| Medicine Buddha Retreat Part II
It takes the mind and the body a while to settle down when you do retreat. Such is the case as the thirteen retreatants go into our second month. Most of the group finds that five sessions of sitting provide consistent opportunities to deepen their practice and, as Venerable Chodron says, to become friends with themselves. The harmony of the group is palpable. Community life gives everyone numerous occasions to practice kindness and patience and to give encouragement to each other, even in the silence, as we all go through the ups and downs of transforming the mind.
 The retreatants carry the weekly food offering, made by local volunteers, into the house. Their kindness helps us sustain the energy for practice.
 This year’s unprecedented snowfall has given us a winter wonderland that is remarkably beautiful. Winter wonderlands are a lovely offering to the Buddhas.
 Kelly Joy returns from a quiet snowshoe walk in the upper meadow.
 Kevin takes down the water bowls after the last evening session. Each retreatant gets to lead, set up water bowls, and make food offerings every 10 days or so.

Jampel and the “big guy.”

Manjushri has a front row seat at Thursday night tele-Dharma teachings.

The tele Dharma teachings have gone live on the internet, thanks to Abbey resident Alec, who has a lot of audio and video expertise.
 The snow from the barn roof has created quite a pile. The retreatants shovel it to make room for more snow coming off the roof. This offering service opportunity was abandoned not long afterwards.
 The Buddha house becomes a snow palace after a large snowfall.
 Purification practice is one of the most important elements of the retreat. Here the group gets ready to do the 35 Buddha practice and the Bodhisattva’s Confession of Ethical Downfalls.
 Although the majority of the meditation sessions are in silence, morning and evening dedication prayers are done together out loud.
 A stunning sunrise can inspire a person to rejoice in their good fortune and precious human life.

One of our elusive resident moose pays the Abbey a visit. We call all of them Mudita which is the Pali and Sanskrit word for rejoicing.
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