My retreat experience
Dipabhāvan Meditation Center - Koh Samui - Thailand
It all started with a strange feeling to do something meaningful during my backpacking trip to Thailand away from nice hotels and my way of living to get back to basic. I found this retreat center online and within a few clicks I booked my seat. I started to look at the daily schedule and I have to admit I was freaking out...
DAILY SCHEDULE
04.30 Wake up
05.00 Morning Reading
05.15 Sitting meditation
05.45 Yoga / Exercise
07.00 Sitting meditation
07.30 Breakfast & Chores
09.30 Dhamma talk
10.30 Walking or standing meditation
11.00 Sitting meditation
11.30 Lunch & chores
14.00 Meditation instruction & Sitting meditation
15.00 Walking or standing meditation
15.30 Sitting meditation
16.00 Walking or standing meditation
16.30 Chanting & Loving Kindness meditation
17.30 Tea
19.30 Sitting meditation
20.00 Group walking meditation
20.30 Sitting meditation
21.00 Bedtime
21.30 LIGHTS OUT
Everyday I was asking myself shall I do it or not until I finally arrived in Koh Samui from Koh Phagan and here the taxi for the retreat to pick me up. Direction the mountain in the rainforest where the monastery is...
Tons of feelings were coming into my mind and this is it, I am doing it, going into an unknown world which is scary and exciting too.
When I arrived at the monastery they gave me the instructions for my stay, here your bag for your bed, a blanket and a mosquito net (mosquitos loved me so much during that stay!). I took my bags and direction the men dormitory as we are separated from the girls. I was about to discover the most troubling part of this retreat... my bed...
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| men dormitory at the retreat |
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| inside the men dormitory |
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| my bed |
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| my pillow |
I have unpacked, give away my belongings such as mobile phone, watch etc and the first monastery bell rings which means we all have to go to the main mediation hall. The teacher gives us all the details and this is the time we should not talk anymore until the end of the retreat.
Not speaking was my main concern but in fact, I found it pretty easy to follow, the weird part was to say thank you or greet people as you don't anymore so there is a very awkward moment each time but after a few days it faded away.
No watch, no wifi, no mobile, finally a true freedom starts! During our breaks, I have noticed all of us started to observe things more in details. A few was contemplating a tree, a bird, an insect. On my side I discovered nature/animals were doing specific sounds depending of the time of the day. Some frogs were making one sound in the morning and another one at the same time (4.30PM) in the afternoon so by listening nature I could tell the time. Another thing amazed me, well annoyed me too! the number of sounds at night!!! Obviously I couldn't sleep on my wood bed! but like it was not enough, it was sooooo noisy!! from frogs to birds, crickets or any strange animals, the nights were restless!
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| The mediation hall |
Waking up at 4.30am by the sound of the bell left like I was in a movie, we all met at the mediation hall on the left the boys and on the left the girls. all sitting like Buddha with our first lesson of the day. The place surrounded by the forest was giving the best experience ever to observe the world waking up. I could see the sun giving birth to this forest every day with the appearance of the sun. This show was the most beautiful thing to observe when you start a day and you feel so F@~~ lucky to be part of it.
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| view from the meditation hall |
Learning to meditate was an important revelation of how this can keep you sane from our crazy lives. One rule from Buddha is not to motivate people to do it, they have to find their own way to it. It's true and wont describe my experience as this is personal and each of us would have different ways to do it.
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| Meditation spot for walking breaks |
The rhythm of the retreat was hard I wont hide it, however we were all committed to stick to it till the end. Only one guy couldn't cope and left. The last day I felt very sad, weird isn't it? Usually when something bother you, you are happy it ends.
While talking to the teacher, I described my own experience of meditating and he said I managed to get the full experience which is not common for those short retreat so I was pretty happy. Now it's time to bring it with me back home and make sure I dont let it go with our busy lives.
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment"
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without"
"The mind is everything. What you think you become"
Buddha
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| Buddha sculpture at the retreat |
Here the retreat website for those who fancy going http://dipabhavan.weebly.com
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