Retreat activities at Poplar Grove have been simplified since the Covid-19 pandemic in three ways; the number of retreatants has been reduced, all rooms are self-catering, and there is a balance between formal Zen retreats and informal practice, called Veld Zen. Formal Zen retreats are traditional week-long teacher-led retreats consisting of formal Zendo practice morning and evening, daily Dharma talks, individual interviews, manual labour and an opportunity for individual practice. The dates for these retreats are set out in the retreat calendar below. Veld Zen practice periods are times during which there is morning and evening communal zendo practice but the rest of the day is available for informal individual practice in the Karoo landscape, where each retreatant takes responsibility for their own activities and where meetings with a teacher can be arranged on request. These periods are also set out in the retreat calendar below and retreatants can stay as long as they choose. Retreat fees & Dana: There is a daily retreat fee, set out below, for accommodation, retreat facilities and the environment. In addition, in the tradition of Dana (generosity), visitors are invited to supplement the daily tariff with donations for the Zen teachings and for the Poplar Grove outreach activities. Resident Teachers: Zen practice at Poplar Grove is led by guiding teacher Antony Osler and his wife, Margie. Antony received inka – teacher transmission – from Zen Master Dae Gak of Furnace Mountain, as Dae Chong, Osho. He has been a student of Buddhism since the early 1970’s. He ordained as a Zen monk with the late Sasaki Roshi and studied under two late Korean Zen Masters, Seung Sahn and Su Bong. He was formerly an advocate of the High Court, an arbitrator and acting judge, and in 2016 received the Chancellor’s Medal from the University of the Free State for exceptional service to South Africa. Margie Osler also received inka from Zen Master Dae Gak in 2013 as Tae Ja Do, Osho and she now teaches alongside her husband. In her teaching Margie also carries the responsibility for the Poplar Grove community outreach, including the hosting of traumatized children at the farm. The couple live on Poplar Grove and have two adult daughters. Zoom Zen: On the first Sunday morning of each month there is a Zoom Zen meeting. The event is hosted by Christine Butsukei Nachmann who can be contacted at cnachmann@gmail.com and at most of these a Dharma talk is delivered by Antony, Dae Chong, Osho.
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