The Buddhist Retreat Centre |
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Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
For people of all religions |
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BRC Newsflash: May 2022 Dear Retreatants, |
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Starry starry night | Image: Tsunma Tsondru | |
Wesak Greetings!On the full moon of May, Buddhists all over the globe will be celebrating the Buddha - this auspicious time being the centre point of recognising the Buddha as a great being and teacher. Like with all other religions interpenetrated with myth, it is sometimes difficult to separate fact from myth. But what matters here is that this time marks the very beginning of the Buddhist tradition. Wesak honours the birth of the Buddha and is an opportunity to deepen your own spiritual journey and path. As Antony Osler says so eloquently: “We are all custodians of some kind of spiritual tradition or way of life…. custodians of the Dharma, each of us in our particular way.” Wesak is an annual Buddhist celebration honouring the Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment and Death, all of which are traditionally associated on the full moon of May. It usually consists of traditional teachings, chants and meditation, a shared meal and distribution of gifts to the poor. A form of "Buddhist Christmas”. Stephen Coan has written a beautiful message below capturing the spirit and mood of Wesak in Ixopo which has been an annual celebration for forty two years. |
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Lantern-lit path | Image: Tsunma Tsondru | |
“Late on a May afternoon driving the twisting R56 as it ascends the southern side of the Umkomaas valley, the sinking sun backlights the autumn grasses growing by the roadside rendering their seed heads blush-pink. It’s a familiar sight at this time of the year for those on their way to the Buddhist Retreat Centre to attend the annual Wesak retreat held under the full moon of May (or the closest weekend thereto) to commemorate and celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, ‘the awakened one’, 2500 years ago. The retreat follows its typical programme of sitting and walking meditation with talks and reflections in the studio around the fireside, but the real heart of the retreat is the ceremony which takes place in the evening, beginning in the meditation hall before moving outside into the gardens for a traditional circumambulation of the Buddha statue. The ceremony in the hall has taken various forms over the years - in 1992 Antony Osler, who led the retreat with Louis that year - handed out sayings and poems to be read aloud by retreatants as they sat in a large circle, one reader passing a candle to the next. Here’s a poem from Ryokan read on that night: At night, deep in the mountains I sit in meditation. |
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(En)chanting verses | Image: Tsunma Tsondru | |
In 2005 Louis kindly invited me to join him in leading the Wesak retreat and, barring an odd year or two, we have done so ever since - Antony joined us in 2010 for the Wesak retreat marking the centre’s 30th anniversary; only fitting as he was its first resident manager and teacher back in 1980. Over the last few years the ceremony in the hall has coalesced into a set pattern: a period of silent meditation followed by a reading of the relevant chapters from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Old Path, White Clouds describing the Buddha’s enlightenment. Then we go outside into the cool (if not cold) May evening where scores of plain brown paper bags half-filled with sand and planted with a candle light a path to and around the Buddha statue. As the retreatants leave the hall each is given a lit stick of incense as they form a single line, one behind the other, and walk the illuminated pathway into the garden towards the Buddha statue and, as is the tradition all over the world, circumambulate the statue three times. After the final turn each person places their incense stick in a bowl at the statue’s feet, bows, and steps back to form a group facing the Buddha. When all are gathered together we chant some Pali verses and these are likely followed by English versions of the Heart Sutra or the Metta Sutra. Then silence. On a clear night - not always guaranteed at Ixopo in May - the moon shines full and the star-spangled haze of the Milky Way is a silver scarf thrown across the sky. If you are lucky you might hear the call of an eagle owl. Gradually, one by one, or in small groups, people move away towards the studio. Tea and cake awaits – even the one the Buddha ate. The silence closes in again as the retreatants wend their way to bed. The candles around the Buddha still aglow.” Please join us for Wesak from 13-15 May. With Metta Louis |
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Chibini valley | Image: Katherine Fillmore | |
