What is the single most important thing that I learnt from this retreat ?

That when you are on a veg diet for almost a year and live your life with mindfulness on your own body, speech and mind, the true energy will surface after 12 days of meditation.

During the retreat, I was on *noble silence* for 12 days as I felt that that would give me the most merits created and also I would be able to note *the nature* that surrounds us. Hence, I listened to the wind, the dogs barking at early morning and the leaves that fall in front of me and the various dogs and insects that appear before me on my 10th day of my retreat. I figured it out that : When one is truly compassionate and that compassion comes true from the heart with no intention of harming any sentient beings then insects and dogs will appear....just like that.

I also picked various gifts from the Universe like pieces of flowers and dried leaves that glitter in front of me such that I had to pick them and take a closer look. I also noticed that the flowers all started to speak to me including that big tree where I meditated and that big tree is a male tree as his voice is deep. If you are on the same level with nature as I am, you will know what I mean. Otherwise, you would'nt even be able to understand what I am talking about.

This retreat though tiring (I usually take a quick lunch and then go to bed and sleep if not I know I would'nt be able to take the 7.45pm last session, the 6th session for the day as it is already past my bedtime at 10pm SG time). I know deep inside me help created tremendous merits and various very useful technics of helping us creating merits thru visualisation. It is such a beautiful skill and secret.

I read in a book that says that usually after the retreat, the next day, realisations will come so I waited for it to happen. However, it happened in Kopan Monastry and not when I am back home in Singapore, the next morning. That realisation is your own *personal secret* revealed to you. I hope many of my buddhist friend also received theirs. Rejoice !

The single most important thing that I learnt in this retreat is : To go at your own pace and learn to look at many things deeper and deeper. Only when one who has learnt to look at most things deeper, will one be able to understand the nature of reality.

FSQ NOTE: If there is another session next year in October, 2010, I would surely come ! and it is a big YES for me !!!