September, 2010

Change is a constant in nature, and fall at the HÜMÜH Monastery is a festival of change as the orchards around the Golden Healing Stupa fittingly begin to turn…to gold.  A walk up to Amitabha Vista provides a breathtaking panorama of autumn’s vibrant glow, accented by the sparkle of the now gently-flowing waters of the Kettle River. Visitors are welcome year-round and find the warm days of September perfect for exploring the many Self-Guided Tours through the stunning gardens and hiking trails of Skycliffe.

Guests often comment that they come to the monastery out of curiosity, to bring something new into their lives, or to give greater meaning to a special day or depth to their personal spiritual growth. Wisdom Master Maticintin has written, “Even though we may feel fairly content with our life, we can enrich that life by refining it. The additional refinement can come through making changes.”  (Secrets of the Golden Spiral, pg 179) A recent guest mentioned that he had been rafting down the Kettle River earlier this year, and just happened to pull over for a rest at the bridge near the Christian Valley Rd 27 kilometer marker.  He said that he looked up and was surprised to see the sign for the HÜMÜH Monastery on the road and decided right then to come back at a later time to investigate. That curiosity brought him to Skycliffe to hear a Teaching and to enjoy a lunch reservation with retreatants for one of the delicious vegetarian meals in Skycliffe’s Dining Hall.  He remarked that he was very grateful for the opportunity that came from his following the intuition that arose as part of his unplanned stop on the river that day. The Wisdom Master writes, “We make life what we want it to be by being watchful over what is going on and by making changes as the need to do so presents itself.” (Secrets of the Golden Spiral, pg 182)

Many guests at the monastery come with their families after seeing signs on the road, speaking to friends, or finding information about Skycliffe on the website, which has a complete description of HÜMÜH Buddhism, its origins and history, along with photographs of the monastery grounds, information on the Home-Study Program, and schedules of courses and events.  Posters in local Westbridge and Rock Creek places of business have also been bringing members of the community to Skycliffe for the exhilarating concerts given by monks on a Saturday evening towards the end of each summer month. Those attending said they really enjoyed the light-hearted variety of the presentations as the melodious strains of guitar, cello, flute, ukulele, piano, didgeridoo and vocal artistry filled the summer evenings of the Kettle River Valley with the rhapsody of music of the heart. 

Skycliffe is, in itself, a showcase of the vibrancy and variety of change, evidenced in the diversity of decorator touches in the cozy guest rooms, bright bouquets of fresh flowers in the bookstore, Temple, and office, and the constant diversity of all those who are gladly welcomed onto its grounds.