The Windy Monastery

A guest post from my friend Mac…

This month saw my return to Blue Cliff Monastery in the Catskill Mountains on a cold and blustery weekend.  Despite the -4℉ temperature coupled with a 30 mph winds coming off the mountains, the experience was warm and cozy in a way that our visit in August struggled to match.  I’m sure it was a function of knowing what to expect going in and being more confident with an additional six months of practice under my belt.  Between meditation in the great hall which blew up like a balloon with each gust of gail force wind there were cups of tea with new friends and amazing discussions about the power of love and compassion to change the world.  It was another transformative experience that I’m sure I’ll be digging into for months, including a new found appreciation for chanting.

Upon returning home with a deep sense of peace I wrote a poem about my time in meditation at the aptly dubbed “Windy Monastery”.

The Windy Monastery

The great hall breathes with us as we sit in meditation

timbers expand 

creaking to accommodate the rush of the wind until

the weightless pause at the height 

lasting just for a moment 

then the long slow out breath

the scent of incense eddies in the stillness

at home in the quiet 

as the diligent practice of ladybugs continued to 

explore depths only they can know

breathing in   

creak

breathing out

creak

this moment 

    with the winter wind hurtling down the ridgeline outside

this moment 

    suspended between breaths

this moment 

    the great hall rests.