BRC Newsflash - March 2019
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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: 1 to 31 March 2019
The new BRC calendar of retreats from March 2019 to July 2019 is published on our website. You will find it at www.brcixopo.co.za |
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| Nightscape |
Image:Tsunma Tsondru | |
In three ways we may learn Wisdom:First - by Reflection, which is the noblest; Several centuries after Buddhism had started to flourish in India and neighbouring areas like Nepal, Burma and Sri Lanka, a few Indian Buddhist monks arrived in China. They had travelled along with the trading caravans that bartered goods between India and other countries further to the east and north. Shaven-headed and clad in their orange monastic robes they talked to the locals and the Taoist and Shinto priests and Confucian scholars about their religion. They made little impact. This was primarily because the Chinese considered religion and philosophy to be part of the fabric of ordinary daily life, rather than a way of disengaging from it by living a celibate life in a monastery - such as these monks were doing. The philosophy of Confucius had therefore embedded itself naturally and spontaneously into Chinese society. Indeed, Confucius’ philosophy was rooted in one’s ordinary daily life experiences; the meaning of life was to be found right there - in living that life well: in bringing up children; being a farmer or accountant: a good, productive, fellow human being. |
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| Monastic robe sunrise | Image: Ellie Hagopian | |
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Or a priest - where you would make yourself available to conduct services and rituals to mark important stages in the lives of the people amongst whom you lived: births and deaths, marriages and invocations to gods and ancestors to help ensure a good harvest. But whether you were a monastic or an ordinary householder, your trajectory towards Liberation or Enlightenment was sign-posted by the positive actions you performed, in one way or another, towards your fellowmen. This also happens to be the fundamental message behind the teachings of the Buddha. Indeed, in most Chinese homes you will find a little space dedicated to religious devotions. There you will find images of Confucius, Lao Tzu and Ho -Tai (the Chinese version of Gautama the Buddha) as if they were having a beer together in a pub. Indeed, the Chinese portray this threesome looking very relaxed and with radiant smiles on their faces ….. |
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| Reflect | Image: Marc Kornberger | |
Peace - like Love - is a many-splendored thing…..A traditional way of greeting in ancient India is to put your hands together in front of your chest, palms touching, chin slightly tucked-in, eyes turned down. It is called Anjali. It is a gesture of well-wishing and harmlessness. Indeed, with your hands held like that they cannot be used in a violent manner. Ancient sculptures and paintings depict the Buddha in this and many other such Mudras or gestures. These all convey a principal element of the Buddha’s teachings. The Earth Witnessing Mudra, for instance, recalls the moment when the Buddha was challenged to prove that he had indeed achieved the state of Bodhi: Liberation or Enlightenment. He had been sitting in meditation posture with his hands held in his lap, palms pointing up. In response to that question, he withdrew his right hand from his lap and pointed his index finger to the earth - calling on it to indicate that it had witnessed his achievement. Earth should know: it had carried him along every step of his journey towards Enlightenment. As tradition has it, the Earth trembled in affirmation The Buddha I sculpted at the BRC, shows the Buddha in this posture of meditation. I consider this to be one of the most moving and inspiring events in the Buddha’s life…. |
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| BRC Buddha Rupa | Image: Lennart Eriksonn | |
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The Buddha’s teachings of Ahimsa and Metta - Harmlessness and Loving-Kindness - are similarly associated with particular hand gestures. These qualities too can be embedded into our consciousness through specific meditation and visualization practices. They will then become an intrinsic part of our character and capable of inserting themselves spontaneously into situations where they need to play a role. The March retreats provide retreatants with an opportunity to experience for themselves how the Buddha evolved meditative and introspective practices that enable us to recognise opportunities to generate these ennobling qualities of mind. See for yourself what is on offer in our forthcoming program. We are looking forward to welcoming some visiting international teachers: Ken Holmes in November and Ajahn Sucitto and John Peacock in 2020. We will keep you informed. Live kindly, Louis |
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| The enjoyment of being still and alone | Image: Lennart Eriksson | |
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There are still a few spaces left on the following retreats in February: The Healing Art Of Reiki, Yoga And Meditation | Katherine Fillmore | 15-17 February; The Wilderness Within: The subtle activism of engaged Buddhists | Tsunma Tsondru | 22-24 February |
