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Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat
    #8040520 -

Anyone here ever done one?

I'm thinking of doing one at CLICK ME this summer.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: appleorange]
    #8040529 -

*I plan on doing their month long retreat that is :grin:

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: appleorange]
    #8040549 -

Man I need to get out and do something like that. Life fucking sucks for me right now.


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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: RonaldFuckingPaul]
    #8040578 -

How is it now?


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As the life of a candle,
my wick will burn out.
But, the fire of my mind
shall beam into infinite.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: RonaldFuckingPaul]
    #8040582 -

I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while. I just don't know which monastery to go to or when I would find the time. :frown:

Spending an extended period of time in quiet reflection, doing simple manual labor sounds just heavenly, though.


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Enlil said:
You really are the worst kind of person.


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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: RonaldFuckingPaul]
    #8040592 -

I'm pretty pumped about doing this. It's actually located in Woodstock, New York too.

Nothing but a month of silence, finger paintin, forests, and Zen Masters speaking crazy wisdom.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: Sophistic Radiance]
    #8040605 -

Tchan, are you an experienced meditator?


--------------------
As the life of a candle,
my wick will burn out.
But, the fire of my mind
shall beam into infinite.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: appleorange]
    #8040616 -

I've looked pretty hard, and this center seems to really put a lot of effort and love into their retreats. Most retreats I've come across seem to be pretty much a "here's a little house and a bowl of rice, we'll see you in two weeks." type deal.

This place though is constantly bringing in various teachers, artists, poets, and thinking up new activities for every month. Plus, it looks like they got a lot of nice forests to walk in for your downtime.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: psyka]
    #8040633 -

I've been meditating on and off ever since I first read about Buddhism in middle school (eight or nine years ago). I've improved my focus a lot, and my use of psychedelics in the past two years seems to have accelerated this development. I use a rather simple method; I sit back, fill my lungs as much as possible on each breath, and concentrate on nothing.

Unfortunately I don't meditate nearly as often as I should. For a while I would do it every day on public transportation, but then I got my driver's license and driving a car isn't nearly as amenable to meditation as sitting on the train.

I need to find a regular time to meditate and then, just, do it.

Interestingly, I've found that being in a public place (like on the BART train or a bus) helps me with my focus a lot.

Edited by Tchan909 (02/18/08 10:46 PM)

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: Sophistic Radiance]
    #8040740 -

I love listening to ambient and meditating on the BART train, I've missed my stop so many times.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: Middleman]
    #8040747 -

I hear that. :laugh:

So you're from the bay area, MM?


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Enlil said:
You really are the worst kind of person.


Edited by Tchan909 (02/18/08 10:55 PM)

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: Sophistic Radiance]
    #8040749 -

appleorange, entertainment is completely contrary to what you should look for in a meditation (especially zen) retreat. If you're looking for a place to spend your vacation on... you may end up being very dissatisfied (or completely appreciative).

Tchan, the whole point of Buddhism is to understand things as they really are, and not how we want them to be. However, it is very difficult to act in life in accordance with a clear awareness of what is going on in the present moment because we often want them to be different than they actually are.

We get these moments of pleasure and it feels good, we like it and want more of it. When the pleasure fades away, we are left with an empty feeling. This empty feeling is often felt as unwanted and unsatisfactory which in Buddhist traditional Pali language is called dukkha. We spend our lives dipping in and out of dukkha without truly understanding what is actually going on. And so this is where the meditation kicks in.

The Buddha says that using his meditation technique (there are thousands of techniques out there) that it is possible to directly experience the truth of the moment and liberate yourself... from your self. We cause our own suffering without even seeing how we do it because we are so caught up in our selves.

You also have to be very careful. I recommend you reading the Anapansati sutta yourself from a couple of translators.

I don't recommend many commentaries, but I really like this one (nice interface too):
http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/vimalaramsi/main.html

The heart of Buddhism is not the philosophy. It is becoming a loving person with direct wisdom in tune with reality. Don't get wrapped up in emptiness and all the other esoteric stuff because the point is to refine your sense of being to a subtle clear state of relaxed readiness.


--------------------
As the life of a candle,
my wick will burn out.
But, the fire of my mind
shall beam into infinite.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: Sophistic Radiance]
    #8040783 -

Tchan909 said:
So you're from the bay area, MM?


