Everything about the retreats is structured with intent. Meditation retreats are a time to quiet the fire of identity with the surface. During the day people bring their awareness to the absolute through meditation. In the evening we have a meeting.
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One purpose of the evening meeting is to enliven the subtle value of the transcendent by listening to Vedic chants. Another purpose goes unnoticed by many, but it is perhaps of even greater importance – disuse atrophy. After meditating all day, during the evening meetings, in waking state, without allowing the fire of identity to be fanned, the identity atrophies, softens, dissolves away through disuse. This is essential to the integration process. It is similar to taking a few minutes to come out of meditation before you come back into activity.
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Meditation is of little value if its effects are not integrated into daily life. Skipping evening meetings to fan the flame, ie., have dinner with friends, etc…, is like trying to fill up a bathtub with the drain open. It makes no sense.
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This is just one example of the subtly of the structuring of the retreats. You will do well to not second-guess the program, but to instead follow it along innocently.
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I hope to see you all at our next meditation event; Mother Divine, Oct. 8 – 17, 2010.
