BRC NewsFlash - March 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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| BRC Buddha | Image by: Lisa de Venter | |
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Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your actions... Dalai Lama Happiness is not something ready made. A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence. That's very important for good physical health and emotional well-being. Be kind whenever possible. In order to have a positive action, we must develop a positive vision. Love and compassion are necessities - not luxuries. These comments by the Dalai Lama echo those made in 1972 by the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, when he said that for his Buddhist nation, a Gross National Happiness Index was a more meaningful way of measuring a society’s well-being than by how much money people were able to spend on material things. Measuring one’s sense of value in dollars or rands, rather than in contentment and a sense of intrinsic well-being is being critically questioned by western nations as well. The first World Happiness report was issued in 2012 at a UN High-level Meeting on Happiness and Well-Being. As a result, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development committed itself to redefine the growth narrative to put people’s well-being at the centre of governments’ efforts. |
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| Reflections | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
How does one define an individual’s happiness?At a World Happiness Conference held in the United Arab Emirates, a set of parameters was used to rank the degree of happiness of the populations of various countries. These included a caring attitude amongst people, together with respect, generosity and honesty and, in addition, the importance of good health care, sufficient income and excellent governance. Nothing surprising here…. In these rankings, Norway came out at the top followed closely by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland. I am not sure where the Netherlands was ranked, but suspect that this country’s population would also feature amongst the most happy. I lived in Holland for the first twenty years of my life before emigrating to South Africa. I left because I found the prospect of living in such a well-organised, predictably “happy” place depressing. I wanted to live “dangerously”. There is a Buddhist parable that describes how a man who finds himself in heaven goes about digesting his blissful experience. Because he has plenty of leisure time, he starts to wonder whether he would be even more at ease if the seat of his exquisitely comfortable throne was a little softer or higher off the floor. Instantly, this being heaven, his throne accommodates his wish. Then he isn’t quite sure if the previous seat wasn’t actually better. Again his wish is fulfilled. Then he starts wondering about other things that might be better, if only… So he spends his time in an endless cycle of preferences and desires. We are in heaven, but making it a hellish experience. We are discontent with what we have and where we happen to be. That, surely, is not so different from how we experience our life right now? The point of this parable is that we may as well embrace life the way it happens to unfold, warts and all, even though we keep doing our very best not to add to the warts, but to make it as heavenly as we can. Seek the sunshine, and not the shadows! Louis |
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Images: Angela Shaw from "Plentiful" |
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There are still a few spaces left on: Celebrate Summer With The Birds and Trees at the BRC | Chris Dalzell and Crystelle Wilson | 2-4 February; |
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| Stupa | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
Forthcoming Retreats: 2 March to 2 April, 2018A return to wholeness is the focus of our March retreats. With a yin-yang yoga retreat and the opportunity to ease into tai chi and healing chi kung, you can find balance, health and vitality, and discover your best self on the health retreat with Dr Kaz. Another unstructured retreat with walks, meditation and healing therapies with Deborah Don follows the very successful "Sitting quietly - doing nothing in the hills of Ixopo". Don’t miss out on Sue Cooper’s powerful "Open the heart and still the mind" retreat over Easter. Alternatively, drop into stillness on a Self-Retreat where you can rake the Zen sand garden, 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 Japanese garden with the mossy Buddha. Yin And Yang: A Yoga RetreatThis retreat will help to balance our often frenetic, stressful lives and restore, release and relax our body and mind. Health Retreat: Holistic Healing On All Levels - Body, Mind and Soul - And So Much More.......Spend time with Dr Kaz in a healing and tranquil environment, discovering your best possible self, with daily massages, mindfulness and movement classes, daily talks, nature walks, wholesome and healthy meals, smoothies and juices, and emerge shiny and feeling healthier. Tai Chi With EaseWestern medicine has come to recognize the beneficial effect of regular tai chi practice which leads to increased vigour, balance and mobility. This retreat will teach you simple, meditative tai chi sequences you can practise at home - or in the office. Healing Chi KungExplore this ancient Chinese practice which boosts one's health and vitality and learn the key techniques to master chi kung and to incorporate it into daily life. There will also be an introduction to Chinese medicine and its benefits. Sitting Quietly - Doing Nothing In the Hills Of IxopoIn a largely unstructured, introspective retreat, experience meditation, chi kung, walks and healing therapies in a tranquil environment where one can cultivate a state of sustained calmness and clarity. Open The Heart And Still The Mind: A Path Of Courage And CompassionThis Easter retreat will be held in a nurturing atmosphere of contemplative silence and will integrate meditation and the wisdom of Buddhist psychology with the aim of cultivating calm and compassionate awareness. 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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Zen garden
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Image: Chantal Flores | |
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 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. 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 Moya 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 have fledged and 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. 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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