Wonderful! This was my 2nd retreat at the forest monastery. Each time was an enlightening and uplifting experience to me. Indeed the Buddha's dhamma is beautiful in the start, beautiful in the middle and beautiful at the end.Each conversation there was a "Level up" to me, and all of it came to solve my problems and sufferings in me without mentioning them in words. Meditation was the second thing this time round as we had really no energy to meditate but to fall as sleep. We have been helping to mop floor, wipe windows. We helped to Plant trees, lay water pipe, repair the water pipes and i had to climb tree to cut fruits, haha. Hey~! and the drawing i was ask to drawn by the venerable was really built~! He used my old plans and section to built. The building is a 2 storey building cost about RM100,000 = $50,000.
Too much for me to document everything, really too much, but it is all up in my mind.
If i were to summaries everything it would be the truth of happiness. No doubt everyone is in search of happiness, but actually it is just right here and now in us. Nothing outside of us. Being at ease is happiness. When you stop and desire no more, that is happiness. All the while we are trying to ease our thirst of wanting by taking in salt water. The more you take the more you want. No end, no fufilling. Stop~! Stay still, here and now, come back form the past and future. Truth is here and now. Create no more in the mind, be still and equanimous. Just like the trees, it is just there, doesn't choose who to shade. That is at ease, in happiness.
The Venerable made a joke, the greatest taste is tastless. Take care of every cause and never worry about the effect and consequence. by taking care of the cause of everything you do, the cause will take care of its effects. small things can lead to big stuffs, beware.
This is enough as other teaching I would just have to keep in my memory bank. I had learn something from a friend as well. A Big lesson which is as powerful as the other teachings by the teachers and had deeply imprint in my heart. Painful but later, Blissful:
"A dish may be coarse, savory or sweet,
It may be meager or it may abound,
Yet if offered with friendship and with love,
Then a delicious meal is always found." (J 346)~ Buddha ~
I dedicate all the merits which i had from this marvellous retreat to all beings whom i have seen or not seen, visible or invisible, up to the higest plane, down to the lowest plane of existance and may they be well and happy, free from suffering.