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June 2008 Mark your calendars for a very special cultural event! On Sunday, July 6 at 4:00 pm, Skycliffe, HÜMÜH’s Transcendental Awareness Institute Retreat Centre, is pleased to present our 3rd Annual Classical Music Concert featuring four of the Okanagan’s finest string musicians performing on a golden stage in our beautiful Mandala garden. Tickets are $10 per person at the gate, and proceeds will benefit HÜMÜH Monastery’s “Feed the Hungry Program.” Come to HÜMÜH’s fragrant garden in a summer orchard near the Kettle River, where music rises from a golden stage in the garden’s heart and the peace of the late afternoon is spangled with the shimmering melodies of some of the Okanagan’s finest string artists. Let your heart be nourished by a concert that will also uplift those in need. Everyone is invited to attend and support this worthy cause, while enjoying magnificent music in a magnificent setting. The quartet, including violin, viola, and cello, will perform a variety of lively classical pieces including Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” Dvorak’s “Humoresque,” Ravel’s 1st Movement, and Beethoven’s opus 18. The quartet members perform regularly with the Okanagan Symphony and have worldwide professional experience. Their members include Ashley Kroecher, Olivia Walsh, Karen Krout, and Sarah Anderson. Please join us on Sunday July 6 at 4:00 pm at the HÜMÜH Monastery. From Rock Creek, take Highway 33 to Christian Valley Road. Turn right at the 27km marker and follow the signs. (Please dress appropriately. No alcohol or smoking on the Monastery grounds.)
May 2008 A walk through the gardens of ‘Skycliffe’ Monastery and Retreat Centre this month is a feast for the senses, as apple trees and flowers come into bloom, encircled by a lush carpet of grass, clover, and wild flowers glowing with spring sunlight. After a cold winter and a cool spring, even the natural vibrancy of dandelions is a welcomed sight. We went so far as to postpone the lawn mowing for a few days, just to enjoy the splendor of our abundant crop of these cheery, yellow flowers. When seen through the eyes of gratitude, even the simplest things in life can bring great joy. In mid-May we completed an illuminating weekend meditation retreat which was geared towards beginning meditators; however, those of us who with an established meditation practice benefited just as much. As we are discovering, there is no end to what one can learn about and experience in meditation. While most of the sessions were facilitated by senior students, the Wisdom Master made a spontaneous appearance at two of the sessions. The Wisdom Master spoke about making meditation a way of life: a ‘Living Meditation,’ which is easiest to do by first establishing a sitting practice. This affords us the opportunity to touch upon that peaceful, quiet place within us without distraction. The Wisdom Master instructed us to begin by sitting cross-legged, if possible, with eyes that are mostly closed. Instantly, we become aware of dots of light that form various shapes and patterns. The trick, however, is not to get caught up in what we see, but instead to maintain the all-important focus of ‘looking for the Light.’ Images and colors will come and go, but that’s not what matters. What’s important is that we become more and more familiar with the Light, which is our true essence. Once we identify the Light, the Wisdom Master encourages us to ‘bathe in the Light,’ letting it infuse every aspect of our being to experience its healing effects that go far beyond reviving us physically, to healing our mind and spirit as well. These experiences with the inner Light then translate to our outer life, because, as the Wisdom Master often reminds us, everything we see is Light; even our so-called ‘problems’ are really Light that has become ‘over-heated’ with worry and fear. And, once we become aware of this, dissolving problems is as simple as returning our attention to the inner or outer Light, which are really one and the same.
