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9-Hour Chanting RetreatOn October 9, the Canadian Thanksgiving Monday (Columbus Day in the U.S.), we held a 9-hour chanting retreat in Toronto. This is the second year we have held this event. Last year it was a 7-hour retreat. We chanted the Six-Syllable Mantra –“OM MA NI PAD ME HUM” also known as the Heart Mantra of Avalokitesvara. If there is enough interest and enthusiasm, we will hold it for 10 hours next year. I enjoyed the retreat very much; it was 9 hours well spent. Some people found it a bit long, but the point was to exhaust our body and mind in order to observe how the two forces struggle within us. Under normal circumstances, the impact of the chanting would not be that strong; but with exhaustion you can observe how the two (body and mind) function or fail to function. Also, we invited anyone to join and leave the retreat within that 9-hour period as they wish, so the length of time would not be an excuse for non-involvement. It was suggested that I should give an explanation in the beginning of the retreat and guide practitioners in what to do. It is such a simple practice: just chant the Six-Syllable Mantra while walking, sitting or resting. Still, people like to be guided or given an explanation of what or how it should be done. Nowadays, people suggest we should have marital certificate for brides- and grooms-to-be, parental classes for parents-to-be so people can be better spouses and parents. We have to learn how to do everything, to have manuals for everything. Where are our adventurous spirits? People are too reluctant to apply their mind or heart to do things. Even animals can take care of their offspring guided only by instinct; are human beings not even capable of this? The key is in how to do things mindfully and skillfully and not how to do one thing in particular. The latter only leads to specialists who may do well in one single aspect but fail in all other aspects. I would like to take the example of falling in love. If you have to calculate whether your lover is good enough for you, if he/she is the right person, if the two of you will have a future together and so many others constraints, then you will never experience what true love is all about. Just fall crazily in love, experience it, and enjoy it when love comes by. If you never meet the one that captures your heart, enjoy other aspects of life, your career, your friends, your hobbies etc. Do not fall in love just because you are in that age group or because of external pressures! The same holds true for jobs, career, choosing your friends, and so on. If you make a mistake, learn your lessons and move on; do not cling to the adverse situations and get trapped because of pride and emotional weakness. Chanting is a very personal experience and the benefits are enormous. Yet people like to be told about the benefits, so I will talk about them. The sound of the mantras or the chanting of the mantras can calm our mind, help us to concentrate. It is also an excellent means to vibrate our internal chi or energy so as to ignite or generate our inner energy in the various parts of our body, the chakras in particular. With the internal energy being liberated or generated, you will have better spirit or energy to face challenges, you will be healthier mentally and physically, you will be young at heart and in looks, and finally, you should be able to live longer. The terribly long length of time chanting helps to train your persistence and test your faith. How good is your concentration? How capable is your strength? How strong is your faith? How well have you been practicing? The report card is right in front of you. Yes there are many ways to practice, but without concentration and mindfulness, you will not advance much!
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語言交流論壇 |
Congrats on the successful
Congrats on the successful and meaningful event!
From Neng Xiu:
From Neng Xiu:
I think we did a good job in setting-up the hall. I like the temporary screen blocking the door to the hall, so that participants were not so much disturbed with the traffic.
This year's retreat my technique on walking and chanting had improved, so did my wandering thoughts. My awareness towards my body had increased. As a result, I did not feel as tired physically during and after the retreat.
On the other, my wandering thoughts had grown and multipled as I was chanting. It was so difficult to have a moment of concentration. The good news is I was aware. The bad news is what I was aware of is wandering thoughts. It was quite a struggle. However, at the same time, I felt strength and energy generating from the chanting.
From Michell:
From Michell:
I liked the chanting retreat a lot. I liked the food too. I know it wasn't about the food, but the potluck lunch was very good. Next time I'm not going to be so stubborn and not sit during the retreat, I was in a bit of pain for the rest of the day.
From Rebecca:
From Rebecca:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Dharma brothers who organized and participated in this chanting retreat. This retreat provided a good chance for me to assess my physical and mental disciplinary ability.
Last year, I joined the 7-hour chanting retreat and participated from beginning to end. I had to take a lot of breaks, sat down often and there were many wandering thoughts.
This year, I participated in the 9-hour retreat for the full term again. Before I started, I had a resolution not to take that many breaks and tried to do as much walking as I could.
