And now what?
Our « retreat » ended yesterday, with some of us sitting all day in Paris, sharing our bring-a-dish lunch and finishing in late afternoon with a Gate of Sweet Nectar ceremony. A fine day it was. And a fine week it was.
Some of us sat a lot, some if us did not, some worked, some did not, some « practiced » more than usual, others not. One participant even gave birth! What a perfect event that is for a heart of life retreat! And how special for that baby to have been born during a Zen retreat…
Of course if life is practice and practice is life, we all are born and live and die in the middle of a retreat.
Thanks everyone for your support, your effort, your sincere practice. You are an endless source of inspiration for me.
Retreat in the Heart of Life: The Day After
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
Dear all,
so indeed for me the last day of the retreat was very special. The whole saturday I spent more or less in labor and left for the maternity in the evening. After checking in we went for a walk and there was a lot of wind and leaves dancing in the street, a magic night. And later in the morning, after my body was swept through with this incredible life energy that brings babies into this world, like this intensity of the wind blowing in the streets, a new little being did his first breaths. Since then, I am full of admiration for this magic and wonder and try to recover from the fatigue. I greet you all !
Last week it was good to integrate the "retreat" into my daily life – or life into the retreat – and to realise that indeed "life is practice and practice is life". Before, I understood the words, but not the concept. The experience of the retreat made it real, and reading your comments each day reinforced it as we took part in the retreat in our different lives, activities and time zones. Thank you all, and welcome to the new baby.
Thank you Sensei for these words.
It was a very good week for me. Some days I have practice more and other days very smal. Yet even washing the dishes and going to the market felt like my practice and thinking on all the others sitting and going ahead with teir lives. Even paiting one wall in the house was my chalenge. Even sleeping I found myself being awere of my breath and saying my current koan.
Yesterday I was amazed by a kid on the road that seeing me driving he smilled so much and just yelled: "I love you!" I was so touched and imagened if I all the time saw someone and be with someone I just felt that love to the other. Really intense! I have been trying this.
I was travelling this morning and thinking and feeling that I was still in retreat.
During the 4 hour journey I said "good morning" to many and to some i just raised the hand or the thumb and we have exchanged so many smiles. Around here I see so many people smilling that sometimes I found it intriging. Bu then I just smile back and everything is okay.
Wish you all a very good week and a very good practice. The practice must go on and now it is time to get back to work.
Thank you, Amy. Thank you all. You all are a source of inspiration to me. I will try as best as I can not to forget that "if life is practice and practice is life, we all are born and live and die in the middle of a retreat".
You are a source of inspiration… so thank you 🙂
so till tomorrow, the start of a new day and the continuation of the retreat.