There is a saying in Zen: “First, the mountain is a mountain. Then, the mountain is not a mountain. Finally, the mountain is a mountain once again.” I used to read these words and only half understand them. It took walking this ten-year path, under my teacher’s guidance, for me to finally realize — this is not philosophy. These are three stages that can only be understood by walking them yourself. The Mountain Is a Mountain Before I met my teacher, I had attended every kind of meditation course I could find — three days, ten days, even a twenty-eight-day retreat in India. I tried so hard, grasping at whatever I encountered. But each time a course ended, the state would dissipate. My meditation was unstable, my insights unclear. The harder I searched outside, the more lost I felt within. How deeply I longed, in those days, to meet a true teacher — someone with a complete system who could guide me forward, step by step, with precision, so I would no longer have to wander in circles. The Mountain Is Not a Mountain In 2015, I attended my first 21-day retreat at Avalon. It was a magical journey — for the first time, I felt my soul come home. The feeling was utterly real. Not a concept, not imagination, but a true, living connection with myself, aligned with my Higher Self. From that moment on, I stopped searching outward, because I finally understood: the grace of the Divine had always been there. My teacher had simply guided me to the place where I could finally receive it. I returned for the 21-day retreat again in 2016 and 2017. Under my teacher’s guidance, my consciousness continued to expand, and my awakened state grew steadier and steadier — resting in samadhi, resting in the Source. The self I had once believed myself to be dissolved, layer by layer, and a new self was rebuilt in its place. Then my teacher entered a six-year retreat. In 2023, I had the honor of inviting her to emerge, and she returned with a more complete and refined map of spiritual evolution — one that has made this path clearer than ever before. The Mountain Is a Mountain Once Again During the 21-day retreat in 2025, I began, quite naturally, to experience no-self. The mountain is still the mountain. Life is still this life. But my relationship with everything has completely changed. No grasping, no running away — simply, purely, here. The one looking at the mountain is no longer the same. Over these ten years, I have walked down many winding paths, and I have finally come to understand this: there are some roads you cannot walk alone, and there are some doors that only a true teacher can open for you. If you are where I once was — sincere, deeply longing for a breakthrough, yet always feeling that something is still just out of reach — I want to warmly invite you to give yourself these twenty-one days, and step into the guidance of Avalon. You do not have to find your way through these three stages alone, because the teacher has already walked them, and she is willing to walk them with you.

In this 21-Day meditation retreat, I became enlightened, I actualized my inner light, my divine nature, and became one with God. In this teaching, on this path, I have walked from unlimited darkness to unlimited light. This year was my 3rd retreat since 2012 and finally I became self-realized. I have continued to follow Avalon’s guidance until now. This is truly the shortest path to enlightenment. Avalon has a very clear method and clear steps to becoming enlightened. One completely turns within with no need to seek externally. If you want to realize your heart’s desire, with the fullness of your heart and intent, fully giving your all, it will happen naturally. I am blissful now, back to myself, back to God, back to love. I am truly at peace now. Gratitude for Avalon’s Guidance, for the gifts of this retreat and to God. Halleluyah, Ananda

Clearly recognizing and remembering myself, this experience occurred when I practiced self-awareness. By the seventh day, I suddenly awakened. I discovered an unmoving self that emanates energy, rather than previously feeling and searching for energy, with thoughts and distractions completely replaced. This 21-day practice has strengthened my belief that cultivation is a lifelong journey. Continuous practice ensures that I will no longer be lost or live unconsciously. Before the retreat, I often forgot and lost myself, but now I can fully be with myself after the retreat. I can let go of the busy and previous life patterns. Life can be simpler, living in the present moment without depleting energy, embracing a conscious life. The energetic initiations have also helped me understand myself better and clarified the direction of my practice.

Due to the busyness of daily life and the fast-paced rhythm, often needing to travel for work, I made many excuses for not prioritizing quiet reflection. I convinced myself that I was already satisfied and happy enough not to need it. However, upon returning this time, I realized that while my body enjoys all the pleasures of earthly life, my soul has been set aside and neglected. This time, I have brought my soul back with me. The feeling of fulfillment and happiness in my heart cannot be replaced by any material things or bodily pleasures. I clearly see that we come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing. When I depart, I will be just a soul, and I want my soul to be filled with happiness and fulfillment. In this life, I must live with love and the quality of life, bringing love into every aspect, as this is the comprehensive elevation of the soul. The purpose of quiet reflection is to bring love completely from the heart into life.

