It is almost a year since Rob passed away. He was instrumental in establishing and growing Tara Rokpa Centre into the mature retreat centre it is today. In the early days of TRC, it was Rob, in support of Akong Rinpoche's vision for TRC, who interpreted Rinpoche's vision, and provided ideas and the drive, who [...]
In November 2012, during his month-long retreat at Tara Rokpa Centre, Mark Borchers (in collaboration with Erika van Greunen, Rob's South African editor and publisher) interviewed Rob for a series entitled 7 Questions for 7 Teachers on the integration of Buddhism into the West, as well as into Africa. Although these interviews were done more [...]
by Erika 7 October 2023 Die trane die rol oor jou Bokkie Die trane die rol oor jou Bokkie (The tears are flowing for your dearest Deer) I have great memories of Rob singing this traditional song in Afrikaans! Dear Rob, thank you for showing us a different way of being in the world. Thank [...]
by the Lazy Buddhist This question has come up twice recently, and it is something that many of us are struggling with. Firstly, in a question and answer session with Dónal, and then in an article Gelong Thubten wrote on Lama Yeshe Rinpoche’s recent visit to some of the UK Samye Dzongs. The gist of [...]
Biosphere reserves are designated areas that aim to conserve and manage ecosystems, promote sustainable development, and support research and education. They are recognized by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program, which was established in 1971. The Marico Biosphere Reserve was designated by UNESCO in July 2018 at the 30th International Man and the Biosphere [...]
We heard recently that Ulrike Mueller-Glodde passed away on the 27th of April 2024 surrounded by her family in Germany after a long illness. Ulrike was a member of the Tara Rokpa Centre management committee in the early days, when TRC was called the Tara Rokpa Healthcare Centre (TRHC). Ulrike and her husband were living [...]
Hello all! I just returned from TRC where I spend a few days for the Mandela Volunteering Weekend, enjoying that special country place of ours. I really like to encourage you all, family, kids & friends to come out for a long weekend to relax & unwind. It is the ideal place for it. So [...]
The “middle veld” South African autumn is here. Last night the temperature was zero and in the middle of the day 35. So it's once again a time for putting on and taking off layers of clothing. At this time of year, nature's clever seed dispersal is in full swing, the grass seed-eating birds busily [...]
by the lazy Buddhist Sravasti Abbey is an American Buddhist monastery that came up on my YouTube feed. I watched the welcome video on the home page of their website and there was a sentence that has stayed with me - We try to instil every task with the Buddhist values of non-harming, mindfulness, compassion [...]
I am beginning to think that we are going through a quiet Irish invasion at the Tara Rokpa Centre. It kicked off with a month-long retreat with Dónal Creedon in November and December, then we followed up with Brion Sweeney in April for a bit of mindfulness. In my ignorance (before coming to TRC) I [...]
