There I was, living at the tip of Africa looking for something, not really sure what, confused by the roots of my German-Indian descent: not at home, nor here nor there, standing on the halfway line between those two worlds. They say Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places on earth and South [...]
Dear friends, In 2014 we, Coen and Megan, arrived at the Tara Rokpa Centre with a will to learn about permaculture and Dharma while also helping where help is needed. With this ambition, and some naivety, a year later we jumped at the opportunity of starting the Tikologo project. Over the following years we have [...]
The volunteer weekend at TRC took place the weekend before Mandela Day. This is a weekend in which anyone is welcome to come to the centre, and join in the fixing and/ or upkeep of the centre, to contribute their 67 minutes in Madiba month. The volunteers undertake some work on Saturday and half of [...]
I have returned to the valley with its hot, dry and sunny days with open blue skies and cold nights filled with stars, after 4 weeks in the lush, green and wet UK. What a contrast! Here the ever present danger of consuming bush fires lurk. As the sun sets and dark creeps in we [...]
By the Lazy Buddhist On Saturday afternoon, I watched a movie that just didn’t achieve it’s potential. The script was iffy and over the top and the iffy bits were over-acted. I really should have stopped, but you know how it is, I kept watching. The gist of the story was about a creative young [...]
Just before Election Day, Dr Ela Manga and I offered the Still Action Retreat, in order to share inward practices for outward impact. In our own work, we have seen how communities are fractured, people are growing more isolated and there is a deep sense of internal dis-ease and disconnection. We have been pondering how [...]
We were privileged to have Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, Lama Katen and Ani Lhamo with us over the long weekend in March. We were joined by many friends, eager to retreat and spend some time the presence of the Lamas. Activities included Dharma teachings with Lama Katen and Gelongma Lhamo, interviews, a slide show on the [...]
I am compiling this during a dramatic early morning thunder storm while trying to placate my two terrified dogs. This is the wettest early April we have had in all the sixteen years I have lived here. The rain is badly needed to top up all the water reserves but the ferocity of the storms [...]
By Nolan Stevens The words Tara Rokpa Centre (TRC), are words often mentioned within the South African Buddhist community. For a practicing Buddhist but newbie like myself to this community, I had often conjured up images of a hidden spiritual Utopia whenever those three words were uttered. Which is why when news of a Lama [...]
by the lazy Buddhist During the recent visit of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche and Lama Katen to South Africa, they both spoke about the importance of being a good person. So what is a good person, particularly from a Buddhist perspective? There’s a lot of guidance out there for anyone one on the Buddhist path, the [...]
