René Miranda and Brian Hanner's blog

The cabin progress is going so fast.  It's hard to believe that less than two months ago, it was only bare earth.  The roof is going up and soon we will move inside.  Steve and Molly are back in Reno.  We miss you guys; please come back soon.  It's awesome to have Doug back on the job.  Here's the latest photos:

Rene' and Vira

• Wow!!!

This is what is up in just two weeks since the foundation was begun.  

Rene' is writing this and she is not the one out there doing the physical labor.  Vira sent photos of the progress.  

I am in awe of the dedication of the builders who work in 100 degree temperatures to make this dream a reality.  

Sending Love and so many blessings...xxxxxxxx000000000

Today Vira began working full-time on the cabin.  Hot, sweaty, and so very grateful for the opportunity to build the walls with his own two hands . . . okay, so there are some amazing people helping.  Thank you Steve, John.E.O, Jarret, Matt, Doug, and David—so far.  The radical transformation of the Diamond Mountain retreat valley in the past few months is nothing short of miraculous. 

Last weekend was family weekend, and we were very lucky to be blessed by the presence of Rachel, René’s daughter.  We hear question and answer sessions from both Geshe Michael and Lama Christie and got to tour the land and the cabins.  Lama Christie shared that of all the projects she has done since the last Great Retreat—co-creating Diamond Mountain University and the Yoga Studies Institute, writing books, international tours—the most important thing she has done is the retreat.

This is the most important thing we can do.  Change the world from the inside out.  It seems a little crazy, but then again, maybe a little crazy is what this insane world needs.

René and Vira

Why do a three-year retreat?  Happiness--plain and simple.  Happiness that we can reside in eternally.  How does that work?  Buddhism and all of the other wisdom traditions of humanity teach that the world is what we make of it--we are creating our world.  This is not some silly "think positive thoughts" idea, but the reality that we experience in every moment is literally being created by our mind and projected like a movie--a movie so intense, so real, that we are convinced that it is our very existence.  And while this is true, in the sense that it IS our life, there is something else going on here.

The movie we experience is totally, completely, and without exception a refelction of how well we have taken care of others in the past.  So, we change our world by living our lives differently--with more love, more compoassion, and more understanding.

But how do we unveil the illusion of the movie completely?  We seek to uncover the "man behind the curtain."  There is an unchanging force that allows this play to happen.  In Buddhism it's called emptiness.  Christianity calls it God, Islam Allah, Hinduism Atman.  It is possible to go behind the screen to see how the projector works, to understand how to change the movie forever.  This is why to do retreat.

Emptiness is so subtle, God whispers so quietly, that trying to hear, see, or understand how this works in the 21st century world is like trying to hear the wings of gnat in a thunderstorm.  In retreat we begin the long process of quieting the storm of our minds in hope of hearing the gnat--the whispering voice of God, to understand how the world works, to stop the madness forever.  To realize that the only reason we haven't' flow away on Angel's wings yet is because we don't remember that we had them all along.

René and Brian

As far back as I can remember I wanted to help people not to suffer.

When I was eight I decided to become a doctor and followed through with this goal.  After years of apparently achieving all the worldly goals I could set, I was more unhappy than ever and so were the people around me.  It didn't make sense!  I had the career, the family, the house, the vacations, the friends, a healthy body, went to Mass ever Sunday, did volunteer work.  Now what?  I searched, met with my priest, meditated, read books, practiced yoga, took care of my children.   I tried many activities and methods to achieve happiness.  At times there were small break throughs, but the world still seemed to be assaulting me.   I knew this was not right.

Then I met the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism by the Grace of Geshe Michael Roach through Mira Shani.  That is when the bottom fell out of the world I thought I was living in, and a whole new possibility came into being for my mind.  Now I could make the whole world understand....if only I could change this (my) mind.

So I shifted my world by letting go of a regular job and studying with Holy Teachers.  I gradually shifted the amount of time I was spending parenting.

After years of intensive study given by the Grace of Geshe Michael Roach, Lama Sumati Marut, Lama Christie McNally, Lama Mira Shani and more, I have been given the tools to make peace in the world by undertaking deep retreat.  This is a gift that cannot be wasted.  It is more precious than anything else imaginable.

The obstacles feel insurmountable at times.  And there is nothing else to do.