Silence is sanity ….

The home of sanity

I have found the ideal place for the “me” time that I wanted in my life. As Chicago sang, we all need a “little time away … from each other”
The freedom to be selfish was the main aim for this weekend. I wanted total freedom, not having to give any though to others drove me to the Bhuddist Retreat Centre(BRC) for a silent retreat. I was going to remove the burden of all social interaction and have total me time. What came as a total surprise to me was the role the vegetable garden and kitchen played during the weekend. The preparation and consumption of food is a religion all on its own. The kitchen is the temple.
Buddhism is a way of life and because of this the centre is not only for Buddhists but open to people from all religions, or none. Louis van Loom, who founded the retreat in 1980 summarizes it as “ a gentle sympathetic space where one can be still and get in touch with oneself”
Driving in I knew I would love my whole experience; the garden was informal, indigenous and grew independent of any constraints. Even the sign showing you the way to reception was simple and clear. The mist and gentle rain added to the celestial experience and I could feel my spirit getting in tune for my weekend of silence and meditation. I was contemplating the meaning of life already. The giant white statue of Bhudda in the garden appeared illusive. He was surreal as he poked his head out of the mist, reminding me of a Salvador Dali painting. I found him to be an integral part of my photography over the weekend.
I parked my car next to reception and walked through the garden to my room in the Lodge. Noble silence is practised in the Lodge at all times. Bare footed I explored my lodging with total intrigue. All vehicles are parked in the car park, next to the shop, to keep “all metal objects” limited to one area.
A weekend of silence has been described to me as a present to yourself. This was one present that I was particularly excited to unwrap and explore. Stephen Coan in his book ”Chant of the Doves” describes a silent weekend as “the fear of letting go into the silence like the fear of water when learning to swim” This is exactly the mix of apprehension and excitement I felt for the upcoming weekend. Silence intensifies your surroundings and the nature that is all around us constantly. From the hadedas shrieking in the trees to the monkeys jumping on the meditation hall roof.
Something which is mundane, necessary and ordinary in our everyday lives is transformed into the extraordinary – meal times. The food on offer matches the surrounds. The recipe book published by the BRC is titled ”Quiet Food – a recipe for sanity” and is a tribute to the task of preparing and cooking food. The tenzo (cook) is the most senior position in the Bhuddist monastery of the Zen school and because of this exalted position the monk is often excused from many of the monastery routines. Through the preparation and cooking of food the monks are taught to “cultivate a mind that builds temples from ordinary greens”.
The meals at the BRC are also eaten in noble silence. Eating is done slowly, with full attention being paid to each meal. Contemplation is the key to the experience. Meal times are seen as a time to reflect upon the sustenance you give your body. For the first meal I felt very sub-conscience as it was a smallish room with communal tables. The “regulars” were more at home in the dinning room shifting between tables for the various meals.
The weather over the weekend added to my feeling of insignificance and total absorption on myself. The mist was a constant and welcome companion and walking between the meditation hall, the dinning hall and my lodging with my coat and the hood pulled over my head intensified the silence around me. “people appearing, people disappearing, mist on the path” (Stephen Coan) This was the perfect description for the weekend. The view from the ridge overlooking the Umkomaas River valley in the Ixopo area of KZN would occasionally clear giving me a glimpse of the indigenous bush covered valley, forest and rolling hills.
I left my weekend feeling very relaxed with a warm and fuzzy feeling flowing through me. My weekend had been a total success and I was looking forward to being with my family again. The constant cacophony of our house was welcome, I had my “little time away…”

November 2009