Sharing the Timeless Joy
Sharings from Retreatants Following Retreat on Sleep Yoga in 2010, from the VOCL Archives
From October 6 to 10, 2010, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche taught at Serenity Ridge on Sleep of Clear Light: The Practice of Sleep Yoga. Students received instructions in how to bring more lucidity to both their waking and sleeping hours. A particularly memorable part of the instruction involved staying awake all one night and into the next day while continuing to engage in regular meditation practice. At day's end, after finally drifting into a welcome deep sleep, practitioners were awoken twice in the night by designated sangha members who offered gentle assistance in the sleep yoga practice.
Below are a few sharings from retreatants in their own words and photographs.
Serenity Ridge view. Photo by Henry KantelI will always cherish the time I spent at Ligmincha last week. The teachings from Rinpoche, whose beautiful book inspired me years ago, and whose lucidity and love are continually inspiring. The interactions with other retreat-goers, wonderful seekers from all over the country, with so many profound experiences, questions, insights. The sweet little room, the awesome tea selection, the amazing food. Thank you! - Henry K.
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Koi Pond at Serenity Ridge. Photo by Rose LettierBeing at the retreat my sense of peace has expanded. The whole experience has been transformative and special. My deepest respect and gratitude to Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. - Rose L.
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Photograph by Rose LettiereI have never heard a voice as beautiful as the voice I heard that night (twice!) when I was awakened from a deep sleep. The voice asked me if I had experienced the sleep of clear light. "No," I answered sleepily, without opening my eyes. I wanted only to hear that voice, the most ethereal and pure voice I ever remember hearing in all my life. My friends at the retreat laughed when I told them afterward that it was like the voice of an elvish princess from The Lord of the Rings.
Then the owner of the voice asked me, "Are you having samsaric dreams?" and I said yes. She said "Okay! Then I will sing you the Guru Yoga prayer." She sang those four Tibetan lines, and that's when I dared to open one eye, and all I saw was a profile. I heard a most sincere and excellent chanting of that prayer with which we'd begun every practice, all week long. And it just filled my heart with joy. It was like the goddess herself the khandro!) was singing. Then I went back to sleep.
As we were practicing in the gompa the day before, I had felt like I was not a very good student, because whenever I tried to meditate in my exhausted state I just went off into dreams. But then I remembered something Marcy (our practice leader) had told us, about how she keeps her eyes open at half-mast when she meditates, so that's what I did, and suddenly everything turned around! I saw that the physical exhaustion of staying up all night was my best friend because it offered only two choices, falling asleep or maintaining the intention to focus in meditation. I found an open space between those two contending forces and occupied it . . . and that space is still with me, even after the retreat is over. I feel connected through that space to Rinpoche, to his students and to the lineage.
All my thanks go out to Rinpoche and Serenity Ridge and Marcy and to all the rest who made this thing possible. "May we swiftly achieve the complete buddhahood of the three bodies!" -Joe S.
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For me this retreat was a magical transformation from inner randomness to whole joy and comfort. It also brought me to another level of sensitivity of the inner channels and chakras. The power of practices and my intense personal experiences were so far beyond what I ever might have expected at the time of registering for the retreat. -Serge M.
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Overall this practice greatly expanded my recognition of "presence" during the waking state, and that is a very blessed thing, this aware spaciousness which appears as all these states. I wrote this poem about the retreat and would like to share it:
Being Sleep
Sleep
And
Waking
Being
- Teala S.
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Let's put it this way: gazing at the sky is a whole different thing for me now. In five days it felt like I became a different man, more respectful and mindful of my nightly sacred sleep-time journey, and more consciously aware in the waking state. I was not prepared for the difficulty, subtlety and nuance of the beautiful clear-light practices. I gained a lot from my five days of group practice and intensive learning, and I'm deeply grateful for my time at Serenity Ridge. Thank you teacher, assistants, staff and fellow participants. I feel deep gratitude for the 17,000-year unbroken Bon tradition of teachings. New tools in hand, and with consistent home practice, I now have well-founded hope of a more joyful life and lucid death process. Whether death comes a callin' later today, or 50 years from now, I'm ready to accept her consciously and peacefully. I got what I came for, and much more. Call me "Giggling Buddha." - Walter W.
