“When you arrive is the right time to arrive”

Recently I did a retreat at Stream Entering Monastery in Porcupine Ridge, Victoria, a zen Buddhist monastery in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn, which I enjoy getting to when I can. Set in nature, it is a place of simplicity, generosity and spaciousness, where slowing down and coming into the present moment is practiced through exquisitely simple meditations via walking, eating, sitting and lying down.

It started at midday on a Friday, but I worked a full day, so I messaged them to ask when might be an okay time to arrive? Later that night? The following morning on the Saturday? And if so, what would be the right time to arrive so as not to interrupt, inconvenience and so-on? The return message was a simple, sinlge line: ‘when you arrive is the right time to arrive.’ Suddenly, I was already there, arrived, in the state that I drive at 110kmph up the Calder to reach, winding around through country Victorian towns, past enormous old trees, along winding wombat forest routes, bumping over dirt roads. The state of arrived, home, in the here and in the now. I smiled with delight at the reply as I received the zen lesson on the art of being present.

Did I even need to go now? I was already there.

Maybe I could just go to Cliffy’s for eggs and coffee instead….