2-Day Chanting Retreat
This was heartful. During a 7-day chanting retreat, we dive for 7 days, and when in a 2-day retreat we dive even faster and release even faster. Both are complete. We learn to open our hearts to compassion. We learn to forgive and to have gratitude. Students from the 2-day class shared their experience.
Gordon: Cookies, cakes and crying – thanks for another great retreat. So happy to attend, so sad it was only two days. We chanted my favourite chant and that made me very happy. I cried of course, not because of sadness but gladness, gratitude and appreciation for my deceased parents. I realized my good life is a result of their abundant good karma that I inherited. They suffered much and always did good deeds creating a good karmic account. Thank you, thank you, thank you mom and dad. Love Gordon.
Eddie: It was a great retreat. The last twenty minutes I went through a lot of the visualization so clearly and literally. I went through all of it, asking for forgiveness from all, including some relatives who created pain and a lot of problems. It doesn’t matter what happened, I’m just saying that it could have been an aunt, or some distant relative. The chanting took me into the light. I really want to share what happened this morning. I was asked to volunteer at the AV station and I right away I said, “Yes”. It was frustrating in a way because I wanted to practice. So I was sitting there thinking it’s a little like work. But my perspective changed. This is my practice right here! Then I found Roi. He was cleaning and this is his first retreat. If I were him, I wouldn’t want to give up the class to clean. Then my new perspective comes in and I realize this is being a bodhisattva; we sacrifice. Then I realized our practice is not just in the Buddha hall, it is in everything we do. Thank you everyone for volunteering. And to Roi for cleaning.
Matthew: I think the timing of this retreat couldn’t have come at a better time for me. The last few months have been extraordinary and I feel I’ve been in this bubble of grace and lots of good things have been happening. As can often happen when attaining new heights, the resistance inevitably shows up, the subconscious doesn’t want to change. Or whatever that karma is that wants to hold on to its previous identity. Just in the last week it started to come up for me; a lot of anxiety and fear and it started to show up in my home as well. Last Friday night there was a very intense exchange with my wife, and even yesterday morning, and I almost thought I wouldn’t make it here yesterday morning. I could feel by the time I left last night that I’d gone through a complete transformation and felt a sense of calm in my cells that was so welcome. Peace emanated from me. I had a wonderful evening with my wife and granddaughter last night and slept like a baby last night. I even overslept this morning and that caused my lateness today. I found it interesting that watching Master’s teaching also knocked me out, so I am aware of going into another level other than my conscious mind. I’m really glad to know that the Six Syllable Mantra is online so that I can return to it and really take that in consciously, however many tries it takes. I’m very grateful to my darling wife, to Master, to all the instructors and volunteers for making this possible. Thank you.
Justine: This is my first chanting retreat. I have been here once before for the 8.5-Day Health & Happiness Retreat. The last five to six years I’ve been going through a lot of depression and health issues and I know it’s an ongoing process, but also felt that nothing was going to change me. In the first two days of the 8.5-Day Health & Happiness Retreat I did feel a 30% improvement in my health problem. My trust came back, and then I was thinking I should come back for more. When I saw this chanting retreat was happening, I came because my trust had built up. My parents passed away 5 years ago and there were many deaths in my family, the same year my son was born. During this time I had a lot of depression, although I celebrated the birth of my son. I was under the impression that I should forget about my parents, but they would come in my dreams and this was a disturbance for me. Now I’m so busy with family I never think of them and because of depression for a long time I wanted to just cry. This morning I was praying to God to help me cry, to cry it all out and during Master’s teaching I cried a lot. This brought much relaxation and I realized I was wrong; I should not forget my parents. I had the view that I wanted to move on and enjoy life and my kids, but now I see that I should pray for them, keep them in my heart. I am here because of them. My career is because of them. It was good for me to learn to pray for them and now I am more at peace.
Danielle: One part of the retreat that stuck out for me was when we were asked to repent for anything we did that wasn’t helpful to our parents. There was lots of abuse and violence and things like that in my family, so I thought I don’t have to do this. It’s for someone who had it easy, but I don’t have to do that. Then there was a movement, a shift, and I thought yes you do, just apologize. It doesn’t matter the size of the hurts or actions; I am not perfect either, as a teenager. This was really freeing. It feels like another level. It’s hard. It’s as if there is a certain level where I am able to forgive, pray for, or chant, but when it becomes bigger it’s like no, not that one. Also, if you have people around you who agree that you don’t have to forgive, then I become a little righteous and yes, I don’t have to. There is a lot of happiness and joy in just letting that go and following my heart and compassion.
Svetlana: For a few years I was working on different stuff and was making an effort towards my parents, but today, during Master’s teaching, I realized that even though my parents did some not very nice things, it’s not only their fault. We are all the products of our previous generations. Especially in the past, people did not know about this; now awareness is growing and people are realizing this influence. So it is much easier to accept what our parents did wrong and also look at ourselves as to what we are doing wrong. Accepting our parents and ourselves becomes much easier with this understanding. It doesn’t change in one day, but if we practice and have the blue light of Buddha, there is so much help available and we can do it!
Justin – I always really enjoy coming back to Bodhi. It always seems like another kind of adventure every single time and I’m always blown away by how I seem to be drawn back at exactly the right time. I have another little poem to share with you. It helps me in its process.
Me & My
Me and my anger, me and my hurt
Me and my desire, me and my guilt
Me and my sadness, me and my thoughts
Me and my, my and me, I feel good about me, I feel happy about me,
I feel desire to be me, I feel strong to be me, I feel love being me
And I choose me.
Owen: There was a lot of magic and grace in the retreat yesterday morning. My heart opened in a way it hadn’t before, I was alternating between sobbing and belly laughing although there was nothing funny about it. It was an inner joy; it was such a gift. That’s just pure Bodhi gold. I’m just very grateful for this retreat and all that it has given me. I’ve known intellectually that the Medicine Buddha is more than just an icon, but this is the first time I actually got his presence on a deeper level, not intellectually anymore, but just how real the energy is.
Catherine: I was chanting for my parents and then I was chanting for my ancestors and it was wild because the blue light almost became effervescent, moving like water. It was moving along what looked like black earth. Then it was going around my ancestors or so it felt. These ancient people were coming out of the ground and being liberated. It was amazing. It was like there were thousands of them. The colour was so bright. I see things a lot, but this was wild.
Disclaimer:
- The effects associated with practicing Bodhi Meditation can vary from person to person.
- Any and all content, views, opinions, and/or responses in this student sharing are solely the views, opinions and responsibility of the respondent and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Bodhi Meditation.
- Bodhi Meditation does not provide or replace any medical advice or treatment. We recommend everyone adhere to their medical treatment and prescription.