 The
Hermitage: Learning Meditation
Few cross over the rushing river.
Most are stranded on this side.
On the riverbank they run up and down.
But the Wise One, following the Way,
crosses over [to Nirvana], beyond the reach of birth and death.
— the Dharmapada
Weekly Meditation
Two evenings per week, meditation sessions are held at the Hermitage,
usually under the guidance of Lama Rodney Devenish (Kunzang
Rinpoche).
These sessions are open for all who would like to attend, without any
special commitment or obligation. Monday night is dedicated to Vajrasattva
Purification practice. Sessions begin at 7:30 PM and tea is served.
Wednesday night meditation consists of silent sitting, with attention
on the rise and fall of the breath, aimed at developing Calm-abiding
according to the method outlined in the Dharma
Fellowship Meditation Manual. All meditations and recitals of practice
texts are presently performed in the English language.
Meditation Retreats
At certain times in the year, the Hermitage hosts 5
and 10 day meditation retreats. Those who attend the retreats are
from all walks of life, professions, religions, cultural backgrounds,
ethnic groups and countries. Anyone who comes with an open mind can gain
the necessary confidence in the technique and in himself or herself. The
benefit of spending ten days engrossed in silent meditation practice,
surrounded by the beauty and simplicity of nature, is enormous. No one
leaves without feeling that a significant degree of personal transformation
has taken place.
 Quiet
meditation alone, on one's own timing, amidst the abundant beauty of nature,
is the method used by the early disciples of the Buddha. This is also
the method adopted by the great yogis and yoginis of the Kagyu school,
such as Milarepa, Rechungpa, Pema Karpo, Tepun, and so forth. At all of
the Hermitage retreats, individuals are encouraged to choose a private
place to meditate and decide for themselves how much meditation practice
they will put in each day. This allows everyone to progress at their own
pace. People have found this a more gentle, pleasant approach. When meditation
is consistently a pleasant experience, one attains a greater depth of
experience and realization more quickly and easily.
Buddhist meditation practice is direct, clear and not hard to follow,
and basically founded on what is known as the Eightfold Spiritual Path
(astanga-aryamarga), as originally taught by the Buddha. This
straightforward Path of spiritual endeavor may be summarized under three
headings: the development of virtue (sila), concentration (samadhi)
and wisdom (prajna).
The cultivation of moral virtue is a common denominator
of all religions, and is essential to all forms of true spirituality.
At the Hermitage, students are asked to take refuge and observe the five
precepts: refraining from killing, stealing, sexual abuse, lying, and
intoxication from drugs or alcohol. By observing this natural foundation
of morality, one develops harmlessness of physical and verbal action.
This is performed as a formal act on the first day of the retreat.
Beginning with a pure moral basis, training in Calm-abiding concentration
is then exercised (chiefly by means of Anaprana-smriti, mindfulness
of the breathing), while sitting and walking. Through learning to calm
and control the mind during the first days of the retreat, the student
quickly appreciates the advantages of a steady, clear mind. Further striving
results in a growing number of hours spent in meditation and further clarity
of consciousness.
A clear, calm mind quickly develops wisdom or insight
(vipasyana), which is practiced along with precise attention
to mindfulness, throughout the remainder of the retreat. As far as possible,
silence is maintained. Helpful guidance from the teacher aims to point
out the nature of the mind directly as it is experienced by the seeker.
 The
entire teaching is a matter of experience. If what you learn through experience
results in your well-being, then it becomes something accepted, from which
you develop further. What you do not find is for your well-being, you
may happily reject. Thus we see that Buddha Dharma is not a religious
dogma, any more than it is a form of philosophical speculation, or a doctrine
to be believed in. All that one comes to learn and know is experiential,
and therefore consists of the truth discovered by oneself, in oneself.
Drink deeply.
Live in serenity and joy.
As a wise person, delight in the Truth
and follow the teaching of the awakened!
As the farmer ditches water to his crops,
as the fletcher whittles his arrows,
or the carpenter turns his wood,
so the Wise should train their mind.
— the Dharmapada
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