Funny incidents at the meditation centre

Mettafore, modified 9 Years ago at 11/21/14 5:28 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/21/14 5:28 PM

Funny incidents at the meditation centre

Posts: 171 Join Date: 3/24/14 Recent Posts
When you start seeing cause and effect clearly at the meditation centre, life becomes rather funny.
 For example, the other day, I was looking at a digital clock at my temple in N. Thailand: the date was 20/11/14.

I started laughing because a few days ago I told my teacher that I had sent Metta to all the victims and perpetrators of 09/11 and she was giving me a rather weird stare. In case there is any misunderstanding, I was only laughing at my dates goof-up.

Please feel free to share any funny anecdotes you have at the meditation centre.
J J, modified 9 Years ago at 11/22/14 1:13 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/22/14 1:13 AM

RE: Funny incidents at the meditation centre

Posts: 225 Join Date: 3/31/14 Recent Posts
This didn't happen at a meditation center, but it is somewhat of a synchronicity.

At one point I was searching for a quote by an author, but was unable to find it. I ended going through one of her spiral-bound books, the first page I opened too was the quote. I find that one funny because spiral-bound books don't retain memory as to where you frequently open them, unlike paperbacks.

Yet another time I was searching for a quote on the duration of the Vajrayana, I remember the quote very distinctly being about how the end of the Mantrayana would be the end of the Buddha-sasana. I searched the one book I thought would have it and couldn't find it. So I started browsing another book, upon flipping a few pages I knew this was the book and I found the quote.

I don't experience too many synchronicities and my guess is the above weren't really synchronicities but just coincidences. My friend however goes through some shit though.
Mettafore, modified 9 Years ago at 11/29/14 7:37 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/29/14 7:37 PM

RE: Funny incidents at the meditation centre

Posts: 171 Join Date: 3/24/14 Recent Posts
Yeah, I've had a couple of book related incidents I'm the centre. For example, I was randomly going through suttas on my offline browser on my iPad. I landed on Mn 138. The gist of it: comsciousness should neither be outwardly directed nor inwardly. Outward means it starts thinking related to the theme of the sense object, inward means Jhanas. This was precisely what I needed that time.

Yesterday, I went to a book shop to browse through buddhist books. The place mostly had comics or mangas. When I asked the lady, she ended up giving away a book of Ajahn Tong discourses to me. When I read it, it had the exact advice I needed. Don't socialise too much, have a regular sleep cycle etc. 

Feeling blessed emoticon .
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Ben V, modified 8 Years ago at 7/4/15 7:11 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/4/15 7:11 AM

RE: Funny incidents at the meditation centre

Posts: 417 Join Date: 3/3/15 Recent Posts
This is an old thread, but reading it I felt compelled to post this. In my last solitary retreat, around day-three I felt a bit discouraged with body pains. I had a sudden idea when I got up to grab one of my Dhamma books and open it at a random page and perhaps I'll get some inspiration to continue my practice. The random page I opened, the whole of it, was about how to be patient and mindful with painful feelings in the body. I don't remember if it inspired me, but I had a good laugh.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 8 Years ago at 7/4/15 11:54 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/4/15 11:54 PM

RE: Funny incidents at the meditation centre

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
 I just think it's very sweet when on the first day of retreat all the pillows and blankets are trim and folded, but by morning of Day 3, it looks like pre-schoolers have been using the room for a chaotic sleepover and people look haggard.  Then by Day 6 things are getting tidy and rested again. Those first days just look like something from the Weather Channel.
Darin, modified 8 Years ago at 7/5/15 5:03 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 7/5/15 3:54 AM

RE: Funny incidents at the meditation centre

Posts: 22 Join Date: 2/3/13 Recent Posts
On a 10 day silent retreat I was assailed by ants crawling up through cracks in the concrete floor on which I was seated in meditation.  We all had allocated fixed positions in the hall.  The tickling sensation was one thing, the biting was another.  I perservered for a while until the crawling and biting became unbearable.  The one exception to the silence rule was to speak with the retreat manager about administrative issues.  I approached the manager's room and tentatively rapped on the door.  The manager appeared in the open doorway.  The speaking part of my brain was slow to engage and the words which emerged sounded to the manager like the words of a person slipping into insanity.  "The ants are crawling all over me", I said.  He looked at me with a puzzled and concerned look.  For a few moments I guessed that he was thinking that I was completely bonkers.  "The ants, the ants, they are crawling all over me, I repeated"  He didn't know what to say.  "They're comming out from the cracks", I persisted.  "What cracks?" he enquired.  "The cracks in the floor?, I replied.  Gradually he began to understand and suggested that I move my cushion to the back of the hall, away from the marauding ants.  
  

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