After my period of sitting meditation and as I slowly, walked between these rows of cushions down the length of the large and very beautiful meditation hall here at 'Plum Village' SW France, I was in 'calm meditative equanimity. The hall was completely empty, silent, warm and welcoming. In fact the whole of Upper Hamlet, the Male centre, was deserted as all the weeks retreat residents plus Monks had decanted themselves to 'Lower Hamlet', the Female centre, for a day of sharing. Although Tanya is accepted here at Upper Hamlet if I had decanted as well it would have meant her being left in Rap3 for the whole day, something I was not prepared to do. Besides; I preferred to stay and take full advantage of the emptiness and silence of this wonderful location. It also gave opportunity for me to cheekily take advantage by walking to the 'business' end of the meditation hall at both beginning and end of my meditation to sound the big deeply sonorous reverberating Mindfulness Bell. It was wondrous to settle into meditative posture and still hear those reverberating sonics coursing through body and mind.
I was not completely alone however: As I slowly and peacefully walked back toward Rap3 to retrieve Tanya I was gently accosted by Carol and Min, her husband, who were on the weekly retreat and had also decided to stay and enjoy the peace. They were young city dwellers from Singapore who also owned a house further South here in France. I think, seeing as how they were tent camping for the first time in their life, they had decided, like me, to ditch the ominously early 5.30am morning start for a more relaxed and loving routine. Especially as it was cold and rainy.
You are gently encouraged, when here, to follow the daily Monastic routine but also sensitive and sensible, leeway is readily accepted toward being skillfully compassionate, loving and kind to self. This to accommodate the very different physical, mental, and spiritual requirements of the retreatants who arrive from all over the world with, as I've said, wildly different agendas, needs and cultures.
I was staying for just a couple of days but had agreed with myself to 'feel the energy/presence' as we went along as to how long I would stay. Rob from Leicester did that a couple of years ago and is still here. So too with my good friend Manuel, a Doctor from Spain, only it was 2015 when I first met him here. His small caravan plus tent has expanded somewhat but again he is still here. What has changed is that both of them are now different people having found here at Plum Village a way out of their individual suffering. But I shall leave tomorrow, at the end of the week. Fortunately I've not had to clamber out of any particular suffering. My visit this year has been more about gratitude for 'what is' , remarkable in itself when I look back over this last year. Plus a refreshing & rejuvenating of my already established Moho wandering at will, meditative practice on rubber wheels. Guess it's done Tanya and I no great harm over the last few years and I'm a great believer in; 'If it aint broke don't fix it'.
One of the retreat participants was heavily involved in organising and training groups in the recent 'Extinction Rebellion' London actions. A fascinating and passionate young man to listen to who gave real insight into 'what actually went on' and how action such as theirs is not going to stop. As you can imagine a hectic time for him so he got on his bike and cycled all the way down here to be a 'Happy Farmer' for the week. This was a retreat running in parallel involving work on the organic farm belonging to Plum Village and which supplies most of the ingredients for the plentiful and delicious vegetarian meals served up three times a day to us all. I had offered said young man plus bike a lift back up to one of the ferry ports but after a week of calming down and becoming himself once more he has decided to 'slowly' cycle all the way back. Safe pedalling my friend.
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The calm of Plum Village is way behind us now as we go thru our morning routine in the 'Vendee' area. Shall I take another day out & visit 'La Rochelle' or speed past to Brittany, my original idea?
My calm persona was tested yesterday as after a long drive I arrived at sleepy little 'L' Eguile' where my Park4night app indicated an OK place to stop down by the muddy tidal harbour. Only to find the last 300metre, through the narrow village centre was 'route barre' (closed) due to extensive re-modelling of the roadway.
"Arrrgh!" Back up, turn around; "sod it, I'm into the village hall parking lot and hope there's no event on tonight". A peaceful night did ensue apart from Tanya being returned to me by the lady next door, having herself put together the 'Scotland' on the back of the van and the 'Saltire' on her collar. Tanya had not 'done wrong' but had wandered across the grass toward this ladies house where she had two large and freely roaming Alsations. Very kind of her to return Tanya to me and I said so in my best French while also praising her lovely house. This just in case she was about to launch into me for being an irresponsible dog owner. My strategy worked. We parted on good terms.
And finally a Christening. Penny Sue in Ireland. No I was not there but I attach piccys.
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