A BUDDHIST RETREAT FROM A NON-BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE

     I spent the last 5 days in the Rocky Mountains at the YMCA camp in Estes Park, CO.  I was attending a Mindfullness Retreat presented by the buddhist monasteries of Thich Nhat Hahn.  It was an incredible experience for me and I would like to share all of it with you. I wrote nonstop in my journal those 5 days and I will regurgitate each day's information in a journal entry every week over the next several weeks so that I can savor the information for awhile.  In this blog I will present the teachings of Thay (as his monks and nuns call him) from my perspective (since it's the only one I have first hand) then I'll give you my own commentary of what is going on, mostly based from my own beliefs as a non-buddhist.  I think Buddhism is an incredible practice and I am going to "steal shamelessly" from it.  But I also do not have a great understanding of it and since this retreat was my second exposure to Buddhism (my first being to sit with a Zen Buddhist groups for a couple of months), please take anything I say as it is meant to be...my experience as a non-buddhist having a buddhist experience.  So let's begin.
   August 19, 2011:    I am up at the Rocky Mountain YMCA in Estes Park @ the Thich Nhat Hahn retreat.  I was feeling that I wasn't going to be able to decompress and not use all my electronic equipment but now that I'm here I think maybe I can.  I want to take advantage of this wonderful place, these incredibly spiritual people and the peacefulness that's in my heart.  The setting here in Estes Park is incredible.  I can see Longs Peak from everywhere, even my room.  I'm sharing a room with a friend I met while working for the military in El Paso last summer.  I don't know her well but she seems very nice and I believe we will both honor the space needed to be here these next few days.  I want to dig deep into my soul and feel the presence of the Universe inside of me for the whole 5 days. 
     There are 2 elk on the hillside having their dinner.  Thank you God for this spectacular view.  There's a wagon (horse drawn) heading down the road.  Actually the closer the animals get the more I'm not sure if they are elk or deer.  It doesn't really matter, they sure are beautiful.  Thank you Source for an incredible life.  I am so truly blessed.  The most important thing for me right now is to stay mindful and enjoy the moments of these next 5 days and absorb the energy of this spectacular event.  Life is almost too good for words.  I love living in peace and harmony and love and want to have love in my heart forever and ever.  Amen.  Aho.  Thank You Jesus. 
      Dinner is in silence and while we eat we are asked to think mindfully of every bite we take.  We will continue silence after the talk this evening until after lunch tomorrow.  They call it Noble Silence.  I like that (smile).
     Tonights opening orientation was very interesting and beautiful. Thay(TI) as they call Thich Nhat Hahn is a very gentle, quiet man,  His message was about the 3 energies we need to work with in order to find the kingdom of heaven within.  Mindfulness , concentration & insight.  These, he says, are the Holy Spirit.  I resonated with that and I will spend time over the next few days as I'm here at the retreat thinking about these 3 energies.  The mindfullness I understand, the concentration for me will probably take a little more practice especially if I'm getting bored.  The insight I would think comes from the mindfullness and the concentration.  All is well in this awesome world of mindfullness. 
     Sangha is a new word.  It means the group (like a church) or this group of people at this retreat.  Too Cool!  I'm learning all kinds of cool things about Buddhism.  Yea!  Something new. 
     My ego did want to judge and was getting uncomfortable with all the monks and nuns and wanted to think, "shoot this is just like Catholicism" and in a way it is.  But it doesn't matter what it is or isn't, it is deeply spiritual and as they say in alanon "take what you like and leave the rest."  Right now what I take is the peace and the mindfulness.  All is awesome.  Aho!