2012年3月13日 星期二

After the Retreat (by David)

After the Retreat (AR)


In many ways I wish that AR (After the Retreat) marked as significant a milestone in my life as A.D. or

B.C. do for the world. Unfortunately, this is not the case. As much as I may like to be able to report

that my life was instantly and mystically transformed post retreat – sadly, it has not been. However,

my life and points of view have been altered.


The chance to escape and focus on myself, without a constant stream of interruption and diversion,

is a precious and staggeringly rare thing and the retreat, with no phone, email or contact provided

this.


We moved to Taiwan six months ago primarily so that our eleven year old son, Connor, can learn

Mandarin and the culture attached to it. Behind this overt motivation however was a half-expressed

hope that transplanting our lives may also let us find alternative methods of living our lives to the

one we were living - A life filled with worry over ensuring we earned more than the people around

us, where we lived, what car we drove and endlessly obsessing over getting Connor into the 'best'

school.


The truly terrible thing about this kind of materially obsessed life, as has been noted by many before

me, is that you can literally never win. After obtaining your goals and desires you simply realise that

there is more that you 'need' or that someone else has. Think you have enough handbags? Prada

has just released a USD$2 million handbag. Think you have a good cover for your iPad? Hermes has

one for USD$1200 or if you are truly 'successful' then a New York jeweller has a diamond-encrusted

one for USD$4 million (and they cannot keep up with demand).


Fortunately, within a week of arriving, we went on a full day meditation to a nearby temple with the

English meditation group.


Versus a materially obsessed life, it seems to me that seeking enlightenment (or at least bringing

more happiness into my own and other people's lives) is something that is not only more worthwhile,

but actually easier to achieve.


The journey towards self-actualisation also appears to be a much nicer and more rewarding journey

than one of constantly seeking new things. The people that I have met at every meditation event,

including the retreat, are the kinds of people that it is a joy to be around. I believe that meditation,

in promoting a focus on the 'now' and being centred, brings out the best in interactions between

people and this positive interaction quickly becomes a virtuous cycle. This is the main idea that I

have taken away from the retreat.


Every day I try to meditate, usually with my son, for at least thirty minutes, before we start the day.

We do this so that we are more 'stilled' and more open to creating and allowing positive interactions

with the people and situations around us. My life has not miraculously altered as a result, however

by consistently being more open to the great things in people and situations I have found so much

good in them that I would have otherwise been largely closed to. I can already see a positive cycle

starting that may well over time 'miraculously' alter our lives.


Perhaps one day AR may truly be marked as a transformative event in my life.


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