Deer Park Monastery. Part 2.

Today we went again to Deer Park monastery: a Buddhist community and retreat that welcomes guests every Thurday and Sunday. We went earlier so we could participate in so-called walking meditation.

Well... walking meditation as the name implies is when you walk and meditate at the same time. The walk is very slow so I caught myself gazing at the plants which I would probably do anyway. A nun who gave a little introductory talk before the walk said that we participants should feel like one body, eh... not gonna happen with total strangers on the first day.

The walking was interrupted for no particular reason like every 5 or 10 minutes. I guess those are "the moments of mindfulness". So I'd say it was all right, nothing really special. I am the kind of person who does not fall into ecstatic rapture just because a bunch of Buddhists do something that is dictated by common sense. Here, I said it.

After the talk was the usual "dharma discussion" who was led by the same guy who were there last time. The usual alcoholic anonymous type of talk. Nothing really funny. And then the meal... Sometimes I wonder if people visited them less frequently if it were not for the meals.

Silent meal reminded me of the people eating in the homeless shelter: the same kind of concentrated look about them and silence. The food was not particularly good to my taste but then I am an excellent vegetarian cook even if I say so myself.

One mystery became clear. The was a dish there (nasty!) that tasted just like meat. Well, it turned out to be fake meat or not meat at all but some kind of tofu derivative. That is the closest meat tasting tofu I've ever tasted. Though I must admit I do not like tofu and soy product in general but it might fool people who like meat. I certainly could hardly tell a difference and my taste is pretty sensitive.

This time the dinner was held in a dining hall with people sitting on chairs (much better than in siddhasana like before) and for some reason they kind of rushed through it this time. No complain from me though. No sir!

After dinner we walked the same path this time laughing and talking and taking pictures of the plants. And that was it!