tahiyak's blog

I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM THE LAM RIM RETREAT IN PRESCOTT WHICH WAS ONCE AGAIN AMAZING.  IT SURPRISES ME EACH TIME BY BEING SO DIFFERENT ENERGETICALLY THAN THE ONE BEFORE.  I GUESS MY KARMA SHIFTS DRASTICALLY IN BETWEEN, PERHAPS FROM SERVING THE RETREAT.  COMING HOME IS ALWAYS SUCH A PLEASURE AND I COULD FEEL THE DEPTH OF QUIET HERE AFTER BEING OUT IN THE WORLD AND AMONG SO MANY PEOPLE.  FUNNY, PROBABLY MOST PEOPLE SAW THE RETREAT AS SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD AND A BREAK FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE BUT FOR ME IT WAS A STEP UP IN BUSY-NESS AND DEFINITLY AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR STIRRING UP THINGS FOR SELF REFLECION. 

  DM, ON THE OTHER HAND,  IS DEFINITLY PEACEFUL. HERE YOUR OWN MIND IS MOST OF THE NOISE.  WE ARE NOW THOUGH GEARING UP FOR THE QUIET RETREAT TEACHINGS AND PEOPLE HAVE BEGUN TO ARRIVE AND JOIN US IN MORNING MEDITATION AND PRANAYAMA PRACTICE.  THIS MORNING YOGA WAS DONE OUTSIDE, IN THE SUN, ON THE PLATFORM ON WHICH STOOD THE NECTAR LOUNGE.  THE DAYS ARE SO WARM AND BEAUTIFUL.

I'm sitting here with doors open and no sweater. Last week we had snow and I wore three layers of clothes. My how things change. We had a big Christmas dinner in the temple with snow outside and now it is like spring. When it snowed, I remembered the snow the day our friends went into retreat. The snow blanketed everything bringing a great peace after the hectic times of preparation. Where does it exist now? It is so beautiful here and so peaceful. I feel so blessed to be here and a part of this retreat. I assume many people would have a hard time with so much peacefulness but I am in heaven. I am getting to see how much of a habit being busy is even here, how I distract myself with silly stuff. But amazingly, even with distracting myself, my practice is getting deeper. this stuff really works - service is very powerful.