Forest Jewels

Path to the Pagoda, photograph by John Ireland

I discovered the Dharma Centre of Canada in the mid 2000s, not long after building a cottage in the area. I have been attending retreats, on and off, since then. The two most recent were with resident teachers Mala Sikka and Terry Hogan in August 2020 and August 2021. The retreats were, quite simply, marvelous. Both were transformative for me and allowed me to reinvigorate my practice.

From the first time I stepped onto the land and into the forest of the Dharma Centre there was a sense of magic – a very peaceful and calming energy. In Buddhism there are what are known as the three Jewels – Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Buddha means the Enlightened One; Dhamma means the doctrine, or teaching; and Sangha means community. The Dharma Centre, for me, provides the combination of, or access to, all the Jewels but it is the Sangha that always strikes me the most when I visit.

The energy created by the teachers and the staff provide an incredible container for me to practice. Having that container, and a group of practitioners to share the space, builds an energy that allows me to sink into the experience and greatly deepens my practice. There is a sense of being supported both physically and energetically. Physically in terms of the time and care the staff take with preparation and cooking etc., and the teachers with the offering of the Dharma. Energetically is more difficult to explain - it is as if I am somehow held during the time there – it settles me. For the experiences I have had, and those I will have in the future, I am eternally grateful. 

Deep Bow

By Kirk Cooper