Experiencing Awake!

EXPERIENCING AN AWAKE 10-Day Retreat!

Can you imagine doing a meditation retreat for 10 whole days?! To finally have the time and space to settle down and see, discover, and realize many things we were just too busy to notice about ourselves? An awesome chance, indeed! And now, even better, imagine a 10-day retreat under the guidance of two Awakened Zen Masters!!! That is exactly what happened in October when 50 people, a very diverse group, had flown in from all over the world, to receive the Awakened Zen Masters’ guidance to help us understand, realize, and touch with Awake.

Yes! This past October, the two Awakened teachers, Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien of Universal Door Meditation Center, and Zen Master Thich Thong Hoi of Suoi Tu Meditation Center, opened our minds and hearts in various ways, showing us that if we Wake Up from illusion, we can live truly happy and free, disturbed by nothing. Through their unlimited Wisdom and Compassion and through their teachings which are always fresh, unique, and full of clarity, the two Zen Masters guided us step-by-step, based on each of our capacities to touch the Awake within ourselves.

One example the Zen Masters gave was about knowledge for the mind versus touching the Awake inside us. When we acquire knowledge from a book, it is automatically stored in our mind, waiting to be used. But with Awake, the Zen Masters helped us open our “wisdom” eye to see the ego system of illusion controlling us at that moment causing us to suffer, hurting ourselves and the people around us. The Zen Masters guided us to look within,

to recognize the voice in our head, and at that very moment, have deep realizations about ourselves and who we truly are… Awake; we are not our False Mind! When the Zen Masters guided us to catch our thoughts, feelings, and emotions, we were able to have space and ask “what is it?” that can see all those things arise? We soon came to realize more and more about what really is Awake and who the Awake teachers are! We seem to always miss this important piece because we always shine the light outside of ourselves looking for happiness or to boost our ego to feel better about ourselves. The Zen Masters helped us to see the truth about ourselves, as it was; to see how our ego controls us every moment. From there, they showed us the way to see the truth about our ego system so that one day they can help us Wake Up and break that ego system that keeps us trapped in illusion and suffering.

Some of us have a background in energy and healing work, which allowed us to easily connect to the Zen Masters’ Awake energy, and their Awake World, which is pure compassion and infinite wisdom. Most of us observed that when we observed the Zen Master’s teachings, interactions, or simply walking alone, we could feel their Awake essence. Their Awake energy was tangible, we could feel it in their actions and speech. Their Awake energy was always the highest level of lightness, brightness, and clarity. They held no judgments or criticisms, they were the purest and truest form of Awake Compassion and Awake Love we had ever experienced! We could feel and see that they wholeheartedly help people of all ages, races, religions, culture and social status. The Zen Masters were always disturbed by nothing and it felt like they had everything!

We learned there are different styles of applying Awake meditation to connect to the Zen Master’s Awake World. It is not limited to just sitting! There is also walking, movement, eating, and working meditation. Each is a necessary tool to connect deeper to Awake. We practiced each of these several times a day, for all 10 days. The Zen Masters encouraged us to practice each technique as we go about doing things in our everyday lives. They constantly reminded us to remember the goal of why we practice… to Wake Up from the system of ego.

The meals and snacks were simple, delicious, nutritious and totally filled with Awake love! Yes, Awake Love can even be in the food we prepare and eat! Many students shared that they could feel the Awake center was filled with the Zen Masters’ Awake energy creating such a calm, peaceful, stable environment.

Coming into the retreat, many of us had a heavy, dense energy or body problems. After a few days of retreat and being around the Zen Masters, we felt something change in our mind, body and heart. We each had a different level of this open, light, fresh feeling unlike any we had ever experienced before. The Zen Masters explained that our wisdom mind had started to open and the Awake energy had started to shift inside of us. Over the 10 days, we were constantly feeling and seeing these changes; everyone’s experience was unique and personal.

Our final day of the retreat ended with a beautiful and heartfelt tea ceremony. We showed our gratitude to our Zen Masters for their unconditional love and compassion by sharing our profound realizations and life changing breakthroughs. Truly, it was amazing to see how much we had all realized about ourselves through the infinite compassion of our dear Zen Masters. We all came from different backgrounds; however we had become a tight knit group, a flock of birds who supported each other’s transformations and emotional breakthroughs.

Are you ready to discover Awake World? Call us for more information on the next retreat! Or, call us to set-up an appointment for a free orientation. Universal Door Meditation Center, 15202 Dora Lane Sugar Land, TX 77498. 281-565-9718 universaldoor.org.

December 201821