In the Marine Corps. I witnessed many strange and interesting rituals.  Some of them made sense.  Some of them didn't.

But I like to think that I learned something from all of them.  One of these rituals was the use of long, hard runs to celebrate good news.  

For example, if a new commanding officer came to the unit, the company Gunnery Sergeant might "celebrate" that fact by having everyone in the company take part in a 10-mile run.

A route would be selected, unit flags would be unfurled, and a long line of sweaty, screaming jar heads would go running down the street, singing cadence every step of the way.

This type of ritual doesn't make sense on the surface.  Why were we celebrating by running until we puked?  Why couldn't we play soft ball instead!

That's a fair questions. But if I had to do it over again,  I'd make sure we ran little faster, and a little farther during those runs.

In the Marines, we didn't see good news as a reason to slack off.  Quite the opposite, we used it as motivation to train harder, to become better, to be worthy of the good fortune that we shared.

Zen works in much the same way.

That's why I celebrated Bodhi Day this year by taking part in a 3-day silent meditation retreat.  It was led by Venerable Ying Fa, the abbot of Cloud Water Zendo, and it was intense.  We were instructed to remain silent for the full time that we were there, only talking to the monks in case of an emergency, or to Ven. Ying Fa during Zen dialogues.  

Cell phones were absolutely forbidden along with reading, journaling, knitting, or anything that might take away from our single-pointed concentration.  Indeed, we were even encouraged to maintain a 'modest gaze' as to avoid making eye contact with our fellow practitioners. 

This is all standard for a Zen retreat.

During the retreat, I sat in meditation until my legs burned, I shared meals with strangers without uttering a word, and I spent free periods doing walking meditation (e.g. walking in circles with eyes cast downward) until the bell rang for another round of sitting.

This type of ritual doesn't make sense on the surface. Why do we celebrate Buddha's enlightenment through difficult practice.  Why can't we play soft ball instead!

That's a fair question. But Bodhi day isn't a time for taking it easy. Rather, it's an opportunity to embody the Buddha's example. We sit like he sat. We hurt like he hurt. And if we're lucky, we awaken to the beauty of our lives.

But we can't wake up unless we push ourselves to the limit.  And silent meditation retreats allow us to do that. Bodhi day is the opportunity, Buddha is our guide, and meditation is our gateway to enlightenment.

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Bodhi Day: The Beauty of Silent Meditation Retreats