Sri Lanka - Meditation in Nilambe
I find a meditation centre I want to disappear to. I want to switch off, not talk, not interact. The past 4 months have been very intensive and wore me out. I get dropped off at the centre by Nandika and his friend Nanda. Nanda has worked in the UAE for 4 yrs, saved USD 3.5K and bought a land in Kandy. He reflects on his ex-employers; lazy, mean, but the smile on his face overshadows these bad memories. He’s a landlord now, that’s like a cast progress. The three of us become good friends very quickly, I take the advantage and ask them about premarital sex. Nandika is 28 years old and says he’s still a virgin. They tell me how much they earn, what commissions they make from gem sales, they watch adult movies at Kanday’s-only illegal joint. They are both smart and genuine. It breaks my heart to see how much they aspire to have a better life but no means of getting there. They poke at my marriage to a Sri Lankan, tell me Tigers are no good to get married to. They are Singhalese.
I finally reach Nilambe, my meditation centre. I’m surrounded my pepper and tea plantations, my room overlooks it all. A Corsican monk takes me around, he’s been here for 2.5 years, came originally for 2 weeks. He asks me to spend 30 min with the centre’s dharmma. I find the man to lack charisma and I feel a bad vibe from him, so I avoid him for the rest of my stay. There is no electricity here. We get up at 4.30am to start the first meditation session at 4.45am. Tea and yoga follow. Breakfast is served at 8.30am, lunch is at 12.30pm. This is the last meal for the day too. There are several meditation sessions during the day, from 1-1.5 hours. The centre is a great platform to practice, not to learn meditation, as there is no guidance. I save my iPod’s battery to listen to some guided meditation tapes in my own time. I sleep 10-12 hours a day and feel like new life has entered my body. The food is strictly vegetarian, most vegetables are grown in the back yard. I forgot what organic food looks like, the ginger root looks so much smaller than what I get in HK.
Nilambe is a great platform – the shrine, the rooms, the library, the surrounding plantations and pine forest are something I take in every moment and remind myself how lucky I am. Total silence, total isolation, totally no electricity.
On Dec 24th I text my sister not to tell my family where I am, as there are no Xmas celebrations at a Buddhist centre. My family has their traditions, and I have too many to choose from.
It’s the simplicity that thrills me. I text Eric that I’ve accomplished absolutely nothing today and it feels great. We live a life where task completion equates to our worthiness.
Why meditate? It’s a skill no different than playing piano or tennis. Takes time and perseverance and the benefits are known to those who master it. Meditation is the foundation of Buddhism, Buddha means ‘awakening’. Remember how you first meet somebody, fall in love, the whole world looks wonderful, all your senses get awaken, you feel like you had a coke fix. This is somewhat similar. I read, listen to my iPod sessions, practice it and indulge in the new territories my brain is exploring.
In 5 days my interaction with people is contained to a few sentences and I like it this way. On my last night, we gather to talk why each of us is here. Tonight I realize that most people seek refuge from tragic life obstacles, need to decide what road to take. From mental health workers, NGO people, doctors, German Green Party members, to sheer addicted meditation freaks (did 20 10-day retreats in 1 year), rebuking the establishment. Silence is a good thing.
I finally reach Nilambe, my meditation centre. I’m surrounded my pepper and tea plantations, my room overlooks it all. A Corsican monk takes me around, he’s been here for 2.5 years, came originally for 2 weeks. He asks me to spend 30 min with the centre’s dharmma. I find the man to lack charisma and I feel a bad vibe from him, so I avoid him for the rest of my stay. There is no electricity here. We get up at 4.30am to start the first meditation session at 4.45am. Tea and yoga follow. Breakfast is served at 8.30am, lunch is at 12.30pm. This is the last meal for the day too. There are several meditation sessions during the day, from 1-1.5 hours. The centre is a great platform to practice, not to learn meditation, as there is no guidance. I save my iPod’s battery to listen to some guided meditation tapes in my own time. I sleep 10-12 hours a day and feel like new life has entered my body. The food is strictly vegetarian, most vegetables are grown in the back yard. I forgot what organic food looks like, the ginger root looks so much smaller than what I get in HK.
Nilambe is a great platform – the shrine, the rooms, the library, the surrounding plantations and pine forest are something I take in every moment and remind myself how lucky I am. Total silence, total isolation, totally no electricity.
On Dec 24th I text my sister not to tell my family where I am, as there are no Xmas celebrations at a Buddhist centre. My family has their traditions, and I have too many to choose from.
It’s the simplicity that thrills me. I text Eric that I’ve accomplished absolutely nothing today and it feels great. We live a life where task completion equates to our worthiness.
Why meditate? It’s a skill no different than playing piano or tennis. Takes time and perseverance and the benefits are known to those who master it. Meditation is the foundation of Buddhism, Buddha means ‘awakening’. Remember how you first meet somebody, fall in love, the whole world looks wonderful, all your senses get awaken, you feel like you had a coke fix. This is somewhat similar. I read, listen to my iPod sessions, practice it and indulge in the new territories my brain is exploring.
In 5 days my interaction with people is contained to a few sentences and I like it this way. On my last night, we gather to talk why each of us is here. Tonight I realize that most people seek refuge from tragic life obstacles, need to decide what road to take. From mental health workers, NGO people, doctors, German Green Party members, to sheer addicted meditation freaks (did 20 10-day retreats in 1 year), rebuking the establishment. Silence is a good thing.
posted by Magdalena Wszelaki @ 10:54 PM
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