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Published: September 24th 2006
"Meditation is an adventure, adventure into the unknown, the greatest adventure the human mind can take."
"Meditation, the first and last freedom" by Osho
I'm sorry friends that this blog seems colorless. I have been visited many places during my journey, but there is one very important place I haven't visited thoroughly yet, the world inside myself.
That's the reason I headed to Chiang Mai for a meditation course in a monastery. During the 10-days meditation retreat, I wasn't allowed to leave the monastery. Only go inside, to observe my body, mind, feelings, and emotions without judgement. And act like a witness, to see everything that happens around me as it is.
I have to admit that the first 3 days were really adventurous. Both physical hardship and mental conflict had climbed up on my back.
Physical hardship including the pain that appears during sitting and walking meditation for 9 hours/day, the hunger of able to eat only 2 meals a day (6:00am & 10:30am), the chill under the cold water showers, the sleepiness of having to be awake 18hours/day, and the uncomfort of sharing a room with ants, flies, spiders, lizards. I even found a cute centipede resting on my bed one day.
But compare to the physical hardship, the mental struggle is much more obvious. Depression arises when isolated from the appealing outside world. Loneliness stands out when communication with people, even reading books and writing were not allowed. We were trying to live in the present moment mindfully and silently.
Things got better and better, at the end, I was just so glad that I had stayed. Having able to be in that monastic atmosphere was serreal. I admire so many people there, including the monks, the nuns, and the yogis. I always wonder what gives Thailand the tile of "The land of smile", now I think it's the religion that has given them the happiness and wisdom.
What I had learned from it is a secret that I will not reveal/smile, but anyone who's interested can try it out, you just have to experience it by yourself.
"Look within, be still, free from fear and attachment, know the sweet joy of the way."
Buddha
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Tyler
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Your writing style is amaxing Sandra. Whenever I read it I feel like it is sometimes a mirror into my own thoughts. It is beautiful and full of emotion and romance. You should be a travel writer.