Seon center is a temple of Seon Buddhism and is aninstitution to practice Seon. Sangha has a system called a retreat season for which practice is done in a place. There are a couple of retreat seasons such as summer retreat season and winter retreat season.

The summer retreat season lasts for 90 days from April 15 to July 15 according to the lunar calendar, and the winter retreat season lasts for 90 days from October 15 to January 15 next year according to the lunar calendar.

Retreat season means the rainy season translated from Sanskrit ˇ®varsa, varsika'. Retreat season results from Indian environment in those days of Buddha and represents a special annual event of the Buddhist monk organization held for three months in Indian rainy season. For ninety days of the summer rainy season from April 15 to July 15, it is considered as the period for which only study, effort, and practice are done with staying in a fixed place in order to avoid the inconvenience to go around and the killing of worms by stepping on them. However, the rainy season may not be the same in each province so that three different kinds of the retreat seasons such as pre-season, mid-season, and post-season are permitted.

For this retreat season, one or more than two Bhikkus might do this in the monk hall, cottage, or cave, and Buddhists studying Buddhism at one's home carry offering(meals), and it is a rule to hear the teaching from Bhikkus. The first day of the retreat season is called ˇ®retreat' to be bound to the summer retreat season, release from the retreat season after July 15 is called ˇ®free', and the period between ˇ®retreat' and ˇ®free' is called ˇ®half summer'. After the retreat season, a self-confession event in which one asks another to confirm that he or she didn't commit a sin by himself or herself is held solemnly, and this is called a self-confession day.

This retreat season had continued from the next year following Buddha's Enlightment to Nirvana and has been held in every Buddhist region as Buddhism was transmitted to many countries afterward. It is held twice a year in the summer and winter in Korea as events for Seon meditation, study of Buddhism, effort, and practice, and the winter retreat season starts on October 15 according to the lunar year and ends on January 15 next year according to the lunar year. In the Seon center of Songgwang-sa, we make an effort by retreating for 45 days during 90 days of the free season in addition to the summer and winter retreat seasons.