The Buddhist Retreat Centre |
||
Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
For people of all religions |
|
BRC Newsflash: July 2022 Dear Retreatants, |
||
|
||
Bodhi diorama | Image: Gavin Naicker | |
Stephen Coan led the full moon of May Wesak retreat with such grace and wisdom. His reflections are beautifully rendered below. Doing What The Buddha DidWhen the Buddha died at the age of 80 he hadn’t named a successor, there was no last testament, no will. Asked about this shortly before his death he became almost petulant: what more do you want of me, what more can I give you? ‘The teaching is the true refuge. Every person must make the teaching their own refuge. Every person should be a lamp unto themselves.’ He died a few weeks later and his final words were: ‘Everything is impermanent. If there is birth there is death. Be diligent in your efforts to attain liberation.’ In essence what the Buddha is saying is ‘don’t put me up on a pedestal, look at the teachings - and don’t just take my word for it, test them for yourself.’ Here we are, two thousand five hundred years on and that challenge remains. An interesting slant on all this can be found in Herman Hesse’s novella Siddhartha published in 1922 and translated from German into English for the first time in 1951. Hesse died in 1962. By the 1970s his book had come a cult hit and still remains in print. Hesse’s story is a simple one: Siddhartha, son of an Indian Brahmin walks out of his otherwise undemanding and pleasurable life in order to find purpose and meaning. A spiritual quest, in other words, and one in which he is accompanied by his friend, Govinda. The two are dissatisfied by the teachers and teachings they encounter but one day they come across the Buddha teaching at the Jetavana Grove outside Shravasti. Govinda finds what he is seeking in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path and takes refuge. Here the tale takes an unexpected turn: Siddhartha doesn’t. |
||
Eyes horizontal, nose vertical | Image: Angela Buckland | |
Siddhartha has a conversation with the Buddha. He says he accepts everything the Buddha’s has to say, he accepts he is enlightened, but he still has a problem: ‘There is one thing that this clear worthy instruction does not contain; it does not contain the secret of what the Illustrious One himself experienced – he alone among hundreds of thousands.’ In the Zen Buddhist tradition the story of the Buddha’s enlightenment is dispensed with very quickly: the morning star rose and the Buddha got enlightenment. That’s it! What more do you want? The brevity is pertinent: get on with your own enlightenment. Rather like Siddhartha in Hesse’s book, experience it for yourself. The 13th century Japanese Zen master Dogen on coming home from an extended pilgrimage to China greeted his followers with these words: ‘I have returned home with empty hands. I retain no trace of Buddhism. I say only this: my eyes are horizontal, my nose vertical.’ Their position in meditation. The word ‘zen’ means meditation, the basic Buddhist practice common to all traditions. When you take to your cushion, your chair, your bench and commit to following the flow of the breath you are doing exactly what the Buddha did. That’s how he found enlightenment. Simple. Difficult. No trace of Buddhism. Breathing in, breathing out. Off you go. With Metta, Stephen Quotations are from Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, Parallax Press, 1991, p.548 and p.560 (slightly amended). Herman Hesse, Siddhartha, translated by Hilda Rosner, Picador, 1974, p.28. Philip Kapleau, Three Pillars of Zen, Rider, 1988, p.290 |
||
Zendo | Image: Lisa De Venter | |
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. |
||
Saffron robes | Image: Sean Laurenz | |
There are still a few spaces left on the following June retreats:An Introduction To Mindfulness Based Living: "Knowing The Present"Kerri Martinaglia and Chrissi Preuss | Weekend | 10-12 June Cultivating Mind-Heart Resonance Through Emotional Intelligence And MindfulnessShanil Haricharan | Weekend | 2 days | 17 June-19 June |
||
Buddha boma | Image: Angela Buckland | |
Conducted Retreats July 2022indicates retreats held in Noble Silence Saying Yes To Life – Finding The Divinity Within Ourselves: How Having ‘Faith’ Can Help Us Live Wholeheartedly In A Challenging WorldRichard-John Chippindall | Weekend | 1-3 July We have a choice in the way in which we meet the many difficulties with which life inevitably presents us: we can be defensive and erect barriers to pain, or we can choose to approach discomfort and uncertainty with an attitude of friendliness and curiosity. Being open to what is challenging requires courage and practice as it is not in the nature of the human brain to remain calm in the face of difficulty. In relaxing into what is painful, we are making friends with ourselves and with our world, and we develop maitri – the unconditional self-acceptance that is the basis of compassion and well-being. Having faith in God, the teachings of Jesus, the Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, and the great prophets of other spiritual paths can give us courage and provide us with great support in navigating this human life that can be so difficult at times. Rejuvenating The BRC: A Family Retreat With Children In MindAnisha Maharaj and Eshara Ramphal | 3 days | 4-7 July Parents and children are invited to join a three-day retreat in the rolling