About Dharma Ocean Europe
"Obviously there's something going on with this lineage and this group of people in Europe that is new, it really is new in my experience!"
Reggie Ray, 2019
When Reggie Ray and Caroline Pohl came to Europe for the first retreat in 2016, their teachings landed on fruitful ground. Supported by the Online Courses from the Dharma Ocean Foundation and ongoing visits from Reggie and Caroline, the European Sangha grew quickly and developed a deep sense of community and commitment.
In 2019, we started to plan a retreat that for the first time was completely organized by volunteers from the European Sangha. To facilitate this event, a charitable association was founded in Germany, named “Dharma Ocean AGS e.V.” (AGS stands for Austria, Germany and Switzerland). Initially, we were mainly focused on the needs of German speaking practitioners, but after the eruptions that finally led to the dissolving of the Dharma Ocean Foundation, we decided to stretch out and do our best to support the whole European Sangha and help the teachings of the Dharma Ocean lineage to unfold in the most authentic way.
We are aware and we deeply respect that the latest developments regarding the Dharma Ocean Foundation and Reggie Ray, have evoked cascades of conflicting emotions in most of us, sometimes leading to entrenched positions and discussions that only focused on black-and-white perspectives.
We are not here to judge or open a new discussion panel. Yet we are willing to stay open for diverging views. One idea is to publish blog articles from Dharma Ocean practitioners on this website, where they can share their experiences with the situation. This way, different voices can be heard and might help us to find our own view.
But what really calls us is to water the seeds that had been laid out and help them spread throughout Europe. We feel that there is a great need in our modern societies for meditation techniques that help us to connect with our Soma and the primordial wisdom that can be found here. Of course we envision a future where Caroline and Reggie are coming back to Europe to continue their teaching. Yet, however the lineage unfolds, we will try to support it.
The organizational structures around Dharma Ocean Europe are quite new and still in a process of development. Transparency, authenticity and personal agency are principles that may serve as our basic guidelines. Additionally we feel drawn to implement Sociocracy and NVC as our organizational model.
Is this landing with you? If you feel an inspiration to join Dharma Ocean Europe and become an active member of the organization, just reach out to info@dharmaocean-europe.org