Day 1 – Thursday 4-9
Temple Forest Monastery – Temple, NH
Community lunch at the Temple
Drop gear at lodgings, 4 Belfort St., Boston
ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness)
The Crossing, St. Paul’s Cathedral
Today was long. Already I feel like morning circle, the first bus ride, and that monastery were a million years ago. – Esme
Day 1: Enlightenment status: pending…At [Temple Forest] Monastery, I felt overwhelming wholeness with myself; at ISKCON I felt that God itself was some sort of wholeness; at the Crossing, I felt both a wholeness of self, along with reconciliation with God. – Jubilee
I really liked going to the monastery. I loved how peaceful it was, and how everyone there seemed to really be connected with themselves and one another through their spiritual practices. -Eleanor
I felt so inspired [at The Crossing]. Even though I was only there for a little bit, I already felt like a part of the community. -Amir
As for ISKCON, I thought what he had to say was very eye opening. He had a very strong opinion, and that made me realize that everyone is going to have their opinions and beliefs. Even if you don’t believe in them, listening to them can help you understand and to find your own opinions. – Caroline
When we went to see the huts [at Temple Forest Monastery], I reminded me that we have been “cushioned” in a world where we NEED all these things, but really a lot of it is WANTS, that we really don’t need much at all. -Annie
When we entered The Crossing, it felt familiar, welcoming, accepting. I found myself wondering if my depiction and feeling of God was wrong. I was trying to see if I felt God in me, in space, or ever… Everyone’s depiction of God must be different, right? Maybe I am constantly with God, feeling God, and I never associated that state of mind with it. -Phoebe
I have never seen such an interconnected and welcoming community [as at The Crossing]. I could feel the sacredness in the room. It felt magical, almost. Something that was said while the bread was being broken was, “You don’t need any special actions or words. Jesus has already done it all.” -Lena
When we were all in a big circle passing around the mic and saying prayers at [The Crossing], I cried a little. Not because I was sad or anything, I just actually felt so moved by what everyone had to say. I thought about all the people they said to pray for, and how they don’t know, but they are thought of, and people hoped for the best for them. – Kennedy
[Ajahan Pesalo] introduced me to so many new insights that I didn’t even know I agree with. One major thing that I took away from this visit was when he was talking about his experience in meditating, he said, “For me, when I am meditating, I try to forget about myself. I try to picture myself as not just one individual, but part of something bigger” – FinnI also thought it was cool how being a monk is such a solitary practice, and yet they rely so heavily on their community for something as basic as food. – Reine
If you think about it, faith is one of the most powerful things a person can experience. This life could be all we’ve got, and people spend so much time nurturing their relationship with their God. Like, if you look at the way monks at the Temple Forest Monastery live, it’s so beautiful because they created such a specific way of living…and it’s like: wow, respect! – Harper
Listening to everyone’s prayers, and people’s reflections at [The Crossing] helped me realize how little difference us humans have from each other. – Kiri
