BRC Newsflash - August 2022
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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 2022 Dear Retreatants, |
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The 42nd AGMThe 42nd AGM of the Buddhist Institute Of South Africa will be held virtually on 30 August at 6pm. If you would like to attend, please email Louis at and we will send you the Zoom link. |
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| Winter dress | Image: Andrew Brown | |
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Louis' 87th Tony Osler’s Reflections Some fifty years ago Louis van Loon bought the farm outside Ixopo which is now the site of the BRC. That inspired young man is now an inspired elder, the sage of Bemersyde road, sitting quietly and without fuss on his verandah, watching the leaves move in the trees. This is an archetypal Buddhist image; a reaping of the fruits of the Dharma – a time when the teachings are so much part of us that they become transparent, transmuted into a deep simplicity and elegance. Whatever name we give to this – wisdom, enlightenment, prajna – it is deeply encouraging to witness such an unfolding of selflessness. For myself personally, Louis remains a pivotal figure on the Buddhist path and a very particular kind of friend. When I joined him during 1978/79 in getting the BRC ready to open, I was amazed by his unlimited capacity for work. And he took me under his wing with great patience, for I knew nothing. We know now that we both knew nothing. And in retrospect, this may be what saved us; that we were not only comfortable with not-knowing but that we actively built on our ignorance and walked out into an unknown field with a kind of child-like innocence. Louis had studied and lectured, I had sat on my cushion, and together we made it work – slowly and hesitantly at first, then with an unstoppable momentum as the centre grew into the great place that we know today. |
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| Louis marking the stupa location in the seventies | : | |
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And what is equally wonderful is that, although we once asked ourselves anxiously what would happen when Louis is no longer at the centre, this question has answered itself. Chrisi van Loon has simply stepped into that space and carried on, together with her committed and energetic team of friends. Louis is always the first to express his gratitude to her and he is deeply thankful that the BRC can pass so uncomplicatedly out of his hands. I know Louis. He trusts the Dharma. He is delighted to let go. This natural demonstration of impermanence is perfectly in accordance with his understanding of the Buddha Dharma, itself the defining ingredient of his long and shining life. It is important that we remember those that have walked before us, those that walk beside us, and those that will be walking after us. In this way we make the Sangha (the community of practitioners) real. Acknowledging Louis, his vision, his commitment and his self-deprecatory good humour, is an important part of our way. So thank you Louis, old friend! We are both too stiff to prostrate, so we will bow with words instead! White veld blue sky Antony Osler |
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| Zen garden meditation | Image: Angela Shaw | |
Some Words From Sue CooperThe BRC holds a very special place in my heart, as it was here that my journey with Buddhist meditation and wisdom began in 1984, with Louis’ famous “Introduction to Basic Buddhism” Silent Weekend Retreat. It is so wonderful to be celebrating Louis’s birthday after so many decades of life-changing time spent on retreat and now teaching at this incredible sanctuary, for which I am deeply grateful. There are so many of us who have experienced a deep home-coming in the silence at the BRC, amidst the mist-filled beauty and the rolling hills, so generously supported on retreat by Louis, Chrisi, the amazing volunteer staff and the wonderful men and women of Ixopo and Ufafa Valley. A retreat in noble or ‘ennobling’ silence allows the mind to quieten and the heart to open, so that we can listen more deeply and more compassionately. This form of deep listening in ennobling silence reveals who we really are and allows us to remember what really matters and how we want to be. The silence provides a nurturing container in which to explore and discover ways to free ourselves from the suffering of our inner turmoil. It was through the invaluable experience of silent retreats that I understood the liberating Buddhist wisdom that “our suffering is the gateway to freedom.” Learning to be with our painful experiences in a brave, compassionate and mindful way is profoundly healing and psychologically and spiritually transformative. When we learn to soften the harsh voice of our inner critic, our hearts and minds begin to discover the healing possibility of self-compassion. It is a huge honour and joy to be offering another Compassion Retreat over the Women’s Day long weekend in from 5-9 August, integrating my experience as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist with Buddhist wisdom and compassion teachings and practices, such as Metta (loving-kindness) Meditation. When we end the inner warfare and find more peace and joy within ourselves, we can live a more connected and heartfelt life, leading to greater authentic presence and more sustainable compassionate action. Sue Cooper The Most Important Thing I am making a home inside myself. A shelter A fiercely friendly place I can claim as my very own. I am throwing arms open I will light a candle, pour a hot cup of tea, gather I am making a home inside myself I whisper hallelujah to the friendly Julia Fehrenbacher |
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| Winter plumage | Image: Andrew Brown | |
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. |
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| Late afternoon stupa | Image: Andrew Brown | |
There are still a few spaces left on the following July retreats:Blooming aloes! Gardening For HappinessChris Dalzell | Weekend | 8-10 July The aloes, halleria and leonotis are in full bloom in Ixopo! 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. Experience all this - and more - and celebrate the BRC's gardens and its green spaces. A Winter Yoga And Mindfulness Retreat: A Journey InwardsMagdarie van Staden | Weekend | 22-24 July Winter time is a time for going inward, to consciously slow down and take stock. In nature, winter is the time we focus on preparing the soil before planting in spring. During this retreat, we create and hold space for you to go inward, take rest and reflect and to nurture and nourish - body, mind and soul through pranayama, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, contemplation and journaling. 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. |
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| Red, green and blue | Image: Andrew Brown | |
Conducted Retreats August 2022
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| Black headed oriol |
Image: Andrew Brown | |
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. |
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