buddist retreat (1 Viewer)

hello hello,
as of tomorrow i will be going on a Buddist retreat for 10 days.
I'm thinking of it, as a wee challenge,yet another way to test myself(and mayby disintoxicate a little.)
One of the rules in this retreat is respecting noble silence.
To spend 10 days with no words,computer,phone,books,music,tv,wife,kids,work,etc sounds like an experience worth trying.
I will be waking at four in the morning and meditating all the day,with a break for a strictly vegetarian lunch at midday, and some fruit and tea at five in the evening for dinner.Bed and lights out are at nine thirty.
Going in a fat slob weighing in at 88.2 kilos,but bet you any money i'll be out as top model material.
Anyone interested in reading up here is a link.
http://www.dhamma.org/
After the 8th of March i'll post back and let your know how it went.
Cheers,Ed
 
Last year while I was working for the US Census I had to check on a Korean Buddhist retreat up on the mountain near Silent Valley. The place was very beautiful and serene.

The funny part was one of the monks was feeding cookies to the mangiest dog I ever saw. I mentioned the dog would rather some meat. The monk gave me a funny look but it was fine since I was a Federal agent at the point. I thought about how some people in Korea eat dogs and maybe a vegetarian dog would probably taste a little better. It sure was a nice and beautiful place there as the sun was begining to set. It was a hell of a lot nicer than any closet I was ever locked in, with or without the dog.
 
I'm not super-fluent in the metric language, but I think I have you beat by about 10 kilos.
So, scout the place out for me - I'll be needing it soon.

Seriously, I've returned to daily meditation after neglecting it for a while. The website buddhanet DOT net has a handy daily meditation calendar thingy. It helps me to maintain a routine.

Best wishes
 
Good luck with all that. I do enjoy some good meditation but I can't even stop talking to myself for 5 minutes let alone speaking at all for 10 days. May the force be with you!
 
Sounds like a good relaxing time, maybe what I need, but like Chronic said, I'd probably be better locked in a closet for a few days. That would probably do me good.
 
Good luck, everready! I hope you get something out of it. At least it won't cost you any money:

"There are no charges for the courses - not even to cover the cost of food and accommodation."
 
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enjoy your retreat!
My friend is doing just the same in Thailand, for ten days.
He is in Kanchanaburi, but did not mention the big cats.
 
I obtained not the least thing from complete, unexcelled awakening, and it is for that very reason it is called complete, unexcelled awakening.
Diamond Sutra
 
The one thing I've always liked about Buddhism is it was founded on a bowel movement - the Gautama had a revelation after taking a dump that the body is a disgusting vessel. The nose secretes snot, the ears wax, the asshole shit and the genitals piss. There must be someway to transcend this vessel of foulness. And thus was born Buddhism. Some are founded in blood, others founded in shit.
 
So gentlemen,
just got home yesterday and must say it was an absolutely fantastic experience.
hard as hell,but fantastic.
So the days went something like this.
up at 4.00 am meditating from half four to half six.
Breakfast and rest from half six to 8.00am.
8.00 till 9.00 group meditation with teacher(after 5th day applying lesson of self determination and from the lotus position you cannot open legs,eyes,or hands)
9.00-11.00 meditation in room or in mass meditating hall.
11.00-13.00 vegetarian lunch and rest.
13,00 -14.30 meditating in room or hall
14,30-15.30 group meditation with teacher(after 5th day applying lesson of self determination and from the lotus position you cannot open legs,eyes,or hands)
15.30-17.00 meditation in room or in mass meditating hall.
17.00-18.00 tea and fruit and rest
18,00-19.00 group meditation with teacher(after 5th day applying lesson of self determination and from the lotus position you cannot open legs,eyes,or hands)
19,00-20.15 evening discourse with layman Buddist S:N Goenka
20.15-2100-group meditation in hall
21.00-21.30 any private questions may be asked to teacher regarding technique.
21.30 lights out.
So apart from the experience of noble silence(which is something that should be tried to be believed)the fact of confronting yourself with no distractions of any kind in a peaceful aware,observing kind of way is something that everyone should try.
The first three days were the hardest as you have to liberate your mind from all the the thoughts invading it from every angle.
On the fourth day your mind has become sharp and alert and you then start to explore the sensations on your body in an objective way.
This continues for the remainder of the course with the mind always becoming sharper and more aware and equanimous.
One learns to observe the sensations in such a way that your cravings and aversions become somewhat tamed.
In a nutshell,as it is obviously a lot more complex than this.
Brilliant experience recommended to all,
but believe me hard as hell at first-prepare yourself.
So in my list of life experiments,beside week long drunks,daywalks of 55 kms, losing oneself anonymously on the road for nine years,this gets up ther on the list as something to be remembered.
Anyone decide to do a retreat email me and i'll give some more detailed info and advice.
10 out of 10

somewhat tamed.
 
Wow. that pretty much contradicted every single one of my daily routines. Sounds intense man. So how do you plan on implementing some of what you learnt on your day-to-day life?
 
I haven't come to that one yet,
I thought i might work on trying to stop being such a self-centered slob,drink a bit less,and tend a little towards a more vegetarian diet.I have high blood pressure and it would only do me a world of good.Will try to nurture the seed that was planted and continue with meditation for around an hour a day.I'm full of the best intentions.We'll see.
 
"I'm full of the best intentions." I like that.

How is it going now, in Jul?

Buk did meditate for at least some time, from an interview I found w/his wife, Linda. She said something like she didn't think he ever experienced that sort of peace. Makes one think.

I wish I would get back into that. I bike-- (re-)took it up recently, from 5mi/day, to 10, 20, 30, 50 once/week. Or trying, between binges of fast food and a sneaky malt drip.

What the shit.
 

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