seats until everybody is done. After breakfast the Great Silence is lifted and we can all talk once again.
During the rest of the day we go pretty crazy, but there are regular time that we settle in for a moment or two, coming to silence as a group to maintain the effort and intention that we are here to try and take care of ourselves and others. Before each scheduled activity we meet in a big circle, and touch silence before taking off again. Before each meal we recite a meal verse, but only breakfast is eaten in silence:
We reflect on the effort that brought us this food and consider how it comes to us.
We reflect on our virtue and practice and whether we are worthy of this offering.
We regard it as essential to keep the mind free from excesses such as greed.
We regard this food as good medicine to sustain our lives.
For the sake of enlightenment, we now receive this food.
Finally, at the end of the campfire, we chant vespers. This marks the end of the day, and reminds campers about why they are here. It signals the juniors that it is time to be settling down and getting quieter as they transition to sleep. Middle school and high school campers have some time for quieter, informal conversation under the stars before going to bed.

Free TimeWe set aside time throughout the day for campers to do whatever they want. We take along supplies for art, crafts, sports, exploring nature. There are camp journals to be puzzled over, read, decorated and written in. Kids can rest, read, write, go for a walk, or find some solitude. There is enough tolerance and respect that many different options are available during a free period. We’ve had wild pillow fights and serene origami happening within five feet of each other during rest time. There is also enough physical space that those who need a bit more room and privacy can find it easily.
Work PeriodWork period?!? Yup, you will notice on the schedule that there is a space for both “Clean up with Buddha Family” and “Work Period with Buddha Family.” The first has to do with doing some basic cleaning of the areas we use, and getting breakfast set up. It only takes fifteen minutes, and the whole family works together, in silence, to accomplish the task. It is an mostly an exercise in mindfulness and cooperation, part of bringing the mind of meditation into other parts of the day.
The second is slightly more involved, taking about half an hour. Sometimes we do these in buddha family groups, and sometimes the whole camp works together on a project. These are more vigorous projects, it can be things like picking blackberries, spreading mulch, scraping paint, pulling weeds, and of course, chopping wood and carrying water for the campfire. During this work period talking and joking happen freely, just so long as we stay mostly on task. This is a time to express gratitude for the place; taking care of the buildings and grounds that help to hold the container of Mandala on the Mountain.



Breakfast is eaten in silence in the Zendo, lunch and dinner are buffet-style, with campers eating informally at tables or outside. All meals are vegetarian, loosely health-conscious, but also kid-friendly. Everybody serves themselves, but is then expected to eat everything that they take. There are also three snack times during the day, midmorning, afternoon, and during campfire, to keep the campers well-fueled for the busy days.
Special
ActivitiesCombining elements of education and play, we make crafts projects engaging and memorable for the children. The projects vary each year so children can come several years and learn something new and gain a different skill each time. Juggling, taiko, marimba, swing dancing, acting, wilderness survival, pioneering, scientific exploration, kite building, pit-firing clay rattles, tracking, calligraphy, Native American drumming and storytelling, making paper, felt, catapults and djideridoos are all activities we have done in recent years.


CampfireThis is one of the highlights of the day, we begin with making music to call campers to the campfire site. As darkness falls we start in on jokes, skits, songs and stories. We have instituted a monitor for campfire sharing to ensure that people have equal access to the stage and that the jokes are basically non-violent and in good taste: “The Sheriff.” S/he wears a big sombrero and kids meet with him or her in secret to get approval on what they are going to perform. This is one of the ways that we keep the environment safe and comfortable. The cook serves up one last snack and we move into quiet time, the younger kids either fall into bed or listen to a story and the older ones meet for some quiet conversation.

ClosingOn the final day, we do a formal procession to a special place in the woods and perform a ceremony of ending the camp. This is a way to honor all that has happened during the last week, show our appreciation for the place and each other, and reflect a bit on what we have learned. We clean up camp and sign each other’s journals, tell stories about what has happened and make plans for next year. Parents and family come for lunch, which is followed by a skit from each buddha-family group.