Please note: I´m not a teacher. I´m just sharing my own views and thoughts about my meditation practice.
A
month ago, I was on a five day (mindfulness based) retreat and I thought I´d
like to share a few things that really resonated to me during and after the
retreat.
No, I didn´t get enlightened, and no, there was nothing mystical or magical,
but there was a few small “insights”, at least to me, if you´d like to call
them that.
First thing that really resonated to me was a phrase that the teacher used in one
of her Dharma talks, and that was: “it is what it is.” I fell in love with the
phrase, and it made me realize that using too much energy or effort, I´m just
overdoing my practice.
What I´m trying to say (with my broken English) is that there isn´t much more
there, right? You don´t HAVE to have something. It is what it is. Don´t push it
too hard.
Of course there´s got to be effort. But the question is how to use it. If there
isn´t much going on, it is what it is. You can always go back to the breath, or
touching points (knees touching the ground, hands on
your knees (or mudra), or buttocks on the cushion).
It ´s a different story to sit with six senses in alert than try to find something
that is not there, but you wish it was. Otherwise
you end up using all your energy in 10 minutes and you´ll lose focus.
Of
course there could be all kinds of sensations; like craving, hatred, or
whatever, just to name a few. You recognize it, accept it; that it is what is. Then
you investigate it and then you let it go, or let it be, ´cause sometimes it
doesn´t go away, it´s still there, but it still changes, so it´s not permanent.
The other beautiful thing that I noticed was the fact how the mind gets quiet. It
took me a day and a half to ease my mind. Before that it was constant planning,
good songs, bad song from a 14 –year old kid about skating (and of course my
mind decided to play the chorus on a loop) which has gotten too much radio play
in my home country, what I should´ve done before the retreat, and so on. But
after that it was all about the practice and I LOVED that.
When I got back from the retreat the greatest thing was the feeling. To stand
in the same spot at work as I did a week before, made me realize how stressed
out and uptight I was before the retreat, but this time I was all smile.
Of course that didn´t last more than few days, but I loved the feeling. Such
warmth within, calm mind…I felt so good and I was happy.
Needless to say that I´m really looking forward to my next retreat experience which
starts in Holland June 1st.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Daylong Retreat
Welcome to Nirodha's silent meditation day on Saturday 5th of May from 10:00 to 18:00. Attending half of the day is possible by arriving or leaving at 13:45. The program consists of sitting and walking meditations and a dharma talk. The morning session ends with a lunch break, please bring your own meal.
Everybody is warmly welcome to practice with us!
Nirodha is a Theravada Buddhist organization based in Helsinki, Finland, and it´s currently functioning in six different cities in Finland.
Everybody is warmly welcome to practice with us!
Nirodha is a Theravada Buddhist organization based in Helsinki, Finland, and it´s currently functioning in six different cities in Finland.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)