Retreat with Ven. Dhammadipa

Amolak Sehgal

Attended by over 50 people, this retreat for 8 days(4/17/04~4/24/04) with Venerable Dhammadipa may have left the impressions of joy for a life time with many or all of the participants. Any one coming in proximity with the Venerable Dhammadipa is bound to feel the joy that he exudes. His presence has a very soothing effect on one and all. When he speaks, the listeners feel the peace in his voice. His perfect command on Buddhist doctrine and complete knowledge is clearly visible in the continuity of his thoughts that he transmits to the audience in such a calm and placid demeanor. He spoke in fluent English and then translated the same in fluent Chinese for the benefit of both the English and the Chinese participants. It is very rare that one man can communicate in so many languages. In fact he can speak about 16 of the world's major languages and as in his own words he has a hobby for languages and learned them like a parrot.

The major subject that he picked for this retreat was to teach about 'metta', friendliness and love. Defining love, he said that there are two kinds of love, one being the spiritual love and the other the sensual love. Here, he said, only the spiritual love was being referred to. He educated the audience about the five precepts that put the beginners on course to leading their lives in a manner that is pure and devoid of any wrong doing. These basic five precepts being, not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, to have legitimate sexual conduct, not to indulge in alcohol and drugs.

Emphasizing the connection between the body and the mind, he gave the insight into the benefits of the control of the mind. He pointed to the modern day turmoil of the society at large, he said that it was the need of the time to develop in us the feelings of love and friendliness to ourselves first and then to every one around us. His message was very profound and conducive to creating good will in this troubled world. He repeatedly said that it was important not to hate any one and to cultivate in us the great virtue of benefiting others. We should carry ourselves with joy and radiate the same to everyone else. He took the audience through the meditation process in which he prescribed the method of first picking five people who we liked the most, then pick the five people who we did not like and finally pick five more people who we neither liked not disliked. He asked everyone in the audience to first concentrate on these fifteen people and radiate our love towards each of them without any discrimination. With this being the starting point, he then asked the audience to enlarge their area of concentration to all the people in that hall and radiate their loving kindness to them. Extending further, he asked every one to go on enlarging the area to the city, New York State, then the country then the world then the universe and then all the ten directions. Thus he wanted us to enlarge the area of the concentration to infinity and spread our feelings of loving kindness or metta to all the reaches of this universe.

To focus one's mind he introduced some Asnas of Yoga such as standing on one leg at a time. To perform these Asnas one has to balance oneself while standing on one leg at a time. The balance can best be achieved when the attention is focused on some small point on the floor a few feet away. He said that if the mind is not stable then one can not hold the balance in this posture. The exercises such as these would stabilize the mind. A stable mind does not have fleeting thoughts. The goal of all this is to achieve harmony within the body and the mind, develop mindfulness and deep concentration.

He taught the audience the practice of walking meditation. He led the whole group of participants outside the meditation hall and into the open grounds. He demonstrated first to concentrate on our feet and walk with our minds fully focused. Each and everyone in the group followed him truly and diligently as he led the line of the participants. This practice was repeated a few times. The weather gods were very happy on those days when he took the people out in the open.

I was very fortunate to attend the first two days of the retreat. I also returned on the last day, which was half day and the event was wrapped up by noon time. It was an occasion that opened up the hearts and eyes of each participant to the sweetness of love and friendship. It was quite evident from the faces of all the participants that they had achieved peace to some degree. It was easy to discern feelings of tranquility on the countenance of every one. Experience such as this can only remain in one's feelings and can not be described in words. On the last day, every one was given a chance to express his/her feelings. Everyone expressed his/her gratitude to the visiting monk, who, himself, is the embodiment of peace, joy and wisdom. The whole event was arranged by the monastery monks and nuns with immaculate precision and care. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were provided each day, since every day started at 5:30 AM and ended at 9:30 PM. All the meals were very delicious and wholesome.

From all angles, this event was a memorable and highly an uplifting one. Venerable Dhammadipa mentioned of coming back two years later and I am sure all of the participants can't wait to see and hear him again