Jul 02
Monday
Community Care
On March 19, the Kalapa Council — the governing body of the Shambhala international community — announced a new effort to address issues of past harm in our community, and to refine and bolster existing policies and procedures to create safer environments for our members and program participants.
The intention of this effort is to:
- Create safe spaces to listen to those who have experienced harm and who have not felt heard by Shambhala leadership in the past.
- Create new strategies, policies, and procedures for working with sexual misconduct based these conversations, with input from the community and guidance from third-party organizations.
- Reach out to individuals who have shared serious allegations of past abuses and, if possible, work together to determine a path forward with investigating these claims. Such an investigation could include oversight or direct services from a third-party expert.
- Create mandatory training for all leaders including the Kalapa Council, European Council, Guides, Meditation Instructors, Teachers, Center Directors and other office holders.
- Create support and training programs for regional and local leaders throughout our global community.
- Create spaces for our community to heal by sharing personal experiences and asking questions to leadership.
- Explore restorative and transformative justice methods.
The Kalapa Council will continue to communicate next steps in this process with Shambhala members via e-mail and on this webpage. Continue…
Author Archive
no responses - Posted 06.30.18
Rev. angel Kyodo williams: Why Your Liberation is Bound Up With Mine from “Meditation in the City,” the New York Shambhala Center podcast In the face of today’s political and social unrest, is it possible to create a wise, kind, and strong human society? Rev. angel Kyodo williams speaks ...continue
2 responses - Posted 06.28.18
Reflections on some feelings and mental habits that we all experience in our everyday lives. by Susan Firer A while back some topics came to mind: regret, comparison, and courage. I’m going to make an assumption that all of us are probably intimately familiar with the first two, ...continue
2 responses - Posted 06.24.18
Resolution from the Northern California Shambhala Board of Directors and leadership regarding the separation of children from their parents at the United States border. Family is sacred to Shambhala Buddhism. Family holds the wisdom of our ancestors, a wisdom that enriches us and that can be handed ...continue
7 responses - Posted 06.21.18
from the Kalapa Council and Shambhala Office of Social Engagement As a Shambhala community, we are watching with a sense of horror and despair as the government of the United States implements its policy of separating children from their parents at the Mexican border. As an international ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.20.18
Part Two of an interview with Shastri Donna Williams about embodying Earth energy KCL: It sounds like part of the process is traditional meditation. Donna: Right. KCL: But also walking outside, and doing these sensory awareness practices; it somehow reminds me of meditation, has similar qualities. Donna: Why does it ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.18.18
Part One of an interview with Shastri Donna Williams about embodying Earth energy Mike de Give, KCL: You’ve been working on developing future programs around embodying Earth energy. Can you tell me about your interest in this topic? Donna Williams: There are a couple of streams here. One ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.16.18
Compost and the changing seasons as a reminder that nothing stays the same by Cash Clay In a southwesterly corner of the Ziji Garden, beneath the soft shade of the old walnut tree, lie rows of decaying mounds of vegetable waste and decomposing grass. The stench of rotting ...continue
2 responses - Posted 06.14.18
Teachings on loving kindness and compassionate living by Larry Steele The Metta Sutta, the Buddha’s discourse on loving kindness, is a key teaching in the Pali Canon. It is chanted by Theravadan monks throughout the Asian southeast. During my recent visit to Myanmar, the social-activist monks Ashin Issariya and ...continue
2 responses - Posted 06.12.18
Another profile in a series exploring ways of expressing “right livelihood” by Andrea D’Asaro The Shambhala teachings are inspiring Seattle sangha members in their professional lives and as volunteers, where they offer their skills and time each month towards running our center. These members are making “right livelihood” ...continue
8 responses - Posted 06.10.18
Reflections upon the day of Sukhavati for Kunga Dawa by Acharya Marty Janowitz I find myself awake in the pre-dawn this morning suffused with thoughts and feelings about Kunga Dawa, Richard Arthure, the first Western devoted heart-son of Chögyam Trungpa, and now an almost unrecognized early bead in ...continue
1 response - Posted 06.08.18
Understanding immigration issues in our community by Rachel Hanson On Tuesday, May 29th, about fifteen members of the Shambhala Meditation Center of Denver (SMDC) gathered together for a panel on refugee issues in Colorado. The event was sponsored by the Denver Center’s Community Engagement Team, and featured speakers ...continue
1 response - Posted 06.06.18
Working with program participants attending via Zoom by Chris Montone I recently taught a complete Level IV Shambhala Training weekend to a woman in Idaho from my local Shambhala Center in Washington, DC. This was a new experience for me as a teacher and I believe it was a ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.04.18
The many meanings of formal membership in the Shambhala sangha by Rachel Hanson When I was asked to write about why I am a member of Shambhala, my first thought was “Why wouldn’t I be?” Unfortunately, that isn’t really an answer to the question. It turned out answering ...continue
3 responses - Posted 05.31.18
Lessons learned by listening to our elders by Anne-Marie Keppel Not all elderly are cascading fountains of wisdom. But simply because they are old and they see and do things differently than those of other ages, little life-altering gems often bubble up. New on the job as an Outings ...continue