How was your retreat?

[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

[Shugen]

Shting!!!

Gassho
Taikyo

:-)

[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

[Jika]

Thank you, Kokuu.

Gassho,
Danny

[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

[Shugen]

Hello all,

It was wonderful. No separation.

Gassho to this wonderful sangha,

Shugen

[Myosha]

Hello,









Nothing special.


Gassho,
Myosha

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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]

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

[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)

Shtack! Lol

Gassho

Daido

Agreed LOL! =)

Gassho
Shingen