I've been here for 8 years.

I've lived in Minneapolis, St. Louis, Phoenix, and Vegas... SF Bay is the best by far, imo.

It's so diverse and the people are generally more conscious and open minded.
Plus, the public transport system rocks, the BART reminds me of the monorail at Disneyworld. :snowman:

Go for it appleorange, Zen retreats change lives. I'm planning a retreat at Mt. Madonna this fall.

I :heart: Northern CA.

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: psyka]
    #8040790 -

I try to avoid reading Buddhism like a religion, because it is clearly not a religion and its teachings are useful to everyone inclined to have an interest. This is also partially why I tend to use the meditation techniques I am most comfortable with, rather than strictly adhering to meditation guides.

I will definitely check out your link.


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Enlil said:
You really are the worst kind of person.


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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: Middleman]
    #8040794 -

That's awesome. I feel the exact same way; I can't think of anyplace I'd be happier than the bay area. I'm so glad I was born in Oakland. :laugh:


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Enlil said:
You really are the worst kind of person.


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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: Middleman]
    #8040872 -

I wanna move to the bay area for college probably.  Where is a good place to live?  I <3 the UC Santa Cruz campus.  Shitttt mugga fugga.  I'm in Sac town right now.  Do you like livin' in the bay area?:macdre:


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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: appleorange]
    #8041758 -

be prepared for some chair sitting during the initial stages of your meditation sessions. depending on the individual it can either be quite grueling or uplifting. for me it was grueling, i couldn't quiet my mind down enough and wiggled in my seat almost the entire time. i hope you enjoy yourself... peace

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: psyka]
    #8041845 -

psyka said:
The heart of Buddhism is not the philosophy. It is becoming a loving person with direct wisdom in tune with reality. Don't get wrapped up in emptiness and all the other esoteric stuff because the point is to refine your sense of being to a subtle clear state of relaxed readiness.



I agree with most of what you say apart from emptiness and the "other esoteric stuff" i presume you mean impermanence etc?
I suppose it can be considered the philosophy side so your right...

But seeing the impermeanence of what seems to be reality & the underlying buddha nature of everything has brought me much endless joy. All that takes this joy form me is slipping back into attachment to the impermanent, instead of going with it.

For me its about realising the buddha nature ultimate truth, then letting go of that very truth, then i have waves of endless oceans splashing bliss mist over my being.

I agree that compassion etc are very important and are the heart as one should want liberation for all, as one is all!

But for me these come with seeing the true buddha nature of everything through emptiness and impermanence, and then letting go.

Each has theyre own path, you seem very wise so im sure your path has worked wonders for you as mine has for  me :peace:
Its all essentially the same path anyway!


PS the retreat looks great! im sure it must be so good meeting like minded people face to face, i only have one friend whose into buddhism and hes very busy so doesn't find time to delve too deep.

Edited by Chronic7 (02/19/08 07:55 AM)

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: appleorange]
    #8041940 -

I actually have a friend who did a one month retreat there.

From what he told me, it was a very intense month, and it was only during the relaxed schedule! It is good to meet and practice with like-minded people, though there is a rather limited demographic of people there. The teachers sound clear and insightful, though they are of course imperfect.

In fact, perhaps the greatest part of his experience there was how it broke down a lot of his ideals and romantic notions of monastic Buddhist practice. Even at the monastery there was lots of drama and desires and passions.

I'd say go for it. It's been compared to a Buddhist boot camp, and indeed that's the way it seems. Incredible and very valuable experience though.


--------------------
"What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?"

"Belief is a beautiful armor
But makes for the heaviest sword"
- John Mayer

Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin.

"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln

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Re: Thinking Of Doing Zen Retreat [Re: dblaney]
    #8042288 -

To anyone needing to do some manual labor to free themselves,
I have some land that needs to be readied for Spring. There's an outbuilding so you can be alone and meditate and woods all around. I'll be happy to bring you a bowl of plain rice to keep it minimalistic. I won't even charge you a dime!


Just teasing. It looks lovely. I'd like to try it sometime myself.

Oh! And I agree about No Cal. I found the Monterey area to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.


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