Opinion about Retreat

Hi Lotus Chef,

Hope you are in good health, want to ask your opinion...after reading your blog about HE Yangsi Kalu Rimpoche...I was wondering your opinion regarding a three year retreat...

I was googling Kalu Rimpoche's website and found out about the three year retreat..., should it best for a lay person to attend a full retreat maybe once in his/her lifetime?

Thanks and best regards,

OPS

Hi OPS,

I am in good health, thank you.

I am honored that you ask my opinion though.

This is my humble opinion:-

Ask yourself these questions first:-

What is Retreat to you?

What is cultivation to you?

Why do you consider yourself as 'layperson'? :)

Can you spare the time, say for the 3-year one?

Hahaha!

Go through my recent articles concerning my Retreat?

A person that is truly interested in cultivation and also schedule time to cultivate regularly is not considered a 'layperson' in my dictionary.

Have you taken refuge with the Triple Gems and an accredited Guru?

Do you think that going for a long retreat will help you better understand life's philosophy?

For what Buddha teaches all these while is the Philosophy of Living Life Free from Suffering.

There are lots of laypersons' perception of what a person in Retreat should do and behave too.

These also applies to all those who are serious in cultivating.

Cultivation in my opinion is to seek the Path that leads self out of sentient suffering and subsequently helping all sentient beings do the same too.

I would like to meet all that ask or seek my help and opinions and have a good chat with you all. That way, I can truly understand your situation and help you to the best of knowledge and ability.

This is from 6th Zen Patriarch Sutra and my Root Guru, Living Buddha Lian Sheng, has explained and stressed it many times.

When a person is not affected by his external environment and his internal mind stream of thoughts to execute any actions or thoughts, he is considered to be in Samadhi.

Therefore, where you are is not important at all.

Retreat and Meditation to me is one and the same, as One plans to allot more time to cultivate.

I would advise a short retreat period once in a while say for a week and slowly increasing the duration.

We will appreciate an occasional break or vacation to "recharge" our minds and at the same time broaden our outlook.

The key is to be relax and be more observant of everything around you everytime you have a break from daily routine.

If you have taken refuge then are you confident enough to chat with the Triple Gem or your Root Guru?

If you can do so, there is no need to seek externally for my opinion at all, because you will have the answers whenever you meditate. :)

Dear OPS, if you come anywhere near where I am, lets us have tea and a good chat.

As for the renown Kalu Rimpoche and the 3 year Retreat, I have no further comment.

All depend on your affinity.

Those that crowd around my Root Guru, think that they can be powerful or have all their wishes fulfilled without effort.

A true yogi would not encourage any being to have these type of mindsets, do you agree?

 

Amituofo

Pure Karma

Lama Lotuschef

True Buddha School