Not Only for You

 Patricia Masters

Some years ago I went on retreat with Bernadette Roberts and a group of friends. Meditating in the chapel after Mass one day, suddenly the room fill with a great light which was centered around the candle on the altar. The light seemed to enter my body and mind with each breath. It was euphoric; my heart was so full of love I felt it might burst. Walking out of the chapel Bernadette surprised me by asking, ‘What happened in there?’  I began telling her about the experience. After a few minutes she turned from me and called to the rest of the group, ‘Hey, come over here and hear what happened to Pat!’ I was shocked! 

In the Buddhist culture, you might share your experience with a teacher – but you certainly don’t talk about these kinds of experiences with others. I managed to stammer out a description of what happened. When later I told Bernadette that it had surprised me that she would have me tell everyone about the experience, she looked askance at me and said, "Did you think that experience was just for you?".

Buddhist to Catholic: Zafu to Kneeler