On May 4th, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in an eight-hour Chan meditation session at Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center alongside my eldest son.
As we stepped into the meditation hall, we were greeted by a space that perfectly captured the essence of “emptiness.” Dominating the space was a serene and compassionate Buddha statue, instantly enveloping us in a profound sense of spiritual joy.
The event kicked off with volunteers demonstrating the proper way to enter the meditation hall and explaining the event’s guidelines. This was followed by a series of warm-up yoga exercises (Eight Form Moving Meditation) led by another volunteer. Once seated, Venerable Chang Xiang, who led the retreat, meticulously explained various meditation postures and the basic technique of breath counting, urging us not to be discouraged by our wandering minds.
Meditation might seem straightforward—focus on your breath, counting each exhale up to ten before starting over. If you lose track, you begin again. Achieving a full cycle of focused counting is genuinely challenging. Guided by Venerable Chang Xiang, we embarked on our meditation journey. Countless times, I caught myself distracted by either external noises or my own intrusive thoughts, forcing me to restart my count…
This repeated practice allowed me to appreciate the moments of focus, where I could distinctly feel cool, refreshing air entering and exiting through my nostrils. Interestingly, I noticed a significant improvement in my usually weak hearing, able to pick up various sounds around me, which, admittedly, sometimes made me lose track of my counting…
Lunchtime brought a transformative experience. Venerable Chang Xiang encouraged us to mindfully observe each minor action involved in eating: how we held our bowls, maintained posture, lifted food to our mouths, chewed thoroughly, savored the flavors, and swallowed. For someone nearly in her sixties, it was enlightening to truly learn the art of mindful eating for the first time.
Due to rain, our post-lunch session was indoor walking meditation. Venerable Chang Xiang instructed us to be aware of every movement: lifting the foot, moving forward, setting it down… Observing each step and synchronizing it with our breath, I realized the metaphorical similarity to life’s journey, where we must continually pick up and let go to move forward.
The day’s most demanding task was attempting to meditate while lying down. Shortly after lying on the floor, drowsiness set in… Before long, the sound of snoring filled the room, and I struggled to contain my laughter, realizing not only had I lost focus, but I was also close to breaking decorum. Later, I barely remember resisting the temptation to join in the snores, repeatedly declining the mythical “Duke of Zhou’s” invitations to drift off…
The meditation retreat concluded on a high note with snacks thoughtfully prepared by volunteers. Before leaving, I glanced at a piece of calligraphy by Master Sheng Yen in our rest area, inscribed with “Good Connections in All Directions.” Feeling immensely blessed, my son and I left with hearts full of gratitude and renewed energy.
Namo Amitabha Buddha.
Infinite gratitude.
King Lee P.
