Out of all the things that the right directions can lead us to, enlightenment would be one of the most undelivered of promises and eluded destinations. You won’t find it by trading your email address for an e-book or your time and money for a personal meditation session in a candle lit studio. Yet, I thought my chances would be somewhat higher 100kms away from home in a secluded Buddhist retreat. What I found was the discomfort of humid and ruggered conditions, and bad influences in the disguise of pure traditional authenticity.
The drug use amongst the volunteers was rampart. I am not normally against anyone’s free will, except for the fact that placement at the retreat was based on your belief in certain values such as restraining from the use of intoxicants.
Perhaps these traditions are just lost with the times, but the experience I had was not what I expected. I did learn that you can’t rely on external factors such as, your location, accomplices, ingested substances while on the journey to find enlightenment within. Just as much as I know I am at fault for allowing my weekend journey to be led astray, I know if I am going to make it, I’m going to have to go where only I can go. Within.
