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Opening salvo at meditation retreat.
jll
Veteran
We should be really happy to have this opportunity to spend some days here with a group of spiritual friends in this very beautiful place. We should also learn to feel grateful that we have this opportunity to do this. So I like to offer some suggestions of what we can try to do during the next few days.
So what we will be trying to do is to learn to develop certain spiritual qualities, learn to develop certain skills which will help us in the spiritual path.
Experiment in Lighthearted Way
We will try to experiment with it in a very lighthearted way. This is one of the guidelines that I like to emphasize. It is learning to see the practice as something we can enjoy. That we can learn to develop a taste for it. While I say this, I like to also emphasize that we should also learn to open ourselves to any unpleasant experiences, physical pain, mental pain. Normally we don't like unpleasant experiences. We don't like to look at the dark side in us. So I like to suggest that during the next few days, we should make an effort naturally, that if they are arising, just allow them to arise as well, without repressing them, without trying to put them away, without trying to deny them, without feeling bad about them. If they arise, let them arise and learning to make friends with them, learning to see them as learning opportunities.
Awareness
Another quality is the practice of awareness, being alert, being awake. Now in this connection I like to emphasize that what we might try to do, to see how far we can have the continuity of awareness as far as possible, moment to moment awareness as far as possible, whether you are in this room or whether you are outside should not make a difference. Then we learn to see meditation as a part of life. It's a way of living. It's an art of living.
Loving Kindness
Another spiritual quality that we need to develop is loving kindness. Here, we are in a beautiful situation where we are with a group of spiritual friends, so how can we relate to each other, how can we develop sensitivity to each other? The Buddha said helping others is helping yourself, helping yourself is helping others. So it is beautiful to develop this quality, while trying to help yourself you are helping others and then eventually, learn to see no difference between ourselves and others. Now I like to go over the schedule and I will emphasize some other skills, some other qualities that we can develop.
Wake Up
So as you know we wake up at 4:45 in the morning. So when you wake up, actually your practice should begin. At home, when we wake up, it's a different situation from when you are waking up here. To give a practical example, when you go to the toilet, there will be someone in the toilet. Now how do you relate to that situation? So you can observe your mind and see whether you are having suffering or can you see the situation and not suffer as a result of the situation? So in relation to such a situation, we learn to develop another very important quality of patience, learning to wait. And maybe there'll be other situations, other challenges you might have to face when you wake up. So this is what I want to emphasize, to see these challenges, to see these situations as learning experiences. So meditation should begin.
So what we will be trying to do is to learn to develop certain spiritual qualities, learn to develop certain skills which will help us in the spiritual path.
Experiment in Lighthearted Way
We will try to experiment with it in a very lighthearted way. This is one of the guidelines that I like to emphasize. It is learning to see the practice as something we can enjoy. That we can learn to develop a taste for it. While I say this, I like to also emphasize that we should also learn to open ourselves to any unpleasant experiences, physical pain, mental pain. Normally we don't like unpleasant experiences. We don't like to look at the dark side in us. So I like to suggest that during the next few days, we should make an effort naturally, that if they are arising, just allow them to arise as well, without repressing them, without trying to put them away, without trying to deny them, without feeling bad about them. If they arise, let them arise and learning to make friends with them, learning to see them as learning opportunities.
Awareness
Another quality is the practice of awareness, being alert, being awake. Now in this connection I like to emphasize that what we might try to do, to see how far we can have the continuity of awareness as far as possible, moment to moment awareness as far as possible, whether you are in this room or whether you are outside should not make a difference. Then we learn to see meditation as a part of life. It's a way of living. It's an art of living.
Loving Kindness
Another spiritual quality that we need to develop is loving kindness. Here, we are in a beautiful situation where we are with a group of spiritual friends, so how can we relate to each other, how can we develop sensitivity to each other? The Buddha said helping others is helping yourself, helping yourself is helping others. So it is beautiful to develop this quality, while trying to help yourself you are helping others and then eventually, learn to see no difference between ourselves and others. Now I like to go over the schedule and I will emphasize some other skills, some other qualities that we can develop.
Wake Up
So as you know we wake up at 4:45 in the morning. So when you wake up, actually your practice should begin. At home, when we wake up, it's a different situation from when you are waking up here. To give a practical example, when you go to the toilet, there will be someone in the toilet. Now how do you relate to that situation? So you can observe your mind and see whether you are having suffering or can you see the situation and not suffer as a result of the situation? So in relation to such a situation, we learn to develop another very important quality of patience, learning to wait. And maybe there'll be other situations, other challenges you might have to face when you wake up. So this is what I want to emphasize, to see these challenges, to see these situations as learning experiences. So meditation should begin.
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Comments
there is a meditation forum, after all.
moved.