BRC Newsflash - November 2023

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The Buddhist Retreat Centre
Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa		For people of all religions
BRC Newsflash: November 2023 Dear Retreatants,
Thank You! Thank you to all those caring and supportive friends who opened their hearts and extended a hand of friendship to help the Centre over these challenging few months. Your kindness, generosity and messages of encouragement have meant the world to us, and confirmed that the BRC has a special place in your hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful to you all.

Starlit Buddha		Image: Andrew Brown
As enshrined in the Buddhist tradition from the earliest of times, the continued existence of the Dharma is dependent on the goodwill of its Sangha. Our Sangha has followed in that wake with your Noble Giving. The BRC can only flourish with your friendship, so please continue to support us by: Booking for one of our retreats 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” Participating in our forthcoming Online Auction details of which will be emailed out shortly Purchasing our popular recipe books With a deep bow of gratitude, And Metta, Louis

Two Bravehearts: Louis and Rob in friendship		Image:Chrisi van Loon
Remembering Rob Nairn We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our beloved friend, Rob Nairn. He was the primary pioneer of the Dhamma in South Africa and triggered a whole succession of Dharma-aware students and teachers, myself included, a momentum that will continue for generations. Rob was my Dharma brother, a dear friend, an inspiring and magnetic teacher, prodigious author and considerable scholar of the Dharma. Our Dharma paths crossed in the late 60’s when we were both teaching at the University of Cape Town. His path followed the Tibetan tradition and mine the Theravada tradition. Over the many years to follow our paths continued to intersect at many points and resulted in a mutually enriching and enduring friendship. Rob’s life is one to be emulated by all of us - if we can - when something profound is set in motion and able to generate momentum to impact and enhance the quality of others’ lives. I am a fortunate beneficiary of Rob’s all-encompassing brilliance. Go well precious friend, Hamba Kahle Louis

Red and green of spring		Image: Andrew Brown
Sue Cooper will be offering her 2 or 5 day Open The Heart And Still The Mind retreat: "Mist Rising, Dew Falling - Embracing Impermanence With Courage, Compassion And Joy" from 24-29 November. This is a fee-based retreat. Book early to avoid disappointment. The beautiful documentary "Bodhi Is Light" by film maker Richard Pakleppa has just been released. We include the trailer as a taster - view the trailer - and hope that you will support the film. If you would like to view the whole film, please apply for the link at: and consider making a donation of R200 or more in order to preserve the ongoing work of the Centre. We enclose banking details. Please reference with your Name/ Film. Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg will be returning to offer a 10-day Vipassana retreat (plus weekend and four day mini-course) from 15-25 January 2024. They currently manage and teach at the Tisarana Vipassananusorn meditation centre in Prague. The wonderful news is that Ajahn Sucitto who has taught at the BRC for the past 38 years will be returning from the UK to offer a 7-day retreat "Regaining The Centre" from 11-18 February 2024. Ajahn's two news books "Standing On Your Own Two Feet" and "Breathing Like A Buddha" are available in the shop for free distribution. Spaces are filling up quickly, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Protea joy over ‘Raising your consciousness’ retreat		Image: Avidh Devraj
There are still a few spaces left on the following October retreats: The Sacred Feminine : Empowering The Feminine With Yoga, Meditation And Your Astrological Moon Margarita Celeste and Sandra Hedges \| Weekend \| 13-15 October In this empowering weekend for women, gentle Yin-style yoga will be offered as an invitation to release tightly-held emotions and stress. Evening "Moon" themed meditations and talks on the Astrological Moon will help participants to get in touch with your inner Feminine. This weekend promises to be nurturing for women - mothers and daughters, sisters and best friends - in a moment by moment openness to each other. Read more Chi Kung: Stand Like A Tree To Power Up Your Chi Paul Dorrian \| Weekend \| 20-22 October ‘Standing like a Tree’ Chi-Gung is unlike most other Chi-Gung styles, in that with the exception of changing from one static posture to the next, the practitioner remains absolutely still, developing a mind like still water. Regarded as the most powerful of all Chi-Gung 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. In this retreat Paul will teach the Four Posture Zhan Zhuang Set to promote health and vitality. Read more If The Buddha Found His Soulmate: Finding A Loving Relationship On A Spiritual Path Natascha Prussen and Warren Shaw \| Weekend \| 27-29 October The Buddhist teachings provide a wonderful foundation to understand why relationships work - and why they don’t. Our exploration of vital, loving relationships will include Buddhist insights into how compassion, impermanence and loving-kindness are key in the way we relate to others. We will explore the role attachment and craving plays and the suffering these cause. Because, if we were fully awake and present, we would know that to harm another is to harm ourselves, and that to harm ourselves is to harm another. Natascha and Warren are able to speak from their own experience on how Buddhism triggered a deeper understanding of the subtle issues involved in maintaining a healthy relationship. Read more

