Report on Chan Qi 2012 – 2013

Last month, we had our annual year-end Chan Meditation Retreat (Chan Qi). We decided to hold it for a month’s time instead of the usual one-week retreat as in prior years. We particularly welcomed the opportunity to participate and work on our gongfu after a very busy 2012.

This year, fewer people participated but we obtained many more responses than before.

For example, people from over ten nationalities participated, turning our temple into a more international congregation.
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While not everyone could meditate every day from 3am until midnight, those who could attend joined the Assembly for one or two sits at a time. Several came most nights specifically to listen to the Dharma Talks and to have their questions answered. And still others volunteered their time to do chores around the temple although they were tired from cultivating, in order to support the Chan Qi.

On the last day, we provided a report on our Chan Qi experience during our celebratory luncheon and asked a few participants to express their thoughts. Again, there were numerous wonderful responses this year. Many meditators found that their gongfu increased to the next samadhi level although they only came part-time. There was even a participant who cleared out his lungs of a problem that he has had for the last fifteen years but the doctors could not find anything wrong. Please listen to the closing Dharma Talk of our Chan Qi on this audio mp3 file on our web site for more details.

Chan Qi is a very powerful Mahayana meditation practice.  We followed the same methodology as practiced by the Patriarchs of old and as a result, we received significant help in order to unfold our inherent wisdom and obtain peace and bliss. From now on, we will organize these one-month Chan retreats more often. The next one will begin on the last week of May and we cordially invite all of you to come and participate however much you can.

In particular, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Dharma Protectors and supporters who worked very hard and diligently so that we would be able to practice in peace. For example, during the Chan Qi we did not hear a police car’s siren even once when we typically hear them every fortnight in our neighborhood.

After the Chan Qi, all the participants were very happy and full of Dharma bliss.

We also wish you a New Year full of Dharma bliss and that you will find success in all your endeavors.