On the 16th of June, I had the unexpected pleasure of spending a day meditating and reflecting. That morning, I was surprised with a ticket to a day-long meditation workshop with Lama Surya Das. The event was held at the Abbotsford Convent, near to Collingwood Animal Farm. I was told that we were going for breakfast ;)
10a.m. - Around the corner of St. Hellier's Street, I was dropped off with a bag (yay apples!) and a printed receipt. <3
Lama Surya Das and his book Awakening the Buddha Within has had its part in my life since I was around the age of 4. Mum and dad were blown away and found his writing quite profound. Hence, this book was a bedtime story. We spent nights reading together and me being young, I just made the whole exercise into play. I 'played' meditation and up till this day, still remember the words - "Breathe, Breathe again... drop everything" from one of its pages. Mum told me to chant "Om Mani Padme Hum" and only recently did I rediscover its meaning. When I left for Melbourne, my parents gave me the book, now brown and aged, to carry and read if ever I found life too much of a challenge.
 |
| Lama Surya Das =) A day filled with beautiful music and chanting |
When he walked in, I was suprised. The Lama was a big-sized man with rosy complexion and he donned a yellow silk material shirt. He began the day with chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum" accompanied with beautiful music (guitar, drums, sticks and bells). I was so excited! The guided meditation sessions lasted for about an hour each. Most of the day was singing and chanting, guided by the Lama. There were also question and answer sessions. A crowd of 50-plus people turned up for the day, ranging from the experienced to newbies (like me!). By the end of the first session, trees outside looked like they were waving at me.
12 p.m. - During the breaks, I walked around the grounds of the convent. My goodness, all the cafes were packed! Pretty grounds with the autumn leaves. Fluffy dogs! EEEK! =D
 |
| fluffy dogs around the Convent Bakery |
