Spring Retreat 2009

Recently there was a Spring retreat at the Buddhapadipa temple which always gives people the opportunity to learn and practise Vipassana meditaton or Buddhist way of life. I can say what the meditators follow in retreat is monastic way of life such as regulations which they have to follow. Here is rough programme;

- Get up at 5 am
- Do morning chanting
- Meditate
- Breakfast at 7 am
- Back to meditate again at 9 am
- Have lunch at 11 am
- Back to meditate again at 1 pm
- Soft drink and take a rest mindfully
- Do evening chanting at 6pm
- Meditate
- Go to bed at 10 pm

That is the programme of training which they are trained or train themselves. How is it related to monastic life? It really is as they abide by four requisites;
1) wear white clothes as a symbol of purity,
2 )two meals a day as saying “Eat to live, not live to eat”,
3 )simple and plain accommodation as saying, “Sleep less and work more”
4) health care in both physical care and mental care.

Now the training is ended. There is always a question “What do I achieve after the retreat?” What I can say in general is that all practitioners can achieve kindness towards oneself and others, generosity towards oneself and others, responsibility for one’s own life, truthfulness to oneself and others and mindfulness of one’s own actions. That is a great achievement, isn’t it?

To attain achievement is individual; it is sure for those who meditate intentionally without expectation. This reminds me of one story which I would like to share with you. Here is the story;

There once was a meditation centre which held a retreat from time to time. All meditators had to follow a vow of silence. There was an exception; they were permitted to speak to teacher, just two words a day. The first day one meditator went to the teacher and said two words to him, “Bed hard”. The teacher also said, “I see”. And he went back to practise again. The second day he went to speak his two words to the teacher again, he spoke, “Food stinks”. The teacher also said, “I see”. And he went back to practise with a group of other meditators. When the third day came, he went to speak to the teacher again, he spoke, “I quit”. The teacher said to him, “I see”.

It is a good story which we can see the differences between the student who always complained, and the teacher who always said, “I see”, which means “I understand”. It is true if we expect too much and we are not filled with our expectation, we will always complain. On the contrary, if we understand completely, we have neither opinion to put nor complaint. It is good to have just done it, isn’t it?