Monday, May 11, 2020

Online Retreat

Temple Altar
On Sunday, I participated in the online retreat that the Temple had organized.  The above is a picture of the altar, taken with my cell phone, from the computer screen, so the quality is not the greatest.  But, it shows some Vesak lanterns someone had made in the background, behind the statue of the Buddha; they are all in white as appropriate for a temple.  The flags are Buddhist flags, originally designed in 1884, by a committee of Buddhists, including an American retired Army Colonel, Henry Steele Olcott, in Colombo, Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon).  The flag was first flown in May 1885, to mark the first Vesak Poya (holy) Day to be declared a public holiday by the ruling British government (Ceylon was a British Crown Colony from 1815 to 1948).  The colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and orange) are supposed to represent certain physical attributes of the Buddha with each color having a meaning.  The current flag is a modification of the original flag in size and the color of one stripe; there are variations of the flag in other Buddhist countries, but, this flag is recognized as a symbol of Buddhism throughout the world. 

Although I tried to go to sleep early on Saturday night, I didn't actually fall asleep until after 3:00 a.m.  But, I managed to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and I had my cup of tea and got dressed.  Had I actually attended the retreat at the Temple, I would have worn a white sari, but, since this was going to be held at home, I wore a long white skirt and a white blouse, which is a more casual attire.  Over which, I wore a shawl made from a white piece of fabric; the shawl is sort of a representation of the robes a monk or nun would wear and it signifies that one is an observant of the eight precept.  One wears it, cross body, going over one shoulder.

I logged on to the meeting site at 7:00 a.m., and the chief monk led us in meditation for the first half hour as we waited for more people to log in.  They had arranged for a full day of programs! 

7:00 a.m. - Log in and breathing meditation

7:30 a.m. - Morning offerings (of flowers, incense, food, etc.) to the Buddha, followed by the administration of the eight precepts.  The monks say the precepts and you repeat after them, undertaking to spend your day in accordance with these precepts.

8:00 a.m. - Breakfast.  Normally, at the Temple, breakfast (and lunch) would be served to the monks and those observing the eight precepts by other devotees (and they would also eat, afterwards).  The act of serving food to the monks and those observing the eight precepts would be considered a meritorious deed.  If one was observing the retreat at home and there were others in the household, they would be expected to serve the meals to the one observing the retreat.  However, in my case, I made my own breakfast.  I warmed up a frozen paratha (a type of Indian flat bread) and had it with onion sambol (seeni sambol). 

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - Sermon and discussion by a guest monk who logged in from another Temple, with questions and answers afterwards.  The Q&A session lasted a little longer than anticipated, but, that was good as it showed that people were actively participating.

10:10 a.m.- Loving-kindness (metta) meditation.  During this meditation, thoughts of loving-kindness and compassion are extended in ever widening circles, starting with yourself and going outwards to include family, friends, neighbors, community, state, country, the world, and beyond, to encompass the entire universe.  The idea is that whatever you wish for yourself (good health, well being, happiness, etc.) is also being wished for every other being, known or unknown, without any boundaries.

10:30 a.m. - Walking meditation!  The walking is supposed to be done very deliberately, being aware of each step, and each part of each step - putting the right foot down, shifting your weight to that foot, moving the left foot up off the ground, putting the left foot down, shifting your weight to that foot, lifting the right foot off the ground, putting the right foot down, and so forth.  The aim is not to walk far or fast, but to really focus on the process of walking.  I went outside for the 20 minutes of walking meditation. 

10:50 a.m. - Offering of lunch to the Buddha. 

11:00 a.m. - Lunch break.  Again, if we were at the Temple, lunch would have been prepared by other devotees and served to everyone, present.  As things stood, we each went off line and served and ate our own lunch.  I had rice with cabbage and cashew curry (I had a packet of previously cooked cashew curry in the freezer, which I had kept in the fridge, overnight, to thaw).  I wanted to keep it a vegetarian meal in observance of the day.

During this time, I listened to and watched a video of blessings being chanted. 

12:30 p.m. - The Temple program resumed with the chanting of blessings by the monks. 

1:00 p.m. - A sermon in English for the benefit of the Sunday school children (and adults, as well), with a discussion session, afterwards.

2:00 p.m. - Breathing meditation

2:15 p.m. - A short break to have a cup of tea or juice.

2:30 p.m. - Sermon and discussion, about the two main ways of showing devotion as a Buddhist - one being the participation in activities and rituals such as going to the Temple, offering alms to the monks, etc., and the other being putting the Buddha's teachings into practice by living according to the tenets of Buddhism.  One is considered good and helpful; the other is considered better and essential.  Again, the discussion went on for a little longer than anticipated, but, I found it to be very interesting.

3:45 p.m. - A short, 15 minutes "rest" break!

4:00 p.m. - Another sermon and chanting.

