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This is the sort of question a dabbler would ask. Are you a dabbler? If yes, then such types of practices are definitely not fine. If you are not a dabbler, then you should already know the implications of this practice. Which category are you? There are preparatory stages to take up first before embarking on the more esoteric stuff. It could take a whole lifetime just to master the preparatory stages. For most people. Dont dive in blind. Some waters look inviting, but the under-currents are often unseen. Such waters often catch people out unawares, and they drown from their own wisdom-less actions.

Rebecca Adam, TV Presenter, Buddhist Nun, Artist - A journey of transformation. Inspiring video. http://vimeo.com/37114392

Anyone interested to chant along?

Thank you! Very good, especially the mantra towards the end. Imee Ooi does a nice rendition too.

Mingyur Rinpoche -- How to do retreat in daily life.

Now, that i know for sure!!! Thumbs up to the rest of the post too!

Mmm... yum! I love pies too, my fav is steak & kidney! (oops, off-topic). With some buttered mashed potatoes, a generous sprinkling of chives or scallions! Really tasty.

On days when meat is not on the menu: First thing in the morning, glass of water + 15 drops of Echinacea. After about half an hour - Juice, either freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit, or a combo. Occasionally add a teaspoon of cider vinegar. Breakfast itself could vary, from very simple, which is 2 toast, buttered, marmalade, raspberry jam or honey, and coffee... Or, on indulgent mornings, scrambled eggs, toast and coffee. Some cheddar cheese or Port Salut on the side, optional. Followed by a kiwifruit or plum with 2 or 3 dollops of plain, organic yogurt. A supplement capsule. Lunch - Again, it varies. Some days could be tofu, veg + seaweed soup noodles, other days pasta with cream sauce, spinach and broad beans, or a simple melted cheese sandwich, or vege burgers with a side salad of greens, olives, tomatoes and mozzarella, drizzled with organic balsamic vinegar and some olive oil. Chinese teas, Oolong or Green. Dinner - Oh, it depends on the season and day's activities. Light dinners on warm days, for example, flash-fried veg from the Asian market, tofu, fermented yellow beans, minced garlic, and a steaming bowl of jasmine rice. On cooler evenings, maybe lentil + veg curry with jasmine rice and/or chapatti, or chickpea + veg stew, or mushroom cannelloni, depends on my mood. Dessert is usually fresh fruits and a scoop of Haagen Dazs ice-cream. Pot of Earl Grey or Assam tea on the table most evenings. Some days, we would eat out with friends; other days we don't have dinner at all -- just some fruits and maybe a cup of tea. Munchies like biscuits, crisps, nuts are rare between meals. Just plenty of water usually.

I get your point about the hard-wiring, but one also has to consider that there are forces at work which will inevitably throw a spanner in the works now and again. This is what makes the spiritual path so interesting, in some ways. Sure, there's talk about irreversible enlightenment and what not, but for all intents and purposes, such wonderments seldom yield much in the way of practical progress. Speaking of hard-wiring, lets reflect on sports for a sec. You can put the world's top two tennis players in a competition, and no matter what, the game will always yield a winner. There is no possibility of a draw. But that does not mean one is more or less hard-wired than the other. In personal cultivation its quite the same. Perhaps the only significant difference is that likely the 'opponent' in this regard are one's own mental workings which come in the form of habits, attitudes and general emotional placements. A good way to regard our spiritual life would be to think how a master craftsperson regard an uncut diamond. Even if a wrong cut was made and the whole diamond has to be reshaped as a result, he is not worried for two reasons: firstly, he is confident in his skill, and secondly, he knows the diamond's essential worth can never diminish or harmed in any way.

That was merely the conditioned aspect of your self that is trying to lure you into some sense of false security. Trust me, we are never ever past sliding back. Even the gods are prone to it so what more us mere mortals. Important thing to keep in mind is not to beat yourself up over the head with that invisible stick again each time you stumble. Look on the good side, at least now you know where and when this sort of displacement happens. This goes a long way in the cultivation of wisdom.

I believe somewhere in that short interview Ani said (paraphrased), "Ordinary life begins well, but towards the end its mostly difficult, whereas the spiritual life begins with a lot of knocks, yet tends to end rather well." That hits the point right where it matters. Especially having shared life's endings with some family and some friends, i can see the truth in that observation very clearly. Yes, of course some do use the retreatant's path as a form of escape, but so what? At least its a noble form of escape compared to many others. There is a growing dissatisfaction in the world today anyhow, so either one turns away in ignorance or turns inside with gentle courage -- Its a choice we have to make everyday of our lives.

