ShareA retreat for young people with the theme “There is a way” was organized from the 21st of August to the 28th of August in Lower Hamlet has just been concluded. The retreat had attracted more than 120 young people to participate for a whole week, mostly French speaking. Coming to this retreat, they don’t just come with a practioner’s point of view but they were also part of the organization committee to make the retreat profitable and nourishing for the young generations. They had come together to create the schedule of practice, leading co-op games, working hand in hand. The company of the monastics and our young friends had transformed the monastery into a place of refuge and warmth.   

On the first day of the retreat, Sr. Linh Nghiem – abbess of Loving Kindness Temple and Br. Phap Huu – acting abbot of Dharma Clouds Temple, begin our retreat with a wonderful orientation. With deep clarity and a calm style, Sr. Linh Nghiem guided our young friends on some of the basic practices such as breathing exercises and how to apply meditation in our daily lives. Next to that, Thay Phap Huu transformed the atmosphere in the dharma hall to a joyful place to be by sharing with humor and with charm. Thay Phap Huu shared some of his practical experiences and also some of the regulations in order for us to live in harmony with each other inside a monastery. Thay Phap Huu is one of our youngest dharma teachers, only 21 years old, but is entrusted the role of an acting abbot by the Sangha. When Thay Phap Huu mentioned about “dressing properly” he was confused. He said, “For our retreats, please young friends, do not wear…” he paused, think for a while and said that he was sorry, that he had lived in a monastery for too long and therefore, he didn’t know the name of that clothes, but please friends, not wear clothing that is too loose on the neck or pants and skirts that is too short to keep. The sincerity in his sharing made everyone laugh with joy and because of that, our friends were very careful in the way they dressed for the retreat.  

On the second day, Sr. Gina – abbess of Dharma Nectar Temple, shared on the practice of how to recognize and transform our mental formations; sadness, anger, and how to restore communication with people around us, and practical practices of meditation in our busy lives. During the dharma discussion that was organized daily, many young friends had shared how useful those teachings were.  

During sports time, we organized some of the traditional Vietnamese games such as: skipping over bamboos, capture the flag, and skipping rope. It was such a surprise to see our friends receive those games whole heartedly.  Of course, games such as volleyball, juggling, hacky sack, table tennis was anticipated with enthusiasm. Our friends were able to recognize that the way we played sports in a monastery is different than in society, that     playing is to have fun and not to be competitive just to win. A friend from the retreat had shared that she had really enjoyed watching the monastic sisters play table tennis. The sisters played with ease and light, their facial expressions show a state of calm and peace, everyone played wholeheartedly but not with the mind of needing to win, which was very beautiful.  
Many of our friends enjoyed the practice of total relaxation and touching of the earth.  When Sr. Ton Nghiem was guiding the practice of touching the earth in French, a lot of our young friends had tears on their face. Those words of getting in touch with our spiritual and blood ancestors had penetrated deeply into their hearts.

The Practice of True Love

On the fourth day of the retreat, all of our young friends were eager in waiting for the dharma talk with the title “the practice of true love” offered for the young ladies by Sister Gina and for the young men by Br. Phap Son & Br. Phap Due.  Each gender practiced in there respective hamlets, for the young men, in Upper Hamlet, and for the young ladies, in Lower Hamlet.  After the dharma talk given by Sr. Gina, Sr. Mai Nghiem was invited to share her real experience of the practice.  The same had occurred for the brothers, Br. Phap Due was invited to share of his real life experience concerning the topic after Br. Phap Son had given his talks.  Sr. Mai Nghiem had impressed everyone with her sincerity of her past love experiences before becoming a nun. She also shared even during the years of being a nun, she also had a bit of affection for her older monastic brother.  Sr. Mai Nghiem shared that we are not that different from the ladies in society. We also have many levels of emotion concerning love, but we have our aspiration, our ideal and concrete practice, that is why we are able to channel our energy toward helping others. Sometimes, we have the feeling of attachment in us with someone we feel comfortable with, but we do not make that person suffer or to make ourselves suffer.  Each emotion comes and go, we just need to follow our breathing, being aware of each of our mental formations that is occurring in us and know that each of those formations is impermanent. Today they are like this, but tomorrow, they will change. If we are able to practice like that, we will be able to walk stably on our paths.  

One more thing is that the presentation of the five mindfulness trainings on the next day was very new and surprising. Instead of our monastic brothers and sisters coming up on the panel, the trainings were presented by our young friends themselves. They shared the benefits of receiving the 5 mindfulness trainings and how they were able to successfully practice the trainings in their busy lives. Their real, live experiences had awakened a path for many of our young friends who wanted a new start in their lives. That is why, during the last day of the retreat, which is also a joy for Buddhism in the west, is growing and sprouting roots beautifully in the West.

On the sixth day of the retreat, there was a questions and answers panel with our young monastics. Our friends felt that this is truly a retreat dedicated for young people, a practical and useful playing ground. The night of the performance marked the end of the retreat.  The day of departure, everyone was enthusiastic of getting contact info and all hoped that they will meet again for the next young adults retreat.