By this time, I had begun to get a headache.  I think it was due to a combination of insufficient sleep during the night, continuous screen time, and having to concentrate on what was being said!  Most of the sermons were delivered in Sinhalese, which is my first language.  However, it has been almost 47 years since I left Sri Lanka and I haven't had to use it as much, lately.  So, my Sinhalese is a little bit rusty.  Add in the fact that there is a more informal everyday spoken Sinhalese and a more formal oratory style used to deliver sermons, and I really needed to concentrate to truly comprehend what was being said.  Also, I might have been a little dehydrated and I was starting to get hungry!  I seem to need to eat something every 4 hours or so and it had been a little over 4 hours since lunch.  But, one of the precepts I undertook to observe was not to eat anything after 12 noon until the retreat ended.  I could have chosen to end it, then (doing so would have been easy; I just had to recite the regular five precepts I undertake on a daily basis), but, I was determined to stick it out! 

5:30 p.m. - Evening offerings and ending the retreat.  I was glad I was able to wait until the very end!

I really did enjoy this retreat and was glad I could participate, even with the headache and all!  If this opportunity was offered again, I would gladly participate - but, next time, I'll make sure I had plenty of water and juice to keep me hydrated and my blood sugar levels stable! 

The monks were holding the regular evening blessings later in the night, yesterday, starting at 8:00 p.m., but, I decided I would not participate.  It would have been just a little too much! 

Hope you find this post interesting. I've tried to explain just enough to give you an idea without going into too many details!  If you have any questions about anything I've described, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.  Or, I can ask the monks for further information, if I need to.  Of course, there is quite a bit of information online, as well.  And, if you have read all the way to the end of this post, give yourself a big pat on the back!   


28 comments:

  1. I love when you give us a glimpse into your religion!

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    1. Thank you, Anne. I am happy to be able to do so. :)

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  2. Glad you were able to hold out until your Retreat finished. And I patted myself on my back!!! Stay safe and happy :)

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  3. Wow - what a lot of preparation went into that day. I've been involved with Christian retreat days. But doing it all online with the covid19 restrictions adds even more to the workload. I was listening to a Moslem lady on the radio talking about observing Ramadan in these strange times and how it has altered the way she expresses her faith. But at times like this, my faith is even more important, and I'm grateful to those who enable us to feel connected to others in my faith community, as I am sure you are. I must find out more about the concept of "metta"

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    1. Yes, they had planned the whole day's program quite nicely and I'm sure there was a lot of preparation behind it.

      "Metta" (Pali) or "Maitri" (Sanskrit) is variously described in English as loving-kindness, or benevolence, or good-will. It is a state in which one actively wishes well being and happiness for others. Just as one wishes good health, happiness, and well being for our own selves, and for our loved ones, one wishes the same for others, too, friends, foes, and strangers, and other beings, without discrimination. It goes beyond kindness, sympathy, and compassion.

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  4. I'm so happy for you that you managed to participate for the whole day. Thank you for this fascinating insight. X

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    1. Thank you, Jules. I'm glad you found it interesting. :)

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  5. What an interesting celebration! For me there are totally new infos, so I enjoyed reading it so much as the recent post of yours. I tried some guided meditation last evening with Youtube and I really enjoyed it. Stay safe ☺

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    1. Glad you enjoyed reading it, Natalia, and the guided meditation. Hope you, too, are keeping well and staying safe. Take care. :)

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  6. I did find your description of the retreat interesting. I am only slightly familiar with Buddhism from a philosophy class I took a few summers ago a the university. Having only attended Christian retreats and those only with women - I still find them very similar. We often spent retreats at a place somewhat distant or secluded from everyday life - several I went to were up in the mountains or at the seashore. I like the paced and varied sequence of prayer, study, meditation and food. Somehow all of it opens me up to some part of myself that I don't usually see.
    Yes have everything on screen now does hurt my eyes and head after a while.

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    1. Glad you found it interesting, Debbie. Yes, the very nature of retreats - removing ourselves physically and mentally from our everyday lives and concerns to spend time in contemplation and spiritual matters provide a much needed break and can be quite restorative, I believe. :)

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  7. Thanks for sharing your retreat day with us. Well done you staying right through. I agree maybe too long without drink or food. I think many of us in today's world situation could all do with a few walking mediations & some breathing techniques. I find chanting soothing & I might have nodded off. In our church we have a large mat 30X30 feet, with a labyrinth painted on it - it's our walking mediation. Many confuse a labyrinth with a maze. A maze is meant to confuse & get your lost where as a labyrinth is purposeful & calming, it leads in & out.

