Getting The Buddha Mind 109

RETREAT REPORT BY M.I.C.


I began the retreat in an exploring mood. I do not consider myself as serious a practitioner as my wife. But somehow I felt a little bit jealous when she talked about her retreat experiences. Seven days of four hours sleep, six meditation periods a day, no outside contact or talking, must be an adventure for anyone. If she could last through it with her poor health, why can't I? Sitting uninterrupted for forty minutes seemed to be an impossible task for me. I adjusted the mattress, the position of the cushion, and my poor legs, hoping to find a torture-free combination. There is no doubt, I can positively claim to be the most frequently moving object in the meditation hall. Shih-fu asked me to calm myself by concentrating on counting the breath. I started to apply the method to my breathing, but my mind did not begin to settle down until after supper.