PLANTING THE SEEDS TO CULTIVATE COMPASSION
Planting the Seeds to Cultivate Compassion retreat the last weekend of May brought together a wonderful group of 21 participants of varied ages, cultural backgrounds and levels of interest in the Dharma. Everyone felt in harmony and showed a strong motivation to participate fully in all aspects of the retreat.
We shared the responsibilities of community life with great joy and enthusiasm. Thought provoking and honest dialogues filled the group discussions and Q&A’s about attachment, love, expectations and stubbornness.
We took walks in silence every afternoon which helped the body and mind greatly after sitting and contemplating these powerful topics. We also celebrated Tsog together; many of us for the first time. We made new dharma friendships were made and renewed old ones renewed during this fruitful weekend.
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Yusuke, Cheryl and Frederick make a food offering to the monastic community.
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Venerable Chodron teaches on the kindness of sentient beings and equanimity in depth throughout the weekend
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The chipmunks at the Abbey have gotten quite tame and have no shyness when lunchtime arrives.
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A little wren makes her home close to the main house as do a variety of birds such as flickers, woodpeckers, chickadees, swallows and bluebirds.
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Some of the retreatants weed the garden in preparation for seeding and mulching the new beds. Many of the lettuces and spinaches are ready for thinning and the pumpkins will be planted first week of June.
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Study time finds Laresa and Savannah deep into their favorite Dharma books. Study time provides good Dharma material to contemplate during meditation practice.
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Venerable shares a Dharma teaching before a walk. “As you walk up the meadow imagine yourself leading all sentient beings to enlightenment.”
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Yusuke, one of the Abbey’s monthly offering service volunteers enjoys the garden with a Buddha statue donated by Venerable Lobsang last summer.
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Morning yoga practice kept Meghan limber and relaxed for the meditation sessions.
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Tenting in the Abbey’s backyard is like tenting in a beautiful mountain forest (Wait, it is a beautiful mountain forest). |
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Kevin and Frederick work together on kitchen cleanup most of the weekend.
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The skies of the Abbey can be breathtaking as you can see. With a spring rain the air was fresh and cool most of the weekend.
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Kathleen ,Laresa and Savannah have a laugh after a steady walk up the Abbey’s "Path of Ethics".
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Two snags strike an eye catching pose against the darkening sky. A thunderstorm brought a day of steady rain, a welcome sight this time of year.
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A view from the loft catches retreatants actively engaged in study.
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