Now And Zen: Reboot, Recharge And RetreatThere is no better place than the BRC to rejuvenate the body and mind with nature, meditation and movement to guide you into presence and stillness. 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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Saffron robed butterfly | Image: Katherine Fillmore | |
There are still a few spaces left on the following April retreats:indicates retreats held in Noble Silence Open The Heart And Still The Mind: Embracing Grief And Gratitude With CompassionSue Cooper | 4 or 7 days | 14-21 April This is a fee-based retreat: Please contact Sue for her fee details: https://stillmindretreats.com/event/retreat-embracing-grief-and-gratitude-with-compassion/ The silent Easter long-weekend Open the Heart and Still the Mind Compassion Retreat is being offered either as a 4-night Easter retreat or as an extended 7 nights for those who want a longer and deeper retreat experience and will provide an opportunity to integrate the experiences of grief and gratitude that we all have been confronted with during this time of uncertainty. Drawing on the wisdom of Buddhist psychology and the inspiring teachings and practices of Kuan Yin, the bodhisattva of Compassion, who "Listens to the cries of the world at ease" we will strengthen our capacity to be with things as they are unfolding. After establishing a calm and grounded body, heart and mind, we will focus on the practice of loving-kindness (metta) meditation and the deepening of compassionate wisdom. These practices connect us with our authentic presence, strengthen our boundaries and provide us with a secure foundation of courage and trust. In a contained and nurturing atmosphere of contemplative (Noble) silence, we will learn how to transform the viciousness of the inner critic, so that we can end the habitual cycle of self-abandonment and fear. This retreat includes guided sitting and walking meditations, short individual sessions with Sue and daily sessions of qigong (chi kung) movement meditation to enhance the integration of body, heart and mind. There will be time for silent, mindful walks in nature when you can explore the beauty of the Centre. Additional optional yoga and possibly massages will be offered. Vinyāsa Yoga And MeditationHannelize Robinson | Weekend | 29 April-2 May |
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Forest tulips | Image: Jason Ross | |
Conducted Retreats May 2022indicates retreats held in Noble Silence Come As You Are: Secular Buddhism, Existential Philosophy And Psychotherapy. Can Buddhism Effectively Treat The Struggles We Face In Life?Jason Ross | 5 days | 3-8 May It is often our personal struggles that bring us to a retreat setting. But, is Buddhism meant to serve as a form of therapy? This retreat will explore the potential meeting place between Secular Buddhist practices, Existential Philosophy and Psychotherapy. We will explore methods such as Vipassana and Korean Zen meditation as a means of better understanding the nature of our own minds and the relationships we have formed with the struggles we are facing. The retreat will include yoga, meditation, philosophical reflection, therapeutic discussion and short periods of essential noble silence. Under The Full Moon Of May: Wesak - Celebrating 25 Centuries Of BuddhismStephen Coan | Weekend | 13-15 May The feast of Wesak is the most important day on the Buddhist calendar, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha nearly 2500 years ago. A moveable feast, Wesak is traditionally held on the full moon of the lunar month of Vesakha (coincidental with May) which in 2022 falls over this weekend. We will mark this festival with a programme of sitting and walking meditation plus talks and reflections on aspects of the Buddha’s life and teachings and, in union with Buddhists around the world, hold a traditional Wesak ceremony, a candle-lit circumambulation. Please note: Apart from the talk and discussion periods this retreat will be held in Noble Silence. Beginner's Mind, Quiet Mind: Meditation Instruction And Practice For Meaningful Daily LivingTsunma Tsondru | 5 days | 15-20 May It is important for us to take time out from the incessant demands and fast pace of daily life. The BRC gives us a space to step off the wheel and the time to come home to the quiet, strong refuge which lies at our centre. Cultivating the natural state of peace and ease that lies there reveals our true nature - which enables us not to just help ourselves, but to help the world of which we are a part. Then daily living becomes meaningful. This mid-week retreat will bring out our Beginner’s Mind through the practice of meditation. Releasing Ourselves From Old Stories: Stepping From The Past Into An Abundant Future By Drawing On The Ancient Hawaiian Practice Of Ho’oponoponoDominique Garnett | Weekend | 20-22 