Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
twelph
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Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by twelph »

Due to financial constraints, my aspirations to visit Myanmar for a month to go on a retreat will have to be put on hold. So, next week I will be going camping on public use land in Colorado for a month with the sole purpose of intensive meditation. I have all my supplies ready, and am pretty excited. I've stayed at several monasteries for a month or so, but nothing that can be considered a retreat. Therefore I understand I should be gentle to myself, especially without a teacher present. I don't foresee any huge problems, but who knows. I plan on trying to follow a retreat schedule if possible and refrain from eating past noon. The two books that I will be studying are "In the Buddha's Words" by Bhikkhu Bodhi and "Dhamma Everywhere" by Sayadaw U Tejaniya. I'm already intimately familiar with the latter, but I find re-reading it over and over has helped re-align my meditation habits whenever I develop some sort of obstructive view about how I'm supposed to be practicing.

Anyways, the purpose of this post is to ask if anyone might have any suggestions for me? The stronger the feeling that I have everything figured out, the more usually goes wrong :) .
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Ben
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by Ben »

Hi Twelfth,

Have you had any experience attending meditation retreats? If not, then you may wish to develop a timetable and stick to it.
And watch out for bears!
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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mikenz66
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Twelph,

Good luck with the retreat!

One thing you might consider is getting together a series of retreat-oriented talks relevant to your particular practice approach, so you can listen to a talk each day, as you might on an organised retreat.

For example, if you look on http://dharmaseed.org/teachers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; then for some teachers there are series of talks given on retreats. As an example, if you look at Steve Armstrong's talks http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/170/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or U Vivekananda's talks http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/186/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you'll see some sets that have clearly been given sequentially at a retreat. The same will apply to many posts there.

:anjali:
Mike
twelph
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by twelph »

Ben wrote:Hi Twelfth,

Have you had any experience attending meditation retreats? If not, then you may wish to develop a timetable and stick to it.
And watch out for bears!
kind regards,

Ben
Nope, no experience. Found a schedule on Sayadaw U Tejaniya's web site that I will probably be using as a rough draft:

From To Activities
3:30 Am Wake up time
4:00 Am 5:00 Am Sitting meditation
5:30 Am Breakfast time
7:00Am 8:00 Am Sitting meditation
8:00 Am 9:00 Am Walking meditation
9:00 Am 10:00 Am Dhamma talk by Sayadaw and sitting meditation
10:30 Am 12:00 Pm Lunch time
12:00 Pm 1:00 Pm Walking meditation
1:00 Pm 2:00 Pm Sitting meditation
2:00 Pm 3:00 Pm Walking meditation
3:00 Pm 4:00 Pm Sitting meditation
4:00 Pm 5:00 Pm Walking meditation
5:00 Pm 6:00 Pm Sitting meditation
6:00 Pm 8:00 Pm Interviews with Sayadaw
8:00 Pm 9:00 Pm Walking meditation
9:00 Pm Bed time

As for bears, thankfully I will be developing my faculties of "bear attention" :jumping:


mikenz66 wrote:Hi Twelph,

Good luck with the retreat!

One thing you might consider is getting together a series of retreat-oriented talks relevant to your particular practice approach, so you can listen to a talk each day, as you might on an organised retreat.

For example, if you look on http://dharmaseed.org/teachers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; then for some teachers there are series of talks given on retreats. As an example, if you look at Steve Armstrong's talks http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/170/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or U Vivekananda's talks http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/186/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you'll see some sets that have clearly been given sequentially at a retreat. The same will apply to many posts there.

:anjali:
Mike
I was considering something like that, need to grab myself an MP3 player with a decent battery life, thanks!
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retrofuturist
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

I'm just curious as to why you've decided to go "solo" than to do it at a monastery?

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
twelph
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by twelph »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

I'm just curious as to why you've decided to go "solo" than to do it at a monastery?

Metta,
Retro. :)
I do not have the funds to travel out of the county, and month long meditation retreats in the states cost almost the same. I have visited and stayed at monasteries such as Abhayagiri, along with Mahayana monasteries like Deer Park and CTTB all in Cali. I am unaware of any monastery that has all of the following retreat criteria that I am looking for:
1) Little to no cost, around $12 a day max for setting up camp.

2) Month long stay available on first visit. Had I been able to schedule a stay at Wat Metta while I was in Cali, the second time I scheduled a visit I might have been able to stay longer, but no luck :(

3) Emphasis on meditation and minimal speaking

4) No working in kitchens for long hours or working on a farm for 8 hours a day (CTTB, my back is still not the same). I have absolutely no issues with doing my part to contribute, but it's hard for me to maintain mindfulness while doing more than a few chores throughout the day.

Unless there is somewhere I can just show up at next week that fits somewhat into those criteria, I'm thinking meditation in the forest is the best I can accomplish. Though I wouldn't mind suggestions!

