Satori, Zen meditation retreat
By Mark O’Brien
Ok, it was time in my life to bite the bullet and attend Satori, Zen meditation retreat.
Based on the Zen koan, Who am I?, Satori was probably the most fun process I have ever done.
The first couple of days (It goes for 7 days, fully residential) were pretty tough, (‘Why am I?’ rather than ‘Who am I?’ being the question for me!), but once I plugged in, mostly an exploration, with humour a vital ingredient, and later an often hilarious delving into exactly what trust was going to do with love; which came first, life, love or trust, and where does Mu fit into it all anyway?
Is Mu really all there is?
Is there no difference between you, me and Mu? Does everything consist of Mu, and more Mu? Is there anything that is not Mu? Am I, when one really gets down to it, Mu? Or am I just “another”?
It was fantastic, highly recommended, a worthy adventure, finding out who I am, who is writing, who is reading, wondering who am I that’s wondering who am I that’s wondering who I am, and who I will be when I ever get off this merry go round of who am I am I am I am I ….. I felt as though I’d undergone a grease and oil change!
It was so beautiful to have a week off just focusing on who I am. A great platform to break whatever habits I want it seems to me.
I had a beautiful time overall, even liking the structure, and falling in love again with Osho and his crazy people who along with his “out there” meditations and words constitute his incredible legacy.
Every time I ‘come back’ to Osho I get utterly blown out, hugely grateful for having a master with such a wicked sense of humour.
I got a taste of the sacredness of humour, and that it seems to make the world go around more than anything else.
See also on this website, Satori, an Incredible safari and An Interview with Avikal Constantino
Some other reviews
7 days of laundry
It all began in the feeling that laundry is needed. The first step was collecting the items to wash; they were all over especially in the corners of the house. Some stinky stuff was there I can assure you.
Then putting the soap called meditation, recommended by a good friend of mine. I had no machine so I had to struggle the stains by hand, One by one I washed them.
It took a long time and the stains were so stubborn. As time past they started being washed one by the other, letting the sparkle of love to grow bigger. The celebration of the foam, of the clean took over.
And then suddenly the realization of stainless appeared. Something so familiar and yet so forgotten.
I gazed at the stinky water that held all the stains as I flushed it in the toilet. This soap is amazing I tell you, try it my friend and allow yourself shine.
It will take time that’s for sure but with love and intention you’ll be shiny and clean. And don’t forget the soap…good luck
Vimal, Israel
Satori… at first I did not get what I was doing there …
I just went on looking and digging and sharing and struggling – and then suddenly I was right there – in a total moment – unexpected and that’s why it was like a storm inside.
So vast and so silent at the same time. Just this experience of me, of my nature, of being. Going through all this different facets and layers and believes of who I thought I am or should be – and recognising that it is actually so beautifully simple!
Love to this process which in a way opened me up to life!!
Premal, Germany
“I found a reference point inside which I’d never had before; a place of home , of knowing in the middle of disaster that there is something else.
A gratefulness that, after all these 20 years, I now know what the Himalayan peaks are that the mystics speak about.
The light went on and never really went off again – something I was waiting for after years working in therapy and with the personality. A feeling that IT IS POSSIBLE!
Halima, Germany
“The most important for me is the rememberance of the space of satori that happened 3-4 times, of disappearing inside, of unconditional love, of expansion into everything.
The process reinforces the certainty that enlightenment is possible. I would do it again.
Niket, England
For more information about Satori, google it. Many people run Satori retreats worldwide.
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