During this retreat, I had a strong desire to cultivate my true self-awareness, but in the first five days, no matter how much I concentrated, I couldn’t achieve it. In the external world, I had completely lost myself in the pursuit of life, with distracting thoughts continuously disturbing me, preventing me from stopping and returning to my inner self! When I recognized this, I understood! That day, I cried endlessly during my meditation, realizing how lost I had been all these years! The most important part of that day was the energy initiation from dear Avalon, which helped me gain clarity about my negative emotional pulls. I am incredibly grateful that after the initiation, I experienced significant progress, with my self-awareness sustaining at about 70%. I felt much clearer, more at ease, and more relaxed, and I can sense my inner self as a wonderful gift of grace. Last year, after the 21 days, I did not cherish this gift of grace, resulting in my state returning to zero. This time, I deeply felt the shocking speed of the retreat. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to join in the middle of the retreat, and I will cherish this incredibly precious gift that Avalon has given me! Back in real life, I will continue to meditate to protect my precious “true self-awareness” and hope to evolve continuously! Infinite gratitude to Avalon!

In this retreat, I have reconnected with the most authentic and most beautiful version of myself. It helped me reconnect with the most beautiful version of myself, that free spirit. I have truly discovered how worthy I am. The feeling of living in love is really beautiful. Thank you, dear Avalon, for not only helping me understand the true meaning of life but also for bringing me back to myself. I love you so much; your presence in my life has made a difference. This year, many things have happened to enhance myself, and with your help, I have returned to myself more quickly. Before the course, I understood that my lesson was how to love myself more. I felt worthless, filled with worries and fears. After the course, I realized that all of this was created by my mind, and I understood how worthy my true self is. I discovered my authentic self and enjoy being with myself, no longer easily swayed by external things. I can see what kind of issues are contained within my thoughts and am not carried away by them; I understand that they are just thoughts! The best experience is the feeling of being present every day, which is beautiful. One day, my awareness of my true self awakened to a state where my entire mind was alert, and the voices of my thoughts became very quiet. After about ten seconds, when I recalled my thoughts, I found I had forgotten them. My awareness and consciousness were so awake. I just need to move toward this goal, and that’s okay. In that moment, I felt fulfilled, with no worries at all. Every day is a new starting point, and there is only one thing to do in each moment: the task at hand. I am deeply grateful.

The course has allowed me to delve deeply within, experiencing everything in a completely silent inner space. In this entirely quiet personal world, my thoughts fluctuate, and I learn to become clearer in transcending and understanding my inner self. The 21-day challenge was immense. During the first week, all the learning went smoothly, but as I progressed, challenges and difficulties began to surface. I constantly overcame and transcended my inner struggles, feeling a significant enhancement in my abilities and perseverance. Avalon’s daily teachings are a sacred transmission, and every word is immensely helpful for life. The realizations allow us to understand the essence of life and the meaning of practice. Each teaching and each step is very clear, guiding us to walk each step with understanding and clarity, producing quick results. All the guidance enables us to grasp profound insights that may take a lifetime to comprehend, insights that cannot be attained through any other teachings. Avalon’s rigorous, clear, and sacred guidance led to tremendous achievements in just 21 days. My personal awareness has awakened, and my sensitivity and insight into everything have enhanced. With my thoughts in tranquility, I am very sensitive to life, focusing on the experience of life; my vision has become brighter, more beautiful, and luminous. I have realized a broader consciousness, and my perspective has expanded, feeling a deep oneness with everything around me. I am filled with joy and moved by this unity. The expansion of consciousness has also fostered a greater intimacy between people, eliminating the feeling of separation; everything is unified with myself. The awakening of existence has led me to feel a deeper, thicker, and higher sense of self; my body is filled with energy, and my hands are brimming with vitality. This will greatly assist me in helping others, offering blessings, and transmitting energy. My sense of existence is strong, and I feel my inner energy has significantly intensified. My existence and soul are very real and powerful. The 21 days of learning have been tremendously beneficial for becoming a healer. I have gained greatly in perception, sensitivity, empathy, and the ability to feel others.