I have been attending an eight week mindfulness based stress reduction course, which involves 2 hours each week in a group with an instructor, learning mindfulness practices. Although I have been practicing mindfulness for a couple of years already, it is a journey which, in the words of Chantek the course leader, you keep turning up to with a beginner's mind and curiosity, and I felt my journey would be enriched by practicing with others and with guidance. That has been the case.
On Saturday, we had a day long silent retreat. I really didn't know what to expect, either in terms of how it would be to be in a village hall with 14 people you know a little but not well and in silence, or in terms of how comfortable I would feel in a day of silence and meditation - my meditation practices rarely last longer than 20 minutes. But I loved it. I loved the opportunity to go deeper with the meditation and found myself respond positively to it. Strangely enough, lunch, which I thought would be really odd in silence, was particularly lovely. There was a real sense of sharing and community, alongside a sense of privacy and respect for something bigger than us. It was helped by the fact that Spring decided to arrive that day, with glorious sunshine, clear blue sky, leaves unfurling on the trees, bulbs bursting, birds singing. We sat on the steps of the village hall and held our faces to the sun, bathing in its warmth. The whole day was unbelievably nourishing!
During the day, various readings were shared with us. This was my favourite - it sums up what mindfulness means to me.
A Natural Ease —- by Ven. Lama Gendun Rinpoche
Happiness cannot be found
through great effort and willpower,
but is already present,
in open relaxation
and letting go.
Don’t strain yourself;
there is nothing to do nor undo.
Whatever momentarily arises
in the body-mnd
has no real importance at all,
has little reality whatsoever.
Why identify with, and become
attached to it,
passing judgement upon it
and ourselves.
Far better to simply
let the entire game happen on its own,
springing up and falling
back like waves—-
without changing
or manipulating anything—-
and notice how everything vanishes and
reappears, magically, again and again,
time without end.
Only our searching for happiness
prevents us from seeing it.
It’s like a vivid rainbow which you
pursue without ever catching,
or a dog chasing its own tail.
Although peace and happiness
do not exist
as an actual thing or place,
it is always available
and accompanies you every instant.
Don’t believe in the reality
of good and bad experiences;
they are like today’s
ephemeral weather,
like rainbows in the sky.
Wanting to grasp the ungraspable,
you exhaust yourself in vain,
As soon as you open and relax this
tight fist of grasping,
infinite space is there—-open, inviting
and comfortable.
Make use of this spaciousness, this
freedom and natural ease.
Don’t search any further.
Don’t go into the tangled jungle
looking for the great
awakened elephant
who is already resting quietly at home
in front of your own hearth.
Nothing to do or undo,
Nothing to force,
nothing to want
and nothing missing—-
Emaho! Marvelous!
Everything happens by itself!
At Karma Tarchine Lundroup Buddhist Monastery - Biollet, France
On Saturday, we had a day long silent retreat. I really didn't know what to expect, either in terms of how it would be to be in a village hall with 14 people you know a little but not well and in silence, or in terms of how comfortable I would feel in a day of silence and meditation - my meditation practices rarely last longer than 20 minutes. But I loved it. I loved the opportunity to go deeper with the meditation and found myself respond positively to it. Strangely enough, lunch, which I thought would be really odd in silence, was particularly lovely. There was a real sense of sharing and community, alongside a sense of privacy and respect for something bigger than us. It was helped by the fact that Spring decided to arrive that day, with glorious sunshine, clear blue sky, leaves unfurling on the trees, bulbs bursting, birds singing. We sat on the steps of the village hall and held our faces to the sun, bathing in its warmth. The whole day was unbelievably nourishing!
During the day, various readings were shared with us. This was my favourite - it sums up what mindfulness means to me.
A Natural Ease —- by Ven. Lama Gendun Rinpoche
Happiness cannot be found
through great effort and willpower,
but is already present,
in open relaxation
and letting go.
Don’t strain yourself;
there is nothing to do nor undo.
Whatever momentarily arises
in the body-mnd
has no real importance at all,
has little reality whatsoever.
Why identify with, and become
attached to it,
passing judgement upon it
and ourselves.
Far better to simply
let the entire game happen on its own,
springing up and falling
back like waves—-
without changing
or manipulating anything—-
and notice how everything vanishes and
reappears, magically, again and again,
time without end.
Only our searching for happiness
prevents us from seeing it.
It’s like a vivid rainbow which you
pursue without ever catching,
or a dog chasing its own tail.
Although peace and happiness
do not exist
as an actual thing or place,
it is always available
and accompanies you every instant.
Don’t believe in the reality
of good and bad experiences;
they are like today’s
ephemeral weather,
like rainbows in the sky.
Wanting to grasp the ungraspable,
you exhaust yourself in vain,
As soon as you open and relax this
tight fist of grasping,
infinite space is there—-open, inviting
and comfortable.
Make use of this spaciousness, this
freedom and natural ease.
Don’t search any further.
Don’t go into the tangled jungle
looking for the great
awakened elephant
who is already resting quietly at home
in front of your own hearth.
Nothing to do or undo,
Nothing to force,
nothing to want
and nothing missing—-
Emaho! Marvelous!
Everything happens by itself!
At Karma Tarchine Lundroup Buddhist Monastery - Biollet, France