Suan Mokkh
Da ar det alltsa dags for tempelvistelsen som jag skrev om for nagon manad sedan. Sjalva kursen i meditation och buddhistisk lara borjar egentligen inte forran vid lunch pa sondag. Dock gar sista helgbussen till Surat Thani imorgon vid 8 pa morgonen. Kan av nagon anledning inte spendera natten mellan lordag och sondag i templet dar jag kommer vistas under resten av min retreat-tid. Istallet maste jag fa tag pa ett hostel eller ett annat narliggande tempel. Det ordnar sig.
Under mina 12 dygn pa plats kommer jag inte ha nagon som helst kontakt med omvarlden. Jag far i princip inte ha med mig andra agodelar an en tval, lite klader och en handduk. Packningen blir darfor valdigt latt.
De tre storsta utmaningarna i templet: Inte ata efter 12 pa dagen, att vara tvungen att stiga upp 4 varje morgon men framforallt att inte fa yttra ett ord under alla dessa dygn. Dagarna ska spenderas genom meditation och bon. Yttre faktorer far inte lov att stora min tankeverksamhet och sjal.
Meditation och buddhistisk lara alltid intresserat mig. Har far jag chansen att ta del av religionen och utova meditation pa riktigt.
Jag ser aven det har som en stor utmaning.
Tror det kommer bli en riktigt spannande och larorik tid och jag ser verkligen fram emot de kommande veckorna!
Idag har jag fatt lite information skickad till min mail, bland annat mitt dagliga schema, nagra bilder och regler:
General
Meditation is a way to train and cultivate the mind, to develop concentration, mindfulness and awareness. Buddhism offers calmness or concentration meditation and vipassana or insight meditation. Anapanasati or Mindfulness with Breathing, the meditation method taught at Suan Mokkh, covers both, concentration and insight meditation. But during the first days of the retreat we will mainly train you in concentration meditation by focusing attention on breathing. Detailed instruction is given throughout the retreat. All instruction and talks are given in English.
Meditation takes energy and commitment, determination and discipline. Doing a 10-day retreat is, especially for beginners, not easy. We have to adjust our bodies and minds to the retreat settings:
· We have to get up early and adjust to less sleep
· We have to adjust to the schedule which everybody is asked to follow completely
· We have to live on 2 vegetarian meals a day
· We have to deal with bodily discomfort
· We may have to experience a lot of "ups" and "downs" during the retreat
Body and mind are not used to these very different circumstances and they may react with discomfort, with restlessness, with boredom, with doubt, with feeling very tired. For these reasons the daily schedule is not that challenging, tailored for beginners, but still it will take three or four days to adjust to all these new circumstances. After that you should be able to float within your new environment without having to fight and struggle against too much discomfort.
You must be in good general health, both physically and mentally. The retreat is not suitable for people with mental disorders or drug addictions.
A motto of Venerable Ajahn Buddhadasa was "Live plainly, aim high". This is reflected in the retreat's very simple living conditions in close contact with nature. For example:
· The private room for your use is small, containing just a hard bed with a simple straw mat, a blanket, a mosquito net, and a wooden pillow.
· We'll have two vegetarian meals a day plus a drink in the evening.
Daily schedule
04.00 *** | Wake up *** = Monastery bell |
04.30 | Morning Reading |
04.45 | Sitting meditation |
05.15 | Yoga / Exercise |
07.00 *** | Dhamma talk & Sitting meditation |
08.00 | Breakfast & Chores |
10.00 *** | Dhamma talk |
11.00 | Walking or standing meditation |
11.45 *** | Sitting meditation |
12.30 | Lunch & chores |
14.30 *** | Meditation instruction & Sitting meditation |
15.30 | Walking or standing meditation |
16.15 *** | Sitting meditation |
17.00 *** | Chanting & Loving Kindness meditation |
18.00 | Tea & hot springs |
19.30 *** | Sitting meditation |
20.00 | Group walking meditation |
20.30 *** | Sitting meditation |
21.00 *** | Bedtime |
21.30 *** | LIGHTS OUT |
Basic Rules
During the retreat, all participants are required to observe some basic rules. This is for the benefit of everyone - a very important part of getting you to the right frame of mind for meditation - and because you will be staying on monastery grounds. You must:
Keep complete silence throughout the retreat (exceptions: personal interviews from Day 3 to Day 8 and emergencies);
· Stay within the boundaries of the retreat center;
· Keep the Eight Precepts, which are:
1. intend not to take away any breath (abstain from killing)2. intend not to take away what is not given (abstain from stealing)
3. intend to keep one's mind and one's body free from any sexual activity
4. intend not to harm others by speech
5. intend not to harm one's consciousness with substances that intoxicate and
lead to carelessness (no alcohol, no drugs, no smoking etc)
6. intend not to eat between after noon and before dawn
7. intend not to dance, sing, play or listen to music, watch shows, wear
garlands, ornaments and beautify oneself with perfumes and cosmetics
8. intend not to sleep or sit on luxurious beds and seats.
This is the moral code for those who seek normalcy plus lightness and simplicity in living.
Hall tummarna for mig nu! Skriver igen nar jag ar tillbaka om ca tva veckor.
Linda kom inte hem som en buddhist nu bara.... Vill ha tillbaks min Linda som hon är...(Gillar inte riktigt detta - det vet du...)
Kram mamma
Wow Linda det låter verkligen intensivt! Hoppas du inte blir för hungrig och att du kan sova lite på den där trä kudden... Verkar nästan lättare att sova utan kudde kanske. Det blir nog en intressant upplevelse men som det står så tar det nog ett par dagar att vänja sig. Hoppas du får det jätte bra och att det blir en positiv upplevelse!! Står man inte ut är det möjligt att åka därifrån eller? Ta hand om dig! Kram från ett soligt Göteborg:)
PS Vad är de där personal interviews som det står om? Hur man upplever det hela?
som du vet tycker jag du är cool. känner inget tvivel att du klarar de dygnen du ska spendera där utan problem. tänker på dig lite extra nu, va rädd om dig! =)
Linda,
Hoppas du kan sova ordentligt! Då går säkert allt bra och det blir en enastående upplevelse! Ser fram emot din berättelse!
Kram
