Weekthun reflections
“Weekthun” is a Shambhala coinage derived from “Dathun“. A weekthun lasts a week and a dathun lasts a month. The Portland Shambhala Center has offered a Weekthun several times. In addition to the effort that meditators put into it, there is a lot of work to re-schedule activities that normally take place at the center during the week, ranging from regular morning meditation, to committee meetings to support groups to classes.
Our Spring Meditation Retreat is now scheduled for April 18th—April 25th and you can register now. (It’s advisable to register early because space is limited.)
But we make the effort because it is so worthwhile, even though it is clearly an effort for participants during the week itself. Here are two reports from last year’s retreat.
Ann Sihler writes:
I’ve done three weekthuns at the Shambhala Center and have learned a lot from each one. Especially the first one was a big learning about how repetitive my thoughts are, and how boring even the emotionally charged thoughts become after I’ve spent a certain amount of time with them. (“Not that again!”) It makes so much more sense experiencing this through long sitting than it does hearing and studying it.
I also felt great appreciation to the teacher, staff, cook, and entire sangha for making the nyinthun happen. I felt incredibly supported — a real experience of receiving generosity — and a strong sense of camaraderie with my fellow practitioners. I remember a tea break when we came out and their were some berry-flavored “newton” bars that you, John Smith, had dropped by. The newness, thoughtfulness, and taste sensation of that snack were fantastic! (So much so that I bought some myself after the nyinthun, but of course they didn’t compare. 😉 Thanks, John!
Sitting a nyinthun is a lot of work, including physically, but it offers learnings that don’t seem to happen any other way.
NB: I had completely forgotten about those fig bar! Indeed community members have a tradition of offering food, snacks or other support to meditators during that week. All of us who have done meditation retreats have a soft spot for those who are in a meditation intensive.
David Engelbrecht writes:
Here is one experience I had at last year’s Weekthun. I remember at the end of the day of Noble Silence I felt like I didn’t belong to Shambhala because nobody said good bye or I’ll see you tomorrow. I felt upset. I went back to my motel room and told myself it will probably be different the next day. It was. I walked in the door and people greeted me. One person ask me for my email so we could stay in contact. During the afternoon session I felt very calm and peaceful. I knew it would not last. It didn’t. At the end of the day, if I remember correctly, I felt irritable.
I knew things were always changing intellectually. During the Weekthun I experienced impermanence and was aware of it.
