Updated BRC Newsflash - March 2021
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The Buddhist Retreat Centre |
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Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
For people of all religions |
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Dear Retreatant BRC Newsflash: March 2021 |
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Buddha through the golden bodhi leaves |
Image: Gavin Naicker | |
We Are What We Think - So Mind Your ThinkingIn Buddhism the phrase used for “optimism” is “joy without reason”. In Pali the word is Pity. It is a characteristic that is intrinsic in us and deeply embedded in our consciousness. In its simplest form, it is Joie de Vivre - the experience and exhilaration of simply being alive and conscious. But how do we get a handle on optimism in times such as we are presently experiencing, when circumstances that give rise to it are so constrained? The Buddhist teachings help us to incline the mind towards generating this quality of optimism: to develop the capacity to make ourselves available to whatever is happening - right there and then, with calmness and clarity. This gives us the opportunity to respond rather than react. One can then accept that things can, and will, go wrong - no matter how much one aims for success in everything we undertake. We can live realistically.... Meditation can help one to look inward and reflect on such positive mind states with the reminder that everything is temporary and that it isn’t about only good or only bad; it is about going through and growing through the storm to the other side. It is sometimes very difficult in the midst of a pandemic like this to think that things will get better, but we can remain stubbornly optimistic…. With affection, Louis |
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| A cosy space | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
The BRC LibraryThe wholeness, intention and experience of Buddhism is to be found in the three pillars of the BRC. Buddhism wants us to Listen, to Read and finally to Meditate. This is the LRM of Buddhism! The studio - a place of listening - is attached to the library. The meditation hall - the final refuge - flows from the library by a few connecting steps. The library - a fountain of inspiration and information contains hundreds of books on Buddhism, psychology and much more. It has been perfectly catalogued and in good order thanks to the kind attention of the late Ans van der Walt who would visit twice a year for many years. Topics range from General Buddhism to Theravada, Mahayana and Zen Buddhist traditions. There is also a section on Hinduism and other world religions emphasizing that the BRC has an open attitude to all spiritual and religious traditions. A section on psychology, yoga, martial arts completes this important source of life-sustaining information. Time spent here offers an opportunity to explore interesting subjects, have questions answered, and to learn. The history of the library is a worth a mention. It was the one of the first buildings along with the meditation hall that the founder, Louis van Loon, built to act as a venue where talks would be held. Built with wattle and daub, this rondavel made for a cosy, intimate room where people could meet and converse about Buddhism. The first retreat in March 41 years ago had Louis wondering if anyone would turn up. One retreatant did - and enjoyed the talks given by Antony Osler and Louis that weekend. How things have changed since then, but the library retains its original atmosphere... Yours in reading, Lennart Eriksson |
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| The Library and Zendo under construction in 1975 | Image: Louis van Loon | |
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We are delighted to share news about the Master Leaders Program founded by Anita Craig, a friend of the BRC Ixopo. The Master Leaders Program originated in South Africa at a time like no other when the planet and humanity as a whole needs this kind of education and offering, for a sustainable future. Dr Ian Weinberg, who offers PNI retreat at the BRC and Lisa Firer, another of our long-standing teachers, are both teaching as wisdom teachers and faculty members on the inaugural Master Leader Program launching early this year. The Master Leader Program is a nine-month open-edu online immersion program for a new breed of leader, entrepreneur, manager, employee, professional and life-long learner committed to shifting consciousness and becoming powerful influencers and enablers of positive, ethical change within their organisations, communities and the world at large. For more information, and to register, please visit: https://masterleader.online or call +27 (87) 057 6834. Enrolments are now open. |
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| Zen | Image: Nhlakanipho Nkomo | |
