The Buddhist Retreat Centre |
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Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
For people of all religions |
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BRC Newsflash: December 2022 Dear Retreatants, |
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Reclining Buddha | Image: Angela Buckland | |
Making Space For Accidental Beauty To EmergeDecember is always the time for our 4-day retreat “Shibuie: Accidental Beauty". I first encountered Sumie - the ancient form of Japanese brush painting - on my travels to the East in the 1960’s when I enrolled in a course in Kyoto run by a Sumie artist of some note. What attracted me to this art form is the way the artist paints with bold lines, and with no hesitation or correction - similar to the way we should be living our lives - capturing the unique reality of each moment as fully, wholeheartedly and directly as possible. Once you have done or said something, particularly when it affects another, it can never be undone. Similarly, a brushstroke on absorbent paper, can never be undone. |
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Sumie and raku | ||
In Sumie, the important thing is not about copying a subject, but rather about developing an intimacy with it so that it exists as a subliminal experience which you can draw on when you want to paint it. Only the essential nature of the subject matters. In this way, you become very alert to the world around you. The brushstrokes we make on the paper are as important as the spaces that are left between them – after all, that is where the dragons live. The idea of Shubuie or accidental beauty comes into play because Sumie is concerned only with the moment - the ink, the brush and the way you hold it as it strikes the absorbent paper is not under your control. Ingrid Adams who is currently enrolled for a Doctoral thesis on this art form, and ceramicists, Nina and Kate Shand, will be leading Shibuie from 12-16 December. Why not try this unique art form? Come with a beginner’s mind and watch how accidental beauty unfolds. With Metta, Louis |
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Nana's bountiful BRC vegetable garden harvest | Image: Lien Duvenage | |
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. For the month of November we are offering a 10% discount for a mid week sojourn in Ixopo. |
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Double-collared sunbird | Image: Andrew Brown | |
There are still a few spaces left on the following November retreats:At Ease in Mind and Body: An Introduction To QigongPaul Dorrian | Weekend | 11-13 November Quiet Mountain, Clear Sky: Meditating With Calmness And ClarityMervyn Croft | Weekend | 18- 20 November The Roots Of Sacred Drumming: Exploring Natural RhythmsRichard Ellis and Marc Kress | Weekend | 25-27 November |
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Double rainbow | Image: Andrew Brown | |
Conducted Retreats December 2022indicates retreats held in Noble Silence Yoga Mind, Body And Breath: A Journey Of Self-DiscoveryMarc Kress | Weekend | 2-4 December The practice of yoga brings the mind and body together, grounding us in the present, connecting us with where we are and what our body tells us about ourselves. Yoga is a process of re-connecting to our body and breath, coming back into the present moment. The ancient yogis realized that in order to be able to meditate effectively requires a healthy, strong body, so they developed yoga postures (asanas), cleansing techniques and breathing exercises (pranayama). Through regular practise of asanas, pranayama and meditation, yoga unlocks the deeper levels of our being. It is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who we are. This retreat is open to beginners and experienced students. Please bring a yoga mat. A Neurosurgeon Probes Wellness And Performance: PsychoneuroimmunologyIan Weinberg | Weekend | 9-11 December In the last of a series of workshops which Ian has presented over the past 13 years, he will explore the chemistry which mediates the effects of mind states on the body: psychoneuroimmunology or PNI. The talks and demonstrations will show that we can attain optimal wellness and performance by getting to know our temperament and personality traits; by being more present-minded; and through sensible, informed ways of living and behaving. Shibuie - When Beauty Happens Accidentally: Sumie And Raku – Japanese Brush Painting And PotteryIngrid Adams, Kate and Nina Shand | 4 days | 12-16 December “You Can’t Fill The Hole In Your Heart With Food”…And Other Things - Jan Chozen Bays Mindful Eating: The hidden gifts of our compulsionsXenia Ayiotis | Weekend |16-18 December The Four Immeasurable Gifts At ChristmasTsunma Tsondru | 3 days accommodation | 23-26 December Imagine! Imagine all the people, living life in peace - John Lennon Christmas is a time of the giving of gifts. All birthdays are honoured with gift-giving. Usually these gifts are of ‘things’. Yet, the very best gift we can give is not anything tangible or material. It is to definitively take away the suffering of oneself, and of others. And this, after all, is the reason why we give material gifts in the first place. It’s also the reason why we do the myriad things we do in our lives. It’s because we are constantly in pursuit of this (seemingly unattainable) state of being: peace, happiness, contentment, an absence of ‘niggle’. The Four Immeasurable Gifts are the ultimate gift. They are boundless equanimity, loving kindness, compassion, and joy. They define a path and practice leading to all-encompassing peace and happiness. They lead us back to our true nature, which is peace. Take time out at the BRC this Christmas to slow down into the moment and unwrap the Four Immeasurable Gifts. We will discover them through meditation, contemplation, journaling, and by just being present. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence and introspection. Let Your Light Shine: Kindle Your Creative EnergyCharisse Louw | 3 days | 26-29 December Don't you know yet? It is your light that lights the World - Jalaluddin Rumi In this retreat we will explore a full bouquet of ancient energy practices - such as qigong, tapping, yin yoga, free dance, sunning, breath work, shaking and meditation techniques, while exploring creative expression through movement and stillness, the written word and art. In the beautiful tranquil environment of the BRC, we will find healing in Nature through mindfulness and co-creation. This is a compassionate and open-hearted space for celebrating the light that you are. Beginners and seasoned practitioners are welcome. Three Wise Medicines For Living Your Life In The New YearThis retreat is full Tsunma Tsondru | 4 days | 29 December - 02 January 2023 The spiritual life is first of all a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived - Thomas Merton New Year is a good time of the year to take stock and contemplate our moment-to-moment, here-and-now reality in all its fullness. It’s a traditional time for clarifying our motivations, and for starting afresh with new intentions. A time, in other words, to reboot the system. Give yourself the gift of time over this New Year period to collect the Three Wise Medicines of gratitude, ahimsa and contentment, to reflect on the past year, and uncover how you can best live your life in the coming year. During this time together we will let our body, speech and mind fall silent through the practice of meditation and silence. In working with the Three Wise Medicines, there will also be time for writing and contemplation, walking and ceremony especially outside in nature. We will welcome the New Year with a lantern-lit ceremony and ring out the old year with an ancient Chinese temple gong. The retreat will be held in an atmosphere of silence and introspection. A Personal Self Retreat: Walk Into Stillness And SummerPeople 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. |
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Hydrangea huddle |
Image: Angela Buckland | |
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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