ZEN RETREATS

 

The teacher: Antony Osler began practising and studying Tibetan Buddhism under Lama Chime Rinpoche in England the early 1970's. After a time in the Insight Meditation tradition with, among others, Joseph Goldstein, he ordained as a Zen monk under Joshu Sasaki Roshi in the USA and later also studied under Korean Zen Masters Dae Soen Sa Nim and Su Bong. He was the first meditation teacher at the Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo and also lectured part-time in Buddhism at Rhodes University. Antony now lives with his family on Poplar Grove, a small farm near Colesberg in the arid Karoo where he sits on the stoep, meditates in an old shearing shed and runs occasional retreats. In his professional life Antony is an advocate who specializes in human rights work and labour arbitrations while his wife, Margie, runs the farm and trains rural school teachers.

The Retreats: Week-long Zen retreats are held during each season of the year. The retreats are times that Antony and Margie Osler set aside for dedicated Zen meditation practice and anyone wishing to join them is welcome. Each retreat can take up to ten persons.

StoepZen retreats follow a simplified traditional monastic style adapted to a farm in the veld. The emphasis is on simplicity and on continuity of open-hearted attention in all daily activities rather than marathon sitting meditations. Each retreat is conducted in silence. The daily schedule centres around formal group practice in the zendo (meditation hall) and consists of bowing, chanting, sitting and walking meditation. There are group walks at sunrise and sunset; talks, instruction and individual interviews; manual work; free time and simple vegetarian meals. More details about each retreat will be given in the newsletters that are sent to persons on the mailing list and that are included in the writings page of the website.

Retreat Program 2012:

Stoep Zen Retreat:  27 April - 5 May 2012

 

Zen and Art retreat (with J P Meyer):  16 – 23 June 2012

 

Walking the Sacred Way (led by M v d Merwe):13-19 October 2012

 

Zen New Year retreat    28 December 2012 – 2 January 2013

 

Bookings: The price for retreats is R350 per person per day – a place is confirmed by a deposit of 50%. In the Buddhist tradition there is no charge for the teaching but donations are welcome to help maintain the facilities, to support those who cannot otherwise afford to attend and to help sponsor Margie’s workshops for abused children.