Celebrating Music of the Sacred Mountain: A Benefit for Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat Centre, South Africa
Sound healing, chanting, meditation, and reflections with Kittisaro and Thanissara, Nolitha Tsengiwe, Nomvula Wellbeing, Maia Marie, and Phumla Shongwe.
Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat Centre was founded in 2000 by Kittisaro and Thanissara. Their vision was to create a sacred space for deep contemplative practice that would be accessible to all equitably. Dharmagiri continues to evolve while maintaining valued connections with Sacred Mountain Sangha.
Located in the Drakensberg mountain range in South Africa, the Center is rooted in the wisdom of Buddhist teachings and the rich traditions of African spirituality. Retreats at Dharmagiri embrace the cycles of nature, draw inspiration from the ancestors, and cultivate practices that ground us in the present moment.
For the last 25 years, Dharmagiri has hosted a range of renowned teachers, including many leading Buddhist monastic and lay teachers, sharing wisdom that touches hearts and transforms lives. Scholarships and fundraising have been vital in supporting our ability to sustain these offerings.
This benefit offers an opportunity to support the vital work at Dharmagiri, a sanctuary for healing, wisdom, and connection. By donating to Dharmagiri, you help support our continued efforts to share the Dharma in South Africa.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Dharmagiri continues to ensure that these teachings and retreats remain open to all who would like to participate, regardless of financial circumstances. We aspire to continue sustaining Dharmagiri through this ethos of Dana and welcoming all.
In recent years, the center has created new and diverse offerings grounded in music, nature-based practices, and Indigenous African healing methodologies. We have freely offered arts and healing retreats for local youth and women, facilitated in our regional language, isiZulu, which has been ground-breaking. These innovative developments have opened Dharmagiri, enabling us to welcome a far wider circle of our community.
Why Your Support Matters
At Dharmagiri, we embrace a Dana-based economic model inspired by the Buddhist tradition of generosity and the African principle of Ubuntu—“We are who we are through others.” This ensures that our teachings and retreats remain accessible to those with limited financial resources, offering a space where dharma is shared with all.
Funds raised during this benefit event will directly support:
- Scholarships: Empowering individuals from underserved communities to access teachings and retreats.
- Sustainability: Ensuring our facilities remain welcoming, safe, and functional for all.
- Support for the resident managers. This includes ensuring health care and sustainable remuneration
- Programs: Expanding our retreats and community offerings to foster healing, personal growth, and spiritual well-being.
Our economic model reflects our values—nurturing a community rooted in compassion, generosity, and shared abundance. While fundraisers like this are essential to sustaining Dharmagiri and helping it reach its full potential, we also highly value committed monthly donations (standing orders), regardless of size. These provide greater stability and go a long way toward helping secure Dharmagiri’s future.
If you'd like to donate, you can do so via ZAR or $US. Please memo your donation via SMS's PayPal portal "Dharmagiri"
Via Pay Pal in US Dollars via Sacred Mountain Sangha.
Via PayFast in South African Rands directly to Dharmagiri.
From our hearts, thank you for receiving this invitation. We hope you can join us and to see you soon,
With all blessings from the mountain,
Maia, Phumla, Nompilo Niel, Moyra, Nolitha, Shivani, and Dharmagiri Sangha.