hills of the BRC. Anisha will instil an appreciation of simple pleasures, joy and gratitude. The days will be filled with drumming, making art, mandalas and wind-chimes, nature walks, ubuntu story-telling and toasting marshmellows under the stars. Eshara will be offering yoga and mindfulness sessions over the 3 days. Children of school-going age (8 years and up) must be accompanied by an adult. Gardening For Happiness: The Basics Of GardeningChris Dalzell | Weekend | 8-10 July They say that 'your life begins the day you start a garden'. If you are looking for some green thumb inspiration and motivation, join Christopher Dalzell for a dynamic weekend of basic gardening tips where you will learn the practice and art of gardening. The weekend will entail plant identification and plant selection of trees, shrubs, ground covers and bulbs. He will show you how to prepare a flower bed and how to lay out your plants, and how to plant trees and other plants and their maintenance; and advise on plant propagation. He will also highlight the importance of soil and how to rejuvenate a nutrient-depleted soil and deal with pest and diseases. Experience all this - and more - and celebrate the BRC's gardens and its green spaces. Ethical Investing For SustainabilityPeter and Louisa Lennon | 2 days | 10-12 July Going green is an urgent imperative and no longer a muddied issue or a nice-to-have. Many people have long accepted that we all have a duty as custodians of our planet. But they did not know how they individually could use their money to help. Or feared, incorrectly, that investing for sustainability means monetary loss. This retreat is for all people of goodwill to gain a grounding in the world of investment generally, the information they need to design a particular investment strategy that suits them, and to discover the financial power available to them to use for good. An Antidote To InsecurityPeter and Louisa Lennon | 3 days | 12-15 July If the little voice inside tends to remind you constantly of your mistakes and inadequacies, or you are not sure what your life is about, or you sometimes get horrible feelings of emptiness, you will discover from your fellow retreatants how those things are all quite normal in human beings. We will explore the attitudes, habitual behaviours and choices of words you use about yourself that tend to reinforce the unhelpful thoughts, make you feel worthless and without purpose. We will create for you a space of harmony and perfect safety, and encourage you to observe, to show up, commit, and take away what you find. Traditional Hatha And Raja YogaDuncan Rice | Weekend | 15-17 July Join Duncan for a weekend of reflection, rejuvenation, relaxation and restoration. The retreat is based on the ancient practices of hatha and raja yoga and is open to all levels of ability, including beginners, who wish to understand the fundamentals of yoga and develop, or deepen, their own practice. In the tranquil environment of the Buddhist Retreat Centre, we will discover how shatkarmas (cleansing techniques), asanas (postures), pranayama (control of the breath), mudra (gestures to manipulate and stimulate the energies in the body), bandhas (energy locks with the body) bring us into equilibrium and help us to develop awareness of body, mind and breath. Anger - On The Path Of LoveYageshree Moodley and Udersh Mahesh | 2 days | 22-24 July Anger is a challenging emotion to feel and work with. It is so often all-consuming and destructive that many of us avoid or suppress anger, especially on a spiritual path. Yet, anger is also part of our human experience. It can ignite fierce compassion and sustain action - daring us to grow, so that we can better serve all sentient beings. This retreat offers a safe space to meet anger, to explore what lies beneath it and beyond it, and to practise responding to anger mindfully. Together we will explore gentle yoga and guided meditation and silence to deepen our awareness. Finding And Keeping Your Centre: Taking Care Of Ourselves In Order To Be Of Service To OthersTessa Pretorius | Weekend | 29-31 July Why is it so difficult for us to be kind or gentle or good to with ourselves? Perhaps it is because we have grown up within the paradigm that ‘good people put the needs of others first’. In other words, we believe that we need to sacrifice ourselves in order to show we care. Or, it could just be that finding time for self-care just means one more thing on the already unobtainable to-do-list. But what if caring for ourselves wasn’t that difficult? What if, by a few simple adjustments or re-tuning of your emotions, thoughts or attitude patterns, we could find that calm place on the merry-go-round where we were at our best and could deal with and handle what life throws at us with style. The Buddha’s teachings emphasise the importance of taking care of ourselves in order to be of service to others. 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. |
||
Stupa hill |
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 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. We are deeply grateful for your generous gifts to the Centre this year: new beds and bases, office chairs and a desk, bathroom towels, indigenous trees and seedlings, books for our library, a generator, a garden bench, clothing and Dana for our staff - and so much more.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. |
||
|
|
||
The email was sent to: |