To see the prologue or to have a better idea where my Monastic diary entries came from, please head to these links:
2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an
*This meditation retreat is an option the participants at the youth seminar can take on the 2nd week. There were 1,500 participants during the one-week 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Only 200 were admitted to the Meditation Retreat the following week, including me.*
*This meditation retreat is an option the participants at the youth seminar can take on the 2nd week. There were 1,500 participants during the one-week 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Only 200 were admitted to the Meditation Retreat the following week, including me.*
~~~oOo~~
July 28, 2012 Saturday | On my bunk bed | Fo Guang Shan Temple in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
I sometimes feel like I'm in Hogwarts (Kung Fu Panda version) with the long monastic robes all 200 of us are wearing, the huge expanse of land which houses various Buddha temples and contemplation sites, the sound of the birds chirping all day long, the ringing of the bells and gongs every hour or so signalling the time for prayers, chanting meditation and meals. It's Hogwarts alright but without the magic and mystical creatures.
However, unlike Hogwarts, this meditation retreat that I'm attending is boring in nature. There are no classes per se nor seminars unlike last week's international youth seminar. We are not even allowed to speak to each other or to anyone. The monks had us surrender our cellphones, laptops, iPods, iPads and other gadgets. In fact, according to the manual, we are also not allowed to write. Strictly speaking, any form of communication is not allowed during this 5-day retreat! My God! I'm going to die! So I'm hiding here in my bed writing these things down on my little pink notebook before I go crazy in this 5-day meditation retreat with a vow of silence to boot plus vegetarian meals and manual chores in between which I deposited $100 for. It's going to be refunded back to me if I last the whole week. IF I LAST THE WHOLE WEEK!
Everyday, the wooden clapper would sound at exactly 5 am signalling that it's time to wake up and get dressed. At 5:20 am, everyone's expected to be at the assembly area outside the Three Buddha Building.
That's me, on the third row from the right, third girl with glasses. Can you see me? ^_^
At 5:30 am, we are all to head to the meditation hall located at the fifth floor of the Golden Buddha Building on foot. Elevators are not allowed unless you're disabled or something. We have one co-participant from Pakistan (Abrar) who has a bad leg so he has the pleasure of taking the elevator. As for the rest of us, we had to climb 5 flights of stairs. I counted the steps and it's 74 in total (I think... I'm no longer sure since I started seeing stars). Huff! Huff!
Inside the meditation hall, we do 3 sets of 20-minute sitting meditation in full or half lotus position (my poor legs and thighs!) and another 3 sets of 20-minute walking meditation inclusive of bathroom break, rest and refreshment. The monks, headed by Ven. Hui Feng, are compassionate, or so they say. Originally, walking meditation is done for at least 45 minutes with no break. So thank you dear monks for being kind to us first timers. However, every time lunch would finish, all of us would head out to the main shrine and do another set of meditation walk for 20 minutes under the scorching heat of the sun if it's sunny or under the rain (usually it's just drizzling). No wonder a lot of us are starting to get coughs and colds. (Where's my Vita Plus?!)
Walking Meditation
As for longer breaks, they are scheduled after breakfast and lunch and before dinner. These are the times when I take a bath, wash my robes (we were all given 2 sets each) and undies, write and nap or stare into space and listen to the sound of my breathing or the sound of the birds and the crickets. Creepy...
Every time we head for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we all form a long line outside the dormitory area located in the Three Buddha Building. The feeling is like going to the Great Hall of Hogwarts where delicious food magically appears at the signal of Dumbledore's snap. But here, instead of Dumbledore, there are little volunteer helpers who serve us all kinds of vegetarian dishes. They're yummy by the way. And some even taste like real meat. Awesome! Or maybe I was starting to get delusional I dunno... Oh, in fairness, their rice is to die for! How do they do that?! So I'm really living a vegetarian life here and may I say I'm starting to smell like one (uh-oh!). (Jem, now I know why you smell the way you do. Hehehe. *peace sister!*) ***Jem is my vegan friend***
About chores... On my first day (July 27), I was tasked to clean one of the ladies toilets. Great! The one chore I never do at home, the one chore I pay someone else to do, I did it here. AAARRRGGHHH. Two of us were tasked to do it. One was Amafel, also a Filipino participant. So we divided the task. After a while, I thought "hmmm, it's not so bad after all". The toilets here consist of 4 squatting types and 1 regular sitting toilet type. It wasn't as hard as I thought. In fact, we finished quite early... much earlier than the others. I showered hard after that. LOL! Actually, I showered THRICE!
On my 2nd day (today), I was tasked to sweep the stairs from the 4th down to the 1st floor (What am I? Slave??!!). I thought, great! My fave chore to do at home! AT HOME! Not in a building as huge as this temple! So after two flights of stairs, my hands were already raw and red and feeling numb. Then it started to tingle... that feeling when your blood gets frozen or something. I was also starting to have colds and my entire body was so wet from sweat. Then eureka moment -- I should once again get a maid to do the chores at home! I know someone fit for the job. Okay, perfect! Must tell my hubby Peter about this revelation. I'm such a slave here I never want to do chores ever again after this retreat! Hmp!
