Newsletter-update
OSEL STUDY GROUP NEWS LETTER
Osel Study Group is now situated in Vagator at an old Ashram near the sea. We rent the place during the winter months to run the centre. Just behind the Sterling Resort we are nestled under a canopy of Palm, Mango and Cashew trees in semi-wild Goan terrain. It is a wonderful spot, even though our facilities are very primitive. Living naturally and pulling water from the well is part of our back to basics daily life. We cook and eat all our meals outside and use a bucket for a shower. Since it is so warm we can enjoy all of this and experience actually how little we need to survive. Cows, pigs and many other creatures wander freely around us and call daily for scraps and vegetable peelings. Even a group of peacocks roam our jungle grounds. The air is fresh and pure blowing in from the sea and all around us jungle plants thrive including the odd bright Bougainvillea.
There are six double rooms available for people to stay if there is no retreat running. Vagator is less developed than other parts of Goa and mostly more quiet. As many of you already know there is not much quiet in India. However the energy is strangely conducive for meditation and healing. With a one minute walk to the beach and a four minute walk to the nearest internet café, we have the best of everything at our fingertips.
We have a wonderful outside gompa, as well as an inside gompa, which doubles as a yoga practice area and we like to include yoga in our schedule to help with grounding and “sitting”.
Last season we successfully ran three retreats at the centre, Lovingkindness and Medicine Buddha practices were the main focus. Many thanks to all the wonderful people who joined us on our pioneering adventure which began a new era for OSG. We would like to do this every year. .
Our venerable friend is busy with teaching in other parts of India and abroad as requested by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Many thanks to Venerable for his continued help and support and for all the years of hard work that he has dedicated to the centre.
Sonam and I now run the centre between us. We do all there is to be done which includes shopping and cooking and pulling water. Luckily we are good at multi tasking, however there are some areas where we could use some help.
Fundraising is becoming essential. The centre is seasonal, and we need to generate income for the many expenses in and out of season.
Other areas where we need help are: general admin, new web design, computer skills, accounts and errands
We replaced our meditation cushions thanks to the generous offering from Drs. Chris Kenyon and Janet Millar. We would still like to replace the Gompa materials, which are quite old now. The monsoon season really takes its toll on everything.
Since the centre is seasonal and Goa has become a much more expensive place to be,(the price of many things having doubled since last year,) our set up and running costs are quite high. Every year we need new whitewash and paint etc. and much more.
We do try to keep prices down and do not expect to make a profit either however, if a centre is to continue here we need to cover the expenses and have enough funds to move forward and become a registered and legal centre.
To keep OSG going we need people to use the centre and support what we are trying to do. You are welcome to just stay here for a holiday in our relaxed and supportive environment.
We are available for healing work for groups and individuals. This work is separate and helps support the centre.
We are also open to other FPMT teachers leading courses at the centre, especially if they connect up with what we are trying to establish – a combination of Dharma and Healing.
So, if anyone out there would like to use the space please do not hesitate to be in touch. The month of March is available.
We have advertised what we are doing as best we can in India and Nepal but would like to ask our sister centres here to help as much as possible where possible. We advertise locally with trepidation the centre activities and our healing work.
If you would like to offer your services to the centre, it would be wonderful but unfortunately we cannot offer any sponsorship of any kind yet. If the season goes well we will adjust this. Some work for the centre can be done anywhere not necessarily here in Goa. At this point we do not know how many visitors will come or how many will attend the courses.
This season began with hot humid weather and not many people visiting Goa. The first programme on Christmas Day went very well with 12 people attending a morning of Lovingkindness meditation followed by brunch. During January we held a “Buddhism for the here and now” course, led by Translator Gavin Kilty. This course went extremely well on all fronts and was attended by 6 beautiful people. In the meantime we prepare for our busy month of February while a family from Moscow relax and enjoy and a young man from Switzerland does his own retreat.
Our wonderful jungle ashram next to the sea may not be available next year and we are as yet, unsure about the future of the centre. It seems as though this newsletter is turning into an appeal for help! Which, at this point, would be much appreciated. Wherever we might be the centre needs ₤2,000.00 now!
If anyone is interested to become more involved with the centre, on any level, please let us know.
We are open to feedback and suggestions from our dharma family.
For more information on courses visit www.oselgroup.org and go to the linked blog where our programme is posted.
We would happily accept any offering of Dharma books and posters/thankas.
For those wishing to make a money offering to the centre, the best way is via Western Union. Using my name : Veronica King, Ashram, Vagator, Goa, India. Or during April – November: The Priory Retreat Centre, Thornbury, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7DA, UK.
For any other kind of offering or enquiry please let us know by email. oselstudygroup@googlemail.com or meconopsis@onetel.com
Or phone 00 91 9881494472 00 91 9860998402 0r 0044 (0)1409 261495 from April – November.
Thank you for all your support.
