A Place of Tranquillity
A glaringly white, domed Buddhist Stupa rearing out of the woodlands in the southern KwaZulu Natal Midlands at Ixopo, seems a most incongruous edifice.
But there is nothing really incongruous about it, given one of the central pillars of the religion is the integrity of nature and the preservation of what we call natural biodiversity and they might call the sanctity of all things, animal, vegetable, mineral and ethereal.
The Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo is a place of tranquillity and contemplation where people have come for decades to find inner peace among the turmoil of life in this country. It was this respect for all things and beings that led Nelson Mandela to declare it a national heritage site.
Paths to Explore
The 300 acre property offers a range of peaceful paths to explore: follow the pine-scented path to the dam; walk past ancient cycads to the tracks of early Voortrekker wagons; discover an assegai-sharpening stone on a hillside; or point your feet towards the rocky outcrop that provides a perfect seat for contemplating the valley below.
The Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo is also a birder's paradise, with more than 160 species recorded. The Centre has a few different buildings, including accommodation lodges and cottages, the dining room and office, a shop, a lecture and art studio, a library, and the meditation hall.
The labyrinth, the Zen gardens, the deer park and the Buddha Boma at Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo invite one in for reflection and contemplation.