How was your retreat?

[Kokuu]

Thank you all who took part in the retreat, both in Washington and elsewhere. It was lovely seeing you all together and being able to participate. The sitting room and oryoki table became very familiar over the six days and I never thought my French would get a work out too! I sat along a day behind to follow the time schedule.

Oryoki was one part that really worked well for me. My oryoki set got a good work out and it was really lovely eating in this way with (virtual) company. I noticed two things in particular - firstly, having to wait through the liturgy to eat, I could feel myself salivating and this seemed to lead to better digestion rather than digging straight in, secondly, I ate less but was more satifsfied. I hope to be able to take this back into my normal eating. I suspect my overall oryoki practice needs fine tuning (especially the unwrapping and rewrapping parts) and I look forward to revisiting Myozan's videos to get this down.

Beautiful to see the Shukke Tokudo of Daido, Dozan and Taikyo. Congratulations to all three of you!

Gassho
Kokuu

[Kokuu]

Danny,

These are the lyrics as I understood them (also with reference to internet versions):

Gate of Sweet Nectar

Calling out to Hungry Hearts,
Everywhere through endless time,
You who wander, you who thirst,
I offer you this Bodhi Mind.

Calling out to hungry spirits,
Everywhere through endless time,
Calling out to hungry hearts,
All the lost and left behind.

Gather round and share this meal.
Your joy and sorrow
I make them mine.


Gassho
Kokuu

[RichardH]

Calling out to Hungry Hearts,
Everywhere through endless time,
You who wander, you who thirst,
I offer you this Bodhi Mind.

Calling out to hungry spirits,
Everywhere through endless time,
Calling out to hungry hearts,
All the lost and left behind.

Gather round and share this meal.
Your joy and sorrow
I make them mine.

Very beautiful and heartbreaking words!

Congratulations to Daido, Dozan and Taikyo, and congratulations for a beautiful retreat. It really feels like the sangha is blooming.

Gassho
Daizan

[Myosha]

Hello,









Nothing special.


Gassho,
Myosha

[Shugen]

Hello all,

It was wonderful. No separation.

Gassho to this wonderful sangha,

Shugen

[Taikyo]

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

Shting!!!

Gassho
Taikyo

[Jika]

Thank you, Kokuu.

Gassho,
Danny

[Meishin]

Hello,

Going in and out of the usual routine, periodically participating as possible, deepened this ones commitment to the practice. Thank you for arranging for our sharing this retreat.

Gassho
John

[Shugen]

Shting!!!

Gassho
Taikyo

:-)

[Dosho]

Hi all,

It was a wonderful, beautiful, exhausting experience. I have much to say, but I still have thank yous to express for my time in Niagara Falls just over two weeks ago! It feels like a month has passed! So, it may take awhile. I will say that I spent yesterday on the road for about 9 hours as my GPS took me in circles around Washington D.C. for the first hour or so before I had to call my wife to help me head north! But I made it and spent quite awhile sleeping.

I will report back soon, but suffice it to say it was awesome.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Sekishi]

To echo a little of what Dosho says above, there are many details I would like to add over the coming weeks. But at this point I have little to add that has not already been said.

Make no mistake, the hearts of your fellow Sangha members are enormous and encompass the entire universe. Each and every one of you, both "at home", and "in the room" is a Bodhisattva. The love, tears, hugs, and bows (and of course the sitting, with all things at rest) have penetrated flesh and bone. Treeleaf **is** family.

Kokuu, thank you for posting the gate of sweet nectar for everyone. It has rung out in my mind before each meal since the retreat.

While stuck in traffic on the drive home, the Jizo Dharani also sprang from my lips unbidden. It was chanted 108 times prior to kito, and rings within this body still. Hopefully the kito video will eventually be posted (privately) for those who were unable to attend. While very different from our usual practice here at Treeleaf, it was an unforgettable experience, and opening of the heart:

Jizo Dharani:
Om
Ka Ka
Kabi San
Ma E
Sowa Ka

[apologies if I miss-spelled something]

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Kyonin]

Hi all,

Just want to make a quick post because I'm still in Washington, waiting for my plane tomorrow early morning. I am writing this at a borrowed computer at a hostel near downtown DC.

Yes, it was a beautiful and powerful experience. For me it has been humbling and the biggest adventure in my life that could only be possible thanks to the efforts of our teachers and this sangha.

I wish my English was good enough to put into words all these feelings that wrap my heart, being gratitude the biggest one.

When I'm home and rested, I'll post a little more.

Gassho,

Kyonin
the roaming priest

[Ishin]

It is so nice to hear of all your wonderful experiences. I have watched some of the retreat recordings and got a flavor of what it was like. Hope to be able to sit with and watch more in the following weeks. Thanks so much for sharing.

Gassho
C

[Jundo]

Hi,

I would like to make a special request to Yugen, Fugen and Shingen to discuss their "retreat experiences" too. Although these three could not come to the Retreat in Washington due to family and life circumstances and emergencies (Yugen at the last minute despite months of preparation), they were there as much as anyone sitting in the room. Our "Retreats" at Treeleaf meld effortlessly into family and worldly responsibilities. I know, for example, that Yugen faced that week a series of great and small family emergencies, and Fugen faces daily the duties of being a single dad with limited income. Shingen faced a work situation that simply forbid his coming. Dealing and sitting with such is "Retreat" and "Ceremony" ... finding freedom right at the heart of obligations is the true meaning of "Sesshin".

Yugen, Fugen and Shingen, might you comment on what "retreat" was for you?

Gassho, Jundo

[Byokan]

Hi All,

yes, my original question was to all, those who attended, those who sat along, and those taking it piece by piece. Just a place to talk about it all

Gassho
Lisa