Follow the Journey

Hayden and Dylan wishing everyone at home a Happy Thanksgiving. It has been a very pensive week here in Australia as we have been staying at the Chenrezig Buddhist retreat center. Before arrival we got a quick briefing of customs and practices of buddism and the expected behavior while attending the retreat, which includes living alongside spiders which has proven to be quite a challenge for some. It also began a week of silence for some members of the group giving them a better opportunity to reflect on themselves, the trip, and their lives back home. We also got a tour of the grounds including a walk through the garden of enlightenment followed by a brief introduction by one of the many practicing nuns and monks inhabiting the grounds. We learned about the ideas of convoy wisdom and compassion and the ideas of reincarnation and q beginingless life. The next day we started with some manual labor by cleaning the grounds and painting one of the new buildings. After that we split to either enjoy a day at the local outdoor markets or listen in on a more advanced seminar on buddhism. The next day was a big one for everyone as it was Thanksgiving. We were distracted from missing our families and food by making a visit to the Steve Irwin zoo that was only a short drive away. Upon return we had our own little Thankgiving ceremony all taking time to appreciate loved ones back home and the opportunity we have been given. After dinner we had even more time to reflect in our first Buddhist mediation session. The next day was very relaxed as many of us caught up on sleep in the morning and then we. Were introduced to the Buddhist teachings regarding happiness in the afternoon. In the evening we watched a film on the selection and early life of the current dalai lama. Today we got to have a long seminar on how humans interact and examine our own views on such things as forgiveness loyalty and gratitude. After that we were all ready to rest up for another thoughtful day of seminars tomorrow. We hope that this retreat will help us move forward.