Tenzin’s Afternoon Meditation Retreat
Date: 2025-08-20 15:02
(Tenzin’s Afternoon Meditation Retreat)
[Wed Aug 20 2025]
Inside an Ornate Buddhist Ordination Hall/span>/spanThe ordination hall occupies a spacious rectangular chamber with polished
teak floors that gleam under the warm light of crystal chandeliers suspended
from the high ceiling. Gold leaf covers the ornate molding that frames the
doorways and runs along the ceiling’s edge, while deep burgundy carpet
runners create pathways between the three open entrances. Large murals
depicting the life of Buddha span the walls between tall windows, their vivid
blues and golds interspersed with scenes of lotus ponds and bodhi trees
rendered in meticulous detail. Fresh marigolds and jasmine garlands drape
from brass hooks along the walls, their sweet fragrance mixing with the smoke
from sandalwood incense burning in ornate bronze braziers positioned at each
corner. Rows of meditation cushions in saffron and crimson silk line the
eastern side of the hall, while the western side holds low wooden platforms
draped with embroidered cloth where ceremonial items rest – brass singing
bowls, carved wooden bells, and bundles of incense sticks tied with gold
thread. The afternoon sun streams through the windows, casting geometric
patterns across the floor and illuminating the fine dust motes that drift
through the incense smoke, while the faint sound of chanting occasionally
drifts in from the Buddha Altar Room to the west./span>/spanIt is about 65F(18C) degrees. The mist is heaviest At Birch and Oakwood/span>/spanKai wanders into the place and kicks off his shoes, he looks around and gives a two-fignered salute to Sofia and a friendlier wave to Annabelle, Samantha and Ekaterina, Tenzin gets an upnod from the man.
Annabelle begins to straighten in what might be an expressive call of joy at the sight of Sofia, but she falters from the vibe and merely tries to discretely wave from her lap.
Tenzin rises as the last cushion is set down. Others enter. A parade of saffron robes whispers across teak floors.
The first dons robes cut from different cloth. All come together, the same today. He adjusts the incense in a brazier and a thin wisp curls toward the ceiling. The scent of sandalwood wafts.
“Welcome, friends, to this hall of the Buddha. My name is Tenzin. You have come seeking stillness and purity; the Wat Pang Sai receives your peaceful intentions with open arms.”
“Please, find a place upon the cushions,” he extends toward the east side of the hall. He keeps his staff slung across his back for now.
Kai kneels down and rests his butt on the heels of his feet as he settles onto a meditation cushion, his phone gets tucked away and he presses his hands together and gives a seated bow to Tenzin.
Sofia beams a knowing smile back to Annabelle but stays silent and chill, waving back to Annabelle and Samantha. She slides onto one of the cushions and pulls herself up into an effortless full lotus, resting her hands on her thighs placidly.
The meditation cushions are thick and square. They could be blocks of tofu. Tenzin demonstrates their way of kneeling. A simple motion — knees on the cushion, feet down off the back. “We respect the Buddha and the monks by not pointing our feet at them. They remain behind.” He stays in place, patient. Sofia and some other tourists are given time to get into position.
Sophie walks in and offers a friendly wave, although quietly and respectfully, as she takes a seat. A little wink given to Kai.
Samantha awkwardly sits on her thighs, her feet pointing away.
Sofia glances around at the positioning demonstrated by Tenzin and slips out of her full lotus and into a kneel as demonstrated, letting her eyes go half-lidded.
Kai smiles to Sophie slightly and looks from her to Tenzin, , lifting his eyebrows a bit in curiosity.
Annabelle follows instructions helpfully as well, taking herself out of her criss and tha cross to kneel as instructed.
Tenzin demonstrates the kneeling pose, cushions still free for Sophie and others to take. Shoes have been left on the rack by the doors. The other monks in bright saffron robes join the guests.
“That I might guide you best, I shall sit cross-legged. Facing you,” he with eyebrows announces calmly. “Let your body find its place there as a mountain rests upon the earth. Adjust, shift, and find comfort where you feel the light falls.”
Observing Tenzin, Ekaterina emulates the correct kneel, attentive to, and observant of the shared tredition.
One bronze bowl is gently struck. It sings deeply, vibrating across the hall.
Tenzin speaks, “Bring your attention to your breath. Be mindful of your lungs.”
Dust motes dance in the warm light of the temple. Elysia is home to a Thai community. This place is rooted in their heritage.
“Inhale the lightness of purity. Exhale the darkness that clings without right. It may help to visualize.” he advises quietly, his accent of an altai-russified sort.
Kai presses his hands together in front of him and bends over to bow at Tenzin, “Oooh harikrishna, harikrishna,” he mutters under his breath and sits back, inhaling through his nostrils and blows out through his mouth as he tries to meditate.
Samantha tries to take calming breaths as she closes her eyes, but opens them to look at Kai confused for a moment
A monk without eyebrows strikes the singing bowl once more. He rotates it in his hands, breathing meditatively as he watches the one in maroon robes.
