A Charmed Life: Life's a Play!

To refresh body and soul after half a year of hectic backpacking, I went to a Buddhist retreat south of Thailand. The retreat was just 10 days but it was quite intense for a first timer like me.





At the retreat, there are certain things to be done and certain things not to be done.


DO’s

1. Sleep in basic accommodation. 1 room for each participant. Each room is provided with a concrete bed, a straw mat, a blanket, a mosquito net, and a wooden pillow. Yes a wooden pillow, it was quite comfortable after a few nights! :-)


2. COMPLETE SILENCE at all times for the duration of the retreat. Avoiding eye contact but you are allowed to smile. :-).


3. Observe appropriate "dress code". Wear shirts covering the shoulders and navel. Pants or skirts below the knee. Clothes should be comfortable, non-transparent and non-provocative. (hi hi)..

4. Turn off mobile phones, MP3s, or any electronic device.








DONT’s

1. No talking during the duration of the retreat.

2. No reading and journaling. (On the 4th day, you may borrow some reading material that are provided to aid you in understanding the methods and philosophies of the Retreat. You can read only during your free time and only inside your room).

3. No laughing or creating other unnecessary noises. (I think crying is allowed though, but do it in secret!. I heard one of my neighbors crying. It is not because she regretted being there. People usually cry because the intensity of the meditations bring out all the suppressed emotions from the past).






1. Big bell rings and everybody wakes up 4 o’clock every morning. Wash self, dress self.






2. Go for sitting meditation at the Meditation hall. (30 mins).

3. After sitting meditation, join either Tai Chi or Yoga exercises. (about an hour).



4. Back to the meditation hall for another sitting meditation or Dharma Talk by one of the monks or organizing staff. (30 mins).

5. At 8:30 Am, Proceed to the dining hall and eat your rice porridge (the same porridge every morning) in complete silence. Have to eat mindfully, savoring every rice gruel. (The rice porridge is not as bad as it may sound. The rice is the ever nutritious and aromatic red rice, mixed with bits of vegetables, maize, or beans. And it comes with some leaves, a banana and tea. Though lacking of strong spices breakfast was in fact very nutritious).


6. Free time after the breakfast. This is the time to take full bath, take a nap, go to the hot springs, but most of all, a time to do your appointed task*.

*Everyone has to choose one chore each such as sweeping the halls, cleaning toilet, picking fallen coconuts, etc. My chore was cleaning the hot spring. This is the best, because just after doing my task, I am the first to soak in the hot spring .






7. By 10:30 Am, big bell rings. Go back to sitting meditation, walking meditation and Dharma talk until 12:30 PM.


8. At 12:30 PM, Lunch at dining hall. Lunch is rice with vegetables, tea, and occasionally, some sweets.

9. Free time again after lunch..Do chores if haven’t done already. Some go to the hot springs at this time ( I find this time very hot for the hot springs). So, I usually go back to my room and take a nap.





10. At 2:30 PM, back to the meditation hall… Dharma talk, sitting meditation, walking meditation, siting meditation again, meditation on LOVING KINDNESS, and, chanting..

11. At 5:30, proceed to the dining hall for hot chocolate drink and sometimes bananas. This is called "tea time" but it is also as good as dinner for there is no more eating after this. (meals during the duration of the retreat is 2x a day only).






12. Once more, free time after the tea time. Some people go to the hot springs, some just walk around the area, I go and have a nap (again).

13. By 7:30 Pm, big bell rings to signal everybody to go once more to the meditation hall. Sitting meditation, group walking meditation around the ponds, then sitting meditation again.






14. At 9 PM, small bell rings telling everybody that they may quietly go back to their rooms.

15. By 9:15, light goes off.. sleep time… :-) end of the day.

By the way, about 130-150 people came to the retreat. But I reckon, only 90 ladies and gentlemen braved it to the end. I’m one of them, he he. This particular Retreat is designed especially for foreigners and held in English. There were two local Thais and two Filipinos, me included. The other Filipino has a foreign citizenship though.