Buddha And The Slut

My first 10-Day 'silent meditation' retreat not only kicked my soul in the gut-balls. It made me face a dear friend's ugly, cancerous curtain call... And it made me Remember. BB (FEATURING THE MUSIC OF TOBIAS TINKER) --- They say there is no suffering at the heart of all things. That, in truth, there is no pain, or doubt, or loss. That all of space is Here.  And all of time is Now. That if you seek it, it will be shown to You. The truth of what Love is. And you only need to see it once to know that it’s real…   It seemed like a grand idea at the time.  Self-discovery!  Personal improvement!  Spiritual progression!  Ten days at a remote Buddhist retreat in southeast Thailand.  Eighteen hours each day to focus on ‘mindfulness’, in whatever task was assigned. The wake-up bell at 4AM.  Using candlelight to wash and dress oneself.   Bare feet on cold, wet grass.  Orion’s jewelled belt pointing the way through the jungle from a sky made of black velvet. They tell you that the struggles will come in sequence, based