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Peace is not just the absence of violence but the presence of community.

I similarly attended these retreats and the community was profound. At every retreat I went to attendees participated in communal work, kitchen cleaning, food prep, compost rotation, temple cleaning. Nothing was a chore, not even silence, because you weren’t isolated. A big part of community was also the integration of monks, nuns and lay people (attendees). The kindness, acceptance and joy the “contemplatives” (monks and nuns) shared with attendees was really very special.

So, theoretically one could meditate alone at home during a weekend but…that’s an entirely different experience.

Short of attending a retreat, the next best thing is finding a Sangha locally and practicing together. Not every journey begins on a lonely road, some start walking slowly alongside others.

https://plumvillage.org/about/international-sangha-directory...