• 127
  • More

Buddhist Meditation Retreat (November 2018)

I recently completed a 24 day retreat at the Chaiya Meditation Monastery in Las Vegas, Nevada.  3 1/2 years ago I spent 2 months there and prior to that I did a 2 week retreat and a few mini retreats. All these have been essential in learning and practicing mindfulness of breathing as taught by Lord Buddha.  In addition to meditation practice there is chanting, walking meditation and observance of 8 precepts.  The monastery is a true place of practice.  The Chief Monk Ajahn Chaiya lives there along with anywhere from 4-10 ordained monks of various ages, who are practicing and upholding the tradition. There is also one resident nun.  When I go there as a lay person, I am expected to participate in all the group activities including 4  sessions of group meditation (1 hour each), noon time food offering ceremony and the moon day chantings (usually twice monthly). We take 2 meals daily: breakfast at 6 am and the main meal at 11:30 midday.  At noon, all preparations, serving and cleanup are done by lay families who sign up to feed the monks and others like myself who are staying at the monastery.  At breakfast, I would usually help set up fruit trays and any other preparations that needed to be done, all depending on whether any family was providing a meal or not. After breakfast, I did about an hour of kitchen work----cleaning tables, washing and drying dishes, putting dishes away, setting up silver ware for the noon meal, and sweeping and mopping as needed. Otherwise all my time from early morning to bedtime was available for practice, which could be done in my room, the main temple hall, the ladies practice hall, or the outdoor courtyard.  And it was up to me to use the free time as I wished since no one is checking.  

      On this retreat, I struggled initially. It had been over 3 years since my last visit, and I thought I had been continuing the practice, but in fact there were some flaws in my technique and I had great difficulty developing concentration. The mind is deceptive and I wasn’t even aware that I had veered off from correct practice. Here, the great lesson for me was to stick steadfastly to the original technique given by the teacher, and not adjust it based on Youtube talks or books by other teachers, even if these seem to be in line with the Preceptor’s instructions.       Once I corrected this, I made great headway in meditation and in the ability to sit comfortably and for longer despite bodily complaints.  I delved deeper than before, into the mind where bodily consciousness fades away while not entirely disappearing, and the mindscape becomes pronounced.

 

     From this mental position, I could actually see greed, hatred, delusion and grasping arising.  This sounds like repitition of a catch phrase, but what actually happens is that one begins to distinctly observe  physical or mental sensations, and also sees that one is holding on to them.  With that knowledge of grasping, one is able to apply non grasping (letting go). This is the function of mindfulness in meditation. As grasping is relinquished, one is left with emptiness until another sensual or mental object arises. With more consistent application of mindfulness, arising of objects diminishes and one creates longer periods of freedom from grasping.  This comes across as subjectve when writing about it, but if the meditation developed correctly, it is a clear, dynamic process.  The emptiness is not characterized by pleasantness or happiness as these emotions are coarse. It is more like vibrational utter calm. When one reaches here, it is easy to sit longer and the body is hardly stiff or numb upon arising.  

 

During one group meditation, I encountered a spontaneous stoppage and stillness of the mind which was profound. My first reaction was, “Wow!” I quickly cut off the reaction and proceeded to observe  the mind state. The mind had come to a complete halt. What was helpful about this is experience was to see that the mind can be completely quiet. And in this particular experience, I did not even detect any vibration.

      Another time, as we sat for meditation after evening prayers, the mind was totally settled from the get go. As I assumed a cross-legged posture on a thick cushion,  the mind had sort of a steady buzz.  It was locked into that.  The bodily consciousness was minimal.   Thinking hardly arose. The state maintained itself.

      Usually I did 30-40 minutes of walking meditation before group meditation sessions.

      I spoke to Ajahn Chaiya only as absolutely necessary. I had already learned from the prior retreats that talking of experiences usually dilutes their after-effects.  And I also felt that he knew exactly what was going on anyway.

      I left the monastery with great hopefulness about the practice only because my ability to practice was much improved.  Living in an environment where people are practicing and where visitors and lay people have such respect for the practice, makes it a true place of refuge FOR PRACTICE.

       I also know with certainty that I must increase mindfulness right at the mind in ordinary daily activities to a much greater degree.  I have my work cut out but I am so much better equipped to keep advancing in mindfulness and relinquishment. It is all due to the Buddha’s enlightenment and to his monks and followers who have practiced and preserved the teaching throughout the centuries.

     Araham samma sambuddho bhagava, buddham bhagavantam abhivademi

     The Exalted One, far from defilement, Perfectly Enlightened One.      I render homage to the Buddha, the Exalted One.

     Svakhato bhagavata dhammo, dhamman namassami     The Dhamma, well-expounded by the Exalted One, I bow to the Dhamma

 

     Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho sangham namami     The Blessed One’s Disciples who have practiced well, I bow low before the Sangha.      

 

Replies (11)
    • I feel that the word mindfulness is misleading in the sense that I have a hard time replacing that word with a synonym which indicates to me confusion and a lack of actually knowing what is written.

       

      Look at this sentence:

       

      She sat by the table.

       

      Now see this sentence:

       

      She sat by the tree.

       

      If someone asked me what I meant by table and I said the new sentence it would be assumed that table = tree, but does it?

       

      This means that I was not clear what table was, or I knew what it was but I could not replace it with a synonym so I found another object in the vicinity and substituted that which really does not clear things up unless the person I spoke to was familiar with a particular table which was by a tree in a place which he knew very well.

       

      Anyway, a definition of mindfulness would be appreciated for those like myself who struggle with the meaning of that term.

       

      ~~~~~

      What was the reason for this defect?

       

      I wasn’t even aware that I had veered off from correct practice

      • Comment by unknown is hidden.
        • Comment by unknown is hidden.
          • Comment by unknown is hidden.
            • Comment by unknown is hidden.
              • Thanks for the explanations.

                 

                The one about the reason for deviation from the assigned practice is clear as being not going back to the assigned reference (breath in this case).

                 

                The explanation of mindfulness seems to mean the checking of the behavior of the mind to be sure that it does not authorize physical or psychic actions which are contrary to what is recommended by Buddha or by the teacher.

                • Comment by unknown is hidden.
                  • Some authority or a group-authority or even institution must be the source of that definition of mindfulness. If it is an institution, that means one person or a group of persons introduced it. It cannot come out of thin air. If however it is from antiquity and it cannot be traced fully now, still then someone or a group defined it and it became the established norm. The main thing is that it was introduced by someone, and it is now a standard method.

                    • Comment by unknown is hidden.
                      • Once something is written, there is left for people to understand it based on language. With language we have to agree on the meanings of words. At least one person has to know what the speaker means by a certain word, rather than assume a meaning which might be inconsistent with the speaker. Hence clarification is needed.

                         

                        This sentence is from the first paragraph of this post. See if you can replace the word mindfulness in this case with some other word or words:

                         

                         All these have been essential in learning and practicing mindfulness of breathing as taught by Lord Buddha.

                         

                        I think that you may agree that the word changes in meaning even where you used it elsewhere in the post. Language is problematic but then again we have to live with it and use it in communication. Its flaws and faults do not in any way free us from the need for it. The Pali cannon is language. Buddha is not here to speak directly and every teacher who teaches Buddhism today relies on written or spoken language. Language despite its limitations is necessary.

                        • Comment by unknown is hidden.
                          Login or Join to comment.