Winter Retreat

We are nearing the end of our annual ten-day winter retreat, and the end of a year which has brought so much change, new life, new skills, new perspectives, new friendships, new strategic partnerships, new mentors . . . Michele and I feel profound gratitude for all that has come to us this past year.

We have started integrating the new work into the traditional Buddhist teachings that we have offered here at Manzanita Village for fourteen years – though actually we were never that traditional. We have always stretched the point, always found new ways of integrating and reframing our material. The irrepressible creative spirit in both of us has always seemed reliably abundant.

The promise for the new year is, among many things, a new curriculum which will be transportable and adaptable to multiple situations, from traditional retreats, corporate environments, educational and organizational settings . . tools for activists, tools for entrepreneurs . . . It consists of elements drawn from Buddhist teaching, from traditional healing modalities, from neurolinguistics, from New thought, from multiple strands and trends in current organizational consulting . . . and more . . . above all from vitality and common sense emerging out of the creative wellspring that is rooted in our own inner congruence, joy, and gratitude after this year of learning and transformation.

It is 7:30 in the morning. Frost is on the ground. We still transmit, in a very traditional Buddhist ceremony, the Manzanita Village version of the traditional Buddhist precepts, on this morning on the last day of the year:

1 Aware of the violence in the world
and of the power of non-violent resistance
I stand in the presence of the ancestors, the earth, and future generations and vow to cultivate the compassion that seeks to protect each living being.

2 Aware of the poverty and greed in the world
and of the intrinsic abundance of the earth,
I stand in the presence of the ancestors, the earth, and future generations and vow to cultivate the simplicity, gratitude, and generosity that have no limits.

3 Aware of the abuse and lovelessness in the world
and of the healing that is made possible when we open to love
I stand in the presence of the ancestors, the earth, and future generations and vow to cultivate respect for the beauty and erotic power of our bodies.

4 Aware of the falsehood and deception in the world
and of the power of living and speaking the truth
I stand in the presence of the ancestors, the earth, and future generations and vow to cultivate the ability to listen; and clarity and integrity in all I communicate—by my words and actions.

5 Aware of the contamination and desecration of the world
and of my responsibility for life as it manifests through me
I stand in the presence of the ancestors, the earth, and future generations and vow to cultivate discernment and care in what I take into my body and mind.