Kuti Hut at Bhavana Society

Doesn't this look totally and utterly peaceful and serene? It is a forest Kuti Hut at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia, a Buddhist monastic center. Several of these individual huts are scattered around the property as an alternative to the dorms, offering solitude for retreats or perhaps even residency.

Residency here has appealed to me since I first discovered it about a year ago when I was looking for such a place. I still find it appealing. Fortunately for those of us like me who tend to rush into things, they require that a person attend several lengthy retreats prior to requesting residency. I signed up last year for a retreat, but ended up with a conflicting commitment here in Eugene and had to cancel. It's also a very difficult place to reach without a car, or without renting a car for the length of your visit.

I just signed up for another retreat beginning June 3, a 4-night women's retreat, which will be different for me. I typically avoid anything that is focused specifically toward women, for some reason, but why not? It's also the first one they offer that I might be able to attend. I don't have a confirmation from them yet, but expect there will be no problem. I requested a Kuti Hut for my residence, and also requested that I be allowed to extend my visit for a few days after the retreat is over. That will give me the sense of residency, rather than retreat. The two are quite different, in that more work is required of residents than of retreatants.

They have 50 acres, criss- crossed with hiking paths such as this. Again, it looks utterly serene and peaceful and draws me to follow wherever that green swath might lead.

But then, winter brings snow and I'm not all that fond of snow, so perhaps some extended summer residencies might be more appropriate for me. Or perhaps, like so much in life, I'll find that the fantasy is much more appealing than the reality. We'll see.

The Society teaches Theravadan Buddhism, which is what I have studied and enjoyed for the last four years, and I look forward to the experience with them this summer. My past meditation retreats have been at far different places, ranging from the simplicity of the Northwest Vipassana Center in Onalaska, Washington, to the lovely but far more commercial Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County, California. Neither is a monastery, nor has resident monks or nuns! This should be a very different kind of experience.

There is much about the monastic life that appeals to me, as a lay-resident, not as a nun (only men are monks). It might be a nice compromise, and there is no cost for living there. Our way is paid by working about four hours each day.

I certainly need some of that peace, that mindfulness, and the availability of the resident teachers. It's only two months away!