Monday

Exploring all the expressions of our humanity

Acharya Arawana Hayashi led a group of 16 participants through levels 4 and 5 of dharma art in Washington D.C.  As a participant who had been through Dharma Art levels I, II, and III a number of times as participant, aide, and weekend coordinator I was very excited to get to the study and practice of the material and with this teacher.

The photos tell the story better than I can, so here’s the story of our week-end in images and a few words..

Acharya Hayashi brings our attention to space. On this white square we begin to arrange objects keeping Heaven - Earth - Human in harmony.

Objects placed by three participants. In groups of three participants selected objects from a large collection of interesting items brought to the program from home. We moved through the Buddha Families attempting to show the qualities associated with each.

Obstructed view.

Some stimulated interesting reactions. This one created an obstructed view which left some participants out and others in.

Groups of three participants moved around the room each working in turn with placing the Heaven-Earth-Human component of the arrangement.

Karma – We moved on to work with the shapes and colors associated with the Buddha Families.

Vajra

Ratna

Karma

“I had read about the energy of the five Buddha families and thought ‘Oh, I get that’, but it was not until I attended Shambhala Arts levels 4 and 5 that I did get it.  The experience of having to make an installation that expressed the vajra energy really made me comprehend it.  Also seeing how different the installations of the other families were was a great experience that really deepened my understanding.  I am always impressed by the brilliance of Chogyam Trungpa in teaching us how to grasp these ideas”.

– Zinnia

Padma

Buddha

The Buddha Family Environments/Installations

We ended the weekend with a grand compilation of all that we had learned and contemplated relating to the Buddha Familes, their energies both wisdom and neurotic and created installations that included food. This was our expression of the aspects of Dharma Art and our offering to each other as we created our reception and fed each other in spaces representative of each Buddha Family.

Vajra - Pacifying

Karen, Karen, Zinnia and Julia

Ratna - Enriching

Elisabeth, Judi, Jennifer, Brian

Padma - Magnetizing

Stella, Nicole, Helanna, and Jerry

Padma Feast - Zinnia magnetized by this installation

Acharya Hayashi samples offerings from all the energies

Larry, Robin, Lisa and Luther

And then the feast!  

We mingled, we ate, we experienced the energies of the four karmas and we enjoyed each other’s company after the week-end of study, practice and expression.

Pacifying food offerings

Delicious enriching foods

“Awareness practice is not just sitting meditation or meditation in action alone. It is a unique training in how to behave as an inspired human being. That is what is meant by being an artist”.  Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in “True Perception”

Thanks also to Antonio Aguilar for coordinating the weekend, and to Tom Semmes and Judi Bond for assiting Acharya Hayashi in the presentation of Dharma Art IV and V.

Photos  – Larry Fallon