Essentially I am looking for this experience:
"There is the case where a monk, having gone to the wilderness, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down folding his legs crosswise, holding his body erect, and setting mindfulness to the fore.[1] Always mindful, he breathes in; mindful he breathes out." :anjali:
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retrofuturist
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Thanks for sharing your reasons. I have no drama with them... I was just interested in how you came to the decision.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
twelph
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by twelph »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,

Thanks for sharing your reasons. I have no drama with them... I was just interested in how you came to the decision.

Metta,
Retro. :)
I just used your question as a way to make sure I didn't overlook something when coming to this decision :) .
Last edited by twelph on Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,
twelph wrote:I just used your question as a way to make sure I didn't overlook something something when coming to this decision :) .
Yep, I can dig it. 8-)

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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marc108
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by marc108 »

this is awesome. may your retreat be productive :anjali:
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
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James the Giant
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by James the Giant »

Good luck!
Personally, I would not attempt a month-long solo retreat. Camping in the woods sure, or hiking, but meditating by oneself, with no support for feedback and supervision, no thanks.
A teacher or sayadaw is very useful to ask what's happening when the weird stuff starts happening.

Also, I seem to require a group of others to motivate me... I get lax and am overcome by one or other of the hindrances unless there's someone else there who will notice me being lazy or agitated or whatever. The other people don't need to say anything, or even notice, but my sense of "hiri" (moral shame) is usefully activated when there are others around.

I did a 3-day solo retreat, and even by day three I noticed some slackening of discipline in myself.
Maybe you're different, but don't beat yourself up if you can't manage the whole 30 days.
A month is a long time.

But don't let my words dissuade you, just be ready for Mara to come gunning for you.
What a great opportunity you have!

Can you describe what you are taking in terms of camping gear, food, etc? What will the weather be like?
Then,
saturated with joy,
you will put an end to suffering and stress.
SN 9.11
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Ben
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by Ben »

Nice post by James.
Like James I would hesitate to do a month long solo retreat - and that is after 27 years of regular yearly retreats of ten days up to one month.
In the event that you haven't considered it - have you thought about doing ten-day retreats in the Goenka 'tradition'? They are almost completely silent and are run on a non-obligatory dana basis. Many 'students' attend retreats back-to-back for months at a time, alternating between attending as a 'student' and as a 'server'. There are over 100 centres worldwide and there could be one relatively close to you.
http://www.dhamma.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
twelph
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by twelph »

James the Giant wrote: Can you describe what you are taking in terms of camping gear, food, etc? What will the weather be like?
I actually enjoy camping quite a bit, and will have no shame in just being mindful while camping/hiking if I find I need to take a break from a rigorous schedule. The weather seems to be about 50/50 during the time I'm staying there, it's a little bit hard to find 28 consecutive days in that part of the country with perfect weather. I have no problem setting up tarps to protect myself from wind/rain while cooking and cleaning. As for supplies: tent, fuel/stove, water and filtration system, gps, compass, cookware, lot's of freeze dried and dehydrated vegetables, beans, meat-like products, seasoning, pasta, bran cereal, sleeping bag/pad, clothes for varying weather, a way to secure my food high up in a tree, zafu and rectangular cushion, products for cleanliness. I'll be dividing my time between two separate national forests about 3 hours away from each other, 14 days at each, while doing laundry and reassessing supplies in between. I might possibly stay at a campground once or twice to clean up more thoroughly and test my mindfulness around other people.
Ben wrote:have you thought about doing ten-day retreats in the Goenka 'tradition'?
I have heavily considered it, but several factors have dissuaded me including the preference for camping, length of stay, and the fact that I wouldn't even be considering this solitary retreat if it were not for my confidence in my current practice. I have practiced body scanning techniques in the style of Goenka with recordings from their retreats, but my current practice is so vastly different now that I am not in a hurry to switch away from something that is working so well for me. It is an excellent option though, and if I find I am unable to do things on my own then I will possibly seek out one of these retreats.

Thanks for the food for thought people! :anjali:
SamBodhi
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by SamBodhi »

mikenz66 wrote:...
One thing you might consider is getting together a series of retreat-oriented talks relevant to your particular practice approach, so you can listen to a talk each day, as you might on an organised retreat.
...
:anjali:
Mike
I would second this suggestion. If you don't have an mp3 player with a good battery life, might I suggest finding the transcribed and published versions, print them out, take it with you and read one a day. If you think this might be too much reading with the books you already have, maybe the talks would take precedence. :shrug: Anybody agree/disagree?

Also, I would love to hear how it went afterward. I am going to do a three-day solo camping retreat in Southern Missouri and I could use some pointers I'm sure. If it stays this hot through August, I will probably use a vastly different schedule than yours. :)


with Metta,
S.
"An inward-staying
unentangled knowing,
All outward-going knowing
cast aside."
--Upasika Kee Nanayon
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Re: Month Long Solitary Meditation Retreat

Post by dharmagoat »

I too am interested to hear how you get on. Will you be keeping any kind of diary?
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