My outcome was as follows:
8:00am to 11:45pm - non stop walking and chanting (3-1/2 hours)
11:45 to 12:30pm - lunch and sat
12:30 to 2:30pm - non-stop walking and chanting (2 hours)
2:30 to 3:00pm - break and sat
3:00 to 5:00pm - walking and chanting (2 hours)
This year my concentration level on chanting was greatly improved. I had not been watching the clock or counting down the time. Wandering thoughts were much less than last year, mostly due to the fact that I have joined the Sunday meditation class and have been practicing meditation on a continuous basis. During the retreat, I was able to focus my mind and brought it back when it wandered off. I felt extremely good with the retreat experience and I could feel the joy of dharma in this retreat. Physically, there was pain with my feet. Mentally, I felt much lighter in heart, more open-minded and had a terrific “ZenDelight” feeling.
I am looking forward to next year retreat with the hope that I will make progress along the Bodhi Path.
May The Triple Gems be with every sentient being!
Best Regards,
Rebecca
From Stanley:
From Stanley:
It is my honor to be able to participate in the Huayen Chanting Retreat the second consecutive time; it tested the physical as well as spiritual aspects of my ability.
Just go full throttle and speed. Followed the leader and gave out everything you got without judgment and fear, without wandering thoughts; chanted like the way you sang in the shower on your own; practiced your slow walking and fast walking skills. Keep going and going.
To me it was a wonderful experience, at the end of the chanting I felt tired and exhausted. But the next day I regained my energy 10 times more, I remembered that particular Tuesday I felt so good that I shared my positive thoughts to my customers (in Lexus, I should say my Guests ) and my colleagues. The bottom line is that you have to participate to understand and experience the benefits of chanting.
I suggest that the next time we do chanting retreat, we should do more promotions to get more people involved. My other recommendation is to start the retreat with the warm up exercises like what we do every Sunday morning in the Meditation class, so as to get us more prepared mentally and physically.
I really appreciated the opportunity.
Sincerely,
Stanley Wong.
Hi Stanley:
Hi Stanley:
Yes we will consider your suggestions. This year we did not do any promotions at all as we were so busy preparing for HeShang's coming in November. We even had to cancel our DVD potluck party scheduled for the end of September.
Glad that so many of you enjoyed the retreat . Your support is very much appreciated. Hope that we will organize a better retreat next year.
TLC
On October 8, 2006, I was
On October 8, 2006, I was one of the practitioners in the 9-hour Chanting Retreat held by the Toronto Chapter of HYBC-NA. This is the second year I participated in the Chanting Retreat. I waited for quite a while before I wrote this article on my experience, because I wanted to take the time to fully appreciate the immediate and prolonged results of the retreat.
During the retreat, I found that time went by quickly; compared to the 7-hour Retreat we did last year, except for the last two hours. These extra two hours were the toughest moments to pass. Pain and discomfort slowly set in as time went by during the retreat, but I believed it was a challenge and I was motivated to go all the way until the end. No pain no gain! If I could not make it for the 9 hours, I believed I would not be able to see any improvements or progress.
I have learned a great deal from this retreat, mainly:
First of all, you do not have to stay in the walking circle throughout the retreat. This retreat is focused on developing one’s concentration and on raising one’s awareness; and it does not matter whether you are walking, sitting or resting. As some of us had to take turns at the reception post, that was how I became aware of this point. Once you grasp the essence, you feel at ease and you can practice your concentration under any circumstances.
Secondly, I believe I was cleansed and positively charged. I was sick with a cold for a week after the retreat. Someone told me that a retreat like this could bring out all the negative energy (karma) inside oneself (in my case, it came out as sickness). I wanted to confirm whether this effect applied to me. Usually, whenever I am sick, even with a simple cold, it lasts for a few weeks. But, this time, my cold only lasted for one week. Also, even though I came down with a cold, I did not feel sick at all. My friends could not believe I was ill and told me: “You are sick but you look great and energized”. Why? My heart was filled with joy and happiness. Physically I was sick but mentally I felt satisfied and contented.
Thirdly, after the retreat, I had a strong sense that I did make progress with my practice. My inner energy is getting stronger and stronger with my Buddhism practice. That experience is beyond words and it is something that you have to feel for yourself. With this strong inner energy, I am able to face challenges and adversities, have confidence and be optimistic about everything.
Finally, I was not surprised to see how many of last year’s practitioners had made so much improvement within the year. They have put in good amount of effort, time and faith. I wish more people could come to understand and appreciate the benefits resulting from this kind of retreat. When and where can you find training like this in only one day? People like to find excuses and always complain that they are too busy. But please, do stop and seriously consider this: Isn’t it worthwhile to give one day in a year to cleanse your mind and body, while building up your inner strength? I think the answer depends on what is important to you and what you value in your life.
Yes, my friend, you do have a choice.
Tammy