The Tears I Shed Yesterday Have Become Rain

A mind-body health retreat with thePlum Village monastics

At the Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism,

Lotus Pond Temple, Ngong PingVillage, Lantau Island, HK

Date and time: 16/10/2019@4:00pm - 20/10/2019@2:00pm

Registration is available on line at the Plum Village Hong Kong Online Registration Website - FULL

Sept. 2, 2019

Dear friends,

You are invited to attend the annual autumn mind-body health retreat atAIAB – LotusPond Temple.  The theme of this retreatis reconciliation with ourselves and with others. In the book "Reconciliation", Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh talks about taking care of the wounded child within ourselves.  We all have the need to love and to be loved.  Our inner child always needs love from others and to express love to others.  When this need is not met, we feel lonely and rejected. It is fine to shed tears when are sad.  The sadness which manifest in our mind comes from the seeds of sadness which we may have inherited from our ancestors and from the environments in this and previous lifetimes.  We can practice to transform those tears into rain, which can wash away our sorrows, pain and suffering.

In this retreat, we will look into the art of transforming the suffering, learning about its roots and its nature.  Among them is the following three methods for transforming deep seeds of suffering:

(1) The first is to focus on sowing and watering our seeds of happiness.  We do not work directly with the seeds of suffering, but instead we allow seeds of happiness to transform them.  This is indirect transformation. 

(2) The second way is to practice mindfulness continuously, so that when seeds of suffering arise, we are able to recognize them.  Every time they manifest, we bathe them in the light of mindfulness.  Our seeds are a field of energy, and mindfulness is also a field of energy.  When the seeds are in contact with mindfulness, they will weaken; mindfulness transforms them.

(3) The third way to deal with the afflictions that have been with us since childhood is to deliberately invite them up into our mind consciousness.  We invite the sadness, despair, regrets, longings that in the past have been difficult for us to touch, and we sit down and talk with them like old friends.  But before we invite them up, we must be sure that the lamp of our mindfulness is lit and that its light is steady and strong.

- Thich Nhat Hanh, Reconciliation (p. 51). Parallax Press.

The mindfulness practices of breathing, walking, stopping, listening to the sound of the bell, and other daily activities will help make our mind and body steady and strong in order to cope with strong emotions that may come up during the looking deeply into the root of our suffering.  We will see that peace and happiness are there along with pain and suffering.  By just changing the way of looking at things, pain and suffering can be transformed to peace and happiness. 

We will practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, and pleasant smiling.  We will go back to the present moment, enjoying the beautiful scenery of Lotus Pond Temple.  We will enjoy the presence of our friends and fellow practitioners, who also take the time off from the busy daily routines to slow down, to enjoy a walk, to just be there for the present moment, for the preciousness of life.

This retreat is open to all people, whether they have practiced mindfulness before or not.  To help us getting in touch with the wonders around us, i.e.nature and friendships, there will be a hiking session (about 5 km long) on the Nei Lak Shan Trail in the afternoon and a small group tea mediation  in the evening of October 18, and an Outdoor walking along the Wisdom Path, sitting & breakfast at the Heart Sutra Platform on Sunday morning October 19.

The retreat will be conducted in English with Cantonese and Mandarin translation.

Accommodation and cost: Accommodation for thisretreat is limited to dormitory-room. Participants will be housed in dormitories (bunk beds).  Pillows, bed-linens, and blankets are provided. Thecost per person is listed below.

The tentative schedule is as follows:

Working Meditation:The retreat is held in the monastery. All the preparation and cooking will be done by the monastics and some volunteers.  During the retreat, we need help from participants in preparation works likesetting up the meditation hall and dining hall, washing up after meals… Participants will be grouped into Dharma discussion groups and will work together in the same groups to help with the retreat.

How to register:Registration is available online at the Plum Village Hong Kong Online Registration Website, on a first-come-first-served basis. Registrations are notfinal until we receive your payment.  Please make payment within one week after you register.  If payment is not received within one week, your registration will be placed on waiting list. For means of payment, details will be sent along with the confirmation email to those who completed online registration.

Closing date for registration: October 9, 2019.  Cancellation after paid will be subject to 20% administration fee. No refund for cancellation after October 1, 2019.  For inquiries, please contact us bye-mail: retreats@pvfhk.org  or by phone from 14:30 – 17:00 (Tuesday,Wednesday,Friday, and Saturday): 2985-5033 (English),2985-5281(Chinese).

Weare looking forwardto seeingyouat the retreat!

Breathe and smile

Retreat Registration Staff