Dharmapala 2 Days Outdoor Meditation Retreat
11.23 ~ 11.24.2019
As part of our dharma study and spiritual cultivation program, Dharmapala will organise a 2 Days Outdoor Meditation Retreat every year. This year, the event was held at a private villa at Janda Baik, Tanah Rimba, from 23-24 Nov (Sat-Sun). A total of 27 participants signed up and the lecture and meditation courses were conducted by Venerable Ru Xing and Venerable Ru Fu.
The retreat was organised with the intention for participants to have a weekend breakaway and find solitude in a peaceful environment to restore their energy and at the same time, learn how to practice the Four Contemplations to overcome our problems and ultimately, lead us to the basic need of happiness.
The lecture was guided by Venerable Ru Xing, based on study of the Four Contemplations taught by the Buddha, i.e. 1) contemplation of body as impure, 2) contemplation of feelings as suffering, 3) contemplation of the mind as impermanent and 4) contemplation of phenomena as non-self. By understanding these four important contemplations, we learn to cultivate right mindfulness to lead us to the truth of all sufferings, reduce our afflictions and focus on the right object in our meditation. With right view and right thoughts, only then can we know the wisdom of emptiness and see the five skandhas as empty. And combining with right meditative concentration, we liberate from the cycle of birth and death.
Venerable Ru Fu skillfully guide all participants to practice the right method of breathing during sitting, standing and walking meditation. Venerable emphasised that to practice meditation, we focus on stopping delusion and seeing truth, as well as developing both meditative concentration and wisdom. Stopping delusion means using meditation to put an end to all deluded thoughts so that the mind is concentrated on a single point. Seeing truths means using meditation to open the mind to true wisdom, so that all phenomena can be seen correctly and all afflictions can be eliminated. Venerable also taught the correct practice of prostrating to the Buddha, to the delight of some participants. As part of the spiritual practice, Venerable guided us to meditate and contemplate on the Metta Sutta to develop and radiate loving kindness to all our loved ones and mankind and introduced the 18-step Tai-Chi exercise to rejuvenate our energy and enhance our spiritual and mental cultivation.
At the end of the retreat, everyone went home with happy memories of the event. The beautiful environment, good food (mindfully prepared by our volunteer sister) and the wonderful teachings have certainly enriched our lives. We wish to thank both venerables for their time and efforts in preparing the excellent lectures and meditative sessions to enable every one of us to advance in our spiritual cultivation and mindfulness to uphold precepts, develop wisdom and meditative concentration to live a happy life. Let us all continue to practice diligently.