A 7 day retreat at Yuquan Monastery-- Buddhistdoor Global

In China, the seven-day public holiday after the national holiday on October 1st is called the Golden Week because it is the longest national holiday alongside the Chinese New Year. Since many people took the opportunity to travel with their families or friends this year, more than 100 people from all over China, including myself, decided to do a seven-day meditation retreat at Yuquan Monastery in Dangyang, Hubei Province instead. Our group, between the ages of 16 and 60, included parents with children and couples.

The Yuquan Monastery (玉泉寺), literally “Jade Spring Monastery”, was built in 528 during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty. Since then, the monastery has received uninterrupted imperial patronage and, according to historical records, has produced more than 120 eminent monks. The most influential among them were Zhiyi (智 顗, 538–97), founder of the Tiantai School, and Shenxiu (神秀, 606–706), founder of the Northern Chan School. For this reason, the Yuquan Monastery is considered to be the ancestral temple of both the Tiantai and the northern Chan schools of Chinese Buddhism.

The iron pagoda of the Yuquan Monastery, built in 1061.
Image courtesy of the author

The current abbot of Yuquan Monastery, Venerable Daowei (道 偉), was tonsured at Xuefeng Chongsheng Chan (雪峰 祟 聖 禪寺) Monastery in Fujian Province at the age of 18. For more than two decades he trained in the Buddhist classics and meditation in both the Mahayana and Theravada traditions. After studying the texts of Abhidharmakosha and Yogachara in China, he was selected by the Chinese Buddhist Academy for further studies in Japan, where he received his PhD from Aichi Gakuin University. He also made several trips to Myanmar and practiced meditation under the guidance of Master U Pandita (1921-2016). Last year Ven. Daowei established meditation retreat programs at Yuquan Monastery to guide people to liberation by improving their quality of life, purifying their minds, and harmonizing their minds and bodies.

Venerable Daowei. Image courtesy of Yuquan Monastery

Recently, there has been a rapidly growing need for spirituality in China. Various types of retreat programs have been organized across the country based on different beliefs and theories. It was the fifth retreat at Yuquan Monastery since the first one last year, and it wasn’t long before the monastery established itself as one of the most prestigious meditation centers in the country. It is said that more than 700 people applied for the program this time around. Although most of the people who come to the retreat are Buddhists or have an interest in Buddhism, the program is open to people of all faiths. The program takes a humanistic approach and aims to empower people and help them live better secular lives with the benefits of meditation.

The benefits of meditation are commonly understood to help improve our mental focus and mental health. In China, various meditation methods, which are described as Mingxiang (冥想, deep contemplation), have been popularized mainly by wellness experts in recent years. However, few people in China know that meditation has a long history and of Buddha himself as Ven. Daowei reminded us of this in his first lecture.

In fact, we all know that the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, but we often neglect the fact that his enlightenment was attained through meditation. That is why many Buddha statues and images are in meditative postures. As early as the 6th century, the Chinese had written systematic and comprehensive treatises on meditation, a practice that the Buddhist community calls zuo (打坐) or zuochan (坐禪, seated dhyāna). The methods and teachings of Zhiguan chan (止 観 禪, śamatha-vipaśyanā dhyāna) expounded by the above-mentioned Master Zhiyi have been consulted by the lay and monastic sangha of all Buddhist schools to this day. The purpose of meditation goes beyond the concerns of the body. It is a path one takes to find the truth and answer questions like “Who am I?” “Why I’m here?” and “Where am I going?”

The meditation hall in the Yuquan Monastery. Image courtesy of Yuquan Monastery

While meditation is taught using authentic and ancient methods, the Yuquan Monastery Retreat also aims to create a pristine environment to calm the mind and cultivate insight. For seven days there was no talking, no digital devices, and no food after noon. Every morning we got up at 4 a.m. and attended a prayer and chant session with the monks at 4:30 a.m. Throughout the day we had alternating sessions of sitting meditation and walking meditation, a total of four hours each. In the evening we recited the Diamond Sutra, followed by a lecture by Ven. Daowei. At 10:30 p.m. the day finally came to an end.

At first glance, the program may seem intimidating and unnecessarily strict. Gradually, however, we realized that all the rules were being carefully implemented to protect us from distraction and promote our spirituality. For example, most people believe that verbal communication is vital in any type of relationship. However, the withdrawal showed us the opposite scenario. When we were not talking, we paid our full attention to our own practice and remained courteous to others. From the fifth day, Ven. Daowei answered our questions in smaller groups. After opening our mouths after many days of silence, most of us couldn’t resist speaking privately. However, the verbal exchange was mostly meaningless talk or boasting, which also led to conflict. Ven. Daowei explained that language as an intensive form of communication has a contentious character.

During the retreat we were given precious time to withdraw from phenomena and old habits and reflect on the nature of life. Before we gave up our digital devices, we were all busy with our phones and computers, not because we wanted to tell others something urgent but because we were worried that others might not find us. Scientific research has proven that because of the dopamine produced in our brain, we enjoy social media when we receive new messages that have nothing to do with the content of the messages. When we desperately checked our devices after seven days, we found that we hadn’t missed much. What is on the Internet does not always correspond to reality. It is a fantasized version of human existence that is further and further removed from reality. It is alarming to realize how much time, with the advancement of technology, we are wasting watching other people.

Lamp transfer ceremony at the end of the retreat. Images courtesy of Yuquan Monastery

My favorite experience during the retreat was the meditation itself by observing my own breath and my physical sensations. Day by day, I felt my body and mind become clearer and clearer. Inhale, exhale, the pain appeared and disappeared. In the silence I had a glimpse of how everything is changing, how “I” is insubstantial and how my heart is connected to Buddha-nature. Sometimes when I opened my eyes after an hour of meditation, tears came to my eyes. Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) explained that the Dharma cannot be found in Buddhist texts, but in meditation practice. With more than 20 years of practice, Ven. Daowei told me that meditation makes the various Buddhist schools a Buddhist, regardless of the language of their canon or their geographic location.

The meditation retreat is free, but donations are welcome. Each retreat is led by Yuquan Monastery monks and efficiently led by lay volunteers, many of whom have benefited from previous programs. Out of selfless compassion and great wisdom, the monks and lay people will continue to organize meditation retreats at Yuquan Monastery. They also plan to promote meditation training in first-tier cities, where people are more educated and wealthy but suffer more both physically and mentally.