How was your retreat?

[Byokan]

Hello All,

Anyone want to talk about your retreat experience? I was lucky, able to take some days off to sit along. I didn’t follow every minute live, but sat a lot and felt a nice sense of connection to the group. As a newbie to zen, this was a great experience. Such wonderful teaching and discussion. I thought it was neat to see the unsui practicing, going behind-the-scenes, so to speak. This made me curious to learn more about these things. Lovely to see our unsui being "priestly" in ritual, and to hear voices raised together in song, chanting, and laughter. (One suggestion, maybe we could invest in a microphone or two for the next time, to improve sound?) Thanks so much to all who worked so hard to make the retreat possible!

Through such prolonged sitting, I did have one major kensho, which was that I needed to take some stuffing out of my zafu. So that was valuable.

How was your experience of the retreat?

Gassho
Lisa

[Geika]

I was checking in whenever I had some sitting and listening time. I wasn't able to join in for a whole day. However, I have been sitting a lot this week because of it and I feel pretty good. I want to thank everyone because, honestly, what would I be doing with myself if it weren't for Treeleaf's efforts?

[Kyotai]

I too came and went. Wonderful to experience even a small part of this event.

Gassho, Shawn

[Jika]

I'd like to thank everyone of the group that we were allowed to share some of their experiences, and the personal moments they shared with us. I myself imagine it being difficult having the webcam on me when practicing something new or talking about very moving life events.
Deep bows.

I agree ce c'est dommage que the sound quality wasn't better - my brain adapted to teisho l'un jour, et l'autre I wasn't able to understand a *** word... well, to hear.
Comprendre would be too much.
What an amazing experience.
Et apparament exactly what I need: please repeat every sentence of every teaching in translation.
Plus de temps to let it sink in.

Gassho,
Danny

[Daiyo]

I wasn't able to sit along due to schedules overlapping with taking kids to school, working, family tasks, etc.
That made me feel disappointed, and with a sense of not fulfilling with the premises.
I would have loved to have the opportunity to sit.
But at home I sit earlier everyday, and in the local zendo, later, on mondays or wednesdays after work. In the middle is work time.

However I downloaded the teishos and am watching them on my way to work.
Taigu has a unique style of teaching, I really enjoy his talks.

Gassho,
Walter

[Jishin]

Nice experience.

Gassho, Jishin

[Rich]

The sound of the teishos was ok. I couldn't hear the oryoki or shukke. Deep bows to all participants.

Kind regards. /\

[Seimyo]

The sound of the teishos was ok. I couldn't hear the oryoki or shukke. Deep bows to all participants.

Kind regards. /\

Yes, I agree, the sound was tricky in parts. I was already making notes on what we can do in the future to improve that portion. Hopefully we'll have some kind of microphone(s) for the next "group" event like that.

Thankfully I was able to adjust my schedule a bit so I could tune in to the afternoon Teisho sessions and Shukke Tokudo. While I really wanted to be there, it was still great to be a fly on the wall.

Gassho
Seimyo

[Hans]

Hello,

one word, awesome.

Dokan`s (and his family`s) hospitality are now legendary and the openness of the fellow Treeleafers was wonderful and inspiring. Shokai visiting was like Christmas.

Tired and happy,
washington hotel room,
all is well.


Shtack. (that`s an inside joke).


Gassho,


Hans Chudo Mongen

[Jiken]

Shtack! Lol

Gassho

Daido

[Mp]

Shtack! Lol

Gassho

Daido

Agreed LOL! =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Nengyo]

I'm not sure I could find words to describe it. Awesome is certainly one of the words I would use. I will certainly never forget how amazing my fellow treeleafer's are. They were a continual inspiration.

To anyone on the fence about attending a retreat do it! Two thumbs up for sure.

Gassho,
Nengyo

PS I've been home for a day now and I am still walking around singing the meal song constantly. I think it broke my brain (not hard to do)

[Jika]

I love to hear from the participants, thanks a lot. I deeply admire your practice.

To drone on about the microphones, my problem is (also with some zazenkais), that I am not good enough at any of the spoken languages to understand them when spoken quickly (as one normally does), as well as with low volume and some distortion. And not being talked about the weather, after all.
Too many things to focus on. Or to drop.
For native speakers, things will be different.

Gassho,
Danny

[Byokan]

PS I've been home for a day now and I am still walking around singing the meal song constantly. I think it broke my brain (not hard to do)

Haha, I've been singing that song nonstop since I heard it too!

Gassho
Lisa

[Jika]

PS I've been home for a day now and I am still walking around singing the meal song constantly. I think it broke my brain (not hard to do) Haha, I've been singing that song nonstop since I heard it too!

Gassho
Lisa

Would someone please write down the lyrics for me?
I only understand some of the words (as good as the chant is), so I go filling in "uhm..hmm..hmmm"...

Gassho,
Danny