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Dharma Talk, November 1996
The Rains Retreat is a tradition from the time of the Buddha, meaning the monks and nuns gather in one place to practice and study for three months. An is defined as hình tâm nhiếp tĩnh, meaning body and mind are gathered and settled. Cư is yếu kỳ tại trú, meaning when the designated time comes, one must stay peacefully in one place. In Sanskrit it is called Varsika or Vassa, translated as the rainy season. At Plum Village practice center, the community organizes a Winter Retreat instead of a Summer Retreat. All monastics, including bhikshus, bhikshunis, sramaneras, sramanerikas, and siksamanas, must observe the retreat for ninety days to gain Dharma age, called hạ lạp or pháp lạp. If one does not observe the retreat, one commits the offense of dukkata (wrongdoing). Members of the Order of Interbeing need to observe the retreat for a minimum of sixty days.
The day the retreat begins is called kết đông, and the closing day is Pavarana or the Buddha’s Happy Day. Before beginning, the community performs important ceremonies:
- Purification Ceremony: Using the water of eight merits to wash away the dust of body and mind.
- Stick Counting Ceremony: Receiving a stick to count the number of participants; the first stick is reserved for Lord Shakyamuni.
- Face-to-face Retreat Request: Formally requesting to take refuge in an elder brother or sister in the Dharma to practice.
The taking of refuge (y) requires two elements: relying on the place (xứ) and relying on the person (nhân). If there is no qualified person present, one practices distant reliance (contemplate towards a person far away). The practitioner must maintain the designated space called the boundary; if one needs to go outside the limits, one must perform a formal act or go on Sangha assignment. The most important preparation is renewing body and mind with the spirit “Today we renew, tomorrow we begin the retreat.” At the end of the talk, the community commemorates the musician Trinh Cong Son, who just passed away, through the tribute of musician Van Cao and songs such as Nắng Thủy Tinh, Em đến từ nghìn xưa, and Một cõi đi về.