Catskill Retreats at Zen Mountain Monastery

New York's Catskill Mountains were once known for its "Borscht Belt" resorts and summer camps for New York City kids. But today it's becoming a center for spiritual retreats.

The Canadian Press has a story about this summer's Sufi, Christian, Jewish and Hindu retreats in the Catskills. Buddhism is represented by Zen Mountain Monastery of Mount Tremper, New York, where I began my Zen practice.

The writer describes a zazen period: "As light from a single candle wavers, you smell the rain against a background of incense, see the intricate natural patterns in the hardwood floor ..." Ah, brings back memories. Sit a few sesshins, and you do become intimately acquainted with that floor.