The People of Emoyeni

Maren came to Emoyeni in February 2006 when she and Mervyn built their house of stone. She looks after the gardens and helps with the general running of the place. Her interest in meditation and Buddhism has come through the practice of Tai Chi. She makes a living as a writer and consultant, mainly in the education sector and occasionally holds writing retreats. 

Mervyn is a co-founder and trustee of Emoyeni, and has been living at the Centre since its inception. He worked in the business world as an IT specialist until his late thirties. He has been a practising Buddhist for over 30 years, during which time he has visited Buddhist centres in both Eastern and Western countries. Mervyn was a resident at the Buddhist Retreat Centre (BRC) at Ixopo for 13 years, from 1986 to 2000, where he had the opportunity to participate in retreats given by teachers from all the main Buddhist traditions. He began facilitating retreats while at the BRC, and currently leads a variety of retreats at Emoyeni.

One of Mervyn's main influences was Buddhist practitioner and meditation teacher Godwin Samararatne, after whom Emoyeni's meditation hall is named. He also has a keen interest in the "Non-dual" philosophy.

Steven has contributed immensely to the creation of Emoyeni. He is a qualified bricklayer and self-employed building contractor. His expertise and skill have transformed all the dilapidated ruins on our land into the functional buildings we are using today. The beautiful meditation hall, which he and his team built from scratch and Mervyn and Maren's house, are his pride and joy.  He has a huge talent for working with stone. Steven lives in Majakaneng, about 20 km from Emoyeni and is constantly on the lookout for work.
Please contact us to make enquiries.