Several days ago John Hughes, a member of the Sacramento temple and frequent participant in Myosho-ji Sangha activities shared with me a personal, private retreat he was planning on doing beginning July 1st. I really liked his idea and I began thinking about how I would like to follow his example. (You can find John’s blog at https://www.500yojanas.org/).
The idea is based upon this passage from Chapter XXVIII, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, Lotus Sutra.
“World-Honored One! The bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, upāsakās or upāsikās who seek, keep, read, recite and copy this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma in the defiled world in the later five hundred years after [your extinction], if they wish to study and practice this sūtra, should concentrate their minds [on study and practice] strenuously for three weeks. When they complete [the study and practice of] three weeks, I will mount a white elephant with six tusks, and appear before them with my body which all living beings wish to see, together with innumerable Bodhisattvas surrounding me. I will expound the Dharma to them, show them the Way, teach them, benefit them, and cause them to rejoice.”
The concept is to set aside 21 days, three weeks in which you strive to deepen your faith, practice, and study. If 21 consecutive days is not possible in your schedule then identify three different weekly periods to follow your created schedule.
What John, proposed for himself is daily recitation of portions of the Sutra of Innumerable Meaning, the prelude to the Lotus Sutra, and the Meditation on Universal-Sage Bodhisattva Sutra, the conclusion of the Threefold Lotus Sutra. In addition to his recitation of this he intends also to follow his morning and evening regular sutra Gongyo practice. Also he intends to limit his connection to social media and other digital distractions with the exception of his watching the Women’s World Cup football games. He intends to devote time each day to studying these two Sutras. Additionally he has planned a walking meditation of one hour each day.
For myself I intend to follow his example of recitation of these two Sutras and my regular daily services. While I will not necessarily walk an hour every day in meditation, my goal is at least 3 days out of 7 for an hour and 4 days at least half an hour. While I am walking I will be chanting Odaimoku and prior to each day’s walk I will select a passage from one of the Sutras in the Threefold Lotus to hold in meditation and contemplation as I meditatively walk.
While I will not be watching the football games I will devote portions of each day to making several types of art. I will be working on at least one woodblock print celebrating Fugen/Universal-Sage Bodhisattva. Also I will do Shakyo, sutra copying meditation on paper with leaf prints, nature prints. Also I determine to write everyday something about my reflections and insights gained and experiences during this 21 days.
For myself there will be an interruption in some of these due to eye-surgery and the difficulty of seeing for the first week after as well as all the pre-op and post-op doctor appointments. Healing will be part of my retreat practice.
Since I am retired and have no family or job commitments I can set a fairly dense schedule of study and practice. Do not compare your routine to mine, this isn’t a situation where being better than someone else is beneficial. Simply be the best you can and strive to push yourself a little during the 21 days.
In any retreat there is always the struggle against one’s basic nature which sometimes is to give up or give in or look for shortcuts or ways of bending the rules perhaps. Be mindful of this if it occurs in your situation. Simply acknowledge it and make a determination to push a little bit more.
Don’t compare your practice to what John or I have outlined, this is about your practice for your own benefit and your own growth. I will not benefit from your efforts and you will not benefit from mine. This about making your effort to push a little harder in the hot summer months when we all tend to want to be lazy. Think of it as a launch into the final last half of the year as we mover to the year 2020.
At the end of our 21 days let us all eagerly greet Fugen/Universal Sage Bodhisattva on the white elephant manifest in our lives.
I welcome anyone sharing with me their experiences if they wish. Please feel free to make comments or ask questions.
As they say in France Allez-y! Let’s go together.
With Gassho,
Kansho Shonin
