West Marin retreat: whether you're seeking enlightenment—or just peace and quiet—we've found the place

Sunset, Oct, 2006 by Amy Wolf

"THAT'S VERY ZEN OF HER," my husband said as our 22-month-old daughter climbed down from her chair to pick up a grain of oatmeal that she had dropped. The comment was apt, as we were spending the weekend at a cottage in the hills above Green Gulch Farm, a Zen Buddhist practice center that welcomes guests to take part in all kinds of exercises, from guided meditation to formal tea ceremonies to daily chores like gardening and cooking.

We'd jumped at the chance to stay at a hike-in cottage in Marin's most beautiful coastal valley. Through Green Gulch Farm, we'd booked a two-night stay at Hope Cottage, a Tolkien-esque hideaway (thick, lichen-covered stone walls, low ceilings, wood stove) in the midst of 75,000 acres of Golden Gate National Recreation Area land.

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Hot from lugging a jogging stroller plus too many worldly possessions uphill, we reached the crest of the hill as evening was falling, just in time to catch sight of a bobcat scurrying across the trail and two mini rabbits, each the size of my hand, hiding in the bushes. a grove of Monterey cypress sheltered the cottage, a structure so primeval-looking that it could've been mistaken for part of the landscape. Just a few feet beyond the cottage, the earth plunged down to Green Gulch's tidy gardens, with Muir Beach and the Pacific stretching to infinity.

Though Lilli was reluctant to come inside, preferring instead to sift through dirt and rocks, we eventually cajoled her in to settle on her own little sleeping cot on the floor. Our luxurious bed, on the other hand, hovered high enough to take full advantage of the view from huge picture windows. I stayed up late staring at the hills, whose contours were broken only by the occasional beam of headlights twisting down State 1.

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Toward dawn we heard a reedy, hollow knocking, slow and measured at first, trailing off to a series of quick taps. I imagined a woodpecker, but the rhythm sounded more like a bouncing ball or a stone skipping across water. My husband rolled over to mumble it must be the call to morning meditation: 4:30 wake-up, 5 a.m. practice.

Later that morning, just so I could say I tried, I sat in on a 35-minute meditation session. We bowed to one another, then turned to sit on our cushions facing the walls. When, convinced that we were just about finished, I gave in to the temptation to glance down at my watch, I found that we'd just begun. I had a long way to go.

Then again, I rationalized afterward at Muir Beach, where our daughter was shrieking with delight as the waves lapped her bare feet over and over again, I don't really need to master meditation--after all, I have my own little enlightened Buddha living with me.

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Getting there

Green Gulch Farm, run by the San Francisco Zen Center, is in West Marin, 10 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. To get there, take U.S. 101 to the State 1/Stinson Beach exit and turn left onto State 1. After 2 1/2 miles bear left toward Muir Beach and look for signs to the farm. Muir Beach is 1/2 mile south of the center on State 1.

Where to stay

Green Gulch's Hope Cottage ($200, including meals; 2-night minimum on weekends) has a kitchen stocked with cooking equipment and food. Guests can also stay in one of 12 small, simply furnished rooms (with shared bath) at the Green Gulch Zen center's Japanese-meets-Craftsman-style Lindisfarne Guest House (from $75, including meals). For details on programs or to book an overnight stay, visit www.sfzc.org or call 415/383-3134.

What to do

Sign up for the monthly Sunday tea ceremony ($25) or drop in for a guided meditation ($5 donation suggested) and stay for a wholesome communal-style vegetarian lunch ($8 donation suggested). Call ahead and you can stroll the center's grounds (free).