Day 4 - The Impermanent Joy of Impermanence

Photo 1: Pink sunrise on white snow and dark skies.
Photo 2: Fuchsia clouds through the tree branches. Breathtaking gold brooch for 5.30am meditation!


Today was a great day. All the restlessness, or weirdness I felt yesterday stopped today. Snow falling stopped today. Heart-beating depletion stopped today. ‘Lazy days’ stopped today (‘lazy days’ are light-scheduled days, after TET celebrations). I woke up at 5.10am to be at 5.25am at the Big Hall for sitting meditation and chanting with the brothers. By the time we finished (1 hour), the sun was rising as a fuchsia stripe in the horizon, on the blue mountains, seen as through transparent paper. I survived the hour crossed-legged on the floor, and my legs and back too! I was kind of proud and definitely happy! Of course my mind was everywhere, like a frog –as the nun had said yesterday. But, bearing in mind it was my first time, I was happy with what I had achieved. It was everywhere although not in nonsense places: praying by times, praying in gratefulness and for my family and loved ones, getting assaulted by things to do, going back to respiration: observing it in mindfulness.


Why it felt like such a good day?


Quote of the day:
“Yes, your difficulties and your problems are genuine, they are real, but they will also pass.

The conditions for someone to be perfect are impermanent. The conditions for someone to be imperfect are impermanent. Do not be attached to either.”

[From “IF NOT NOW, WHEN?” by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, www.kechara.com. Kechara is a non-profit Buddhist organization.]

Day 3- The Peaceful Pacifying Storm

Photo 1: Snowstorm in the Monastery.

Photo 2: Monks walking in the snowstorm.

Photo 3: Snowstorm from my window.

By moments I am so much into the moment that I have lost track of the day of the week or the number of the day.

When I woke up today at 6am, it was snowing; and even though it was freezing in the room, I pushed myself to get up for an hour of yoga.

Snowing non-stop. All day.

This is my first snow-storm in 3 or 4 years, and after 7 years of having plenty of them in Toronto! I do not miss them, but there is always something special about the first snow storm of the season. Although calendar-wise, this is the end of the Winter, these are my first Winter days in a long time.

There is something peaceful and magical in snowing, unlike thunder storms, where it seems that heaven wants to demonstrate its power to us, to humble us. The silence and quietness of snowing, everything seems to be in slow motion, or even stopped still for a long moment. Except for the shoveling truck driving by my road, driven by the monk who registered me and lent me his computer. Except for an occasional car passing by the main road (the main road separates the Nuns from the Monks). This oasis of peace needs no peace enhancer… I take the snow storm as a baptism for those of us visitors from the hectic world, a baptism of peace, gently convincing to slow down, to stay in, to appreciate.

Quote of the day:

“A person outer action reflects his inner mind”.

[From “IF NOT NOW, WHEN?” by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, www.kechara.com. Kechara is a non-profit Buddhist organization.]

Day 2- Froglessness, Training to Relax and Enjoying a Nourishing Path

Photo: Rays of Sun through Dark and Orangy Skies.

During tea meditation, one of the sisters started reading a story about “froglessness”: if we put a frog on a plate, it will jump out, in any direction. It cannot stay still. That is how our mind is: trying to jump out and in any direction, all the time.


The sister that had given me the orientation explained that the main objective here is to train our minds to relax, as funny as it sounds, “train to relax”, through mindfulness. Through mindfulness we are not only happier and more aware, we also make those around us happier and we can achieve those breakthroughs. And concentration is easier. All this also helps us to smile, even when we do not feel like smiling (she recognized that even themselves they sometimes do not feel like smiling!).

At dinner, the big monk was asking me questions: “what is your name sister? Where are you from?” He said I am on a very rich spiritual path. I said I am just starting it, and I hope it is really rich. Then he provided some food for thought: “the important thing is that we enjoy, yes, we have to be strict with our practice, but smile; we are too serious, we take everything too seriously, we have to relax and smile while we practice. Whatever spiritual path we choose, it has to be nourishing.”


Warm belly and warm heart. Food is incredibly delicious, and monastics are warm, naturally warm and welcoming. By moments it seems we have known each other for some time, and not for 2 days…

Quote of the day:

The greatest mind is not about wanting other people to change; but you yourself changing and accepting other people. The greatest mind is to stop thinking when they will change. No, we should think: “When will I change?”


[From “IF NOT NOW, WHEN?” by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, www.kechara.com. Kechara is a non-profit Buddhist organization.]