Coming up July 6-19: “The Lotus
Sutra (Part 1):” The Wisdom Master will lead a two-week empowerment
based on one of Sakyamuni Buddha’s major sutras. There is still space
available; however, pre-registration is a must. For more
information, please call the HÜMÜH office at
March/April 2008 There have been some interesting new developments at ‘Skycliffe’ Monastery and Retreat Centre over the last few months, including the release of the first issue of our new publication, the Transcendental Awareness News Journal. The articles are written from a viewpoint that ‘transcends’ or goes beyond the ordinary way of looking at life. Based on the Teachings of the Wisdom Master, the articles approach a variety of topics from a perspective that is not limited by ideas of ‘good and bad’ or ‘right and wrong.’ Instead, the articles consider what behaviors in society are clearly destructive and what alternative approaches would bring upliftment. The Journal also contains recurring columns that approach relationships, workplace and health issues in a way that one may not have considered before. To receive a complimentary subscription to the Journal, please e-mail us at TAnews@humuh.org, The online version can be viewed at www.humuhbuddhistjournal.org At the end of March, we completed a month-long retreat titled “Living the Realized State.” The month was filled with inspiring Teachings and lively discussions, encouraging us to apply what we learned to our moment-to-moment experiences. During one particularly animated Teaching, the Wisdom Master spontaneously devised an exercise to assist us in learning to stay ‘centered’ instead of getting caught up in the drama of our daily lives. In a clearing just outside the Temple, logs were placed in a spiral formation. We were then instructed to very purposefully walk on top of the logs for the entire length of the spiral, staying totally focused as we moved from log to log. In this way, both body and mind can become familiar with the feeling of ‘centeredness.’ This empowering feeling can then be used in our daily lives to stay calm in the midst of challenging or stressful situations. The exercise is not limited to walking on logs. With a little imagination, one can find many ways to practice this moving, focused balance, as we walk from the house to the car, or through a busy work situation, or from one room to another in our homes. In this way, we constantly reinforce an inner ‘balanced’ feeling, which we can come to rely upon throughout our day. Coming up in April and May, there are two opportunities to experience a weekend retreat at Skycliffe. No prior meditation experience is necessary.
There is still space available for both of these weekend retreats. For more information, please call the HÜMÜH office at 446-2022. There is no charge for the Teachings. The only charge is for food and lodging; however, pre-registration is a must.
February, 2008 This month at ‘Skycliffe’ Monastery and Retreat Centre, we are in the midst of a series of one-month retreats titled “Living as an Enlightened Being.” These retreats are designed to be a journey of self-discovery in which the participants are given plenty of time between Teachings to contemplate the lessons given, so that they can be truly integrated into our lives. January’s focus was How the Consciousness Causes Karma. During this retreat, Wisdom Master Maticintin showed us that we each see life a little differently based on the experiences we have had and our reactions to those experiences. Unless we make an effort to stay open to new ways of looking at life, we can easily become trapped in our viewpoints and life becomes very repetitious: doing the same things, in the same way, day after day. If, however, we can train ourselves to stay open to life and explore new ways of doing and seeing things, life can stay fresh and interesting. The Wisdom Master encouraged us to find ways to make every moment of our lives special. One great way of doing that is to make a conscious effort to help others as we move through our day. The focus of February’s retreat is “The Arousal of Visions.” In the first few days of this retreat, the Wisdom Master has shown us that our inner and outer life cannot be separated; the conditions that have manifested in our lives are a direct result of the constant undercurrent of thoughts and feelings we carry inside of ourselves. When we become aware of this, we can begin to consciously direct our thoughts and feelings. When we learn to sustain this ‘mindfulness’-- focusing on what we want, instead of what we don’t want--our lives are uplifted. No longer does one have to ‘settle for’ or ‘make-do’ with unwanted conditions. If this glimpse of the Teachings has piqued your interest, there is still space available for the March retreat, which will focus on Expanding the Realized State. Participants may attend any portion of this retreat as long as they come at the beginning of the month. For more information please call the HÜMÜH office at 446-2022 or visit us on the web at www.humuh.org. There is no charge for the Teachings. The only charge is for food and lodging; however, pre-registration is a must. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ‘Skycliffe’ is open to visitors between the hours of 10am and 4pm Wednesdays only. A self-guided tour of the Monastery grounds, including the Forest Temple of Enlightenment and the Golden Healing Stupa* area is available during those hours. Visitation is by donation. *A Stupa is a sacred monument that houses the ancient spiritual Teachings which are at the heart of all religions.
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