BRC NewsFlash - February 2018
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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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Dear Retreatant BRC Newsflash: 5 - 25 February 2018
The new BRC calendar of retreats from October 2017 to October 2018 is published on our website for those who have opted not to receive the printed brochure by post. You will find it at www.brcixopo.co.za |
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| A New Year rainbow seen from the Chalet at the BRC | Image by: Bridget Grosskopff | |
Befriending Despair and Discovering Meaning In SufferingJustin Foxton, founder of The Peace Agency, in his recent newspaper column entitled "A change in attitude to solve SA's woes", quoted from Victor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning". In his article Foxton urged us all to adopt a positive attitude to solve SA's problems - such as Frankl did whilst experiencing the horrendous conditions in the prison camps. He writes: "When you are no longer able to change a situation, you are challenged to change yourself. Everything can be taken from you, except one thing - the last of human freedoms: to choose your attitude in any given set of circumstances; to choose your own way." Whilst in prison he formulated a psychotherapeutic method, Logotherapy, to deal with similar stressful situations that arise in everyone's life, even though these rarely equal the ones he and his fellow prisoners endured. As a holocaust survivor Frankl writes movingly throughout his book about his own "Why?" to live through the atrocities he had to endure and survive. He says that the reason to try and carry on living can be found in the Love and Dignity that are hidden in the depths of suffering and in the Will and Power to overcome it. He writes: "What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude towards life. We had to learn that it did not matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us". This, surely, is a motto we should all adopt - whether we are in the depths of despair or not. It also happens to be fundamentally and eminently Buddhist. To help us to adopt such a positive attitude towards suffering, the Buddha taught his Four Noble Truths - the first of which states, simply, that you will come across situations in life that you will dislike and may cause you to suffer - no matter how much you try to avoid them. |
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| Image: Lisa de Venter | ||
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Frankl's own experiences are a telling example. But suffering does not necessarily need to be as severe as Frankl's in order for us to have this kind of spiritual awakening. Simply growing older, with its many attendant problems - such as losing the fitness you had in your youth - is just one example. People disagreeing with you is another. Some forms of suffering affect us severely; others are minor. We often find it difficult to notice the difference - and respond appropriately. Dramas that traumatized us in our youth often seem trivial in retrospect. The Buddha expertly diagnosed these very human conditions and suggested powerful ways of dealing with them. He identified the psychological characteristics we need to develop to enable us to lead a contented, joyful and meaningful life in his Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path. He spent forty-five years of his eighty year long life exploring these Truths and Paths in exquisite detail. These, in turn, triggered further explorations by great yogis, philosophers, psychologists and physicists over the twenty-five centuries that have elapsed since they were first formulated. We now find the Buddha's teachings reflected and confirmed in such diverse fields as Quantum Physics and Cosmology, and in psychological models such as Existentialism and Phenomenology. Indeed, Logotherapy also teaches us how to discover meaning within the life we are actually living - rather than in some imagined ideal world. Whereas meaningless suffering would leave us in despair, Logotherapy, in common with Buddhism, leads us into ways of experiencing a meaningful and joyful life irrespective of our situation. To explore this further, we are introducing a new retreat conducted by Klasie Wessels, Chairman of the Victor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy SA, and Samantha Sparks, Life Coach and Logotherapy educator, from 15-17 June entitled "Our Precious Life: Our Search for Meaning - an introduction to Logotherapy and the Discovery of the Purpose of Life". This retreat will explore the life of Victor Frankl and the fundamental principles of his philosophy, including tools and exercises we can use in our every day life. This experience will encourage you to discover your own avenues to meaning. For those who are already working in therapeutic professions, this retreat will qualify participants for 4 CPD points. Louis |
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Images: Angela Shaw & Lisa de Venter |
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There are still a few spaces left on: A Vipassana Retreat: Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg | 12-14 January; |
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| Stupa on the hill | Image: Angela Shaw | |
Forthcoming Retreats: 2 to 25 February, 2018Celebrate summer with 160 birds of a feather on the retreat "Getting to know the birds and trees at the BRC" retreat; learn about plant healing, the Sangoma way, or Ayurvedic healing, Nalini's way. "Healing Relaxation" and awareness practices will help repair the strains and tensions of modern living, while chi kung will ground and restore you. Our February retreats focus on being in a nurturing space where you can find balance, wellness and calmness. Or, opt for a Self-Retreat where you can rake the sand gardens, walk the indigenous forests, listen to the wind chimes and revel in the Piet-my-vrou call of the red-chested cuckoo or meditate in the Zen garden with the mossy Buddha.. Getting To Know The Birds And Trees At The BRCThere is nothing more thrilling than spotting a soaring Blue Swallow, or eyeballing the glamorous Knysna Turaco/Lourie. Walk the indigenous forests and familiarize yourself with the grand Yellowwood trees - or plant one. This weekend offers a quiet time communing with nature. Plant Healing - The Sangoma WayAn intensive plant healing retreat for those looking to re-energize their lives and to learn about medicinal plants and their uses, the role of ancestors and dreams. Healing Relaxation: Opening And Relaxing The Heart And MindCreative solutions and expansive ideas are most likely to arise from a relaxed state. "Healing Relaxation" is a simple, highly practical, yet profound programme which helps people repair the strains and tensions resulting from