Spring in the zen garden		Image: Andrew Brown
Conducted Retreats November 2023 Breath Is The Bridge: A Breath And Yoga Retreat With Guided Meditation Carol Segal \| Weekend \| 3-5 November Are you struggling with feelings of anxiety, exhaustion, insomnia and stress? Do you need a bridge to come home to yourself? Breath is the bridge. This retreat will share easy-to-use Breathing Techniques that allow us to pause and refresh. When we Breathe better, we can Be better. Gaining insight into the functioning of our respiratory system, we can access our parasympathetic nervous system and feel calmer and more confident. Watching the breath is the bridge to meditation. Daily meditation and yoga will be offered and will encourage stillness and awareness. Come as you are. Read more Qigong - The Art Of Effortless Power Dianne Franklin \| 5 days \| 5-10 November It is hard to believe that many martial arts evolved from these ancient gentle and contemplative movements. Come and experience for yourself the qigong movements - where we will draw energy from the beautiful surroundings of the BRC. There will be two sessions daily allowing plenty of time to relax and immerse ourselves in the tranquillity of the Centre. Meditation will be offered daily. Read more Finding Meaning And Purpose - Buddhist Insights Into The Nature Of The Mind Ven Khenpo Jamyang Gompo \| Weekend \| 10-12 November We all wish to have happiness and avoid the uncomfortable feelings that seem to dominate our daily life; feelings of dissatisfaction, unease, anxiety that keep us awake at night, our agitation with loved ones and anger towards others. It is times like these that create uncertainty and a feeling of helplessness. Khenpo Jamyang Gompo will gently guide participants to a deeper understanding of how these emotions arise and how we can find a sense of meaning and purpose in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Read more Chi - Gung and Meditation Paul Dorrian \| Weekend \| 17-19 November Chi - Gung meditation uses your mind to direct the flow of chi (life energy) within your body. In this retreat, Paul will teach a bouquet of four powerful yet lovely inner healing exercises, which use visualization, colour and special breathing techniques to help cleanse and regenerate the body’s main internal organs and mind, as well as to create a sense of inner peace and tranquillity. The retreat will culminate with The Golden Light Meditation, an ancient Taoist Chi-Gung healing meditation which originates from the Mount Hua region of China, and which has been used for centuries to expand one’s spiritual awareness. Read more Open The Heart And Still The Mind: Mist Rising, Dew Falling – Embracing Impermanence With Courage, Compassion And Joy Teacher: Sue Cooper \| 2 or 5 days \| 24-26 November and 24-29 November ( 2 and 5 day options) This retreat will be held in ennobling silence and is offered for an extended 5 nights for those who want a longer and deeper retreat experience, or as a 2 night weekend retreat for those unable to stay longer. Drawing on the beauty of nature and the Mist Rising, Dew Falling, we will explore living with change and uncertainty as we embrace the truth of impermanence with courage, compassion and joy. As we experience the unfolding of aging, sickness and death (dukkha), we are invited to be more fully present, so that we can live wholeheartedly and more joyfully, connecting with ourselves, each other and this world with greater kindness and care. The deep nourishment of the silence and the experience of our interconnectedness with the sangha (our silent retreat family) and with nature enhances our connection to what is life-affirming, compassionate and wise. We will discover that we can embrace impermanence with less fear and more appreciative joy (sukkha), inspired by the qualities of heart and mind found in the Brahma Viharas (the 4 divine abodes) of loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), appreciative joy (mudita) and equanimity (upekkha). This retreat includes guided sitting and walking meditations, short individual sessions with Sue and daily sessions of qigong movement meditation to enhance the integration of body, heart and mind. There will be time for silent, mindful walks in nature when you can explore the beauty of the Centre. Additional optional mindful movement and massages will be offered - details to be confirmed nearer the time. Please note: There is a teacher's fee for this retreat, which is offered on a sliding scale, with reductions and payment plans on request. A pre-retreat individual session via Zoom/Whatsapp is highly recommended for newcomers or if you have not attended one of Sue’s residential retreats before. The fee for this will be the 30-40/50 minute medical aid rate and will be reduced if you are not on medical aid. Please contact Sue on to arrange a time. CPD accreditation for psychologists and other HPCSA registered professionals: Confirmed with an admin fee. A Self Retreat Think peace over pressure and serenity over stress. Enjoy some time at the BRC mid-week, with nourishing vegetarian meals, sunrise meditation and nature's healing embrace to colour the mood of your day. There is no better place than the BRC to rejuvenate the body and mind to guide you into presence and stillness. Read more

Sunset boulevard		Image: Andrew Brown
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 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 in the form of PUY and Monthly contributions, new beds and bases, office chairs and a desk, a new refrigerator, microwave oven, bathroom towels, indigenous trees and seedlings, books for our library, a generator, garden benches, pillows, towels and linen, geyser insulation blankets, clothing and Dana for our staff, an inverter and beautiful antique scrolls and Imari platters and ceramics, framed prints and Thankas, new tablecloths and serviettes, signage for our forest paths - 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, to everyone who comes to the Centre - you keep us open and viable - and to our teachers who keep the Dharma wheels turning. 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.
www.brcixopo.co.za \| 087 809 1687 \| 082 579 3037 \| 031 2095995 Share: \| Follow us:
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