Jonsey

@Johnny5 Actually I think I sorta kind-of owe you an apology. Ironically, I stumbled upon one of Leo's videos titled "Enlightenment FAQ Part 2." One of the questions he brought up in the video talked about a person waiting until you are old to start becoming enlightened. His response to this question was to NOT wait until you are old and to start attaining enlightenment NOW or in the present. His reasoning was pretty sound and similar to you and @Nahm's reasoning. And thanks for clarifying your message. I think what got me a little annoyed was you thinking I couldn't do a 7 day solo meditation retreat. I've never done one before so you may have a point, but I am eager to try a 10 day solo retreat, hopefully in the foreseeable future. I suppose I could try a one year retreat while I still have my youth, but I'll admit, going that deep with the medicine for that long a period scares the living shit out of me. Again, I'm sure I'll end up a better person when it's all over, but it's an incredibly huge and terrifying endeavor.

I agree, life can be that "funny thing" when you least expect it. And you're right, somewhere in between 10-20 years I may realize I don't need the year long retreat. As Nahm implied earlier, life is it's own retreat: I figured when I'm 70 or 80 I'll have nothing to lose, so why not go ALL-IN and see how deep, down the rabbit hole I can go and see what the wonders of the universe have to offer. :-)

Well Mr. @Johnny5 Not sure if this is a compliment or criticism. lol But just because YOU think you can't accomplish this feat, doesn't mean it's impossible for others. I also find it odd you think I can't handle a week in isolation for the purposes of meditation. You don't know me nor the work I've been doing these past several months to better myself(Do nothing meditation, strong determination sitting, vegan diet). If an ordinary (but talented) individual like Leo can spend 10 days and 90 hours meditating in complete isolation, I'm pretty sure I can go a week. And why do you think what I am proposing is ridiculous? Is it ridiculous for Leo to do his yearly 30 day solo retreats? Is it ridiculous for the Marathon Monks of Mt. Hiei to do the incredible things they do to strive for enlightenment? If those guys can do the things they do why is it so hard to imagine an ordinary individual to do a 300 day solo retreat? I'm pretty sure in 20-30 years I'd be more the mentally and emotionally capable to handle such a feat. Some people might need only 5 months to prepare, others may need even less. Besides, my one year solo retreat is nothing compared to what the Monks of Mt. Hiei endure. I don't think I'll ever be able to hang with those guys. What they do is out of this world amazing. But I'm pretty confident, if I prepare properly, I(and many others) can easily do a 300 day solo retreat and come out on the other end a better person than they were before.