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    1. Oh, I do like the sound of that labyrinth! That would definitely be a walking meditation! I have seen a small labyrinth in a church garden, somewhere - the path was laid in paving stones in a sort of spiral and edged with low growing shrubs (mostly herbs, if I recall correctly). It was not a maze and one could easily step over the plants to get out of the labyrinth if needed. :)

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  8. This was so interesting. I looked online to learn what the eight precepts are and got confused straight away as I had a choice of 5, 8, or 10! Further reading suggests that the 10 is the same as the list of 8 but a couple have been split to be listed separately. I've only read the lists and not an explanation of each precept but my first thought was that they are similar to the Ten Commandments. I didn't understand the 7th one (which starts ... abstain from dancing, singing, music ...) or the 8th one (abstain from high and luxurious couches) though.

    How do you feel today? I hope the headache went away and that you've caught up on your sleep.

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    1. LOL, yes, there are 5 precepts for daily living, 8 for the regular retreats like the one I participated in on Sunday, and 10 for a deeper commitment and, traditionally, this involves leaving domestic life and entering monastic life (novice monks and nuns) and it isn't usually done for a day or a weekend, but, for a much longer time commitment of several months to the rest of your life.

      Yes, they are quite similar to the Ten Commandments! Except, these are not commandments but one voluntarily undertakes to observe them.It's like the difference between staying home to comply with the order to do so and staying home because one chooses to do so.

      The purpose of the 6th, 7th, and 8th precepts are to develop a simpler, more disciplined, acetic way of life, by eliminating the luxuries and indulgences one is accustomed to in lay life. Eat enough wholesome food to sustain you without overindulging by eating at all hours of the day; spend your time in meditating and contemplation instead of engaging in pleasures such as singing, dancing, and music which are temporary pleasures at best; use a simple, low seat (something modest which serves the purpose) to sit on instead of lounging on a lofty, cushioned couch and indulging in physical comfort. The emphasis is on having just enough for your needs while not depriving yourself on one hand and over-indulging on the other. It's called finding the Middle Path between two extremes of self-denial and self-indulgence.

      I'm feeling much better, thank you. The headache went away and I am making sure I am drinking my water and eating regularly! I am not yet at a point where I can go without eating for more than 4 hours or so at a time!

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    2. Maybe you've said before - I don't recall - but what are the 5 precepts for daily living?

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    3. Debra, they are 1) to abstain from killing/taking a life 2) to abstain from stealing/taking what is not given, 3) to abstain from sensual/sexual misconduct, 4) to abstain from false speech/lying, and 5) to abstain from taking any intoxicants, such as alcohol and drugs, as they affect ones ability to think clearly.

      These are the guiding principles that a lay person is supposed to observe every day.

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  9. That sounds like a very long and meaningful day. However, I don't think I could have sat that long, even with the breaks. I guess that's part of the process--using discipline to do what is needed.

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    1. Yes, it is an exercise in cultivating discipline, both mental and physical. That is one reason why I was determined to stick to it till the end, without ending the session earlier. I probably should have taken a short break, however, to have a cup of tea or some orange juice when I began to feel hungry! I think it would have been OK, under the circumstances. Maybe next time. :)

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  10. Fascinating as usual. I always appreciate your posts explaining your religious observances and practices.
    You were very disciplined to make it through the retreat and I'm sure you felt good having done so.

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    1. Thank you, Debra. Yes, I was happy I was able to make it through to the end. I'll know better, next time, and take a break later in the afternoon for some tea or juice (and get a little more sleep the night before!), but, it worked out well. :)

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  11. Very interesting reading for me. I am amazed that you made it through until 5:30. You must have been tired at the end, but I am so happy that you were able to take part in the retreat.

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    1. I was a little tired and I had a headache by the end of it! But, I am glad I was able to participate. I'm glad you found it interesting, Susan. :)

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  12. You did well to make it through the whole retreat because I think it can be quite tiring even to attend a retreat physically, however rewarding, and having to resort to a computer screen is certainly tiring. But I see that the day was broken up with breaks and walking and meditation and not just talks, which makes a difference. Did you find yourself aware that you were not alone but in the company of so many others making the same retreat?
    We have been having frost overnight and cool days for mid May but we are promised warmer weather soon. The dog next door came over for his cookie and then wanted to play. He barks and expects me to chase him and then I back off, so he barks at me again to repeat the chase.

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady; yes, it was a bit tiring, but, I can be stubborn! LOL! I could see, on the computer screen, who else was participating, although the majority of us had the microphones and cameras turned off. But, during the discussion sessions, some of us would turn on the microphones and speak.

      Oh, that's so cute! Your little puppy friend wants you to play! :D

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  13. You are very disciplined, Bless. It’s hard for me to sit still for hours. I think the last time I observed Sil was when I was at school.

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    1. It's something I really wanted to do, Nil. I used to observe Sil fairly regularly, before I got cancer, but, haven't been able to do so since then, even though I wanted to, sort of in thanksgiving for recovering from that. Funny how things work out, but, I was able to observe Sil, this year, which marks 5 years since I was diagnosed! I feel I passed a milestone, so to speak. :)

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