The whole purpose of this mindfulness
is to bring us back to this tiny spot
of the present nature of ordinary mind
Relaxing, reflection, and refreshment (not the drinking kind!), for me, have been the benefits of being in retreat, where we are not interrupted by or engaged with our mundane activities.
Relaxing in retreat allows you to settle into your body and rest your mind, without distraction, in the present moment. This can be done in an in-house retreat. The basic nature of relaxation can always become known by settling, by glimpsing the undistracted mind in flashes as you relax. With practice, those flashes of insights can happen many times. Don’t be afraid if the flashes dissolve. It is best to be fresh, relaxing from moment to moment, rather than just pushing on with the meditation. Do this, if you can, every day and during each session. It just takes a little effort.
Reflection is resting in the gap between this thought and the next — “Minding the Gap” as my teacher, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, said many years ago. It means relaxing into the undistracted mind you experience between thoughts and resting there. This is the essence of reflection, of what follows relaxing: being in the present moment.
Finally, refreshment is taking a sip of the undistracted mind. With the slowing of everyday life, you come to enjoy the pleasure, the “taste,” of relaxing and reflection, of enjoying that moment of insight during your in-house retreat. This is how things can be, how they are, when you Mind the Gap.
Reminders
So these are the three benefits of retreat: Relaxing, Reflection and Refreshment.
- Relaxing: settle the body and rest the mind without distraction
- Reflection: being in the gap between thoughts
- Refreshment: sipping, not gulping (!), and enjoying the present moment
With these three simple reminders, whether you are in retreat or just paying attention in your daily life, you can learn to recognize and rest in the undistracted mind and come to enjoy the present moment.
Andrew Clark first met Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche in 1996 at Gampo Abbey and became a formal student in 1999. He was the co-head for study in Boulder from 1999 to 2005. In 2008, Andrew joined the US Karma Sangha board and was its chair from 2011 to 2018. He recently retired from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he taught mathematics and finance.
