Great Retreat Teachings Update - February 2012
DMU concluded its semiannual retreat teachings with talks by three popular speakers—Mira Shani, Lama Christie McNally, and Geshe Michael Roach—during the first week of February. The subject of the talks was samaya: sacred commitments or vows, and how committing to an actual vow gives the good deeds much more power to change our daily lives.
Mira spoke on the bodhisattva vows, which are meant to help us act out the vision of doing something of benefit for the entire world. Lama Christie taught on the vows of the Diamond Way. And then Geshe Michael covered the vows of the Vinaya, primarily commitments for nuns and monks, with emphasis on the four primary vows: sexual purity, respecting others’ property, respecting life, and being truthful to ourselves and others.
About 150 participants from as far away as Norway, Australia, and Israel attended the teachings, and enjoyed morning meditation and yoga programs led by senior DMU graduates. A highlight of the yoga was a rendition of Van Morrison’s “Moondance” by our own Buddha Jazz group.
Following the teachings, the DMU Board of Directors met to hold its annual elections, voting in Rob Ruisinger as president, Nicole Davis as vice-president, Scott Vacek as secretary, and Charae Sachanandani as treasurer; along with Ven Jigme Palmo (Elly van der Pas), Tim Muehlhausen and Geshe Michael as the remaining board members. The board also voted to re-affirm Geshe Michael Roach as the sole spiritual director of the university.
The board also announced changes in the management of the 3-Year Great Retreat at Diamond Mountain, which began in December of 2010 and is scheduled to run through March of 2014, with about 50 participants and caretakers. Each year of the retreat will be guided by a rotating Retreat Director, and the board has asked senior teacher John Brady to take the helm for 2012. Thanks has been expressed by the board to Lama Christie McNally, who will be stepping down from this position. In response to questions from friends and families, the board would like to affirm that we will be continuing our past policy of open postal communication and family visits for retreatants who would like that.
Geshe Michael Roach had an opportunity to meet personally with almost all of the retreatants during the GRT program, and reports that they have settled into a good rhythm and look well, happy, and especially well-fed! During the recent teachings the board did become aware of indications of possible domestic violence between two married retreatants, and an immediate inquiry by the board has led to this couple being asked to leave the land for a specified period of time, under the existing policies of Diamond Mountain, for failing to cooperate fully with a request for additional information. The board has also conferred with local police to see if any further investigation by them is required, and the police have concluded in a written report that this will not be necessary.
The rest of the retreatants forge ahead with great devotion and determination, and our only other problem seems to be getting them to eat a little less gourmet vegetarian food, get more exercise, and relax a little more between their intense meditation sessions. All of us are very grateful to all of DMU’s sponsors and supporters for the magnificent job of keeping our retreatants warm and happy, and we believe that their second year in retreat will be their best yet.