May Stories and story-telling are what make us human. We have stories about health, wellness and well-being. Often, we are informed by the should, could and would of life. These stories, or programs, inform our view of the world - whether it is a world-view and story of scarcity or one of abundance. Sometimes these stories, or the programs from the past can entrap and restrict us from living a full life. How have other people’s stories of the world in health and wellness, scarcity and abundance - informed your own? This retreat is an invitation to look at our own personal stories as part of a much larger story of world, health and well-being; to look at the programs that run automatically and prevent us from living freely and being in the present moment. Through learning and practising Ho’oponopono we can learn how to release ourselves from restrictive stories. Systems Constellations: Healing Trauma Through Restoring Strengths And CreativityVasintha Pather | 2 days | 24-26 May Systems Constellations, including Family Constellations and Organisational Constellations, is a powerful therapeutic process that seeks to reveal hidden familial or collective dynamics impacting current experiences and relationships. Often a system may be out of balance due to exclusions, historical trauma or energetic entanglements that cause disorder or dysfunction. When these hidden dynamics - which may be trans-generational - are revealed, it may offer pathways to acceptance, healing and healthier functioning. The effects of trauma can become powerful forces that weaken a system’s health. As balance is restored those patterns that bring new creative life and energy must therefore be strengthened. ourselves. The Heart And Art Of Awakening - Part 1: Shift Your Life Through Presence And ArtJohn Homewood and Michelle McClunan | Weekend | 27 May-29 May Would you like to connect more deeply with Life? Join two of South Africa’s top transformational facilitators, John Homewood and Michelle McClunan, on a powerful, transformational experience that will awaken, shift and nourish you. This retreat will integrate powerful spiritual teachings of Presence, Awakening and Flow with different creative art processes, to help you to clear blockages that may have prevented you from living a healthy, joy-filled, peaceful and abundant life. The creative experiences are process-driven, as opposed to being outcome-based, so no artistic experience or skill is required. Through wisdom teachings, guided visualisations, meditations, time spent in nature, heart-opening music and a variety of experientially creative processes, you will be led gently into your inner landscape, where you will rediscover your own deep wisdom and reason for being here, on this planet, right now. PLEASE NOTE: This retreat is further extended to include Monday and Tuesday 30 and 31 May: The Heart And Art Of Awakening Part 2 - Going Deeper The Heart And Art Of Awakening - Part 2: Going DeeperJohn Homewood and Michelle McClunan | 2 days | 29-31 May Join two of South Africa’s top transformational facilitators, John Homewood and Michelle McClunan on a powerful, transformational experience that will awaken, shift and nourish you. You will be provided with valuable tools to help you navigate our quickly changing world. This is a follow-on from the weekend’s retreat for those wishing to deepen the process of Awakening and aligning with Presence and Flow. It will be structured in a way to allow newcomers to attend - so all welcome! A 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 and enjoy the Sound Circle in the bamboo grove. Liz Witherspoon, meditation teacher and yoga instructor, will be in situ from 1 May to offer daily sessions of mindfulness and gentle yoga |
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In the shade of the bodhi tree |
Image: Katherine Fillmore | |
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 forty two 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-two 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 and sponsoring their trainers and consultants. We have been very touched by your appreciative letters, emails and friendship towards the BRC - your spiritual home from home. Thank you to all of you who continue to support our work in Ixopo with monthly and Paid Up Yogi contributions and donations, with gifts, or with skills and time. And, of course, everyone who comes to the Centre keeps us open and viable. We are deeply grateful for your generosity towards us; it encourages us to continue Louis’ beautiful vision and legacy for the future. Please continue to support the BRC by becoming a friend of the Buddhist Retreat Centre (a registered non-profit organisation) and find out more about the BRC's Paid-Up-Yogi and Sangha Friends’ projects. Chrisi Visit our website for further information, directions, image gallery etc. |
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