Originally, I thought of writing a single post for my experience at the retreat but I ended up writing so much. Hence, I am going to write several posts on the retreat, so you can skip the boring parts easily.
The different posts would be
- Introduction
- General Overview (of the retreat)
- Day by Day (My meditation and changes in thoughts as the days go by)
- Conclusion
- Photos of the retreat (with captions)
4. Conclusion
I thought this was going to be a short post, but no.
Sections in this post are:
4.1 6 days to write
4.2 Smile more
4.3 Leaves along the pathway
4.1 6 days to write
In my introduction post, I mentioned why I decided to leave the retreat 1 day earlier to write and pen down my thoughts about the retreat. A day has passed since I left the retreat. This is the day that I was expected to leave the retreat. There is both a tinge of regret that I left 1 day earlier and also glad that I could pen down my thoughts about the retreat.
I believe, no, I would say that I know that when I get back to Singapore, I would not be able to find such ample time to write these posts about the retreat. This early departure from the retreat, though with some regret, has equipped me better for future retreats, since my thoughts are clearer after writing these posts.
4.2 Smile more.
During the first 4 days of the retreat, I did not smile much. It is because we are not allowed to talk, so I was not sure how to start interaction with other mediators. If there was eye contact, I would give a slight nod of acknowledgement. I did not even realise that I was not smiling much during the retreat until one of the Dharma talks. The teacher talked about smiling giving people such joy.
I tend to smile a lot in my daily life, what happened during this retreat? Not talking does not mean not smiling. After that simple realisation, I started smiling more on the 5th day.
I was hoping that my fellow meditators did not think that I was smiling from the 5th day because I was leaving on the 6th day. This thought also made me realise that we are constantly wondering what others are thinking and it affects us in many ways. Wow! What a few days of meditation does to clear the mind! So, I did not bother and continue smiling more from the 5th day.
I would smile more for my future retreats.
4.3 Leaves along the pathway
The path from the rooms to the main meditation hall is up a slope with big trees on the side. This pathway is littered with leaves that fall from the trees. One morning, one of the female meditator started to sweep a portion of the pathway. I am not sure why she did it. Maybe it is due to safety reasons or just wanted a neat pathway. She cleared only a section of the pathway. The rest of the pathway was still littered with leaves.
On the next morning, new leaves had littered the section that she cleared the day earlier. This time, after clearing the same section as yesterday, she proceeded to clear another section of the pathway. This went on for the next few days that I was at the retreat. Every morning, new leaves would appear, and she would clear a bigger and bigger portion of the pathway. On the morning that I left the retreat, the whole pathway was cleared of the previous day’s leaves. New leaves would then start to litter the pathway but it was a lot neater and clearer.
While I noticed her clearing the leaves, I saw meditation like the act of clearing the leaves daily.
Our minds are littered with leaves along our thought pathways. There might be things under the leaves that we do not like. It could be cockroaches, snakes or rodents, etc. You might not know about it because they are covered by the leaves. Then one day, you see it and it brings out uncomfortable emotions. Whenever you walk along the thought pathway, you try not to see it or try to ignore it, but you know it is there somewhere. Likewise, there could be beauty and joy under the leaves. The flowers amidst the leaves, or just a clean pathway is nice. The leaves blur the view of the unsightly and the beautiful.
With each meditation session, you clear the leaves in your thought pathways. You do not know where to start. There is so much to do. You start at a small section. Slowly, you work your way through the leaves. You work and observe the unsightly things underneath, you do not touch them but allow them to just leave on their own. You also see the beauty that you have always enjoyed. Things get clearer. The pathway would never be forever clean as the leaves would continue to litter the place, but the pathway gets clearer. You can better see and anticipate whatever is coming.
The teacher requested those leaving the retreat to consistently meditate, at least meditate 30 minutes a week. It does not help if you meditate 3-4 hours and not meditate for the next year, then do another 3-4 hours after.The leaves would continually fall and litter up the pathway. Regular meditation helps maintain the thought pathways.
You, yes, YOU!. Try to do some meditation if possible.
This is my favourite place to meditate during the retreat. 
Will travel 