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Visiting Skycliffe...

Nestled in the woods along the Kettle River, in the interior of British Columbia, lie the peaceful 220 acres of ‘Skycliffe,’HÜMÜH’s Monastery and Retreat Centre. Upon entering the main gate, a gently curving gravel road, with prayer flag poles lining both sides, leads visitors into the heart of the property. Quiet and serene, Skycliffe is a sanctuary for people as well as local wildlife.

Everything on the property is arranged to allow visitors the opportunity to release the tensions and strains of their busy lives. Relaxing hiking trails wind through the hills and valleys. The Kettle River, which meanders along the western edge of the property, offers many places to sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the gently rolling currents. An inlet of the river forms a swimming hole for summer visitors to cool off on sunny mid-afternoons.

For those who like to sit in quiet meditation, there are many ideal spots. The Temple of Enlightenment offers regular hour-long meditation sittings at 7am, 11am, 2pm and 7pm. For less formal or personal meditations, there is a rustic little single-person meditation hut nestled in the woods. Up above the river, at the south-east edge of the property, is Amitabha Hill. With a broad expansive view of the Kettle River Valley, one can take in the scenery while sitting in the silence. There is also a beautiful Mandala Garden surrounding the golden Stupa, where people can sit on one of the many benches or walk the curving path around the Stupa as the Wish-Fulfilling Gem Mantra quietly plays throughout the garden.

'Skycliffe' Updates
Previous Updates: Febr., Mar., April, May, June, July, Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov. 2009

December, 2009

The HÜMÜH Monastery welcomes everyone to join residents and students for the weekly 9:45 a.m. Sunday services throughout the winter season. Winter is a time of stark natural beauty when the basic forms of things are revealed. Attention is drawn to the light, and a kind of reflective feeling accompanies the dormancy of nature. It is a good time to nourish the spirit and to take stock of how we are creating the light or the dark in our own lives and the lives of those we love.

A recent Teaching of Wisdom Master Maticintin pointed out that if we are angry or sad, we tend to see anger and sadness all around us. Similarly, inner conflict or lack of harmony within, produces disharmony in our environment and contributes to ‘dis-ease’ in the body.

In her Teaching, the Wisdom Master said that the way to get out of feeling trapped in such imbalances is to develop a fascination with knowing that there IS a way out and that there has to be more to life than the way we are living it. That shift begins by learning to take our attention off of ourselves, dropping rigid attitudes about how we think things ‘should be,’ and hushing the monotonous inner mental debate over being ‘right’ or ‘wrong,’ so we can move away from conflict.

Balance comes as we learn to observe life situations and allow them to come and go, taking moments of quiet pause during the day just to gaze outward into space. As we practice this, we may notice a deep sense of peace and relaxation arising in the body, which then flows over into all we do. People, things, and situations in our lives begin to be affected by the peaceful spirit that comes out of us, a spirit that comes from our choice to put our attention on harmony rather than conflict. This makes for an ease in communication with others and releases the body from the debilitating strain of constant tension. Our physical health can then improve as we learn to create and sustain this place of inner peace. It takes the shift in our consciousness, the movement away from conflict and toward harmony, to make it so.

In this way, we learn to take responsibility for all that we do, discovering that the essence or spirit we carry within has an effect on all life. In this place of harmony, the pure light of consciousness can then flood outward, and life becomes what it was meant to be: an awakened life.

‘Skycliffe’ is open to visitors on Sundays and they are invited to attend the 9:45 a.m. Sunday Service. After the service, visitors are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the monastery grounds, including the Forest Temple of Enlightenment, the Golden Healing Stupa*, Amitabha Vista, the River Walk, the Edge Walk, the Labyrinth,the Karma Shedding Pit,
and the Whirling Circle.

Visitation is by donation.

*A Stupa is a sacred monument that houses the ancient spiritual Teachings,
which are at the heart of all religions.
 
For reservations, call: 1.800.336.6015 or e-mail: Reservations@HUMUH.org