Around 3:00 pm today, I enter into a month of silence at the Forest Refuge near Barre, Massachusetts. Hey, maybe I should start right now, which would make this a very short post. Naw. I still have a few hours of yapping in me. Barre is three hours away and no doubt there’ll be human beings on the way to whom I can say silly things.
These fingers really enjoy tapping on keys. Well actually, just my two index fingers – the rest are just along for the ride. And this brain enjoys looking at the world, finding a stimulus (Is that the right word?) and then going with it into a potpourri of tangents.
Okay, how about a stimulus? A good-sized snowfall last night in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Do I hope for dry roads today or the beauty of a winter wonderland? Am I willing to embrace the losses and pains of life right alongside the gains and pleasures? Oh, I could go on, but why bother? All this writing stuff is about to come to an end. The thinking stuff? Not so much.
Over the next month, I expect to be sitting in meditation for perhaps eight hours a day. Then there’ll be periods of walking meditation, work meditation (maybe potwashing!) and eating meditation. Imagine thirty folks having lunch together in silence, with nary a clattering of silverware to be heard. Sweet (although we’ll only get desserts twice a week).
I’m going on retreat to love people. That’s it. And that’s enough.
See you on the far side, with all due respect to Gary Larson.
With love,
Bruce