Every time we head for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we all form a long line outside the dormitory area located in the Three Buddha Building. The feeling is like going to the Great Hall of Hogwarts where delicious food magically appears at the signal of Dumbledore's snap. But here, instead of Dumbledore, there are little volunteer helpers who serve us all kinds of vegetarian dishes. They're yummy by the way. And some even taste like real meat. Awesome! Or maybe I was starting to get delusional I dunno... Oh, in fairness, their rice is to die for! How do they do that?! So I'm really living a vegetarian life here and may I say I'm starting to smell like one (uh-oh!). (Jem, now I know why you smell the way you do. Hehehe. *peace sister!*) ***Jem is my vegan friend***
About chores... On my first day (July 27), I was tasked to clean one of the ladies toilets. Great! The one chore I never do at home, the one chore I pay someone else to do, I did it here. AAARRRGGHHH. Two of us were tasked to do it. One was Amafel, also a Filipino participant. So we divided the task. After a while, I thought "hmmm, it's not so bad after all". The toilets here consist of 4 squatting types and 1 regular sitting toilet type. It wasn't as hard as I thought. In fact, we finished quite early... much earlier than the others. I showered hard after that. LOL! Actually, I showered THRICE!
On my 2nd day (today), I was tasked to sweep the stairs from the 4th down to the 1st floor (What am I? Slave??!!). I thought, great! My fave chore to do at home! AT HOME! Not in a building as huge as this temple! So after two flights of stairs, my hands were already raw and red and feeling numb. Then it started to tingle... that feeling when your blood gets frozen or something. I was also starting to have colds and my entire body was so wet from sweat. Then eureka moment -- I should once again get a maid to do the chores at home! I know someone fit for the job. Okay, perfect! Must tell my hubby Peter about this revelation. I'm such a slave here I never want to do chores ever again after this retreat! Hmp!
Okay, I think I'm going nuts here... 3.5 days to go...
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I've been Taiwan around two to three times a year but have never been to Kaoshiung even if its just 2 hours away from bullet train from Taipei. Looks like a peaceful stay at the temple for you.
ReplyDeleteHi Franc... Thanks! It was too peaceful in fact. It was an extraordinary experience for me. :)
ReplyDeleteI find it cool. B) iwant to experience extraordinary things. just like this. :)
ReplyDeleteOh !! i read a great, amazing story, a different experience !!! a very peaceful and blessed Meditation retreat and i really admire you ! :)
ReplyDeletewow! looks like a kung fu movie!! im happy that you were able to experience such event :) more power to you!!:)
ReplyDeleteRovie, The Bargain Doll
That must be so cool and relaxing for mind body! Good luck! 3.5 more days to go.. you can do it!
ReplyDeleteJanine, you can actually join next year! Do read the other links I posted so you can experience Taiwan differently too. :)
ReplyDeleteJanine (Admin), thanks so much! It was indeed very peaceful. Different but peaceful. :)
ReplyDeleteRovie, it does look like a Kung Fu movie noh? Hihihi. :)
ReplyDeleteSeny, find out soon if I do finish the remaining 3.5 days. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat a contrast from your first activity! So difficult. The chores part is supposedly part of the meditation process?
ReplyDeleteYes fyhmd, that's right. The whole program teaches us how to have a meditative lifestyle no matter what we're doing. It was very, very challenging. Do watch out for my next monastic diary entries. It gets more intersting. :)
DeleteSquatting-type toilets? Hmmm, I've used one of those before. I just can't remember where. Most likely in Taiwan, too, because I've been there once upon a lifetime. The meditation thing is probably going to make me go nuts, too. Best of luck to you!
ReplyDeleteYeah! I think the first time I came across these types of toilets was in Kota Kinabalu in 2006. But the ones in Taiwan are a lot cleaner and more sanitized (I think!)
DeleteI'm sure you can hack this too Maricel! :)
The photos reminded me of a Bruce Lee movie.hihihi.... :)
ReplyDeleteKung Fu indeed! Hihihi! :)
DeleteHahaha! The cleaning part is funny, I can relate. I never do chores at home, what would happen to me if I were on that retreat???
ReplyDeletethat's awesome! well this is something different and a one of a kind experience. :) i agree it looks like something from a kung fu movie!
ReplyDeletethat looks amazing and great! though the idea of sweeping the floor as eel makes me feel like a slave too! haha xx
ReplyDeleteOk I read this post from top to bottom coz it does sound interesting. I swear by the end of the post, I too felt the ache and pains of those chores. Given the choice of cleaning the CR or sweeping the floor.. I'd take the CR. LOL. Sweeping the floor of the whole building is just .. ugh. Plus I'm asthmatic. I wanna read more on how you survived NOT TALKING or COMMUNICATING for 5 days.
ReplyDelete