The following story in Chinese and also translated into English is the experience of Yi Que Dan Pu (Tommy) Rinpoche from the Bodhisattva Wish Temple in New York City while on a seven-day Solitary Retreat at the Holy Vajrasana Temple.
I don’t believe we have wolves, but it is not uncommon to hear coyotes sing at night and one used to sleep in the irrigation ditch behind the Dharma Protector Chapel where he stayed. I have never seen a coyote at the temple, but others have. I suspect it was one of our cats, probably Bao Yi, not a coyote that was at the door. She tries very hard to open doors and sometimes is able to do so, but she would be quite harmless. The temple has experienced many wild animals. I once saw a young mountain lion gallop across the field next door and two disciples on a recent retreat insisted they saw a wolverine march down the driveway. I doubt if it was a worldly wolverine as they are not known to exist in California, but strange things do happen in this enchanted place. We do have foxes, opossums, raccoons, and a few guineas. The following is the rinpoche’s experience.
闭关过程和感受:
终于等到闭关时间的到来，03/31/2024 早上约 09:00 我和两位师姐到达闭关中心，仁波且已经在闭关 中
心等候我们，我们恭敬礼佛和礼拜金刚柱，特别幸运的是，当我们在持南无第三世多杰羌佛佛号时，那 五根金刚柱不断的颤动给于加持，我们都非常感恩，激动，法喜充满. 中午, 仁波且在白忙中为我们上 课关于闭关的注意事项以及前往闭关期间所要作的功课，禅修等等的知识.
03/31 15:00 我们各自走进了闭关的房子里头， 我进入护法殿的闭关屋，它是一个蒙古包的风格头底上有个很大的玻璃罩. 可望向天空. 当时心里想， 终于放下一切可以好好学习七天了，头几天一直在奔波中，所以特别疲惫，4pm 带着兴奋的心情睡到 05:30pm , 起来后按照仁波且的吩咐开始准备功课，心里愚痴想着希望自己能在七天内修出个所以然. 可惜，没那么容易静下来，在作功课或恭读极圣解脱大手印和其他佛书的时候，会比较专注，当停下休 息时还是很多的思绪.
第一天晚上特别的神奇，11:00pm 左右我就渐渐入睡，被极大的撞门巨响惊醒，整个人跳起来，仔细听 外面的动静，原来是很多动物在奔跑，或许在打架，或许在游戏中吧，虽然仁波切有事先提醒过，在闭 关房外会有野狼，动物晚上到临晨时会出来活动，唱歌，我还是被吓到，从12:30 到4:50的过程中， 几乎每一个小时被动物吓醒，因为动物有时在蒙古包的底下要破洞而出，时而撞门要进来，被巨大的响 声惊醒时在想，是魔军来捣乱了，那来就来吧，接招就是了，到了四点半左右，终于天快亮了，动物们 稍微没那么吵了，可听见鸟叫声，各种动物的声音，我还是比较好奇想看看还会有什么惊喜或惊吓出现， 朦朦胧胧中终于睡下了，在梦中见到六七野狼要闯进闭关屋，不断的要撞门进来，我拿着木条击退它们， 野狼们把门撞开一个窟窿，我想糟糕了，它们进来就会把佛堂搞乱了，我想那我就出去吧，别把佛坛 弄坏了就好，该来就来吧，拿起木棍准备战斗，心里想，这次真的躲不过了，临死前还是会高度紧张，
害怕. 我慢慢的走出闭关房，外面看到起码六七只的野狼在准备攻击，当时真的是紧张的不得了，眼看 着野狼慢慢的逼近，我想，完了，我要被咬死了，我能干掉一只是一只吧，把心一横，拿着木棍准备
开战，脑袋一片空白，没有想到生与死，求生的心念，准备必死的挣扎，天快亮了，突然一声枪响， 把野狼吓得赶紧跑开，我看见应该是隔壁邻居的一个女人带着一个十几岁的小女孩，拿着猎枪在对准 野狼，我潜意识中赶紧跑过去，跟她们说，请不要杀死它们，它们也不伤害到我了，请放走它们吧，看 看时间 05:01am .这时梦醒了，还在紧张状态中，赶快起来检查门窗是否破了，太真实了，发觉是在作 梦呢，在看看时间，05:01am . 太神奇了，太真实了. 第二天，因为第一天没有睡好的原因，身体非常疲惫跟沉重，从晚上 11:00pm 后早上的 10 点前比较 寒冷的. 硬着头皮先礼佛，大礼拜 21 遍后，身体才开始暖和起来，开始一天的专心功课，禅修，等等， 除了吃饭外，周而复始的功课着，到了晚上，又是紧张的时刻，在警备中慢慢睡下，一直到出关的那 一天，野狼都没来过.
到了第四天，禅修有了提高，质量也好了些，最好的一次 1 个小时 5 分钟，时间过的特别快，而且精 神状态特别好. 之前就算禅修，坐不久，静不下，时间短. 到了第七天，出关的心在不断的增加，功 课也没有做好. 心里压力重重，在想着纽约佛坛怎么样的，工作方面有和变动，各种各样思路，
终于 3pm , 我们出关了，出关后我们先到在金刚柱前顶礼，恭诵佛陀圣号，五根金刚柱在不停的颤动. 大家都法喜充满，7pm 我们跟仁波齐道别了，离开了金刚宝座. 我的感想，闭关会带给我们进步，考验心智，禅修可让我们心平气静，功课可使我们更加自信和精 进. 希望我们大家在学佛过程中能够来学习和感受闭关的法喜。
Retreat process and feelings:
Finally, the retreat time arrived; two senior sisters and I arrived at the retreat center at about 09:00 on the morning of 03/31/2024. Rinpoche already in retreat center waiting for us.
