Volunteers Gardening Weekend Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September A golden light falls on the Marpa House garden this time of year. Don’t miss this opportunity to spend time in our gentle space. Help trim hedges, prepare the vegetable garden for the new season and tidy up the garden, with our new gardener Peter Shelley. Come for a day, morning or afternoon or the whole weekend. Call or email the House to reserve your space. Accommodation and meals will be provided free to volunteers.
LOOKING FORWARD TO OCTOBER
We are planning to celebrate Rinpoche’s Birthday at 2.30pm on Saturday 12 October. Please make a note of the date in your diary.
A GREAT SUMMER TEA PARTY Well, the weather almost threatened to spoil the fun, but how could it really do that? Although the sun didn’t shine in the sky, it shone in our hearts as we welcomed Rinpoche and all our guests for the afternoon of chat, tea, and delightful contributions of all kinds of food and cakes. A wonderful time together.
CELEBRATING THE RETREAT WITH LAMA KLAUS We celebrated the end of six days of meditation and silence together with a Tsok puja last Sunday, after a retreat with Lama Klaus that was gentle, focused, and went deep into the stillness. A mixed group of people, some old hands and some new friends of Marpa House, shared the experience with much happiness and good feeling. Thank you to Lama Klaus for holding this retreat so gracefully and inspirationally.
STAFFING OPPORTUNITIES Marpa House is very happy to welcome Rob Wolter on staff as cleaner, and we are looking forward to Peter Shelley’s arrival as gardener. This means the house will be fully staffed, so there are plenty of staff to look after you now when you decide to come and stay! The house operates with semi-permanent staff members who keep the house open to visitors, retreatants and those attending the various large and small courses that take place during the year. Currently we are looking for a cook to start in early 2014. As a volunteer, you would live at the house and receive a small daily honorarium to help with personal needs. All meals and accommodation are provided free of charge and you have the opportunity to attend talks, events, and to study and practise meditation at Marpa House. To find out more, please contact the House Administrator, admin@marpahouse.org.uk, or speak to a Marpa House Committee member.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE – JOIN THE COMMITTEE The Marpa House Committee is made up of members who have been elected by the other members of Marpa House. Each person serves for a maximum of three years. The Committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of the centre, including the organisation of courses and the appointment of staff. The Committee works closely with the Secretary, the House Administrator and the Trustees. It meets several times a year and occasionally co-opts further members for specific events and occasions. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Committee, please speak to one of the existing members or Chris, the House Administrator. 
The Marpa House Committee
40/40 UPDATE Since our last update in June when we had to put rebuilding the men’s bathroom area on hold, we have been very lucky to receive some very generous donations for which we express a huge thank you! We have now also received alternative quotes (even higher than the first one!) and the original builder’s breakdown for the work, which we are reviewing to see where we can make savings and to confirm the work, which is currently scheduled for the autumn. Completing this project will be another great achievement yet there is still so much we need to do in the house. This is our ‘wish list’ for the immediate future –
- insulate the walls in room 8
- repair the ceiling in room 5, as well as putting in a new carpet
- replace the windows and carpet in room 4
- of course all of these rooms will also require electrical work and redecoration
- then there is the ladies bathroom area
- along with room 3 which will be a big project
- and we still haven’t got to the downstairs area which will be our largest project, hence the reason it’s being left to last!
We mentioned last time that 40/40 is extending into 50/50, but after writing this, even that seems such a short period of time to complete all these projects! You have already been extremely generous but we are asking if you are able, to please continue to support us with donations. It is such a blessing to have Marpa House to get away from the distractions of daily life and be a place for practise and connecting with our Dharma family, but without Rinpoche’s compassion and dedication over the last 40 years Marpa House wouldn’t be here, so now it’s up to us to ensure that this precious place remains long, long into the future, and for that we rely on your generosity and kindness.
PLEASE DONATE It is easy to donate to Marpa House and to help ensure that Marpa House is here for at least another 40 years. All you have to do is click this link: here
Thank you for your ongoing support and interest in Marpa House! with best wishes, Marpa House Committee