“You may notice the world around you. We dwell within it. There is no need to stifle one’s self,” Tenzin exhales slowly. “Be it your neighbor. Your radios. Phones.”
“… Howling,” he adds, humored.
Closing those hazel eyes slowly, Ekaterina allows her shoulders to droop, the meditative ease coming naturally to the brunette. Her hands fall to her knees, the breaths slow, lethargic, in through the nose, hold, exhaled, ribes expanding on the inhalation, contracting on the exhalation.
Kai lowers himself forward until his arms are outstretched in front of him, his forehead pressed to the ground, he lifts his butt into the air and breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth, his eyes closed as he tries to meditate and get comfortable.
“Simply acknowledge it, and walk your focus kindly back to your breathing,” Tenzin teaches the seekers, hushed. “Inhale purity. Expel the darkness.”
Silence allows for the inner world to bloom.
Some mirth crosses his canted eyes noticing Kai’s unusual pose. The man is patient. He does not scold. No rules were mentioned about raising one’s sacred behind.
Samantha takesva deeper breath, her face slightly scrunched as she concentrates.
Sofia has gone fully lidded at this point, and very still, save for the rise and fall of her chest. She appears aware enough of her surroundings, slight reactions to sounds around her that cause subtle shifts in her body, but it’s not alert or rushed, more a gentle sway side to side as she allows the environment to wash past her.
Kai is quite still, other than his fingers fidgeting a bit as he breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth. He slowly begins to relax and shifts on his knees, wiggling his butt a bit in the air as he settls in more comfortably, forehead still pressed to the floor, grounding his body in a literal sense.
Sophie reaches towards Kai, having settled herself nearby for a reason. With a calm hand she offers a tender caress and moves to still his wiggle with a hand on his lower back, a flicker of amusement caught but not voiced. She closes her eyes again, steadying her posture with a small shift of her shoulders. She draws in a careful breath, then releases it, letting her focus return inward.
Kai lets out a ‘manly’ yelp when Sophie touches him and he startles, opens his eyes and glances over at Sophie, he smiles at her a little and turns his head back toward the floor, eyes closing as he gets back into his meditation.
Tenzin rises slowly from his cushion. A sacred gesture to the heavens. A bow for the Golden Buddha spread on the altar before them. “Scan your body for impurities,” he advises quietly.
“Begin at the crown of your head. Relax. Soften. Release where you feel the tightness. Allow your limbs to find ease.” He moves along the rows of cushions. Backs are lightly touched. Gentle reminders.
Sophie bows her head in turn, her eyes half-lidded as she follows the monk’s guidance. At his words she lets her shoulders sink, noticing how the tension in them loosens with each breath. The light brush along her back steadies her rather than startles, a reminder to ease further into her seat. She scans herself as told, her thoughts quiet, allowing the silence to shape her inward journey.
Kai inhales, inflating his chest and focuses on the impurities in his body, he breathes out slowly and arches his back a little bit, letting out a short, sharp squeaker as he gets (perhaps a bit too) relaxed.
Annabelle’s eyes glaze over Buddha’s mural, whatever blue cognition set within him than glazing like fog on a mirror as she ejects to a different introspection.
Lowering her head, eyes still closed, Ekaterina/span>/spanEkaterina will have to resume the process, and looking frustrated at herself, begins to do so.
muscle memory and years of training are not easy things to dislodge.
Sofia manages a distasteful little flare of her nostrils, slightly broken out of her trance. Her eyes open slightly, but soon close again, not getting too rankled by the noises and smells that waft by her.
Hands folded. Eyes lowered. Another passes him a small bell, which Tenzin accepts with a careful left hand. A source of discomfort hides beneath the drape of his robe down that arm. “You can let go. You are safe,” he says, despite the tensing of his own jaw. A guarded look toward the corners. Something else is being monitored, but his voice does not waver.
His right hand doing most of the work, the bell is lightly struck at the row’s end. The ringing is clean and bright. Light in an echo.
Tenzin pauses. Celestine receives the weight of his gaze. “Come in peace,” he whispers at her, gesturing to the meditation cushions. People have knelt and cast off their shoes.
Despite Tenzin’s encouragement to let go, it seems Kai only had one in the chamber and no further noises or smells emanate from thim, other than the sound of his slow breathing as he tries to maintain his meditation.
Samantha can’t seem to relax fully, looking tense as she tries to force herself to relax.
Relaxing back into her previous pose slowly, Ekaterina allows her shoulders to droop, her chin to fall to her chest, and her breathing to resume. Her eyes close slowly once more, slowly slipping back into that state of meditation.
The percussive THUNK of a cane against the floor below announces Celestine’s arrival before her shambling silhouette even comes into view… eclipsing the sunlight filtering in through the door like the moon before a shadowed sun. Her impassive, silver stare swivels about the room… passing over those present as it floats about freely, wide-eyed as if staring down the headlights of an approaching vehicle. A slight quirk at the corner of her lips suggests the hint of a smile… limping up towards the cushions in order to lower herself down next to Samantha. her left leg buckling beneath her with a metallic squeak… bending into precarious positions that seem to suggest it is not being controlled independently. The woman more falls on her ass than she does lower herself onto it… though the cushions do well to break her fall… Celestine offering an apologetic smile to the monk as she wrestles to adjust her leg into the correct angle.
