Summer Camp 2006

A few things changed during and before the camp the main one being that we changed the time. We started the morning Puja at 9.30 a great relief for some people but a bit of extra work for the people kitchen - thanks.

Each day of the camp had a theme relating to the highest blessing and was based on the excellent wheel publication by Dr.L.Soni read it here.

So we have an opportunity to celebrate our common humanity, to share our joys and sorrows. To live together, to help one another.

We started the retreat by taking the opportunity to celebrate our common humanity, to share our joys and sorrows. To live together, to help one another. We also acknowledged the shadow of highest blessing the opposite that is to curse. We passed around a stone which everybody touched/blessed with a kind thought which brought us together as group. One of the parents told a story about the five precepts and a power point slide show was made which you can download here. The opening session was closed with some lying down meditation with music by Arvo Part called Fur Alina.

As part of exploring more about how the camp runs we ran a Open Space Technology meeting, a simple way of running a large meeting - the simplest way of saying about OST is passion bounded by responsibility- read more here

Each day of the retreat had a theme - you can download the PDF containing all the posters here and (jpg) Dhammapada

All the meditation can be found here and as PDF here

We did some many different activities that I cant remember all of them, it ranged from a challenge to finish a very large puzzle of Tibetan puzzle in one day (image puzzle box and puzzle) to sutta study to 5 rhythms movement (with Richard Jerram) to Tai Chi.
Here's the activity board for monday

We watched these videos

The power of one individual (one minute video) The simpsons the power of ten (original Scientific video here)
Baraka (means Blessing)

Highest blessing information and chanting in English is here

Slide show (images) of the camp here for everybody to see.

Day 1 - The Foundation

Not associating with fools
Associating with the wise
Honouring those worth of honour

Living in places of suitable kinds
With the fruits of past good deeds

Guided meditation on arriving and the fruits of past good deeds

We also played Bingo Bhante/Ayya! - we made the bingo cards from stick labels with the words from the sutta on. You can download them here.

Day 2 - The Approach

And Guided by the rightful way

Forest meditation and guided meditation on listening

We discussed about the two levels of Buddhism the Mundane and supermundane - the way we can use Buddhism in our life and the way we can use it for deep insight into how we are. The Highest Blessing chant be seen as spiral, as we develop the understanding of chant becomes deeper and deeper. We played a game called move to the spot, a reflection on the spiral theme.

Day 3 - The Skills

Accomplished in learning and craftsman’s skills,
With discipline, highly trained,
And speech that is true and pleasant to hear.

Guided meditation on Discipline.

The evening meditation was run by the teenagers - it was a lot of fun.

What skills do you need for developing a wholesome life? We did this by writing skills on a piece of paper and sticking them together on a larger sheet- here's a form of a one word sermon.

Sila(morality) can be seen as developing the personality

Samadhi (Concentration) - developing the acceptance and openness

Panna (wisdom) the understanding of all of this

Day 4- The Way in the World

Providing for mother and father’s support
And cherishing family,
And ways of work that harm no being,

Giving with Dhamma in the heart,
Offering help to relatives and kin,
And acting in ways that leave no blame.

Steadfast in restraint, and shunning evil ways,
Avoiding intoxicants that dull the mind,
And heedfulness in all things that arise.

Guided meditation the way in the world

We discussed the above quotes from the view of responsibility. Responsibility comes from when you are responsive to the situation. Its not a demand we are making of the world, its something you can offer to yourself by being responsive to the situation.

In the evening for all the young people and children we ran a puja whilst the adults when to a dhamma talk in the temple.

Day 5

Donate a smile day

In the morning we all went for a walk and in the evening we did a guided meditation outside looking at the sky

Day 6 - The Spiritual Path

Patience and willingness to accept one’s faults

Seeing venerated seekers of the truth
And sharing often the words of Dhamma

The Holy Life lived with ardent effort,
Seeing for oneself the Noble Truths
And the realization of Nibbana.

Although involved in worldly ways,
Unshaken the mind remains
And beyond all sorrow, spotless, secure

In the morning we did Luang Por Tee-an meditation and in the evening we did meditation on acceptance

We also did some origami making peace cranes (image here)

Day 7 - The Spiritual Path

They who live by following this path
Know victory wherever they go,
And every place for them is safe

We did a meditation on Cessation

This day of the camp is busy, we finish of with a presentation (which lasted nearly 2.5 hours) of all things we did. A closing thank-you ceremony and circumbulation of the stupa.