My experience is mostly in the Theravadan-style “pragmatic dharma” world, where the goal is to get to stream-entry as quickly as possible. My one and only residential retreat experience was at a centre run by people associated with the lineage of the late Mahasi Syadaw, during which I saw my practice accelerate like never before.

Keeping that in mind, I find that my current practice is rather solitary to the extent that I get lonesome. I think it’s important for me to feel like I have a community of people on the same journey as I am. The best Buddhist communal experience I had was at a Korean Zen temple. My only reservation about attending such a place regularly is that since the Mahayana school strongly emphasizes the bodhissatva vow, my own awakening will be postponed until all sentient beings have been liberated, which is not what I’m looking for. What do you think?