Slow down. Look around. One step at a time. Maybe that’s the heart of what happened to me on Middle Way. That’s the name of the wooden path across the vast grassy meadow at the Won Dharma Center. I crossed that expanse many times each day on the retreat. It takes perhaps four minutes of brisk walking -- but wait, slow down, one step at a time. Why was I rushing?

One of the goals I brought to the retreat was to see in person some of the many faces I had seen on Zoom for the last three years. Meeting them was pleasant and gratifying, and somewhat surprising, as some were taller, some were shorter than I had pictured. We took one evening meal together while talking and it was too short a time to get to know people before going into silence. I noticed immediately after silence began that the quality of my sits was different…