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Summer Retreat 92
An American Vietnam veteran discovers, after a few months of practice, peace and joy: the former soldier, once ready to fight, loses all desire for violence. Invited to sing and dance, the participants also practice a role-play—the “cake in the refrigerator”—to lighten heavy atmospheres, while the children are invited to meditations at Lower Hamlet.
Four key questions are addressed:
- Why does nothing truly come into being, and the idea of an absolute origin.
- Can I practice Buddhist meditation without “losing” God?
- How can meditation transform suffering that is too great, even for those with chronic illness?
- How can we combine contemplation and sociopolitical engagement, especially in the face of violence in South Africa?
For each, the answer is based on:
- letting go of fixed notions of Buddha or God in favor of deep looking and deep listening, paths toward a living understanding.
- seeing suffering as the “winter” necessary for the “spring” of happiness, provided we dose it carefully and first nourish the seeds of joy.
- patience, and for the “hungry ghosts,” a mantra that expands their capacity to receive love and understanding.
- mindfulness—breathing, walking, eating—presented as the transforming energy that, by touching both pain and happiness, converts them into healing and authentic engagement.
