Amaravati Buddhist Monastery Family camp 2003

Seekers and Sages

what is sage?

A seeker in terms of Buddhism is a person trying to understand themselves. You could say that they are looking into what is suffering. Its not a outer journey for something in the world but a journey inside ourselves, our inner world.

In away a seeker does not really understand who they are.

What is a seeker?

A sage in terms of Buddhism is a person that fully understand themselves and knows who they are.

You could say that they know suffering and are free from it.

What did we do?

On the first evening anybody that wanted to be a sage could write there name down. Each evening a name was pulled out the hat. A special chair was constructed in the marquee and temple where we held the puja's. Each night the sage (him or her) would read a quote, due to some of them being copyrighted they cannot be reproduced here.

Ajahn Chah

"no one and nothing can free you but your own understanding"

Click here to see some photos

Each evening we would check-in. Feeling into how are we?

Then trying to name that emotion and then giving it a rating sometimes. The rating was between one and ten, sometimes one for good or ten for not-so good and visa-versa.

Why not check-in now? - click here to see a list of emotions

Themes of the Pujas

Day 1am - Precepts - Guided mediation on Precepts - Precept Rap

Day 1pm - Personality

We looked at the - six types of Personality define in Buddhism.

greed, hatred, and delusion or confusion

faith, intelligence and speculation

If we know who we are, we can let it go.

Day 2am - Awareness a useful tool for a seeker. Click here for more information

Day 2pm - The prelude - a poem by seeker called Oriah mountain Dreamer

Day 3am - Forest Puja - A walk into our small forest to play hide and seek.

Ajahn Buddhassa

no matter what it is, physical object, condition, action...or whatsoever don't think of it as "I" or " mine". Think of it as belonging to NATURE as nature itself, as a part of obeying the laws of nature, as the property of nature.

Annoymous

from a school in India

be still my heart, these great trees are prayers, prayers go up and blessings come down.

Day 3pm - The second part of Oriah Mountain Dreamer poem "The dance"

Being honest/trust puja-interdependence

Day 4am - The walk/ picnic

Various different length walks all meeting at Berkhemstead castle. click here to see the images

Day 4pm - Renunciation

can you moderate your behaviour? can you choose not to do?

we made origami lotus, and then offered them to the sangha click here to see some images

Day 5am Different seekers and sages Guided meditation to meet your sage

Day 5pm    Contemplation
Day 6am   what is enlightenment
Day 6pm   big mind - watching the clouds - click to see some images here