Until recently, we at IMS doubted whether teenagers could—or would really
want to—meditate. At least not here, we thought! U Pandita, the Burmese
Sayadaw, disagreed fervently. He thought IMS should offer the precious gift
of Dhamma to the younger generation, and so we bravely decided to give it a
try.
In 1989 the doors opened to a handful of young adults for a three day course led by the Sayadaw. We repeated the experiment two years later, again under the guidance of U Pandita, and a few more teenagers (mostly the offspring of old yogis) attended. Since then, Steven Smith and Michele McDonald-Smith have taught this retreat annually, and each year the number of participants has been growing steadily.
This year there were sixty teenage yogis plus a support cast of twenty adults. The course now fills up quickly, with young people coming back year after year. Some also return to sit an “adult” retreat. It is clear that young people have discovered a home at IMS, and that they delight in the teaching and the practice of vipassana as well as in the sangha they form when they come here.
But this story is best told from the ‘young adult’ point of view, and for this reason I set out among the youthful retreatants with note pad and tape recorder. My problem was finding time to interview the yogis when they were not in silence. How could I compete with a full schedule of discussions, workshops and games of ultimate Frisbee? The solution came on the last day, at 5 AM., on the side lawn outside. This was the night of the bonfire and an all-night sitting option in the meditation hall.
I came upon a group of yogis who were staying up, enjoying the balmy air, first light, and each others’ company. In another hour or so, all, by agreement, would be sitting in the hall. I saw my moment. Would they be willing? They were not just willing, but delighted to be subjected to the tape recorder and my probing. I began by asking, generally, what was the importance to them of meditation? Here are some excerpts from the animated discussion that followed: “Buzz” Bussewitz
I think mindfulness is a huge part of [meditation practice] but I think metta practice brings so much more to the mindfulness. I find that not only does it help me to get into that focus—it really helps me not to get down on myself.
Metta means loving kindness, a way of being gentle to yourself and…everything.
Letting your heart open to all other people, to all beings. And, if you’re having problems with a certain friend, you can just like say, “it’s cool.”
I don’t think the metta phrases are necessarily very important—it’s the intention….
Metta is not really trying to make the things that we’re wishing for happen—it’s cultivating the feeling that we get when we really feel how we want to share the love and the wisdom that we gain, and how we want all beings to be free from being in their heads—stuck.
My first year, I thought it was a cool retreat—but I didn’t really dig the meditation part. I was so open, so in love with everything coming off retreat. I didn’t really get that it was the meditation that had done that. It’s like this really deep awareness that awakens the soul, awakens the heart to all this love and all this compassion which results in loving each other, loving everything….
A lot of people come here and think it’s just the people here who are so groovy—meditation’s just an aside. But it’s really the meditation that brings out peoples’ openness and wisdom—that’s what really makes the whole thing so groovy.
So simple, yet so difficult—to make space seems like such a simple thing. It really is very difficult to meditate—yet the benefits are beyond anything
It’s the present moment—that’s what meditation is all about. Right here, right now, in the present moment, I am feeling the most wonderful feeling—like unconditional love. We really don’t know what reality is, you know, so what is true is what is present, whatever it is! It doesn’t have to be something else—what is right now is love and compassion.
This moment is so what it is—what it needs to be—it’s sooo full. It’s so perfect. Why would we ever need to be anywhere else, but here and now?
You don’t have to be a Buddhist; you don’t have to believe in a higher being; you just have to be aware.
It’s so universal. It’s not about religion, or different names for a god—it’s about just feeling what’s real, being with what’s going on—and really being there. And if you’re frustrated, then you feel the frustration instead of getting caught up in it—and that’s real power.
Having more respect for life, in all of the ways of the precepts, increases your zest for life. Wanting to kill, or hurt, or engage in things that feel good, but aren’t good for the mind or for the soul—it’s just something that can be discarded.
We’ve been trained, in this society, to “go, go, go” and “think, think, think” on and on and on. Here you really get some space.
Through meditation we’re able to bring space around the problems of our life. It doesn’t cure them or resolve them, but it gives us space so we can see them as they really are, and that’s an amazing freedom.
It seems like our goal for dealing with our problems here is different. Instead of trying to fend them off—get rid of them that way—it seems as though we’re trying to bring them out, try to get into them, so we can figure them out, and then what we know can help the problem.
It’s amazing—this is my third retreat and I’m coming back. Sometimes when you’re really caught up with what’s going on in your life, you take a breath,—that’s all you need—and then you’re not so caught up in what’s happening and all confused in it. Take a simple breath, and you’re back, you’re right where you are. To know this—to have this tool, this power, is just so incredible….
But I think it has more to do with quality than quantity. If you can really be there for a minute—that’s all you need. Even just realizing where it’s going—frustration—then noticing the frustration—it’s such a wonderful thing. It’s not about having blissful states. It’s not about being like wonderfully heart-full of love and blah blah blah. It’s just about what’s going on in the moment. And if real anger and hatred and rage is what’s going on in the moment, you can be aware of that rage and that anger. That is amazing, and it’s beautiful. It’s just so simple.
I don’t kill any creatures anymore, intentionally. Now, if I see a spider, or an insect or a bug—I no longer have the fear of it—because there’s fear that came up with having to kill it. I’m able to see that—and so now I just take the bug outside—now I no longer have the fear. It’s simple things like that that really make a difference.
The connection that you get—this is the most fantastic part of the retreat I think. You go through all this difficulty—and really difficult things do come up—and when you get still the body is ready for these—fear, anger…whatever arises. After coming off this retreat you realize…everybody’s beauty just comes out, and it’s an amazing connection. We’re all so deeply connected by this consciousness.
Maybe we’re all really afraid to leave, because it is more of a challenge
to do this practice anywhere else. I wouldn’t say it’s easy here,
but it’s as easy as it’s going to get.
The community makes the meditation easier, makes it a lot easier on you. Isn’t
is sad how easily we lose it? And it’s always there, but like that it’s
gone!
The power of this practice is that you can apply it to everything, all of the
aspects of your life, and it doesn’t have to be here. This [IMS] is a
really wonderful place to cultivate it, yet it doesn’t really mean anything
unless you can bring it into your own life.
Nobody can concentrate and have a clear mind automatically. It’s humanly impossible.
I think that the mind is almost like an untamed horse—it’s really hard to be with it and not give in to it at the same time—it’s a really fine line.
You really get to see your mind in its fullest when you’re so still. You really get to see how critical it is, how judging it is….
During the sit, the mind will wander, and thoughts will come to you—and you go “oh, thoughts!” and get really frustrated with your mind (grits teeth and makes sound). “Why won’t you just sit down and meditate?” Like you’re thinking, “You’re judging: oh what am I judging?” You get really frustrated with your mind.
The YA retreat has had a profound effect on my life. It affects every aspect
of it. I would say it has been the most important event of my past five years—and
probably of my life. This was my fifth YA retreat. I am now determined to follow
my spiritual path at all costs.