Fistful of rain
You can dream the American dream
But you sleep with the lights on
And wake up with a scream
You can hope against hope
That nothing will change
Grab a hold of that fistful of rain
- Warren Zevon
I’ve always had a soft spot for the American rock-singer and songwriter Warron Zevon (1947-2003). Nothing quite like Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner or Werewolves of London to get you going in the morning. Play loud. On occasion I play an old tape cassette of his 1987 album Sentimental Hygiene. When I do, I’m always struck by a line in the track titled ‘The Heartache’: ‘there’s a sadness in the heart of things’. A heartfelt recognition of the essence of our human existence. Transitory, ephemeral.
It’s not surprising the Buddha’s first noble truth embodies that ‘sadness in the heart of things’ – acknowledging that life is marked by dukkha, a Pali word usually translated as ‘suffering’ or ‘unsatisfactoriness’. Life is unsatisfactory. Things are not always as we would like them to be. We are born, we grow old (if you’re lucky), we get sick and we die. Planet Earth; nobody gets out alive. Or, as Zevon once succinctly sang, ‘Life’ll kill ya’.
The first noble truth is not some miraculous revelation on the part of the Buddha. He’s simply telling us something we already know - or don’t want to know - a simple recognition of the most obvious quality of human life: its transience. The rest of the Buddha’s teachings are suggestions as to how we might best live in the light of that truth and illuminate our lives.
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In her memoir Lost in Translation the writer and academic Eva Hoffman tells of how in 1959 aged 13 she emigrated with her family from Poland to North America. At the time she could only speak and read Polish. The change of location and language was traumatic. Her book is no misery memoir, but something far more multifaceted. There is one passage I often quote during a retreat. Here it is: ‘It is possible when we travel deep enough, we ... encounter an element of sadness, for full awareness of ourselves always includes the knowledge of our own ephemerality and the passage of time. But it is only in that knowledge - not its denial - that things gain their true dimensions, and we begin to feel the simplicity of being alive. It is only that knowledge that is large enough to cradle a tenderness for everything that is always to be lost - a tenderness for each of our moments, for others and for the world.’
Hoffman didn’t need to be a Buddhist to come to that conclusion; though what she writes proves a pleasing companion to Zen master Dogen’s words from the 13th century: ‘To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to perceive oneself in all beings, to be enlightened by all things. To be enlightened by all things is to remove the barriers between oneself and others.’
Warren Zevon was diagnosed with terminal cancer in August 2002. Mortality on his mind he began work on a final studio album assisted by friends and fellow musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Billy Bob Thornton. Titled The Wind it was released a month before Zevon’s death in September 2003. According to his obituary in the New York Times when recording the album Zevon stated ‘he was planning to write goodbyes to people and to make one other point: that, he said, “This was a nice deal: life.”’
Grab that fistful of rain.
Stephen Coan
• Stephen will be leading the retreat titled ‘Buddhism: The Basics’, Friday 6 November 2026 - Sunday 08 November 2026
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There are still a few spaces left on the following October retreats:
Paul Dorrian | 2 or 4 days | 9-11 October or 9-13 October
Standing like a Tree Chi Kung is unlike most other Chi Kung styles, in that with the exception of changing from one static posture to the next, as well as a few gentle steps to finish off one’s practice, the practitioner remains absolutely still, whilst cultivating a mind like still water. Regarded by many contemporary Masters as the most powerful of all Chi Kung practices, it opens all of the nine energy portals in the body and encourages one’s Chi (life force) to flow powerfully throughout one’s entire being.
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Dorian Haarhoff | Weekend |16-18 October
In this writing retreat amid nature, we explore the bond between writing and meditation. We write and meditate on the many changes and transformations we experience as we journey along the river of our lives. We consider how creativity steadies the boat and how writing helps us dip the oars into dark water so we may navigate the river safely.
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Dorian Haarhoff | 2 days accommodation | 18-20 October
This retreat is for those who wish to begin or develop a piece of writing. We listen, observe, attend and allow the text to take us where it wants to go. We get out of the way so we can be spoken and written through. We move between input and silent writing time. Like the potter, we spin, shape and fire our words so they can find their simple beauty.
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Sue Cooper | 5-7 days | 23- 28 October or 23-30 October
This retreat is an immersion into nourishing and ennobling silence and is an opportunity to cultivate and deepen your meditation practice with a particular focus on burnout and healing into well-being. Sue offers an integration of the psychological and spiritual dimensions of this path of compassionate awareness, combining more than 40 years of meditation practice with her extensive experience as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. In response to the prevalence of emotional depletion and burnout, the focus of this retreat is to meet this growing need to understand the role of self-compassion as a protection against burnout, depression and anxiety.
We will draw on the support of nature and the teachings and cultivate a safe and nourishing home within, inspired by the wisdom and practices of the Brahma Viharas (the Four Immeasurables), which deepen our capacity for loving- kindness (metta), spacious inner freedom, appreciative joy and compassionate wisdom and action.
In addition to the silent and guided meditations, there will be daily qigong, gentle yoga and additional, optional massages. Sue will include short, individual sessions throughout the retreat, as well as time for reflection, journaling, walks in nature and deeply replenishing rest.
