[Buddha-l] Retreats?

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

curt schreef:

> One problem is that many "big" "famous" retreat centers start out
> as a group of friends meditating together in each other's living rooms.
> But they are not satisfied with that - so they, like good Americans
> (warning: anti-Americanism!!!) they "dream big". "Gee, maybe we
> could buy some land out in the country and start our own "real"
> retreat center?" And so the cycle continues. Having said that, my
> favorite spot on planet earth is just such a place. Years and years
> ago a group of friends were sitting around in Lexington, KY - but
> that wasn't good enough for them - so they ended up buying hundreds
> of acres of land out in the middle of nowhere and they built a Buddhist
> temple there. I go there every chance I get because it is so beautiful
> and serene. So sometimes it works out OK, I guess.
> - Curt
>
Well, I used to run a small meditationcentre and we had soem famous people, like Sogyal, Namkhai Norbu, Kalu, Akong, zemnonks from JApan and Vipassanateachers from Thailand. And it was rocking. There was close and informal contact with teachers and we used to teach them how to ride a bike. In the big centres there was always trouble and arguments. 
Another thing was the business went sour when the house was bought and money came in. The first ones to run after the money where the teachers however. Especially the Tibetans wnated to by land and build stupas everwhere. 

Erik