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  1. Western Chan Fellowship
  2. Resources
  3. Retreat Reports
  4. Silent Illumination Retreat

Retreat Reports: Silent Illumination Retreat

We publish selections from retreat reports written after Western Chan Fellowship retreats, to illustrate the range of experiences people go through as they investigate themselves in silent meditation. These reports are printed anonymously and may be lightly edited.

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  • A cup of tea

    Retreat Report – Silent Illumination July 2022

    Anonymous | 2022-10-31

    heatwave
    only the butterflies
    still busy

    I am a chatterer, verbalising everything in my head all the time, keeping a running commentary going and explaining events to some imaginary listener. It took me a while to realise on retreat that the ‘Silent’ in ‘Silent Illumination’ was not the silence of nature but had to be the silence of me.

    I was strict with myself and cut down the flow of the wordy…

    Read more of: Retreat Report – Silent Illumination July 2022
  • Person sitting on stone block overlooking landscape

    Silent Illumination February 2015

    Anonymous | 2015-07-28

    Extracts from a report on the Silent Illumination retreat of February 2015.

    Thursday

    Simon gives another amazing, and uncannily accurate, Dharma talk. It is a huge relief to hear about compassion in Chan. Simon says, “In case you haven’t noticed, you’re all on a solitary retreat” – that would explain it! If this is a solitary retreat, albeit with supportive conditions, no wonder I’ve been…

    Read more of: Silent Illumination February 2015
  • Person sitting on stone block overlooking landscape

    Rephrasing and Asking

    Anonymous | 2013-10-25

    Silent Illumination retreat report

    I arrived to the retreat ill. Nothing really serious, just a sore throat and runny nose, but still I was a bit worried about waking up my room-mates with a cough at night. Moreover before the retreat I had neglected my practice, and now expected the first days to be rather difficult. But surprisingly everything went fine: beautiful sunny weather cured me within…

    Read more of: Rephrasing and Asking
  • Person sitting on stone block overlooking landscape

    Experience

    Anonymous | 2013-10-25

    A Silent Illumination retreat report

    Similar to my last retreats I shifted pretty fast into the retreat modus, where thoughts are kept in the background and the focus stays for the most part in the present moment. Generally a very pleasant state.

    During the interview Simon said that there is something I keep inside myself – something I do not really look at. We were then discussing that I have…

    Read more of: Experience
  • Person sitting cross-legged overlookinglandscape

    Seeing the Mountain

    Anonymous | 2012-09-15

    The following is a practitioner's report of a silent illumination retreat led by Simon Child from November 20-27, 2010. As is the custom, the retreatant's name is not being published. The report was edited for the Chan Magazine by Simon Child.

    The first day and a half of the retreat was strangely tumultuous. I have been to retreat many times but this was only the second time this decade that I…

    Read more of: Seeing the Mountain
  • Person sitting cross-legged overlookinglandscape

    Clarity and Confusion

    Anonymous | 2011-12-15

    I’m not quite sure why it has taken me until now to write this report, nor why I have decided this moment to do it. Maybe it will become clear as I write it.

    The retreat was a Silent Illumination retreat at Maenllwyd with John Crook and Fiona Nuttall in July 2010. Today is 5th November 2010. Maybe the lapse of time is portentous? I can see this as I write it.

    The weather was totally beautiful…

    Read more of: Clarity and Confusion
  • Person sitting on stone block overlooking landscape

    Seeing the Wonder

    Anonymous | 2006-04-15

    The context for attending this retreat feels important. It was the first retreat I had sat as a participant for 2 years - I had acted as Guestmaster on a couple of retreats since then, the last occasion being six months previously on a Western Zen Retreat, when I had sat in on some interviews with the retreat leader. I had really enjoyed this, but I continue to feel it is a privilege to be asked…

    Read more of: Seeing the Wonder
  • Person sitting on stone block overlooking landscape

    So Much More Fun

    Anonymous | 1999-06-30

    Twenty-four of us talked about ourselves, why we had come and our hopes for the coming week. 'Coming home' was a theme for many. My struggles on three previous Shifu-led retreats made it feel more like school camp. My hopes were to learn more about off-cushion practice and the second stage of Silent Illumination, to avoid my usual frustration and despair ... and to lose some weight.

    My first sit…

    Read more of: So Much More Fun
  • Person sitting on stone block overlooking landscape

    Black Slugs - One Here - One There

    Anonymous | 1995-06-30

    This was the first occasion I had been at the Maenllwyd and from the start it had a magical feel to it - like entering a different time and space. Coming up the track to the house and its surroundings was just like entering a live jewel. At this time of year the place was brimful of bird sound, lambs, insects and wind in the trees. All these and the environment were, as I was to discover, to take…

    Read more of: Black Slugs - One Here - One There
  • Person sitting cross-legged overlookinglandscape

    All Things are Teachers

    Anonymous | 1994-06-30

    On the first evening John told us that he was going to teach silent illumination. This is a method that I have felt affinity for, and have begun to use on previous retreats. I have had glimpses of serenity and silence but I have found it difficult to sustain and use at home. Should I stick to my plan of "raising the doubt" as I had set out to do? I decided that the only thing to do was to go along…

    Read more of: All Things are Teachers
  • Person sitting cross-legged overlookinglandscape

    The Little Nun

    Anonymous | 1993-04-30

    I cannot write in hindsight, yet three days after the Retreat ending I am still in it, with a deep sense of calm and sitting sessions that pass seemingly fast. Vast silence is dearly perceived. This is perhaps the benefit of 'not meditating". This was the second Retreat1 I had attended within a month so I settled in easily. The sittings were clear the first morning, but after lunch tiredness set…

    Read more of: The Little Nun
  • Simon Child headshot

    Seeing the Nature

    Simon Child | 1992-04-30

    It felt such a privilege to be attending the retreat with Shifu. I couldn't make the effort to go to New York, but he had come here! And yet a retreat is just a retreat. Really it was like a solitary retreat, as I just isolated myself from the environment and continued my practice.

    I came to the retreat feeling that I wanted to be there, and John wanted me to be there in particular to confirm my…

    Read more of: Seeing the Nature
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©Western Chan Fellowship CIO 2023. May not be quoted for commercial purposes. Anyone wishing to quote for non-commercial purposes may seek permission from the WCF Secretary.

The articles on this website have been submitted by various authors and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the Western Chan Fellowship.

Permalink: https://w-c-f.org/Q771

View our retreat programme

May 24th
Investigating Koans
Residential Retreat
7 Nights
June 8th
Kent Chan Day Retreat
Day Retreat
 
June 28th
Mid-Summer Silent Meditation Retreat
Residential Retreat
5 Nights
July 18th
Silent Illumination Retreat
Residential Retreat
9 Nights
August 23rd
Western Zen Retreat
Residential Retreat
5 Nights
September 7th
Kent Chan Day Retreat
Day Retreat
 
September 26th
Weekend Chan Retreat
Residential Retreat
2 Nights
October 4th
Investigating Koans
Residential Retreat
7 Nights
November 15th
Silent Illumination Retreat
Residential Retreat
7 Nights
November 29th
Western Zen Retreat
Residential Retreat
5 Nights
December 7th
Kent Chan Day Retreat
Day Retreat
 

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