It has been 530 days since I began the footpath of sharing my personal shrine with the outside world. I have made 300 posts to include poetry, gardening, personal musings, and a bit of social commentary. My personal observations have shifted a little though life has moved and flowed. In the course of this passage, there have been personal difficulties. Individuals have come and gone from the Retreat; all visiting, living, and wandering off on their own personal journeys. As I sit here now, contemplating the next 300 or more posts, I find myself shifting to more Haiku and Haibun. Social commentary, although present will almost never be a central part of the theme. I have a personal philosophy that religion, while an agent of change (hopefully for the better) is often leaned on too much by those who look for right and wrong. Right and wrong come from inside, not from a religious leader or a book. Though, both of these can and often do influence or guide, the final decision should be one that taps into the individual humanity. Without this inner guide, we become puppets to dogma and doctrine.
I would like to thank the 171 (or more at the time of posting) visitors who have decided to enter the retreat and stay for a time (long or short). I have enjoyed your likes, your comments, and your own personal retreats and sanctuaries. The Retreat has been and with a bit of luck always will be a place of harmony, peace, and rest. Thank you and may you have a peaceful journey.
Namaste
Rev. Panda
Xiong Nai Xin Retreat 
Share Your Insight