BRC Newsletter - November 2026
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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 Newsletter: November 2026 Dear Friends, |
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| Buddha Rupa | Image: Angela Shaw | |
Fistful of rainYou can dream the American dream - 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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| A fistful of rain with a pop of colour | Image: Angela Shaw | |
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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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| Stand like a tree | Image: Andrew Brown | |
There are still a few spaces left on the following October retreats:
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| Going With The Flow | Image: Dianne Franklin | |
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Conducted Retreats November 2026 Qigong - Going With The FlowDianne Franklin and Sharleen Lupke | 3 days | 1-4 November
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| Transformation |
Image:Odette Ryan | |
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-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. 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:
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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