Retreat companions

There were moments when it felt like being back in boarding school again. Dettached from society and my retreat companions as company. I didn't find the intermittent fasting difficult at all as it was a slightly longer version of what I usually do, and the routine, in the end of the day is just another routine once you adapt to it.
As part of my duties I cleaned the dog posters, did sweeping of the grounds, cleaned the dorms, etc. It is meant as meditation in action, or post-meditative activity. The leaves were quite the experience of futility and impermanence as you would sweep and ten minutes later it would be full of leaves again.

As to my companions, Sucheela, a 65 yo retired primary school teacher with a lazy eye, a limp and what seems like some sort of social inadequacy was my little source of happiness in the initial days of seriousness. Here tendency to photograph and video the most awkward of situations, and her apparent nonsensical of sweeping would bring a smile to my face, a living reminder of the touch of humour the buddha recommends to always keep in mind.
Vanessa, a 28 yo german on tour. Yanira, who stepped out of finance in Spain to go learn english in Australia. Josh, an englishman turned american through the finance world who is now financially free at the young age of 38, based in Panama and exploring the world of wellness and alternative therapy in search of his Ikigai. Basil a refugee Palestinian camping out indefinitely on the temple grounds while doing digital nomad work and acting like he da boss of da place. Franco, an italian theater director in his 60s taking some time out in his beloved Thailand and temple hopping, which he has been doing since the 90s. Justin, a 31 yo buddhist in theory and practice, english teacher as profession, whom I thoroughly enjoyed debating and spending time with. Felipe, a 30 yo columbian flight attendant living in Spain. A chinese couple who seemed to be very adept at Qi Gong and very peaceful together. The thais and the chinese I unfortunately wasn't so able to interact with.Read more