BRC Newsflash - August/September 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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BRC Newsflash: August/September 2021 Dear Retreatants, |
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Buddha Rupa |
Image: Angela Shaw | |
On Facing OurselvesHow do we embrace the ineffability of what it means to be human without being overly seduced by the “bells and whistles” of mystical thinking? How do we address the struggles that we face without mistaking “self-help” for “self-critique”; without striving to always be better and more competitive labour in a free market? How do we ensure our survival in ways that consider the whole of humanity? I believe that, if we can avoid a Buddhism that serves as “spiritual materialism” (a form of escape from the reality of our lives) then Buddhism provides us with a beautiful existential method for facing life’s inexorable struggles and making the most of moments when it reveals its splendour. This is perhaps why, twenty years later, I am still met with excited hesitation as the lane of Irises greet me as I enter the BRC. Attending a retreat can mean meeting that which arises, entrusting that there is something of value in the Dharma, and relinquishing habitual comforts. It takes courage. On the last retreat we hosted I was inspired by some ideas from European philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas. I asked retreatants to face each other and look into the face of the other as they meditated. It was a very moving experience for all and it left me wondering what we mean when we say that we need to “face” things? What does it mean when we look into ourselves and what is the best method for doing so? In The Art of Solitude, Stephen Batchelor writes: “Look long and hard enough at yourself in isolation and suddenly you will see the rest of humanity staring back.” The retreat left me wondering that, if life has a “face”, what does it mean to look into that “face”? And, what happens when life starts to look back at you? Perhaps it means to stand accountable for these rare and transitory lives that we live? Our brief blips on the radar of human history as we hurtle our way to the inevitable end of the Holocene.
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| Rain irises | Image: Angela Shaw | |
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Many who visit the sanctity of the BRC are “face to face” with unfathomable and, I am sure at times, unbearable aspects of what it means to be alive. There are things that are simply just too hard to “face” sometimes. The retreat setting can hold us as we find the courage to look towards our struggles, turning in and away from the world for a few days in order to find a response. Meditation is not just an effective way of “stress reduction”; it can be the means through which we gaze into the eyes of life - into what it means to be more conscious - meeting life in all its beauty, banality and bewilderment. The global pandemic has forced us to pause and take a deep collective breath, asking: “What are the things that really matter?” In attempting to answer this question, I take inspiration from R.D.Laing and quote: “As adults, we have forgotten most of our childhood, not only its contents but its flavour; as men of the world, we hardly know of the existence of the inner world: we barely remember our dreams, and make little sense of them when we do; as for our bodies, we retain just sufficient proprioceptive sensations to co-ordinate our movements and to ensure the minimal requirements for biosocial survival - to register fatigue, signals for food, sex, defecation, sleep; beyond that, little or nothing. Our capacity to think, except in service of what we are dangerously deluded in supposing is our self-interest, and in conformity with common sense, is pitifully limited: our capacity even to see, hear, touch, taste and smell is so shrouded in veils of mystification that an intensive discipline of unlearning is necessary for anyone before one can begin to experience the world afresh, with innocence, truth and love.” (from The Politics of Experience and The Bird of Paradise, R.D Laing, 1967) Thank you to the BRC for providing a place where I can remember to move, eat and sleep with consideration; contemplate my dreams; unlearn habitual ways of being; embrace the very fact that I am alive and bring awareness to how I respond to these uncertain times. As writer and environmentalist Wendell Berry puts it: “When we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.” May we all have the courage and curiosity to continue to face the journey. With Metta |
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| Buddha Boma | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
Calming The Storm WithinWe trust that you and your families and communities are safe, as we emerge from these challenging and turbulent times. As I head towards my 86th year, I reflect on how fortunate I was to have discovered the Buddha’s teachings early on in my life. These teachings have enabled me to calm the many storms I have encountered - both within myself and in the world around me. I discovered at an early age that there is one central, stabilising element in my life: it is our breath that accompanies every thought and action in our lives. Indeed, it is principally through our breath that we stay alive, our heart beats, and our body functions optimally. Therefore, when we settle ourselves in that calm and clear environment of just breathing and let go of all other concerns and thoughts, we inject an element of groundedness and sanity into whatever situation we find ourselves. This, in itself, does not necessarily resolve any emotional or mental problems we may have, but it equips us to deal with them more effectively. The Buddha therefore considered that a capacity to establish calmness and clarity in our thoughts and emotions to be a fundamental task we should set ourselves. That is why the various programs and retreats offered at the BRC explore the many ways through which Mindfulness can be practised - on and off the meditation cushion and in every real-life situation we encounter. Ixopo is quiet and the Centre is open. Please consider joining a workshop as a touchstone to entrench Mindfulness in its many facets in our lives. May you have many Mindful moments in your life as we negotiate these troubled times. |
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| Louis with gong and mallet | Image: Angela Shaw | |
AGMThe 42 nd AGM of the Buddhist Institute Of South Africa will be held virtually on 25 August at 6pm. If you would like to attend, please email and we will send you the Zoom link. We have rescheduled three retreats:
To all those who kindly rolled over their deposits when retreats were cancelled due to adjusted level 4 restrictions and the unrest - THANK YOU! We are indebted to you. The BRC is a non-profit organisation that relies solely on income from accommodation to pay our staff wages and to meet our monthly running expenses. Without income, the Centre faces a fragile future. Stay safe and kind, With affection, Louis |
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Now And Zen: Reboot, Recharge And Retreat In IxopoThere is no better place to reboot and get in touch with nature than in the beautiful, tranquil spaces of the BRC. We have a selection of retreats for August and September to support you. 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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| Labyrinth | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
Conducted Retreats
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| From Plentiful |
Images: Angela Shaw | |
There Is Nothing Humble About VegetablesPuff pastry does not inspire greatness. It does, however, provide you with a blank canvas, that, with a little imagination, can be converted into a vegetable tart of beauty and flavour. Cookie-cut the pastry into round discs and place a medley of grilled courgettes, red onions, baby tomatoes, red pepper and mushrooms onto each round, topped with crumbled feta and basil pesto. Bake until golden. If you can’t attend one of our retreats, you can in your own home - with our recipe books - get the flavour of the place. We are able to courier the books to your door. Please email: . if you would like to order our recipe books: The Cake The Buddha Ate, Plentiful and Quiet Food. |
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| Tantric tarts from Plentiful | 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. Recently, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife granted the BRC “Private Nature Reserve” for the conservation of the rare Blue Swallow and Mistbelt Grassland. 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. Please continue to support the BRC by becoming a friend of the Buddhist Retreat Centre (a non-profit organisation) and find out more about the BRC's Paid-Up-Yogi, Monthly Patron 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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