Retreat

We've just finished our main term at The Buddhist House It's Sunday and I'm sitting at the desk in my room, reflecting, relaxing and listening to Richard Ashcroft. Bliss :) The Bodhi retreat finished yesterday, the main retreat of the year. We've spent the last couple of weeks preparing for this retreat. We kicked off with the 24 hour nembutsu chanting. I was part of the bell team with Mudita (formerly Lisa!) and Gareth. It's hard to know what to say about this practice of chanting Amida Buddha's name for 24 hours. I've never experienced anything like it before, during those 24 hours, I felt many things, profound peace, chronic fatigue, willingness, resistance, acceptance and irritation. So many changing mind states ... The community spirit in the group was a shining light, without one another, no individual could have completed the practice. The retreat flowed on from this beginning. There were lots of pratice periods, seminars, discussions, good food and ceremonies, admissions to the Amida School and the Amida Order . Susthama and Mudita had their ordination ceremonies on Friday, it was a deeply moving occasion. Susthama ordained as an Amitarya in the Order and Mudita as a Chaplain, and received her Buddhist name. I was confirmed as an aspirant, aspiring to train as a chaplain, Gareth was confirmed as a postulant, in training for the amitarya path. I also confirmed my membership in the Amida School and took the five Buddhist precepts to guide me in life; to refrain from destroying living creatures, to refrain from taking that which is not given, to refrain from sexual misconduct, to refrain from incorrect speech and to refrain from consuming intoxicants. In the ceremony, the precepts were phrased in a beautiful way by Modgala. They began with 'I pray' and for sure this foolish being needs some outside help in keeping them, especially the right speech one!