modern life. Working With The ElementsThe fundamental elements that constitute our environment: earth, water, fire and space need to be in balance and mutually supportive in order for us to have a fully integrated, functional life. This retreat offers an enquiry into ourselves and the world around us through a deeper understanding of our environment. Authentic Ayurveda: Restorative Yoga And Healthy CookingBe your own healer with restorative yoga, and learn how to incorporate the therapeutic properties of food, herbs and spices into your daily routine. Chi Whiz: An Introduction To Chi KungJoin Colin's popular sunrise chi kung, an ancient Chinese health regime, which combines aerobic conditioning, meditation and relaxation without the extremes of physical exertion, making it the ideal practice for people of every age and level of fitness. A Neurosurgeon Probes Wellness And PerformanceIn a series of talks and Mindfulness meditation sessions, you will explore the chemistry which mediates the effects of mind states on the body; psychoneuroimmunology. The Profundity Of Solitude - The Enjoyment Of Being Still And AloneEnjoy some “alone” time on a Self-Retreat in the beautiful, indigenous setting of the BRC with chi kung, meditation, walks, communing with nature, and enjoy the delicious vegetarian food for which the BRC is renowned. |
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Chrisi |
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Sunlight and aloes
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Image: Lisa de Venter | |
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 thirty-eight 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. In 1989, the BRC was awarded Natural Heritage status by President Mandela for turning an eroded farm into the natural paradise it has become with 160 species of birds, including the Blue Swallow, otter, deer, antbear and indigenous forests. The BRC facilitated the founding of Woza Moya, the community-based NGO, located in Ufafa Valley, seventeen years ago on the estate. It continues to support the organisation in a variety of ways by contributing Dana, sponsoring their trainers, visitors and Directors' accommodation, and showcasing and promoting their wonderful crafts in the shop. Find out more about the "Friend-Raising" project of Woza Moyà and the BRC's "Paid-Up-Yogi and Sangha Friends" projects all of which help to ensure the continuity of these two non- profit organizations. . Ixopo is on the literary map in Lindy Stiebel and Niall McNulty’s “A Literary Guide To KZN” (UKZN Press) in which there are poems written by Stephen Coan about "the spirit of place" that happens to be the Buddhist Retreat Centre. “There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles into them to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa”. These lines by Alan Paton are a beautiful depiction of the scenic beauty of the landscape that compel so many people to visit Ixopo. sitting at the Rocks The Blue Swallows are back, and the eggs have hatched, the chicks fledged and have flown! With soaking rains, the beautiful, rolling hills of the valley have greened up. The Bottlebrush and Protea are in full flower, attracting birds galore. The hills are alive with the sound of the cuckoos - Black, Emerald, Red-chested, Diedericks and Klaas’ are all ‘competing’ for attention. The Knysna Turaco/Lourie has now become a “garden“ bird and is quite brazen in its appearances in the Zen garden. It certainly is a great time to visit and do some birdwatching. The best way is standing still and letting the birds come to you! Thank you for the abundance that has flowed to the BRC over these last months in the form of “Paid-Up-Yogi” contributions and other donations, trees, herbs and plants, a new granite kitchen server, a new canvas parasol for the outside umbrella, kitchen utensils, books for our library, thirty-five beautiful beige towels, a marvellous collection of illustrated books on the Sumie tradition, some of which have been long out of print , a beautiful silk scarf for Louis from Sikkhim to use during the Chinese tea ceremony, Elsa Pooley's book on flowers for the library, a generous donation towards installing LED lights to reduce our energy consumption and stunning photographs from "Fairlady" magazine featuring the BRC. We have been so touched by your appreciative letters, emails, support and friendship for the BRC - your spiritual home from home. The "Buddha Buzz" is that we now have pure natural honey produced from the estate. The project started when Rob Pooley, an apiarist from Botha’s Hill, was consulted about the influx of bees into the buildings. He suggested placing catcher boxes to entice the bees away from the buildings, and to relocate them to an apiary site above the Deer Park. This worked remarkably well and over 40 hives were relocated to the apiary. However, the drought of 2015/2016 had a devastating effect and with a dearth of food, it led to a reduction of hives to 30. Good rains at the beginning of 2017/18 brought a wonderful resurgence to the flora, especially the Halleria Lucida (Tree Fuschia) which abounds at the Centre, and so far we harvested 350 kg of honey. Without the help of Colin and his staff during the drought in helping to feed the bees with a mixture of glucose and water, the results would not be so positive. May our bees remain happy and busy and may the honey flow. Grateful thanks to Ans van der Walt for her dedication in keeping our library so professionally organized and well-presented. We have a wonderful array of books thanks to her commitment and our many donors - so take the opportunity to browse! Thank you again to all our wonderful Teachers, Patrons, Paid-up-Yogis, Retreatants and Sangha Friends as well as Brilliantweb who continue to support the Centre, and to our amazing, dedicated BRC team: Lien, Colin, Jenni, Rumen and June who always go the extra mile, and to Thokozani for his friendship. Deepest appreciation to our cooks, Dudu, Lungi and Lindiwe who prepare the sublime meals with love. Our Committee members, Pam, Chris, Rene, Rosemary, Alex and Rob, as always, have been so proactive in their support of and dedication to the BRC. Thank you! We were blessed over the Christmas and New year retreats to have Tsuma Tsondru on retreat with us, and to receive her gentle teachings and meditations. The rainbow Ixopo skies, the candle-lit circumambulation under the full Super moon and the chanting in front the Buddha Rupa made for a perfect transition to the New Year, with a committed and wonderful group of retreatants. We wish you a peaceful and joyful 2018! Visit our website for further information, directions, image gallery etc. |
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| www.brcixopo.co.za | 039 834 1863 | 087 809 1687 | 082 579 3037 | 031 2095995 |
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