Thank You For Treeleaf

[Dokan]

I just left Zen Mountain Monastery after a weekend retreat and have never had as much appreciation for my Treeleaf sangha as I do now.

It was awesome, powerful and very familiar and ordinary as well. However, I am so grateful that Treeleaf meets me where I am at. Enabling my practice to grow and strengthen.

I will definitely go back to ZMM but am happy to be back "home" here at Treeleaf.

A sincere thank you to my teachers and dharma brothers and sisters ...

Gassho

Shawn

Sent from my I897 using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

Where do you go, where do you come?

Gassho, J

[Dokan]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

Gassho Jundo.

Shawn

Sent from my I897 using Tapatalk

[Nindo]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

You went all that way for a weekend? Wow. I'm glad you liked it, and I'm glad you are here.

Funny, not too long ago I would have been sooo jealous. Treeleaf must have helped me a lot to overcome my "monastery fantasies" and to find practice right here at work and in my kitchen.

[andyZ]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

My first encounter with Zen has been through a temple in Broolyn, run by ZMM and I too I have had a similar experience to Nindo. Treeleaf has put things into perspective for me regarding my "monastery fantasies".

[Seiryu]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

I just left Zen Mountain Monastery after a weekend retreat and have never had as much appreciation for my Treeleaf sangha as I do now.

It was awesome, powerful and very familiar and ordinary as well. However, I am so grateful that Treeleaf meets me where I am at. Enabling my practice to grow and strengthen.

I will definitely go back to ZMM but am happy to be back "home" here at Treeleaf.

A sincere thank you to my teachers and dharma brothers and sisters ...

Gassho

Shawn

Sent from my I897 using Tapatalk

_/_

sometimes it can be very easy to be taken in with all the bells, incense, robes...seems so Buddhist and "official" yet, like others have expressed Treeleaf has helped me find pratice, right where I am, in my living room, in my workplace, at school. The bridge between "normal everyday life" and "Buddhist life" is coming apart.

My deepest Thanks to Jundo, Taigu and all those who make this place possible. Its an honor to be a part of it all!

With deep respect I bow...

[Hoyu]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

I just left Zen Mountain Monastery after a weekend retreat and have never had as much appreciation for my Treeleaf sangha as I do now.

It was awesome, powerful and very familiar and ordinary as well. However, I am so grateful that Treeleaf meets me where I am at. Enabling my practice to grow and strengthen.

I will definitely go back to ZMM but am happy to be back "home" here at Treeleaf.

A sincere thank you to my teachers and dharma brothers and sisters ...

Gassho

Shawn

Sent from my I897 using Tapatalk

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for sharing your insights. It is a pleasure to practice here with you.

Seiryu wrote:
like others have expressed Treeleaf has helped me find pratice, right where I am, in my living room, in my workplace, at school. The bridge between "normal everyday life" and "Buddhist life" is coming apart.

_/_

[Dokan]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

You went all that way for a weekend? Wow. I'm glad you liked it, and I'm glad you are here.

Funny, not too long ago I would have been sooo jealous. Treeleaf must have helped me a lot to overcome my "monastery fantasies" and to find practice right here at work and in my kitchen.

Sometimes you have to go peek on the other side of the fence to realize the grass is just as green where you are.

For MRO, you have to go for the weekend retreat before you can come for the more intensive week long sesshins. It was worth it though because I got to understand their protocols, meet a lot of really great people, and experience practice in a monastery. Now I've returned to my monastery (home) with my fellow monastics (Wife & kiddos). :wink:

Gassho,

Shawn

[Jundo]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

Just to be clear, Taigu and I strongly encourage folks ... if you can find the time ... to go for retreats of a few days and full Sesshin (even a full week or two if you can) at places, and "traditional" (i.e., very Japanese style) retreats and Sesshin are good experiences. MRO is a good place to experience that.

Now, someone might ask too, "if each moment is all time and space, what is the purpose of an intensive Sesshin?" Well, I often say that, sometimes, we need to practice a bit long and hard, morning to night ... sitting and wrestling with 'me, my self and I' ... all to achieve nothing to attain! Going to Retreats, Sesshin and such is a powerful facet of this Practice and not to be missed.

Of course, we have our Annual "All Online" two-day Retreat too (currently scheduled for the weekend of December 3rd & 4th, via live netcast) at Treeleaf Sangha ... traditional (yet "fully online") ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/sit-a-long/with ... 10---.html

... but this is a case where it is actually good to go to a retreat center and practice with folks for a time (if at all possible ... which it ain't for everybody).

Gassho, J

[murasaki]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

I echo the gassho of gratitude, as I myself am just an echo, and the echo of an echo...

[Kyonin]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

Hi Shawn!

Glad you are back and you enjoyed your retreat.

I share that with you. Treelef rocks because here we can grow and learn in our our time and space. I feel thankful for that too.

I just left Zen Mountain Monastery after a weekend retreat and have never had as much appreciation for my Treeleaf sangha as I do now.

It was awesome, powerful and very familiar and ordinary as well. However, I am so grateful that Treeleaf meets me where I am at. Enabling my practice to grow and strengthen.

I will definitely go back to ZMM but am happy to be back "home" here at Treeleaf.

A sincere thank you to my teachers and dharma brothers and sisters ...

Gassho

Shawn

Sent from my I897 using Tapatalk

[Shokai]

Re: Thank You For Treeleaf

Shawn;
Thank you for this thread. Fifteen years ago I had the privilege to attend a "real" zendo and taste the sights, sounds and feel of prostrations at the doorway, entering barefoot, igniting incense, the echoes of the temple bell rising through the mountains, the fellowship in silence and the warmth of shared oryoki; the gathas, the chanting are all reminders of our oneness, the practice of "as-is-ness" These are the qualities that Tree Leaf gives to me and that I am grateful for. And, it is very pleasing to see how many of our sangha have expressed that in this thread. Once again, thank you and also thank you to Rapheal, Andy, Nindo, Matt, Julia, John, Morelos, Jundo et al.