Durban - The Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, has been singled out by CNN as one of the top 10 meditation retreats in the world.
Owner Louis van Loon said the announcement this week came as a complete surprise.
“We have never advertised, it has always been through word-of-mouth over the years and now it seems word-of-mouth has gone all the way to CNN!”
The retreat, opened in 1980 after Van Loon, an architect and engineer, built it himself over 10 years (starting in 1970) , and according to its website, transformed it into such an indigenous paradise, that President Nelson Mandela then declared it a natural heritage site.
Although Mandela never visited the retreat, the former government sent many of its members to “spy” on what went on at the haven that is known for its stillness and peace.
“The secret police made quite a strange deduction – because Chinese restaurants always had the big fat Buddha figure in them and the Chinese were communist, a Buddhist retreat in South Africa must be secretly teaching communism and brainwashing young people,” said Van Loon.
He said there were many things wrong with that deduction, but mainly the common misconception that the chubby Buddha figurine, is not actually Buddha, but a jolly monk named Pu-Tai who bought laughter and luck with him where ever he went.
Originally from Amsterdam, Van Loon emigrated to South Africa at the age of 20 and set up his architectural and engineering practice.
His work often took him to eastern countries such as Thailand, Nepal and India, where he came across the gentleness of Buddhist monks and felt that South Africa needed that too.
The Buddhist Retreat Centre was a product of the 1960s, he said, an era where young people were beginning to rethink life.
“We hope that the natural momentum the retreat has gained over the years will continue; I feel that people are again going through a more profound awakening and starting to realise there is a deeper happiness (than just owning material possessions) to be found in the universe.” - The Mercury