My Experience at Middle Land Chan
The first time I visited Middle Land Chan Monastery was just to inquire about opportunities for learning about Buddhism. The woman who was at the front desk was very kind and welcoming and invited me to attend the free meditation classes that they offer weekly as well as public half-day meditation retreats that happen each weekend. It was clear from this interaction that Middle Land Chan was very interesting in engaging with anybody in the surrounding area that has an interest in learning about Buddhism, regardless of the extent of one’s prior knowledge about Buddhism. Unfortunately my school schedule conflicted with the beginning meditation classes, however, I was able to attend one meditation retreat. The meditation retreats that are offered run from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and consist of three sessions. I attended the last session of the day which started at approximately 11:30 and lasted for about an hour. I arrived a little early to listen to an audio recording with basic instructions for meditation. Starting at 11:30 there was a talk about the Dharma given by followed by sitting meditation, a short walking meditation, and dedication of merits, which was similar to the traditional idea of prayer in which we shared the goodness that we earned with the rest of the world. Although I am generally a very anxious person, this experience was very pleasant and very relaxing. I would like to attend another retreat sometime, because I believe that going another time once I have been relieved of some of my anxiety would free my mind to enjoy and benefit from the meditative experience even more.
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