Hello dear friends and fellow contemplatives,
It's been a busy time since the retreat, so I'm thankful for having recharged my batteries in the Gila, and gaining a level of equanimity that has served me well since leaving that special place.
Thanks, also, to my wife Karen for processing the images on her camera and handing them to me on a memory stick. I've finally found my way to a coffee shop in downtown Boulder, where I'll endeavor to post an assortment of photos that give an idea of the scene at our summer retreat.
And, more than anything, I want to express gratitude for Jeffrey Brooks, who created and has maintained the GWV through the years. It was wonderful getting to sit with Jeffrey again; I look forward to more ecstatic meditation with him in December.
As mentioned by Craig in his review, I appreciated the openness and freedom of this retreat. Jeffrey left it up to us to get on the cushion -- he's not into cracking the whip -- and, for me, this worked really well. With a less experienced group, it would probably have been good to provide a sitting schedule, and to plan-in dhamma talks at particular times during the day -- but with a small, dedicated gathering such as ours -- during a monsoon week that would've disturbed any schedule we might have employed -- less structure seemed to work really well.
Basically, we built our sitting time around meals -- which turned out to be VERY communal. Jeffrey distributed many, many cans and boxes of good food that he'd received through a homeless support program -- food that he can no longer eat, given that he is treating his diabetes through diet. Karen, Stu, Craig and I shared the food that we brought, and it's safe to say that no one went hungry during our week together.
(Unloading and setting up Jeffrey's "mobile kitchen")
When Karen and I pulled into the campsite, Stu had already arrived in his deluxe camp-mobile:
We ended up erecting the Meditation Temple just next to Stu's rig -- a tranquil and meditative space where we all found ever-deepening levels of absorption:
(Karen... in total BLISS, JOY and ECSTASY....
)
(I was feelin' it, too....)
Jeffrey and Craig showed up a couple evenings later, having encountered various vehicular adventures along the way. It turned out that they spent Saturday night about a mile away from our camp -- the Great Western Vehicle had decided it wasn't moving another inch until it got some rest:
(Craig, a little dazed from being around meditation-crazed old timers...
)
The picnic table, as with many a home kitchen, quickly became The Place to BE:
Jeffrey slept in his van, Stu in his camper, Craig in his tent down by the (dry) river... while Karen and I slept in our own tent, keeping an eye on the campsite (which was visited by trash-loving critters a couple nights):
We heard a wolf or two, saw many a raptor (with an owl keeping watch over us), and were lucky enough to encounter several humans on bicycles, hugging the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico (sorry, no photos of them). A small handful of pickup trucks and SUV's crawled by, heading to campsites further up the road -- some returned later in the evening, piled high with fresh-cut lumber. A Forestry Service vehicle came by once, but did not stop.
I enjoyed Jeffrey's talks and his Q&A sessions, as well as his "movement meditation" exercise. I also enjoyed a contemplative nature walk that Stu, Craig, Karen and I took -- this truly was a beautiful and special spot (thanks to Stu for finding it!).
I come away from this retreat with a strong conviction that our small-but-committed Great Western Vehicle organization will not only survive into the future, but will find new ways to thrive. We are already planning another retreat for the second half of December in Arizona (possibly in or near Sedona, where Jeffrey is now based, and where I'll be for a Maurice Fernandez astrology workshop). That we've discovered one another through the Internet is a boon; that we're finding ways to commune together, in person, is a blessing beyond words.
As you can see from the last two images (below -- taken just up the road from the campsite, as Karen and I drove away)... we benefited immensely from sitting together with others who are saturated in ecstasy -- there really is no way to fully describe it, other than to request that more and more of you find a way to attend future retreats. Together, we'll build the spiritual home we've been looking for....
