An account and reflection of my first meditation retreat ever and why I highly recommend it.
Last summer, I attended my first-ever meditation retreat in Thailand.
I wanted to address my constant state of desire. While it’s a standard gambit in my generation, I couldn’t help but recognize the lunacy in an inability to perform simple facets of living without listening to music or watching something. Eating, cooking, cleaning, driving, walking, lifting—our minds rarely ever sit in quietude.
I am an atheist, but if there is one religion that’s always clicked for me more than the others, it would have to be Buddhism. My stepmom is a Thai Buddhist and she recommended a program in central southern Thailand where I could learn about meditation and Buddhist teachings authentically and free of charge.
When I arrived at the Moonastery Meditation Center (27/1 Tambon Saeng Arun, Amphoe Thap Sakae, Chang Wat Prachuap Khiri Khan), I was greeted by a kind woman named Mary who gave me my new clothes, a flashlight, and a digital alarm clock. Later she collected my and the three other guests’ phones, and our new lives began.
The accommodation was everything you could need and nothing more. Equipped with only a thin bed, clothing rack, toilet, sink, and shower, by the end of my 8-day stay, I’d fallen in love with this minimalist lifestyle.
Each day I arose at 4:00 and made my way by flashlight to the meditation center by 5:00. It was surreal, walking in pitch black through a coconut farm, I was in a completely different time period.
We meditated for 4-5 hours each day, and in that time, I’ll be honest in saying that for the most part, my mind was more active than ever. There were a few sessions where I could concentrate fully and let thoughts come and go without reveling in them, but most of my time was spent in resistance. I finally understood why people say “I need to meditate on it.” It seems like the most important and resolving thoughts come when we are trying so hard to think of nothing.
The insights I gained during the 8 days I stayed were beautiful. Each moment of stillness unraveled layers of understanding about the nature of my mind and the world around me. The simplicity of the monks’ lives, their unwavering discipline, and their deep sense of self-reliance struck me with a vivid contrast to the complexities of my modern existence. Existing in the present with no technology, external obligations, or distractions, I could finally make the mental growth I’d strived after for years.
The long hours which drew on as I sat crossed on a mat linger in my mind like a dream. The soft breeze rustled the leafy tops of the surrounding coconut tree farm, and LP Thada hummed into his microphone in a manner so soothing and entrancing as I visualized a pearly full moon resting at the center of my body; “Samma Aurahuang… Samma Aurahaung…” meaning “the right way to enlightenment.”
One of the things that resonated most was what Luang P Thada said about happiness. People will keep searching and reaching for it their whole life. They will look for it in achievements, work, money, assets, family, travel, experience, love… But the majority of people in this world die without finding it because it is not there.
LP Thada was a respected individual in the business world, working for NOKIA in Japan. He successfully climbed the corporate ladder, obtaining all of the assets and accomplishments he had previously dreamed of. But there came a moment, he explained, when he realized his lifestyle always left him wanting more. Whether that may be the next project or promotion, the next car, the next house, or even retirement. Although he was a happy man, he would not be truly satisfied in the moment. He quit his job, sold his assets, and became a monk.
Over the following years, the Moonastery is born as LP invests the money from his assets into building a meditation center of his own. He explains that since the site is not a traditional Monastery, but a nonprofit organization aiming to educate foreigners on the teachings of Buddhism, he decided to name the center after one of his favorite meditation visualizers–the moon.
If anyone is interested in the logistics of attending the Moonastery, my everyday schedule went something like this:
5:00 All retreaters arrive at the Meditation center and begin the first meditation and talk of the day. This lasts approximately 1-2 hours.
7:00 (About) Retreaters follow monks to the village to participate in the traditional practice of the alms round.
8:00 Retreaters help with kitchen and upkeeping tasks, and then present food offerings to the monks. Only after the offerings are they allowed to eat breakfast.
11:30 Second food offerings to monks and lunch. This is the last meal of the day.
16:00 Meditation (1-2 hours)
20:00 Last Meditation and talk of the day and then bedtime.
Each day was a little bit different, for instance on the last day of the retreat we took an excursion to Dolphin Beach, where we meditated on the shore. During breaks in the schedule, retreaters are allowed to do as they please, as long as they adhere to the Moonastery rules.
The center operates entirely on donations, and they do not charge anything to attend. The program I attended lasts three days, but if you are a pleasant guest and ask politely, the monks may consider hosting you for longer. I ended up staying 8. The only request LP gave was that for me to stay, I was to continue to meditate with them for a few hours at 5:00 and 20:00 at the very least.
One of the most impactful things was being taken so far out of my comfort zone. Quite literally, alone with strangers in a foreign country, participating in a lifestyle equally as foreign to me. It instilled a strengthened sense of confidence and security within, knowing that no matter where I am, or what I’m doing, I’ll always be able to adapt and thrive.
I’m so grateful for this experience and all of the amazing people I could meet, and I highly encourage anyone who is interested in meditation or in Thai culture, whether you are a beginner or advanced, to visit the Moonastery. It was a life changing experience that I believe everyone would benefit from, religious or not. If you’re interested, check them out at https://www.moonastery.org
