Thu, 07 Jan 2010
Slightly Interrupted
I've been having some problems with my computer hardware, bluetooth problems. If you don't know what bluetooth is, it's a wireless technology meant to make our lives easier, but occasionally making it harder. In my case, it zapped my mouse and keyboard. I've been having a few problems since coming back from retreat. On Sunday and Monday I lost heat and hot water in my apartment. A pipe broke in the boiler room. It's been cold here, like most of the USA, and the temperature dropped to 55 before it was fixed. Tonight it's supposed to snow, but not much.
Last week I was away at the mani drubchen. "Mani drupchen" is Tibetan for "recite the mani mantra 24 hours a day for a week." Which is what we did, apart from sleeping and eating. The center doesn't have the facilities to handle the number of people at the retreat, but meditators are a calm and placid lot, so we all got along fine in spite of the difficulties. I didn't shower for a week, there were only two bathrooms and one shower. So the first thing I did when I got home was shower. Fortunately, this was before the hot water went off. Each person at the retreat was assigned a job on the rota. I was the last person to get passed the rota, so I wound up with the job least wanted, which was cooking lunch and dinner. Why least wanted? Because cooking takes a good chunk of time (2 to 3 hours) and your failures are obvious. Unlike vacuuming, where no one notices the spot you miss, everyone notices if the vegetables are undercooked. I got through the week, despite my lack of cooking skills, and despite all the diffiulties. You'll probably think I'm mad, but I enjoyed the week and wish it went on for two. One week is not long enough. Your mind wanders and not much time is spent actually meditating, so a lot of time is needed. My biggest grief was when newcomers came for the second weeekend, they changed the whole energy of the retreat.
Kirby has also been blogging the retreat. Read his blog if you want a more detailed look at what went on. He wonders what karma got his clothes covered with backed up sewage. (This was the grand finale of the retreat. I was trying to nap in the basement when the lights went on and serious people started talking in concerned tones.) Dude, you parked your bags next to the sewer pipe! That was gravity, not karma! If you had left your bags in the bookstore, the shit wouldn't have put on sandals and walked across the basement! Well, I have to get up early tomorrow to shovel out my car, so good night.