Love and Prayers Veronica and Sonam
Osel Study Group is now situated in Vagator at an old Ashram near the sea. We rent the place during the winter months to run the centre. Just behind the Sterling Resort we are nestled under a canopy of Palm, Mango and Cashew trees in semi-wild Goan terrain. It is a wonderful spot, even though our facilities are very primitive. Living naturally and pulling water from the well is part of our back to basics daily life. We cook and eat all our meals outside and use a bucket for a shower. Since it is so warm we can enjoy all of this and experience actually how little we need to survive. Cows, pigs and many other creatures wander freely around us and call daily for scraps and vegetable peelings. Even a group of peacocks roam our jungle grounds. The air is fresh and pure blowing in from the sea and all around us jungle plants thrive including the odd bright Bougainvillea.
There are six double rooms available for people to stay if there is no retreat running. Vagator is less developed than other parts of Goa and mostly more quiet. As many of you already know there is not much quiet in India. However the energy is strangely conducive for meditation and healing. With a one minute walk to the beach and a four minute walk to the nearest internet café, we have the best of everything at our fingertips.
We have a wonderful outside gompa, as well as an inside gompa, which doubles as a yoga practice area and we like to include yoga in our schedule to help with grounding and “sitting”.
Last season we successfully ran three retreats at the centre, Lovingkindness and Medicine Buddha practices were the main focus. Many thanks to all the wonderful people who joined us on our pioneering adventure which began a new era for OSG. We would like to do this every year. .
Our venerable friend is busy with teaching in other parts of India and abroad as requested by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Many thanks to Venerable for his continued help and support and for all the years of hard work that he has dedicated to the centre.
Sonam and I now run the centre between us. We do all there is to be done which includes shopping and cooking and pulling water. Luckily we are good at multi tasking, however there are some areas where we could use some help.
Fundraising is becoming essential. The centre is seasonal, and we need to generate income for the many expenses in and out of season.
Other areas where we need help are: general admin, new web design, computer skills, accounts and errands
We replaced our meditation cushions thanks to the generous offering from Drs. Chris Kenyon and Janet Millar. We would still like to replace the Gompa materials, which are quite old now. The monsoon season really takes its toll on everything.
Since the centre is seasonal and Goa has become a much more expensive place to be,(the price of many things having doubled since last year,) our set up and running costs are quite high. Every year we need new whitewash and paint etc. and much more.
We do try to keep prices down and do not expect to make a profit either however, if a centre is to continue here we need to cover the expenses and have enough funds to move forward and become a registered and legal centre.
To keep OSG going we need people to use the centre and support what we are trying to do. You are welcome to just stay here for a holiday in our relaxed and supportive environment.
We are available for healing work for groups and individuals. This work is separate and helps support the centre.
We are also open to other FPMT teachers leading courses at the centre, especially if they connect up with what we are trying to establish – a combination of Dharma and Healing.
So, if anyone out there would like to use the space please do not hesitate to be in touch. The month of March is available.
We have advertised what we are doing as best we can in India and Nepal but would like to ask our sister centres here to help as much as possible where possible. We advertise locally with trepidation the centre activities and our healing work.
If you would like to offer your services to the centre, it would be wonderful but unfortunately we cannot offer any sponsorship of any kind yet. If the season goes well we will adjust this. Some work for the centre can be done anywhere not necessarily here in Goa. At this point we do not know how many visitors will come or how many will attend the courses.
This season began with hot humid weather and not many people visiting Goa. The first programme on Christmas Day went very well with 12 people attending a morning of Lovingkindness meditation followed by brunch. During January we held a “Buddhism for the here and now” course, led by Translator Gavin Kilty. This course went extremely well on all fronts and was attended by 6 beautiful people. In the meantime we prepare for our busy month of February while a family from Moscow relax and enjoy and a young man from Switzerland does his own retreat.
Our wonderful jungle ashram next to the sea may not be available next year and we are as yet, unsure about the future of the centre. It seems as though this newsletter is turning into an appeal for help! Which, at this point, would be much appreciated. Wherever we might be the centre needs ₤2,000.00 now!
If anyone is interested to become more involved with the centre, on any level, please let us know.
We are open to feedback and suggestions from our dharma family.
For more information on courses visit www.oselgroup.org and go to the linked blog where our programme is posted.
We would happily accept any offering of Dharma books and posters/thankas.
For those wishing to make a money offering to the centre, the best way is via Western Union. Using my name : Veronica King, Ashram, Vagator, Goa, India. Or during April – November: The Priory Retreat Centre, Thornbury, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7DA, UK.
For any other kind of offering or enquiry please let us know by email. oselstudygroup@googlemail.com or meconopsis@onetel.com
Or phone 00 91 9881494472 00 91 9860998402 0r 0044 (0)1409 261495 from April – November.
Thank you for all your support.
Love and Prayers Veronica and Sonam
posted by Osel Study Group at 9:08 am
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