Mike: I've never sit down for more than one hour without moving. I don't I could do it. No matter how hard I would be trying doing so. If I sit down for an hour and without moving at all, then just that would be a great achievement for me. As a contrast, I did resent a little bit that the sitting down in the 21 retreat was far too short time. I wish we could have sit down for an hour in a row without moving!. But we didn't. Initially I thought that with the passing days the time of sitting down will be increased but it wasn't. However, I have to tell you that I wasn't very fit when I go to that retreat as I was recovering from one of those very severe crisis of mobility and went there with two Crotchets, but by time the retreat finished I was free from the crothets and I looked like very shiny and healthy. Everbody was amazed of the state they saw me at my arrival and the way I leave. So, I certainly know what it means to be in pain and to endure it through the in and out breathing. The first days while sitting down I felt the sweating coming from my face due to the severe pain I was into. But kept there because I knew that that was the reaction of the healing in process. I had already a bit of experience in that. The most extrange thing is that many of the very healthy people who participate on that retreat including some monastics they catched colds, alergies....while me I was getting healty and stronger by the days.
Yes, I also experienced that kind of sharp awareness that allowed me to enhanced in a very big way all my senses. And not just that there was an story that happened to a friend and myself with wild cats away of the monastery. My friend was from China. We made very good friends during the retreat. And when the retreat ended up we both remained in the monastery for two days more. So I took her to one of my secret hidden places away of the monastery in a very high hill in which one could see all the valley and beyond...No human soul around. She was very impressed and very please. We had a very beautiful conversation of saying goodbye to each other. And at those moments three 2 cats appeared there and once was very wild and aggrssive. My friend was afraid of the cats and panicked. I had in me at those moments that very particular peace and calmness energy of non separation from life that one gets when a retreat has been really benefial and great. One of the cats came from the front to me and the other from the back. My friend was nervous as I was sitting down at the edge of the precipice. I gentle bring the finger to my mouth with a smile asking her not to move and to be silence. I started to caresse the cat that came from the front. The in and out breathing wasn't seemed much of a practice at those moments but something natural. The cat liked much being stroked in that way. Then the wild cat from my back took its place. It was an small cat. It was full of scratches and wounds. And felt an inmense compassion for it. I started to stroke it while talking to it with my mind. I told to the cat: "I know what it means to be wounded and fighting for survival. I don't always have in me the energy I have right now. Let me share it with you. I have plenty of it. Take it. I want you to remember this moment now and always. Be strong whatever happens to you..." And the wilderness of the cat dissapear. My friend was very impressed and asked me to show her how I did that. And all I could tell her is that when one is the the buddha nature can talk and understand any living being. Received your smile with joy, and here it goes mine back to you again. Mayka --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusub...@...> wrote: > > Mayka, > > A big smile to you, too. Actually, I was the only westerner there but given > that > we couldn't communicate with each other I guess it didn't matter much. The > thing > with the sitting arrangements - it doesn't matter how you sit. After an hour > of > sitting in *any* position (without moving) the pain becomes unbearable. In > the > end you give up trying to get comfortable and just accept the fact that the > pain > is going to come eventually no matter what you do. > > > Ah yes, I know exactly what you mean about listening to the sounds of the > night > on a long retreat. I remember seeing some fire-flies (the retreat in Kyoto is > deep into a forest) and watching them dance around for what seemed like > hours. > Even a breeze on the skin feels like a drink of ice-cold beer on a hot > summers > night. The senses are tuned-in in a way that can't be experienced ordinarily. > If > everyone would go on a retreat, I'm sure that many of the world's problems > would > be sorted out overnight. > > Mike > > > > ________________________________ > From: Maria Lopez <flordel...