Wednesday

Reflections on the Kalapa Court

In response to the recent appeal for support for the Kalapa Court, a number of sangha members have offered their personal stories about their experiences of meeting the minds of the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo at the court. Each of these individuals have made a generous offering to the Kalapa Court and beautifully articulate what it is that inspired them to make this type of connection. To view the letter that led to these reflections, please click here .

“When I think of the Sakyong, I think of someone who has dedicated every moment of his life to helping people connect to their basic goodness. The way the Sakyong has given his life over so completely to the service of humanity is inspiring and humbling. A natural extension of that inspiration is the simple wish that he has whatever he needs to continue to manifest in this way. This includes his domestic situation, the Court.

“I consider supporting the Court a privilege. It is a way for me to practice generosity and to also more deeply connect with my feelings of appreciation for the Sakyong. I have benefited so greatly from his example and teachings. It is a wonderful way for me to express thanks and to rejoice that, in some small way, I am supporting a situation that will allow many others to benefit from his example and teachings.”

– Faradee Rudy

“I recently had the opportunity to visit the Kalapa Court in Boulder and I feel such joy that the Sakyong, Sakyong Wangmo, and Jetsun Drukmo have a home befitting their place in our hearts and world.

“For so many of us, our Shambhala Centers are the local wellsprings which keep fresh our connection to basic goodness, reinvigorate our practice, and allow us to spend time with dear friends. Our Centers allow the power of Shambhala vision to flow into our daily lives and from there to reach all those we are connected with.

“In the same way, the Court is the wellspring that nourishes all our Shambhala Centers and communities around the world. From the Court flows the inspiration of the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo, the teachings that guide us in our practice, and the blessings that bring the dralas down across our global mandala. More than that, the Court is the home of the Sakyong – the place where he can practice, write, host world leaders, and raise his family.

“In supporting the Court, we’re feeding the source of all this while making a direct personal connection to the enlightened activity of the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo. What an opportunity for us all.

“I personally feel extremely grateful to be able to contribute to the support of the Court. When I think about the flow of energy in my life, opportunities to connect to pure expressions of sanity and brilliance are extremely rare. This is even truer when it comes to material resources. So it brings me great delight to think that for an hour or two or even just fifteen minutes each month, the time I spend working hard in my job is actually going directly towards fueling greater love in the world.

“By giving to the Court, I’m able to help raise windhorse across our entire mandala and earth, revealing the truth of basic goodness to a world that greatly needs it. That’s a gift worth giving.”

– Robert Reichner

Why I Offer…

I offer knowing that giver and receiver are one…
Having recently departed from the Buddha field of Karme Choling
And reentered the darkest of the dark age,
The piercing light of the Kingdom shines brighter than ever.
With clarity and vision,
A beacon of truth and hope amidst so much suffering and confusion.
I give because I am inspired.
I give because I am Mukpo.
I give because I recognize the power and potency of our lineage and our royal family
To radiate warmth outshining the sun and the moon.
Providing an alternative to our habitual mind,
Embodying basic goodness, inherent wisdom and compassion.
Each morning I arise inspired to be a Mukpo,
Remembering how blessed I am to have such a fortunate birth
In the Kingdom of Shambhala.
The more I open my heart and offer in body, speech and mind.
The more I feel His Majesty’s heart and clear wisdom
Pulsing in my veins,
Quivering throughout my being,
And effortlessly guiding me.
Unlocking my potential
To offer to this world in limitless ways, until the end of time.
Driven by the truth
That the impossible is possible
And that together we can change the world.
With warm smiles and open hearts,
Genuine caring and fearless proclamation.
Daring to believe that our nature is love,
Our nature is basic goodness.
May our blessed teacher and his retinue
Carry forth the sword of wisdom and compassion.
Fueled by our love and confidence
That the impossible is possible.

Kunga Ziji (Brian Duncan)
April 24, 2011

“I recently paid my taxes to the U.S. government and then on the same day wrote a check to the Kalapa Court. It made me smile to support the Sakyong in creating enlightened society. It seemed like a good idea to consciously support the vision of the world of sanity, aspiration and inspiration as well as the government we are born into as U.S. citizens. I support the court because the Sakyong protects the earth, and my ongoing contribution is a connection to this important work – it is a touchstone.”

– Karen Wilding

“My experience of the Kalapa Court is always one of love and devotion and also one of generosity. You might think I mean my generosity as a practice in serving in the Court, but I am actually referring to the love and devotion and generosity expressed by the Sakyong and the Sakyong Wangmo. If I had the good fortune to be serving in the Court or driving the Sakyong, at some point his question would be, ‘How are people doing?’ or ‘What did they serve for dinner for participants?’ I recall that once during a Sun Camp (a camp for 10-16 year olds) it was going to be a cold night – he wanted to make sure the children would be warm enough.

“I feel tremendously fortunate every time I am able to visit or work in the Kalapa Court. For someone who lives far away from the center of our mandala, I do not have that opportunity as much as others who might live in Halifax or Boulder, so the opportunity for me is even more precious. Yet, every time I do enter that world there is always a sense of tremendous magic.

“In the words of my husband (Will Ryken) there is the realization that the richness of our world flows out and through us continuously from the seat of Court. There can be no greater adventure in this sacred world than that of supporting and serving our Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo. The royal seat at the center of our mandala is the wish-fulfilling jewel that fills our hearts with sadness and joy, cutting through our arrogance and aggression and exposing these gentle, fearless, warrior hearts. May our generosity keep us inseparable.”

– Paula Bickford

Photos from the Sakyong’s new court in Boulder, courtesy of Julie DuBose.