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Forthcoming Retreats: 1-31 March 2019People often yearn for an opportunity to recalibrate their lives and to spend some time in quiet reflection among like-minded people. The BRC provides such a refuge: a beautiful natural environment of rolling hills and acres of indigenous forests where people meet to engage in a range of unusually interesting activities, from talks on Eastern and Western philosophy, psychology and science, to yoga and Buddhist meditation and art. Surely this should ease the most agitated mind? The March programme is all about a journey to inner balance with kundalini yoga, chi kung - moving your body to elevate your mood - and chanting and meditation. The retreats invite you to probe wellness and performance, and embrace change and loss in the midst of life’s challenges. The mid-week unstructured Self-Retreats invite you to take time for restorative rest, to wake up to bird song, walk in the mist, rake the sand garden, listen to the wind chimes or meditate in the Zen garden with the mossy Buddha. Radiant Grace: A Yogic Journey To Self-AcceptanceTake kundalini yoga off the mat and into your life. Through the practice of kundalini yoga, meditation and other processes, we can take the first steps towards inner healing as a key to your happiness and well-being. A Neurosurgeon Probes Wellness And PerformanceIn a series of talks and mindfulness meditation, we will explore the chemistry which mediates the effects of mind states on the body: psychoneuroimmunology. You will learn how to attain optimal wellness and performance by getting to know your temperament and personality traits and by being more present-minded. Healing Chi Kung - For Health And VitalityExplore this ancient Chinese practice that boosts one’s health and vitality, and learn the key techniques of chi kung and how to incorporate it into your daily lives - effortlessly. Open The Heart And Still The Mind: Embracing Change And LossParticipants will explore ways to integrate change and loss in their lives so that they can bear the unbearable. Through sitting and walking meditation, compassion practices and chi kung, you will strengthen your capacity for courageous presence and rediscover joy and lightness of being. Yes, You Too Can Sing. A Celebration Of ChantingExperience the joy of collective chanting, incantations and mantras and discover how harmonious sound can open the heart to healing and transformation. 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, communing with nature, and enjoying the delicious vegetarian food for which the BRC is justly renowned. |
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| Wattle tree walk to the kutis | Image: Lennart Eriksson | |
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-nine years, people of all religions and none have come to experience peace and tranquility. 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. The BRC facilitated the founding of Woza Moya, the community-based NGO, located in Ufafa Valley, nineteen years ago, on the estate. Their vision is for all people in the community to be healthy and productive, living in a safe and clean environment, with good access to services and social justice. The Centre 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 such as the sock monkeys, cushions, bags, scarves, beanies and stationery. The Woza Moya Crafters are local women who receive ongoing training and support to enable them to create these unique and charming best sellers. Last year as a result of retreatants' Dana (Generosity), the BRC was able to donate R18,000 to Woza Moyà to further enable their good work among the community. Become a friend of the Centre and find out more about the BRC's "Paid-Up-Yogi and Sangha Friends" projects all of which help to ensure the continuity of this non-profit organisation. Thank you for the abundance that has flowed to the BRC over these last months in the form of “Paid-Up-Yogis” and Sangha Friends’ contributions which have enabled us to refurbish the ladies and men’s bathrooms in the Lodge, tile the entrance to the dining room and install a tea station in the Lodge for those hot cups of milo on the cooler misty nights. We are grateful for the truck-load of indigenous trees, herbs, seedlings and plants, a new granite kitchen server, a new canvas parasol for the outside umbrella, kitchen utensils, garden tools, books for our library, beautiful beige towels, soft new pillows, Woollies duvet covers, a coffee plunger, 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 Andrew Brown, Marc Kornberger, Tsunma Tsondru and Lennart Eriksson and "Fairlady" magazine featuring the BRC. Recently the Centre received a generous donation of tables, crockery, ceramics, pillows, cushions, curtains and lanterns, as well as boxes of seedlings, fruit, cheese and olives, two beautiful stone bird baths, a new fire pit for meditation under the stars and a new noticeboard. We welcomed two new power drills, and the high-back oak chairs that now grace our meditation hall and a number of generous donations towards the re-paving of the entrance road to the BRC. We have been so touched by your appreciative letters, emails, support and friendship towards 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 450 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. The group on the Birds and Trees retreat with Chris and Steve were treated to thrilling viewing of two Blue Swallow chicks being mentored by an adult female and male Blue Swallow. We are hoping for another brood this March! Chrisi 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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