When the first heavy clouds of the monsoon roll over the hills, life at the monastery softens into a slower rhythm. The footpaths grow green, the prayer flags hang damp and still, and the monks gather not to scatter outward but to settle inward. This is the season of Yarne, the summer retreat — one of the oldest observances in our tradition, kept since the time of the Buddha himself.
Why the rains call us inward
In the Buddha's day, wandering teachers paused their travels during the rainy season. The reason was tender as much as practical: the monsoon brings new life to the earth, and to walk freely would be to tread upon the countless small beings emerging in the wet soil. Out of compassion, the sangha stayed put. What began as care for the smallest creatures became a treasured time of study, meditation, and community. We keep that same spirit today, gathering within the monastery walls for weeks of concentrated practice.
The quiet discipline of Sojong
Woven through the retreat is the practice of Sojong — the twice-monthly ceremony of purification and renewal of vows. On the new moon and the full moon, the monks come together to reflect honestly on their conduct, to acknowledge where they have fallen short, and to restore their commitments with a clear and willing heart. There is nothing heavy in it. Sojong is less a reckoning than a gentle washing — like rain rinsing dust from leaves, leaving everything fresh and ready to grow again.
A community held by small vows
It is easy to imagine that a spiritual life is built from grand moments. In truth, it is held together by small, faithful acts repeated with sincerity — a vow remembered, a kindness offered, a quiet hour of meditation kept even when the body would rather rest. The summer retreat reminds us that renewal is not a single dramatic event but a rhythm we return to again and again. Each Sojong is a fresh beginning. Each day of the retreat is a chance to begin once more.
An invitation to slow down
You do not need monastery walls to share in this season. Wherever you are, the monsoon months offer the same gift: permission to pause, to turn inward, to let the rains wash away what no longer serves you. Light a lamp, sit quietly, and renew your own gentle intentions. In stillness, much is restored.
May your days be soft with reflection, may your heart be light as rain-washed leaves, and may all beings find shelter and peace this season. Tashi Delek.