I dont think its so much as horrid than the constant feeling that theres something missing, some prevailing unsatisfactoriness that grabs one by the ankles more and more as mundane attachments become less and less meaningful.

'Detachment' sounds like a cold word. I prefer 'Non-attached', which is a more precise term from the Buddhist pov. Is there a difference? I'd say there is, but for many others, its quite synonymous. Detachment sounds like a type of psychosis, whereas non-attachment sounds like a practice, imo. Non-attachment essentially means to deeply understand interdependence. For this deep understanding to sprout, we will need to realize that its ok to have things, its ok to cherish self and others, and more importantly, its ok too when things change -- things we have no longer thrill us like before, people close to us depart, and we ourselves are not immune to the ephemeralistic conditions that prevail. So all these conditions are always changing on all different levels, yet, by developing an understanding of the nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-self, we will eventually learn what interdependence means, resulting in the proper placement of expectations, followed by release. Release implies a mind thats no longer at the mercy of false views arising from misguided expectational habit energies. How does one begin to approach the practice of non-attachment? Thru honest, repeated examination of one's attitude around expectations. This would be the place to start, i believe. The reason is simple: Craving and aversion arise as both a cause & and an effect, like cycles, from the varied, scattered, often misapprehended expectations we tend to place on things, people and situations. This makes life seem very complicated indeed -- we could end up wasting our lives juggling with endless streams of likes and dislikes, preferences, biases, and trap ourselves within a labyrinth of petty inner squabbles, creating a lot of stress in the process. By bringing mindful attention to the cultivation of habitual examination of expectations, we can learn how to offer space to what goes on around us, and this offering of space is very crucial because its a practice of learning to let go, culminating in the cessation of craving and aversion. With the dissolution of craving and aversion, dualistic tendencies will be severed at the roots, and the illusion of suffering will then naturally evaporate like mist in the morning sun. This is the theoretical aspect of it. The actual practice involves the combined application of daily rounds of shamatha and vipassana meditation as practical means to develop an attitude of mindfulness so that we can detect and wake up before the ingrained, fragmented expectations (or some like to call 'karma') get too far ahead and turn into monsters that can cause all sorts of obstacles to get in our way from being careless. late edit: added 's' to 'thats'.

This is perhaps a taster of what is to come, in the next 10/20 years perhaps. I tend to view these as unavoidable indicators rather than humanity's penchant for self-deception and anomalies.

One profitable idea i can think of is to master an old language, for example, Sanskrit or Aramaic, which, btw, one can obtain tertiary qualifications in, and then you'd be one of a small select group of people who can train on to become translators. It can be a lucrative, gratifying career, come to think of it, and definitely one that ties in to what you are seeking. As a translator, you'd be privy to ancient writings, and if your services include translating for non-English speakers or spiritual teachers, you get to travel with the entourage and get up really close and personal with said teachers/speakers; lots of perks in that alone.

You should not try to go around forgiving everyone, Mr Chi Dragon, or you'd get the stares. Additionally, thats a luxury seen to be reserved for the papacy. TI is correct, judgement and forgiveness are tied together in a knot. Neither is entirely helpful, with the latter serving as a form of pacification based upon intellectual compensatory habitual needs.

Interesting news happened recently in Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-02/high-court-recognises-gender-neutral/5361362

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some for me too please! says the meadow to the sun as it rises East...

Caring overly much perhaps.

Ok, if you say so.

Thats just your limited perception.

Btw, im in Ireland, south. One of the most ridiculously expensive countries in Europe. Why ridiculous? Cos the trends here have turned into joke -- wages are driven down repeatedly, and prices of everything is rising repeatedly. I know things are not exactly rosy over in the US, but a lot of consumer goods there actually cost half the price or more compared to stuff here. Pair of Levis? 100 euro. Thats 134 USd. How much for a pair of Levis in the States? 30 dollars? 40?

Yeah, its called 'daylight robbery' around these parts. The point is, for the lesser income folks who want to turn to a vege diet, they are now paying more for vege produce due to the richer folks thinking its way cool to be vegetarians, hence, prices of fruits and veg that used to be low before have now gone higher (and rising as we speak) simply because of the 'nouveau awareness' that a diet overly stuffed with meat is 'bad for health'. Plus, im talking supermarket veg shelves, NOT organics -- dont even think 'organics' unless your weekly income is approx twice the average wage. Another point to note: The mushrooming of health/supplement food stores!!! Again, mad prices for vitamins and healthy oils! You know what? I smell a scam.