Life as practice
Went for the one day meditation workshop by Ven Pannyavaro on Saturday 11 June. Realising more and more that for meditation, you need to practise, practise, practise and not just attend classes once in a while. It really helps if there are places you can go to or people you can find to practise together. But a lot of effort comes from yourself, from personal dedication to keep at this practice. It took me sooo long to practise enough to be able to just sit steadily and comfortably.
For me, it takes an amazing effort to use less effort. Straining to practice well does not work for meditation, it does not work for yoga. It is only through active practice that I saw I was trying too hard. After practising awareness during my recent retreat and practising on my own and in the Saturday workshop, in a sitting yesterday morning, I finally was able to consciously reduce this "trying to hard" thing and was able to sit steady and comfortable through a good duration of time and with awareness of the times I slide into straining again. Ah!
Straining to live well does not work in general. I remember my ex-classmate at college who is now an olympian talking about his sport, sailing: you need to sail lightly to sail well. Straining, forcing, with high expectations, intolerant of failure, with a lack of patience -- means a bad race -- because ultimately not all things are in your control. You need to sail lightly, sail in acceptance, in tune with the elements, without clinging to results. Not just sailing or meditation needs to be done this way. All of life is our practice. Our practice is for life, to enable us to live well AND our practice is on life itself -- not to be able to sit well in meditation retreats -- but to able to sit well through our daily lives. If viewed this way, it is hard to say: we do not have time for practice. Every moment is our practice. Every moment, we put into practice awarenss, openness, loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, gratitude, equanimity -- and we attain happiness in the moment.
May you be well and happy and may you grow in your practice.
----
Some of you asked when the next retreat or workshop conducted by the Venerable will be. Well, he's returning to Australia where he's continuing to establish and build a new monastery & retreat centre: Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery & Retreat Centre. I'll certainly update you all if there's any news of upcoming teaching programme by him in Singapore.
In the meantime, there are 2 short metta (loving-kindness) meditation retreats in Singapore coming up. I've put the info on my noticeboard in Om Improvement. You can find out more from the organisers:
Dates: 2-4 July 2005
Organiser: Vipassana Meditation Centre
Teacher : Sayadaw U Pannathami or Sayadaw U Pannananda
Venue : Vipassana Meditation Centre, 251 Lavender Street Singapore 338789
For information: vmckm@singnet.com.sg Tel : 64453984.
Web: http://vmc128.8m.com/
Dates: 14(7pm) -17 July, 2005
Organiser: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
Teachers: Ven. Mahinda & Sister Sumitra
Venue: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (Bright Hill in Bishan)
For information: apmc@awarenessplace.com Tel: 6336 5067
Web: http://kmspks.org/events/evt_metta.htm
For me, it takes an amazing effort to use less effort. Straining to practice well does not work for meditation, it does not work for yoga. It is only through active practice that I saw I was trying too hard. After practising awareness during my recent retreat and practising on my own and in the Saturday workshop, in a sitting yesterday morning, I finally was able to consciously reduce this "trying to hard" thing and was able to sit steady and comfortable through a good duration of time and with awareness of the times I slide into straining again. Ah!
Straining to live well does not work in general. I remember my ex-classmate at college who is now an olympian talking about his sport, sailing: you need to sail lightly to sail well. Straining, forcing, with high expectations, intolerant of failure, with a lack of patience -- means a bad race -- because ultimately not all things are in your control. You need to sail lightly, sail in acceptance, in tune with the elements, without clinging to results. Not just sailing or meditation needs to be done this way. All of life is our practice. Our practice is for life, to enable us to live well AND our practice is on life itself -- not to be able to sit well in meditation retreats -- but to able to sit well through our daily lives. If viewed this way, it is hard to say: we do not have time for practice. Every moment is our practice. Every moment, we put into practice awarenss, openness, loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, gratitude, equanimity -- and we attain happiness in the moment.
May you be well and happy and may you grow in your practice.
----
Some of you asked when the next retreat or workshop conducted by the Venerable will be. Well, he's returning to Australia where he's continuing to establish and build a new monastery & retreat centre: Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery & Retreat Centre. I'll certainly update you all if there's any news of upcoming teaching programme by him in Singapore.
In the meantime, there are 2 short metta (loving-kindness) meditation retreats in Singapore coming up. I've put the info on my noticeboard in Om Improvement. You can find out more from the organisers:
Dates: 2-4 July 2005
Organiser: Vipassana Meditation Centre
Teacher : Sayadaw U Pannathami or Sayadaw U Pannananda
Venue : Vipassana Meditation Centre, 251 Lavender Street Singapore 338789
For information: vmckm@singnet.com.sg Tel : 64453984.
Web: http://vmc128.8m.com/
Dates: 14(7pm) -17 July, 2005
Organiser: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
Teachers: Ven. Mahinda & Sister Sumitra
Venue: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (Bright Hill in Bishan)
For information: apmc@awarenessplace.com Tel: 6336 5067
Web: http://kmspks.org/events/evt_metta.htm