The first thing we do is, we respectfully salute to the Buddha and the Vajra Pillar (Poles). We are particularly fortunate that when we recitation the name of Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, the five Vajra pillars were constantly vibrating to give blessings. We were all very grateful, excited, and full of Dharma joy. At noon, Rinpoche was busy in teach us.to learn about the precautions for retreat and the homework, meditation, etc. that need to be done during the retreat.
03/31 15:00 we each other walked into the retreat house; I entered the retreat room of the Dharma Protector Hall (Chapel). It was in the style of a yurt with a large glass cover at the bottom (ceiling). You could look at the sky. At that time, I thought to myself, I finally put everything aside and could study hard for seven days. I was running around all the time for the first few days, so I was very tired. I slept until 4pm with excitement.
05:30pm, after getting up, I started to prepare my homework according to Rinpoche’s instructions. I foolishly thought in my heart that I hoped that I could achieve something within seven days.
Unfortunately, it is not so easy to calm down. When doing homework or reading the Mahamudra of Supreme Liberation (Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation) and other Buddhist books, I will be more focused. When I stop for rest, I still have a lot of thinking, and thoughts while I’m resting.
The first night was particularly magical. I gradually fell asleep around 11:00pm. I was awakened by a huge bang on the door. I jumped up and listened carefully. The movement outside turned out to be many animals running, maybe fighting, maybe playing games. Although Rinpoche had warned in advance, there will be wild wolves (coyotes) outside the solitary room, and the animals will come out and sing at night and in the morning. I was still frightened.
From 12:30am to 4:50am, animals waked me up almost every hour, because sometimes the animals would break out of the yurt, sometimes they would knock on the door to get in, and they would be heard by loud noises.
I was thinking, the demon army is coming to cause trouble, so just come and take the attack. I am ready for it, at around 4:30, it was finally dawn, and the animals little less noisy, and you can hear the chirping of birds and the sounds of various animals. I am still curious to see what surprises or scares there will be.
Finally fell asleep in a hazy state，In my dream, I saw six or seven wild wolves trying to break into the retreat house. They kept trying to break down the door and keep try wanting come inside the room. I used wooden bars to repel them.
The wild wolves broke a hole in the door. I thought it was too bad. If they came in, they would mess up the Buddhist hall. I thought I should go out and do not mess up the Buddhist altar.
Was thinking in that moment, come when it comes, I can’t avoid it anymore, and I just pick up the stick and prepare to fight, thinking to myself, I really can’t escape this time, I will still be very nervous before I die, was so scared when die is too closed, I slowly walked out of the retreat room and saw at least six or seven wild wolves preparing to attack outside. I was nervous at the time. Seeing the wild wolves slowly approaching, I thought, it is over; I’m going to be attacked. They are bitten me to death. I was very be careful and prepare with a wooden stick.
When the war started, my mind went blank. I did not think about life and death, the thoughts of survival, and the struggle to death. It was almost dawn, and suddenly there was a gunshot. The wolf was so scared that it ran away. I saw a woman who must have been my next door neighbor and a teenage girl, pointing a shotgun at wild wolves, I subconsciously ran over to them and told them, please don’t kill them, they won’t hurt me anymore, please let them go,
Look at the time 05:01am. At this time, I woke up from the dream. I was still in a state of nervousness. I quickly got up and checked whether the doors and windows were broken. It was too real. I realized that I was on dream.
As for the dream, I looked at the time, 05:01am. It is so magical and so real. on the second day, because I did not sleep well on the first day, my body was very tired and heavy. The weather is cold start from 11:00 pm in the evening to before 10 am in the morning.
I bite the bullet bow to the Buddha first. After 21 prostrations, my body starts to warm up and I start to concentrate on homework, meditation, etc. for the day.
In addition to eating, I worked on my homework over and over at night, it was a tense moment again. I slowly fell asleep under the guard and until I left the Dharma Protector Hall, was no wild wolf came. On the fourth day, the meditation practice improved and the quality was better. My best time was 1 hour and 5 minutes. I am feel the time passed very quickly and it was precise.
My state of mind was particularly good. Even if I meditated before, I could not sit still for a long time and the time was short. On the seventh day, my desire to leave seclusion was constantly increasing, and my gong…
I did not do well in class either. I was under a lot of pressure. I was thinking about the Buddhist altar in New York, changes in my work, and various ideas.
Finally, at 3pm, we came out of seclusion. After we came out of seclusion, we first went to prostrate in front of the Vajra Pillar (Poles) and recitation the holy name of the Buddha. The Vajra Pillar of Five Knowledge’s was constantly trembling. Everyone was filled with Dharma joy. About 7pm, we said goodbye to Rinpoche and left the Vajra Throne.
In my opinion, retreat will bring us progress and test our minds, meditation can make us calm, and homework can make us more confident and energetic.
Advance. I hope that all of us can learn and experience the joy of retreat in the process of learning Buddhism.
Xiuxing Practice Program & Solitary Retreat Requirements: CLICK to learn more about the Solitary Retreat program.
CLICK for article on Yi Que Dan Pu earlier visit to pay respects to Holy Vajra Poles and Sri Maha Bodhi Tree with links to background information on temple.
CLICK for nun’s experience taking 2023 Seven-Day Solitary Retreat at temple.
CLICK for experience of Anjushri (Armine) Alioto while on 2023 Thirty-Day Retreat at temple.
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