austin
November 2007 
Austin Street Retreat Day 2
Posted on Aug 9th, 2006
by 
Fleet
Fleet
Photo: Fleet in Austin on the Street Retreat 06
We began the Austin Street Retreat yesterday at noon, leaving from the Austin Shambhala Center by foot. We gathered for our first council circle on the lawn of the state capitol building. It is hot as heck here in Austin. The heat is really oppressive and doesn't let up much at night. We had dinner at the Salvation Army last night. There are three shelters in the same area, Salvation Army, ARCH (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, and Caritas). As we turned into the alley between ARCH and the Savation Army we entered quite a scene with several hundered homeless men hanging out in the alley waiting to enter the Salvation Army or ARCH for the evening. Later in our evening council in the back yard of an Alcoholics Anonymous clubhouse, many of the participants spoke of the shock they felt and how challenging it was for them to walk through this intense homeless scene as we turned into that alley on the way to eat dinner.&n bsp; As always the council sharings were profound, the plunge and process of transformation clearly in full gear already. The Salvation Army meal was in the not good, not bad category, but tasted quite good to me given my hunger level at that moment. Looking for a place to sleep was an adventure as always, but we finally found a clearing in the woods behind an Elks Lodge where we safely bedded down for the night with sheets of cardboard discovered earlier for bedding. No one slept well, save John from the Zen Center. Trains were running by all night and between the heat and the noise most of us were tossing and turing all night. There are 12 of us on the retreat, my co-leader Sensei Genro Gauntt, John, June, Ken, Karuna, Kelly, Jeff, Hope, Sean, Tom, Pat, and me. Some of the Austin Zen Center folks are joining us for the afternoon sitting at 3 pm on the capitol lawn. This morning we visited the shelters early, but found no breakfast. We were directed to the Trinity Center, and episcopal center where they serve a modest breakfast (tortilla, hardboiled egg, slice of cheeze, and half a bannana) at 10 am after a service. We are splitting up now to wander, beg, and hang out with our buddies until we meet up again at 3 pm. The retreat is in full swing. The morning council was juicy. The biggest challenge is the heat. Everyone has landed though, surrending each in their own way to this plunge practice.
Peace,
Fleet Maull
We began the Austin Street Retreat yesterday at noon, leaving from the Austin Shambhala Center by foot. We gathered for our first council circle on the lawn of the state capitol building. It is hot as heck here in Austin. The heat is really oppressive and doesn't let up much at night. We had dinner at the Salvation Army last night. There are three shelters in the same area, Salvation Army, ARCH (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, and Caritas). As we turned into the alley between ARCH and the Savation Army we entered quite a scene with several hundered homeless men hanging out in the alley waiting to enter the Salvation Army or ARCH for the evening. Later in our evening council in the back yard of an Alcoholics Anonymous clubhouse, many of the participants spoke of the shock they felt and how challenging it was for them to walk through this intense homeless scene as we turned into that alley on the way to eat dinner.&n bsp; As always the council sharings were profound, the plunge and process of transformation clearly in full gear already. The Salvation Army meal was in the not good, not bad category, but tasted quite good to me given my hunger level at that moment. Looking for a place to sleep was an adventure as always, but we finally found a clearing in the woods behind an Elks Lodge where we safely bedded down for the night with sheets of cardboard discovered earlier for bedding. No one slept well, save John from the Zen Center. Trains were running by all night and between the heat and the noise most of us were tossing and turing all night. There are 12 of us on the retreat, my co-leader Sensei Genro Gauntt, John, June, Ken, Karuna, Kelly, Jeff, Hope, Sean, Tom, Pat, and me. Some of the Austin Zen Center folks are joining us for the afternoon sitting at 3 pm on the capitol lawn. This morning we visited the shelters early, but found no breakfast. We were directed to the Trinity Center, and episcopal center where they serve a modest breakfast (tortilla, hardboiled egg, slice of cheeze, and half a bannana) at 10 am after a service. We are splitting up now to wander, beg, and hang out with our buddies until we meet up again at 3 pm. The retreat is in full swing. The morning council was juicy. The biggest challenge is the heat. Everyone has landed though, surrending each in their own way to this plunge practice.
Peace,
Fleet Maull
Access: Public
Hi there
This is a great way to learn first had the reality of how people are living in the streets here in US. Growing up in Calcutta, India I have seen a lot of poverty and daily drudgery and indignities of living while passing through the slums and dusty roads of Calcutta.
Did not understand why everybody in the picture is so overclothed in the heat? Have fun ;-)
that photo is not from austin. otherwise they would all be dead from heat exhaustion in those parkas!
that was taken in march in the dead of cold winter in denver at another street retreat.
i'm hoping one of the folks who stop by for council will take a picture of this crew so we can post it.
kate