@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, 15 October, 2010 17:53:17 > Subject: Re: [Zen] New member. > >  > Mike: >  > This of yours is a valuable sharing to me. Thank you for it. I wish I > could > attend a retreat as the one you give description about. >  > It also sounds as this retreat was a big boost to yourself practise zen. I > come > across years ago the sutra of the breathing translated by TNH. I had an > straight > away affinity to it. Then, some years later I had the chance of attending > that > 21 retreat about the sutra of the breathing . In spite of being an > overcrowded > retreat and not particular silence,  it was a big boost into the > practise. I > slept very little on that retreat, perhaps between two, three and some lucky > days four hours. The reason of this was because when all the monastery was > at > sleep,  the silence of the night was overwhelming magic and so I spent it > listening to the sounds of the night, sensing all those fresh spring smells, > looking at the clear sky with so many stars...It was marvellous. So the sutra > of > the breathing between the day and the night kicked by the passing days like > a > gentle rain. > >  > Were there many people in your retreat?. Were you the only westerner > attending > there?. > >  > It was wise of the ones who guide the retreat not to put a particular > emphasis > in the way attendants would sit down. As you know I suffer from a > disability > that deteriorated and can't do a sitting down on the floor. I can sit down > in > some chairs. Not as easy as sitting down, though some people think that in > a > chair is much easier. But it's not. It's actually very challenging as it > takes > much longer to have the oxygen going into smoothly and circulating in > harmony > through all body. It takes patiente and much longer time to achieve that > while > sitting on a chair  that it takes when sitting down. To make matters > worse, the > chairs from the monastery were not good chairs and took me several days in a > row before I could make my little throne and sit down for as long as I > wanted > there. And then yes, free from pain...wow, what a pleasure to feel my breath > going out and out!. Do you think were the endorphin es too?. >  > How did you manage not to fall into sleep after such long hours?. >  > A big smile to you > Mayka >  > >  > > > > > > > --- On Thu, 14/10/10, mike brown <uerusub...@...> wrote: > > > >From: mike brown <uerusub...@...> > >Subject: Re: [Zen] New member. > >To: [email protected] > >Date: Thursday, 14 October, 2010, 12:28 > > > > > > > >Mayka, > > > >Well, a 10 day vipassana course is pretty much like an 8 day sesshin except > >in > >the following ways. The vipassana course goes for 10 days and there is > >absolutely no talking, reading, writing or any form of communication > >whatsoever. > >Wake up at 4am; last meal 11.30am; lights out at 9.30pm. Mediatate all other > >times. There is no emphasis on how you sit to meditate and you can use > >whatever > >you like (any number of cushions etc). The first 4 days just gets you to > >concentrate on the air moving in and out of you nostrils with the 4th day > >concentrating only on the space below the nostrils where the breath > >enters/exits. On the 5th the Vipassana 'technique' proper begins which > >involves > >a kind of 'scanning' of the body (from head to toe) or subtle sensations. > >This > >has the effect of pushing the consciousness into very subtle levels. On the > >5th > >or 6th day you're expected to not move for one hour - not one movement! This > >is > >realllllllllllllly difficult and pushes you into levels of pain you cannot > >begin > >to imagine! However, an amazing thing happens. You can be in intense pain > >around > >the 40 minute mark (if you haven't moved), but suddenly the body/mind > >experiences a letting go of the pain and changes to intense bliss and > >euphoria - > >and I mean ecstasy (personally, I don't think this is anything 'spiritual', > >but > >just the effect of endorphins). The lesson learnt is that nothing lasts > >(pleasure - pain) and so not to cling to/avert anything. Equanimity is > >the state > >that walks that middle line. Now, this may all seem pretty obvious to those > >of > >us aquainted with Zen and Buddhism *but* reading or imaging pain/pleasure > >is one > >thing, but the intense experience of it (try not moving *at all* for one > >hour) > >is another. Furthermore, the course is absolutely free of any religious > >icons/paraphenalia and is also completely free of cost (incl. accom. and > >food). > >An amazing experience. The SAS of the meditation retreats! > > > >Mike > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! 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