Yes, we are open in Ixopo.There is no better place to reboot and rejuvenate and to get in touch with nature than in the beautiful, tranquil spaces of the BRC. All health protocols and Covid-19 regulations are in place - with social distancing, sanitizing and masks - for your safety and well-being. |
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| Stupa skies |
Images: C. Flores, M. Randall, A. Brown, H. Bland | |
Reclaim Your Power: Journey to Inner Balance
For those who were not able to secure a place on Heike Sym’s retreat “Reclaim your power”, we are happy to announce that she will offer this retreat again from 9-11 April. Please book early to avoid disappointment. Contact
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| Sky over the Ixopo hills and valleys | Image: Gavin Naicker | |
Conducted RetreatsA Neurosurgeon Probes Wellness And Performance: PsychoneuroimmunologyIan Weinberg | Weekend | 5-7 March Delicious Wellness: How To Make Your Body Your Best FriendPatti Good | 2 days | 9-11 March Yin And Yang: A Yoga Retreat: Release, Relax And RestoreGeorgie Carter | Weekend | 12-14 March From Fear To Fundamental Well-BeingAlbert Buhr | 3 days | 19-22 March The Healing Art Of Reiki (Level 1), Yoga And Meditation: Heal The Body, Relax The MindKatherine Fillmore | Weekend | 26-28 March Deepening The Healing Art Of Reiki: Reiki: (Levels 2 And 3), Yoga And MeditationKatherine Fillmore | 4 days | 28 March-1 April Reiki Level 2 Reiki Level 3 Personal Self RetreatPeople often yearn for an opportunity to recalibrate their lives and to spend some time in quiet reflection among like-minded people. The BRC provides such a refuge - where silence is a precious commodity. Treat yourself to a personal retreat where you can wake up to bird song, walk in the morning mist, rake the sand garden, listen to the wind chimes and meditate in the company of the mossy Buddha. |
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| Entrance to the meditation hall | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
Our Daily BreadThe tempting aroma of freshly baked bread lingers in the early morning air after Lungi has turned out these golden loaves onto the racks to cool. No breakfast at the BRC is complete without this simple loaf - sliced, toasted and topped with lashings of butter and BRC honey. All you need is salt, oil, flour and water, and some gentle kneading. If you would like to order our recipe books: The Cake The Buddha Ate, Plentiful and Quiet Food. We are able to courier the books to your door. Please email: . |
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| Our daily bread | Image: Angela Shaw | |
About the BRCPerched on a ridge at the head of a valley in the Umkomaas river system in KwaZulu-Natal, the Buddhist Retreat Centre looks out on a vista of indigenous valleys, forests and rolling hills receding like waves in the blue distance. Here, for thirty-nine years, people of all religions and none have come to experience peace and tranquillity. It is a gentle, sympathetic space where one can be still and get in touch with oneself and reflect on the things that crowd one's life. The BRC was voted by CNN as one of the ten best meditation centres in the world. CNN Travel awarded another feather in the BRC’s cap by voting it as one of the ten best spiritual centres in South Africa, recently. The BRC was awarded Natural Heritage status in 1995 under the auspices of the Department of Environmental Affairs and received a certificate to that effect signed by President Nelson Mandela for turning an eroded farm into the natural paradise it has become - thousands of indigenous trees were planted by retreatants under the supervision of Mervyn Croft - with 160 species of birds, including the Blue Swallow, otter, deer, antbear and indigenous forests. The Centre was also given the special status of “Custodian of the Blue Swallow” for its work in preserving the breeding areas of this endangered bird. The BRC facilitated the founding of Woza Moya, the community-based NGO, located in Ufafa Valley, twenty-one years ago, on the estate. Their vision is for all people in the community to be healthy and .productive, to live in a safe and clean environment, with good access to services and social justice. The Centre continues to support the organisation by showcasing their crafts in the shop. The Woza Moya Crafters are local women who receive ongoing training and support to enable them to create these unique and charming best sellers. Recently, we installed a new borehole and pump - at enormous cost - when we ran out of water, despite the continuous summer rainfall. Please continue to support the BRC to get back on its Dharma feet by becoming a friend of the Buddhist Retreat Centre (a non-profit organisation) and find out more about the BRC's Paid-Up-Yogi and Sangha Friends’ projects. We have been very touched by your appreciative letters, emails, support and friendship towards the BRC - your spiritual home from home. Chrisi Visit our website for further information, directions, image gallery etc. |
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