by Jon Kwan
Phat!
Even reading the word on the page carries a certain force. Now imagine it resounding through the Gönpa at Dzamling Gar – shouted out by Steven Landsberg, amplified through a quadraphonic sound system, and echoed by forty practitioners in unison.
That gives some sense of the atmosphere at the Walking the Teachings retreat.
As we began, Storm Therese still circled the island, the elements making themselves known.
There was a palpable sense of energy – both outside and within – as we entered into five days of practice grounded in the Semdzins, the methods for discovering the nature of mind.
With Namkhai Yeshi’s ongoing emphasis on immersive sound in his teachings, I was very happy to be able to participate. Also a lifelong musician and with experience with sound healing, immersive media, and spatial audio, I’m fascinated by how sound can shape experience and be used in the context of practice.
The retreat focused on Semdzins drawn from The Luminous Clarity of the Universe, alongside the Secret Rushens of Voice and Mind.
As Steven and Alessandro explained from the outset, the retreat had an experimental feel and had come together in a relatively short time. Rather than replacing tradition, we were exploring collaboratively how the nature of mind might be recognized in new ways – supported by immersive soundscapes which were produced and performed live.
The structure of each session reflected this balance. Steven would first offer an explanation of the Semdzin, presenting it in the traditional way, along with more insights and discourse from his own experience. Following this, we would practice the Semdzins in the traditional manner.
Then Alessandro introduced his sound-based interpretations: quadraphonic compositions designed to support the practice of each Semdzin, and also perhaps with a new flavor that we could experience together.
This interplay between tradition and technological innovation was enjoyable and engaging. I found as a group we communicated well together on what worked and what didn’t work. And given the openness of the retreat I felt all feedback was both given and received in a beneficial way.
One point that really resonated was how Steven spoke with this wonderful phrasing of “self-settling”: the natural relaxation of mind, body, all appearances, and our own awareness, without interference.
This principle became a key thread. Whether we were working with breath, visualization, syllables, voice, the sounds from the quadraphonic system, the invitation was always the same – allow things to settle in their own condition.
The quadraphonic system created a distinctly immersive environment.
Sound moved through the space, surrounding and interweaving with our own voices and the voices of others. It felt novel, interesting and at certain times there was a real shared feeling in the space of presence.
We practiced with the syllables, Ah, Hum, Phat, the secret rushens of Voice and Mind – and each one had its own unique flavor, as the Semdzins do in their traditional form.
Each session with the quadraphonic soundscapes was followed by questions and feedback.
Alessandro’s technical explanations were interesting to hear and it felt in tune with Namkhai Yeshi’s own style of explaining the intention, the link with the teachings and the more technical aspects.
Insights into the reasoning behind the production, technical and creative choices were all interesting to hear.
Early on in the retreat we were invited to ask the question, “Is what I perceive inside and outside the same or different?”
At times my own voice, the resonance within my body, and the sounds circulating through the space all became part of a unified, undivided experience. The distinction between inner and outer dissolved. When I allowed everything to self-settle.
It was clear throughout the retreat how much care, time, and dedication Steven and Alessandro had put into the preparation for this retreat. So much thanks and gratitude for both of their efforts.
I look forward to seeing and hearing how things continue to manifest in this exploration of immersive sound.
