Don’t Count the Days in Retreat
A dharma practitioner would see retreat as being essential, because they know it as being a conducive environment where there are fewer triggers for desire and anger. For beginners, it’s impossible for practice to go well with many disturbances, thus retreat is essential.
Does that mean that everyone who stays in retreat will gain understanding and practice of Dharma? No. It depends on whether there is a change in the way of thinking taking place. Without that, the Dharma hasn’t penetrated the mind. It’s mistaken to think, ‘Oh, I’ve been in retreat for one year now,….I still have two years to go.’ The gauge of progress is whether a change has come about in your mind. If not, then the work isn’t complete and you need to remain in retreat working with your mind. Only when the mind and way of thinking have been effectively changed can one consider leaving retreat. And what should you do once you have completed your retreat? You should try to help sentient beings. But first your own mind must have been improved! So don’t count the days when in retreat.
In the same way, when you go to see a doctor, you don’t think, ’I have been receiving treatment for a month now, that should do it.’ Instead, what you would look at is whether your health has improved. And only when you have recovered, would you consider ending the treatment and leaving hospital. Like that, when you stay in retreat, you need to look at whether you are recovering from your mental afflictions, like desire and anger, this is the most important thing.
In retreat, it’s also wrong to take it easy, thinking, ‘I really enjoy the peaceful and relaxed life here.’ There are many other places which can make you happy and relaxed, but that is not what you came to the retreat for. You came to learn the Dharma, therefore you need to look at whether you have gained any real understanding and practice of Dharma while staying here, nothing else.
Advice given to Chinese students in Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Center by Drupon Khen Rinpoche Karma Lhabu in the first teaching after three months abroad. 30 November 2016