Kai slowly traces his fingers along the floor, his forehead pressed tight to the ground, his butt sticking up as he focuses on his breathing as Tenzin guides the meditation.
Suddenly, the reason for incense ever burning is made clear. Accidents can happen. The answer is more sandalwood.
Those who have arrived tardy are allowed time to catch up. The thunking reverberates against the teak floor. Another challenge for those meditating. Tenzin continues down another row. “You have the potential for lightness of aura. You may choose to breathe in this cleansing light. To continue such kindness in your day to day,” the baritone says, the steppe in his speech.
“Leave no room for darkness inside you.” He circles back to the front of the meditation half. “When you feel ready, you may open your eyes. When you feel soft, you may rise. Feel yourself return to this present moment. To your present self.”
Annabelle sighs out, blinking around at the group project before her hand settles on her pant leg. She prompts it to turn on, then quirks her ear-piece quietly.
Kai slowly sits up and drops his ass back onto the heels of his feet, he presses his hands together in front of him and opens his eyes, he gives another bow to Tenzin and sits back up, glancing aside to Sophie to see how she’s doing.
At Annabelle’s sob, Ekaterina’s eyes open again, though out of consideration, she doesn’t move or speak. The sound of course is the reason, though absolute relaxation is possibly not happening right now.
Attempting to bring her metallic leg beneath her seems to prove futile, so Celestine instead lets it stretch out across the cushions before her. For a moment… her owlish stare bounces about the room… as if the thought of closing her eyes had never occurred to her. But upon seeing those nearest to her doing the same… Celestine follows suit. Closing each eye methodical and slow… one at a time, until her eyes find themselves hidden from view… disturbed only by the faint movements beneath her lidded lack of a gaze.
Annabelle’s eyes shift left and right in a space in front of her, trying to read reason for something she hears and finding a dry throat. “I have to go.” She declares quietly, shivering to a stand and quickly pacing over to the door to collect her shoes.
Sophie watches Annabelle, “Do you need a ride?”
Tenzin returns the bell to one other monk. Like Ekaterina, the sob from Annabelle catches his ear. He checks, without much shift to his face. “I wish you peace and good health,” he offers to the shivering nurse. “You are welcome anytime.”
Kai texts and chats away at his phone and eventually stands up, padding bare-footed over to Tenzin, he mutters to the man, wearing a chipper grin, “That was great, thanks uh… priest guy. Sorry for farting, I got really relaxed,” he informs the man and gives him an east Asianesque bow.
Sofia sets her jaw slightly with a grim expression as her eyes come open and tells Sophie, “I need a ride. Back to the lodge.” She comes to stand, and moves over to Annabelle with a reassuring, sympathetic look. “It’ll be alright. We’ll make it alright.” Reaching down to the shoes, she picks up her hair and slips it back on.
Annabelle misses a shoe with her foot with a few stomps, wrestling a helmet. She looks back over to the voices, still in the early daze before distress. “Sorry. I’ll be with you shortly. Y-yeah.”
With that, Tenzin turns to address the rest of the room. “You may stay seated if you need more time,” he assures Celestine and others who remain. A brief bow exchanges with Kai. “Venerable Keer does this often, as well,” he throws the other monk under the bus. Still so serenely. Calmly. “As with everyone else, we thank you for gracing us with your wish to be mindful and pure. The Wat Pang Sai is open for any who may need some peaceful quiet.”
Kai nods to Tenzin firmly and tells the man, “You should be on guard, there’s a dangerous monster around,” he tells the man, “I’m gonna go hide or something so good luck, thanks againf or the meditation,” he looks to Sophie and Sofia, “Be safe out there!” he says and heads for the door.
Sophie gives Sofia a nod, “Follow me, I’ll take ya there.” She gives Kai’s hair a ruffle, “Love you.”
Sofia gives Kai a nod, and a thankful nod to Tenzin, then falls in behind the departing girl.
Samantha sighs, looking depressed from watching her friends upset. She slowly gets up from her kneeling position… looking more than a little wobbly
Celestine glances aside at Samantha’s sigh, the sliver of a silver stare peering out from beneath her lidded gaze. Almost as soon as the crack shows… her eyes split wide open, meeting Samantha’s gaze with an unwavering intrigue.
Tenzin takes his time. Unhurried steps. Away from the still-knelt group and towards the western side of the hall. When he thinks he may be out of earshot, he pulls out an old phone. He has uses for technology yet. The man does not look so pleased with the small brick.
Samantha bows deeply to Tenzin, silently and not wanting to break the peace and reverence of the place
Tenzin says, muffled, in a harsh, altai-russified baritone, “Is all well?“
Shifting, Ekaterina asks Samantha in a low voice, “Are you going home?”