Brenda taming the overgrown garden A lot is going on here at TRC at the moment. As the days grow warmer and the sun begins to set later, we are busy preparing for all the exciting retreats coming up. Lots of menu planning to be done and making sure all the houses are [...]
After an unusually warm winter with temperatures not going below minus 9 degrees, we seem to be having an early spring, with blossoms appearing in the orchards, birds beginning to nest and the garden beginning to call for attention. Community It has been a busy month with helping folk move fencing materials, poles for building, [...]
I recently had a really bad day. I snapped at two undeserving people... in a row... before 8am... and, this is the worst bit, while DOING yoga... and right before stomping in to do my meditation practice. By the time I sat down in front of my shrine, I was so ashamed of my behaviour [...]
Reconnecting with Our Vast Vision On a frosty July weekend, a group of committed practitioners kept warm by focusing heart and mind on the future of TRC. When Akong Rinpoche founded this healing centre, he committed us to a 1000-year vision. This feels daunting at times, but also reminds us to put self-centred desires aside, [...]
Mid-winter. The sun makes its way over the horizon here on the main site at 7.10 am, lighting up a sparkling frosty scene. From my top stoep I look down on the frozen bird bath and see frustrated birds arriving to skate and peck away at hard water until I make it down there to [...]
Daily Life Dharma by the lazy Buddhist Although I can be patient at times (I feel the need to convince those of you who know me that it is actually possible!), there are certain circumstances where I find it incredibly hard to keep my cool. Queues and what seems like time-wasting incompetence are two big [...]
At TRC late last year, Tashi, Pippa’s much loved cat was very ill and near death. With half his face eaten away by cancer, it was hard to witness. Many of us who have spent time at TRC over the years know Tess and her long illness. In a previous post, I touched on the [...]
Autumn has once again crept in with seasonal food coming in from the kitchen garden, wonderful shades of colour in the trees, early morning mists and almost our first frost as it hit 0 degrees. We had our intimate Easter creative family Elements Weekend with Jayne Pilossof, our home grown Tara Rokpa Therapist from Zimbabwe, [...]
I remember when Donal and Akong Rinpoche came back from a visit to Zimbabwe and South Africa. We sat in the garden at Samye Ling, fascinated and impressed, as Donal told us about the African Buddhist Centres, and about their strong commitment to the dharma. Then, many years later, in December 2017, I had the [...]
Autumn is in the air with abundant seeding weeds, plants yellowing and nights cooling. After good late summer rains the valley is looking lush. Ceiling repairs This has not been a busy month for retreats, but endless building and grounds maintenance continue. Our employees are currently replacing an old collapsed ceiling in the [...]
