From: Jaya's old e-mail
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:47:09 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Tues, Jul 24 2007 6:47 pm
Subject: smiles and tears


We so appreciate your generosity towards and interest in the Open Centre and the benefit of all
beings including yourself!
It is amazing to hear from around the world about the different Open Centre projects that keep
happening, with great ocean heart.  At the end of this email are 3 updates from different projects
in Europe, Israel, and the US.

Until last week, we were still waiting to hear from the few people who are that rare combination
of wealthy and generous AND who have expressed over the years the intention to support the Open
Centre whenever we found a place.
The news is disappointing—it seems that those few people are unable to give support to the
Open Centre right now.

Meanwhile, we now need to agree with the owners on a specific date, time, and place in late
September to sign the papers and give the nonrefundable down payment.
So even though we have time till the down payment is due, and even though we do have the amount of
the down payment, the situation is not looking good for buying that wonderful place.  We do not
have enough of the total amount (due in June, 2008) to risk giving and losing the down payment.

Although there is a chance that during the year we would get some major grants to help purchase
the OC property from individuals, foundations, and the EU (whose theme for grants this year is
inter-cultural exchange!), it seems too risky to give the down payment.  

We are telling the owners that our major funding seems to have fallen through.

We will ask the owners about the possibility of a long-term lease.  
We can confidently take on a long-term lease with the current amount of money raised and
committed.

If the owners do not agree to lease and the whole thing does fall through, then we will of course
give donors the option of either having their money back or letting us keep it till we find the
right place.

We have looked at a few other places for sale, and continue to be amazed at how appropriate and
RELATIVELY well-priced the original property is....For example, we saw another place with large
stone ruins and water, and for a lower price, but with only 8% of the land space, with little sun,
a very long and rough driveway, and only 3 rooms of the house in somewhat usable condition.

We feel the brightness and importance of the Open Centre vision as strongly and clearly as ever.  

In a way, the Open Centre is still happening, but homelessly, or rather very openly.

Here are bits of news from three different Open Centre projects:

Ellaya in Israel wrote that on the 11th of July: she, Rakefet (Sandhya), and Shira put on an
evening of storytelling and meditation for Open Dharma.  The evening was by donation, and they
raised “another leaf on the tree. It was a beautiful evening and we are thinking of doing
more of them when we all return from our travels.”

Benoit wrote from his awesome fund-raising bike yatra across western Europe:
The goal is still to go by bicycle from Leipzig, Germany, to Catalonia, Spain, for a total of 2500
km—still about 1000 km to go.  
And to raise 2500 Euros for the Open Centre.
“Until now, very generous donations totaling 2028 Euros (about $ CAN 3040, $US 2750) have
come in, from 13 different countries - and even from donors I do not know at all!  Really, some
warm and sincere thanks to everyone.  Every donation, be it a small handful of coins or a few days
of salary, are very much appreciated and are also giving me tremendous moral support for the road
yet to be made.
A few days ago, I met a group of French people going out to play ‘boule’ and, upon
learning the purpose of my trip, the father of the small family went back to his home to get me 1
Euro to give me 1 more kilometer!  And yesterday, a very kind waitress in a small restaurant where
I asked for water (and got Internet access as a bonus) made a donation of her tip of the day for
the Open Centre.”

From the US:
Another friend donated first singing performance of the summer at a small outdoor amphitheater
that has a large granite wall as a backdrop to the stage. She wrote how she loves that:
“the people who show up really want to listen to a little music.
I sang with a friend (a local musician and excellent guitarist) for about an hour and a half, and
mid-way through the evening my partner and I did five songs together.  We had so much fun.  I felt
so clearly a deepening....  I know that much of the joy of the performance came from the sense of
singing for the Open Centre.  So $100 plus three more performances will be making its way to Spain
at the end of the summer.”

Hope all is well with each of us.
With love,
Jaya

transparent  human
nature          being

http://www.opencentre.es

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