Dear Friends,

Handfuls Of Quietness

Self-described as a ‘professing Christian and a functional atheist’ the Protestant theologian W. Paul Jones decided to put his paradoxical position to the test by living as a monk for three months in a Trappist monastery high up in the mountains of Colorado. The diary he kept was published as The Province Beyond the River.

Spending a great deal of the time in silence was part of the deal and at one point Jones meditates on these lines from the Bible: ‘Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil.’ (Ecclesiastes 4:6). He also speaks of discovering how much the transcendent - God, the Dharma, or whatever label (or none) you wish to attach - speaks to us through our experience of and interaction with the natural world.

The Buddhist Retreat Centre with its beautiful gardens offering vistas of valleys and hills provides us with a similar setting to that of Jones in which to interact with nature, often within the frame of silent retreats, whether long or short they are generous handfuls of quietness.

In Buddhism what is called ‘Noble Silence’ gives us the opportunity - and in the context of a retreat, the permission - to experience the world around us without the distraction of chatter. Talking with others often diverts and distracts, diluting our experience. The practice of noble silence allows us to put down our masks and listen more attentively to the world around us and to our inner selves, making us a little more porous to their promptings.

But let’s not make a meal out of silence. Being silent on retreat doesn’t mean sensory deprivation. And is a silent retreat really all that silent? Silence will really mean the absence of conversation and even then we will still contribute our fair quota of sounds, either when practising in the zendo - sneezing, coughs, stomachs gurgling - or when eating together: the incidental music of plates and cutlery, the crunching of toast. We will also hear the sounds of nature: birds singing, the liquid piping of the orioles, the chanting of the doves and cuckoos, monkeys barking, the chirping of frogs and insects, the creaking of trees in the wind, the drumming of rain on the roof.

Offered a handful of quietness, grab it, pay attention, listen carefully, and perhaps, as in the old Zen poem, you will hear:

An old pine preaching wisdom

A wild bird crying the truth

Stephen Coan

A Fresh Start

Upcoming Retreats

Iyengar Yoga: Nudging The Body Into Shape And Health
Judy Farah | 2 days or 7 days| 28 - 30 June or 28 June -5 July

Get moving again. The upsurge of interest in the ancient practice of yoga attests to its proven physiological and psychological benefits. Our sedentary, western lifestyle has stiffened our limbs and spine to such an extent that many people find the yoga asanas (poses) difficult to perform. Iyengar yoga evolved to deal with this problem - safely, without forcing the body into harmful contortions. Iyengar yoga uses simple, but carefully calibrated props and other supports to achieve postures that would otherwise be unattainable except after years of practice. This retreat is suitable for beginners and for those who may have practised other forms of yoga. For those who wish to consolidate their practice to a deeper level, the additional 5-day retreat is strongly recommended (30 June to 5 July).

Conducted Retreats July 2024