This year, the board members of Yeru Bön Center headed to Yeru Retreat Center for our annual planning meeting. It was a bit chilly, but we all bundled and got to work planning for the end of this year and next year. We had great discussions of this past year and what we would like to see happen for the next year.
Rinpoche talked about whatever we do, we need to work to keep the teachings authentic to the text of Bön. This includes how our teachings happen and helping students continue to learn the traditional way.
We worked on what teachings we should have, what online courses would be good to offer, how our bi-annually Voice of Compassion should be, and yes, what can we do next year for Yeru Retreat Center.
As for the teachings, Rinpoche would like to see more time helping the students to truly learn the practices offered – as a large group, in small groups, and individually. We talked how one week is not enough time to learn most practices. So, for the most part, we plan to release an online course as a precursor to our teachings and retreats, as well as more live stream practices and more connections with our teachers.
We intend to produce and release more free talks from Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche online to our students. Our newsletters will be filled with Bön teachings from our teachers.
As for Yeru Retreat Center: The temple building is about ready to begin, as well as the Health and Wellness Building. The Garuda Lakeside meditation area will be special and inviting. We all took a walk through the property and talked about what we need to work on this fall, next spring, and throughout the summer. Sleeping Huts will be arriving with private bathrooms and showers. The electric heating system will blend into the wilderness.
So, we have our work cut out for us, and we are all eager to begin. We have a five-year plan and we are working it.
We talked about how our tick program is working as we did not have a single tick sighting this summer. We also talked about the mosquitoes. As much as we sprayed and treated the grounds and thought, “Woohoo! the mosquitoes will be minimal, except at sunset,” as luck would have it, during His Holiness’s visit, the mosquitoes wanted to be welcomed to this auspicious event. Then, after His Holiness left, we were back a few days later to do laundry and the mosquitoes for minimal – True Story. We have not had a mosquito bite the rest of the summer.
We also talked about Yeru Health and Wellness and worked on a plan for students and the community to be involved with. More on this later.
We discussed the Yeru Store and are so happy Nick and Sarah chose to begin running the Yeru Store via the Doortobon.org site. Updates to the store will be coming soon.
Lastly, we spoke of a work week and weekend. During this time, anyone attending would be provided free meals and a teaching, in exchange for service work at Yeru Retreat Center. It takes a village to make Yeru Retreat Center work.
We talked about why Bön and the Yeru Retreat Center is so important to us. The response was unanimous: we love the teachings of Bön, we have all benefited spiritually from the teachings of Bön, and we are happy to be able to provide this is for service to others. We love meeting Bön Students, building friendships, and knowing we can give Bönpos a place to come for the teachings of Bön.