CPD accreditation for Health, Mental Health and Allied professionals is confirmed (includes ethics).
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 The Practice Of Deep Listening: Integrating Mindfulness And Meditation, Movement And Therapeutic Sound
Despina Forbes | Weekend | 30 October-01 November
This retreat is a quiet invitation to slow down and return to yourself. Despina will gently guide you on a journey dedicated to the art of deep listening and the cultivation of heart-full presence. Days will be held in the gentle embrace of noble silence, supported by a rhythm of mindful movement, meditation, and intentional sound. Together, we will explore practices such as mindful walking, sitting meditation, movement and the resonance of "full-body listening."
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Conducted Retreats November 2026
Dianne Franklin and Sharleen Lupke | 3 days | 1-4 November
Qigong means life energy in Chinese. Qi (energy) is considered to be an animated power that flows through all living beings. Gong means work or skill with something. Qigong is an ancient series of gentle movements working with life energy to control the flow and distribution of qi improving overall health and harmony of body and mind. This is a relaxed retreat with free time allowing you to appreciate the natural energy and beauty of the BRC.
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Stephen Coan | Weekend | 6-8 November
Looking for an entry point into Buddhism? Then this is the retreat for you! Who was the Buddha? What is Buddhism? Is it a religion or a philosophy? What are its teachings and practices? These questions and others will be addressed in this retreat which will examine the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path while at the same time foregrounding the simple meditation practices - sitting and walking - from which the experience-based teachings emerged. A schedule of talks, discussion, and practice held within the supportive frame of Noble Silence will also include time to enjoy the beautiful grounds of the centre.
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Dash Singh | Weekend | 13-15 November
Are you struggling to keep pace with an ever-changing world? This retreat offers an invitation to reconnect with your “secret superpower” and re-discover how truly remarkable you are. Do you feel stretched by constant change, longing for greater inner peace and clarity? Do you sense that you are meant for more, yet feel unable to “crack the code” to lasting transformation? This retreat creates a safe space to awaken your natural ability for conscious living. Through simple, practical tools, you will learn how to work with your thoughts, emotions, and awareness in profound and accessible ways.
We will explore expansive themes such as Universal Consciousness and the meeting point between ancient wisdom and modern quantum insights, while grounding these ideas in everyday practices. Meditation, affirmations, journaling, and visualisation will be woven throughout the weekend to bring clarity, balance, and intention into your daily life.
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Margarita Celeste and Michelle Strybis | Weekend | 20-22 November
Join us for a heart-opening weekend as we gather to awaken the Sacred Feminine within. Through the powerful practices of astrology, soulful yoga, and feminine embodiment, we will remember what it means to truly listen to our bodies, trust our intuition, and reconnect with our inner rhythm. This intimate offering is open to mothers and daughters, sisters, friends, and solo journeyers - all women ready to soften, deepen, and rise together in sacred sisterhood. Whether you are yearning for clarity, connection, or simply a break to come home to yourself, this weekend is an invitation to be held, seen, and nourished.
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Nolitha Tsengiwe | Weekend | 27- 29 November
Through accepting what is happening within us, staying with experience and learning to see more clearly, we can taste into a mind and heartfulness that is larger than our habits that keep us stuck. The practice of Mindfulness supports us in discovery of who we are beyond our limiting histories, stories and ideas. Grounding into our bodies through bringing presence to our breath, our flesh and bones we come into the shared embodied realm. Drawing on tools from the Buddha's teaching we will embark on this voyage together, in a shared context. The retreat will be held in noble silence with dharma teachings and one on one interviews, meditations and sunrise qigong.
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Join our qualified resident staff, Keelan, Robyn and Dirk, on a personal mid-week retreat for some gentle yoga and meditation. Enjoy the tranquillity of the space and embrace the art of doing nothing - seriously. This time out offers a slower rhythm, allowing you to step back from the busyness of life.
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About the BRC
Perched 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-six 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.
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 and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife proclaimed part of the estate as “Nirodha 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 - six 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 deeply touched by the many generous gifts received in the form of linen and towels, furniture, indigenous trees, a Kenwood mixer and food processor, vacuum cleaners and Buddha statues.
How you can help to keep the Dharma wheels turning at the BRC and to continue its legacy for the future:
Become a Spiritual friend by:
- Booking for a retreat – we have a broad range of retreats on offer until the end of April 2027
- Offering a donation
- Pledging a monthly contribution of R50 or more
- Joining our Paid Up Yogi scheme which involves paying a contribution forward whereby your credit can be used at any time in the future towards a retreat, with a 10% discount
- Gifting a voucher to a friend or family member
- Supporting our film “Bodhi Is Light”
- Purchasing our popular recipe books
- Organising a group visit midweek
- Supporting our GoodMoodFood take-away meals
- Booking a mid-week self-retreat with the option of yoga and meditation
The continued existence of the Centre as a sanctuary for healing is dependent on the goodwill and support of our Sangha.
Chrisi
Visit our website for further information, directions, image gallery etc.
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