It was pleasant to be able to combine Buddhism and art
Menadi Dharmabandu
I remembered the
Bhantes told us not to have attachments or thoughts about the food, only to
be mindful of what you are eating. I found it hard not to savor the food since
I was eager to eat, but after a few times, it was easy to not feel either good
or bad about the food. Then we had Dhamma discussions throughout the three
days. We talked about various suttas, including the Karaniya Metta Sutta, Mangala, and
Ratana Sutta. We also talked about each of our biggest problems and a way to
fix them. My problem and another friend of mines problem was procrastinating
our work. Bhante Wajirabuddhi Thero told us to try and be more mindful of our work. Our
peer told us that we can break a big task into smaller tasks, and it will make
the work less daunting. Next, we had the Buddha Puja again, then lunch, and
again we practiced not savoring or having an attachment to the food. We visited
two temples, a Laos and a Cambodian temple. It was interesting to see how
different countries and cultures presented Buddhism. We had tea and then had an art class. It was pleasant to be able to combine Buddhism and art. My group
drew different colored pieces of the Jataka story where two women claim to be the mother, so the Bodhisattva does a test to see who the true mother is. Each
scene was a different color of the rainbow. We also got to draw and color Buddhist symbols onto rocks. I enjoyed the walking meditation with Deepankara Thero.
It was easier to focus when walking because it allows you to not let your mind
wander since you have more to focus on. Then we had more Dhamma discussions. It
was a bit difficult to sit in one spot for so long and pay attention, but I
still did my best. I learned many things about Buddhism during this retreat,
like how to be more focused, to be mindful of everything we do in our daily
lives, and cultivate loving kindness even outside of meditation. My experience
at the retreat was tranquil and helped me develop more of an ability to focus
for longer and be more mindful.
Thank you to the Bhantes
for taking their time and teaching us! I will be coming back next year.
2023 Youth Retreat