His message struck a note with a few of our group. “I was awestruck by his humility and it is beautiful that he wants to shun all material things,” said Maria Tirmizi.

After the sermon we took part in a feast featuring Indian vegetarian foods. We sat in a U shape on the floor while we were served heaps of rice, dal, vegetables and sweet desserts.

“When a lot of the devotees come at first they gain a lot of weight,” said Fiona, a worshipper who lives 15 minutes away from the Island in a farmhouse with no electricity. “The food is too rich to eat all the time.”

Fiona comes to the feast every week with her four children. She said she had been searching for a religion her whole life. Brought up by strict Protestant parents, she had lived on a Kibbutz for a year, visited Buddhist temples and looked into Islam, before joining Hare Krishna 12 years ago when pregnant with her first child.

“The philosophy drew me in but the music kept me,” she said.

It is Fiona's job to wash the floors after we leave. She says it’s not publicized, but when she finishes sweeping the floor, a few members of the temple return and spend the next few hours singing in front of the alter.

image: Krishna Kirtan (chants) on Inis Rath

After our taste of Hare Krishna, the day was not done.

We headed into the Irish Republic and to Jampa Ling, a Tibetan Buddhist center founded in 1990 under the spiritual leadership of the Tibetan monk Panchen Otrul Rinpoche.

After settling into our rooms and exploring the breathtaking landscape we were treated to delicious vegetarian dinner, where Ani-la, a nun in the Buddhist center, greeted us.

The main practice the temple follows is the devotion to White Tara, a female Buddha known for compassion, long life, healing and serenity.

“Compassion is the wish for other people not to have suffering,” Ani-la explained. Based on this principle, the center is very involved in projects in Mongolia that help the locals build their economy and rediscover Buddhism. Rinpoche spends his summers working in Mongolia and Ani-la often accompanies him.

“It is important not to just meditate on compassion,” said Ani-la, “but to make it active in your life.”

image: Tibetan monk at Buddhist Centre in County Cavan

After dinner we participated in an hour-long puja, a Buddhist ceremony that involves meditation, chants and visualization exercises. Sitting on cushions on the floor, Ani-la led the session.

Here is an example of one visualization:
“Imagine that the whole world of space in front of yourself is full of clouds. They are clouds of Wisdom and Love. Arising in the clouds, there comes eight-petalled lotus, in the centre of which is a moon-disc. On top of the moon-disc sits wish fulfilling Tara.

During the questions and answer period, Ani-la addressed the controversial issue of the use of the swastika symbol in some eastern religions.

“It’s one of the earliest symbols of strength, “ she said. “It has been in Buddhism for generations and generations before taken and used as it was.”

**Editor's note: Inis Rath Island has a standard electricity supply.  The author was talking with Fiona, who personally lives in an off-the-grid rural location, but that's another property. Also, there are outdoor toilets for day visitors, but ten additional indoor toilets for residents / guests.

If you're thinking of coming for a retreat and you read "there are no electricity and toilets", you may decide to go elsewhere!

Link to original article here

 Go to Articles Main Page