Friday, June 26, 2009

retreat #2

hello, everyone!

so, what was the retreat like. well, 5 hours sitting, 6 hours sleeping, then chanting, walking looking down, working and eating in a very ritualised way. very boring. highly recommended.

also there was a zen master, so we had interviews. i found that the master is using pretty same algorithm for every student. whether this approach is efficient i would need to think over and examine. also i doubt usefulness of some koans. this matter takes further examination as well.

i took 5 vows and now bear a buddhist name in Kwan Um zen tradition. the name is myo do, which means 'mystic way'.

finally, a tip for people who plan to go on a retreat for the first time: rotate sitting positions often. :)

good luck.
mickael

2 comments:

Barry said...

Thank for making this effort, Mickael! Very wonderful!

Regarding interviews...usually the teacher has the "koan of the day" which all students work on. And then each student has their "homework" - the primary koan on which they're currently working. And, of course, these vary widely by student. First-time students are introduced to the koans in pretty much the same ways - the algorithm that gets people off into koanspace.

Congratulations also on taking 5 precepts. My name is "Kwan Sam," which means "perceive three."

Yes, very boring practice. What could be more recommended?!

mickael said...

hi Barry,

why thank me? :)

re koans: i figured that out. still i doubt the forms master uses. a failed student i would have been otherwise. ;)

good luck.
mickael