Home     Contact Us         Log in

Community Articles - Category Archive

Mar 21
Thursday

Gratitude for Human Resource

Filed under Community Articles, Editorial Staff

An Excerpt from the March 2024 Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective Newsletter

by Irene Woodard

There is a group of us in the Collective studying Joanna Macy’s Active Hope. And the start of her spiral is gratitude.

And so this is coming from that place, where someone has been so important to the Collective, that it needs a display of gratitude that goes beyond the customary or even special thanks.

I am speaking of the human resource, named Richard Peisinger.

Richard said yes when asked to be on the inaugural Steering Committee of the Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective. So, in October 2018 he was one of the Co-Founders of the Collective.

He quickly established himself as our facilitator of the weekly meetings. In order to get the idea of the Collective off the ground, or grounded so to speak, we met weekly and 5 plus years down the road we have continued to meet 3 of 4 weeks a month. He created the agendas and led the meetings.

He was instrumental in creating the Mission Vision and Values Statement the Collective has etched in its inner and outer expressions. He insisted we have a pin, and so we do. He provided a sounding board for editing the Newsletter. He kept a steady beat of the drum of discipline reminding us of prior commitments, budgets, and building membership. He maintained lists.

But most of all, for me anyway, he became my friend. He was sturdy to my wispy dreamy…

He was an ear that was always there. And through time, I softened to his bristle, and appreciated his deep voice…and what I slowly recognized as an important voice.

The Collective must appreciate this human resource. Richard Peisinger. He served on the Steering Committee for 5 and a half years, and is now stepping away from the post. The Collective is surely what it is today due to his passion and exertion for the sacred earth…

All the thanks sent in were read out loud, on the Feb 17th Collective New Year Meeting.

This sonnet was written for the occasion…

On the Steering Committee for five years

You brought order to the environment

You lead our meetings with such precision

You helped create values, mission vision

The Newsletter cemented our friendship

Our minds let loose on our monthly zoom calls

Crack the whip on the hourly calls you ruled

And kept to sixty minutes, we were schooled

Smiling Dorje Dradul above your head

Your orders from Makkyi your daily bread

A voice so deep, may be scary to some

But there is a joke, you too can be fun!

Thank you Richard, you never let me down

Master of all agendas you wear the crown!

LOVE

Irene

***

To read the full March 2024 Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective Newsletter please click here.

Entries filed under Community Articles


Reborn in Tibet, part 4

Reborn in Tibet, part 4 – HIGHLIGHT

A Retrospective Memoir, Part 4 Lhasa 1986 by Lee Weingrad One day I decided to visit the Potala Palace, the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. At 11,000 feet it was an arduous climb up the 500 stairs from the village of Shol below. When I got to the ... continue
Posted May 22, 2013 by
Reborn in Tibet, part 3

Reborn in Tibet, part 3 – HIGHLIGHT

Vajrayogini in the sky, ©2013 Lee WeingradA Retrospective Memoir, Part 3 Lhasa 1986 by Lee Weingrad “It’s not a question of discovering who you are. It’s a question of discovering who you are not!” Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche 1984, Boulder It was a strange thing for me to think, “I know everything ... continue
Posted May 20, 2013 by
Not Just Nincompoops

Not Just Nincompoops – HIGHLIGHT

Thinking about Aging Column: Aging in Shambhala by Judy Lief I used to think that the spiritual path in some ways was just trying to get to the insights that come with aging faster. When you’re younger it’s so hard to get to that point of just relaxing a ... continue
Posted May 15, 2013 by
The Wisdom of Illness

The Wisdom of Illness – HIGHLIGHT

guest article by Gregory Lubkin, Los Angeles, CA When we feel basically healthy, many of us tend to take it for granted and experience the arrogance of well-being, as though we will always be healthy and essentially indestructible. Even if we have been ill or injured at ... continue
Posted May 4, 2013 by

Shambhala Center is open and closed

For most of us, the Shambhala Center will be completely closed from Saturday April 27 to Friday May 3rd!  There will be no sitting, no classes, no office hours, no groups, no meetings, no anything. But for a group of hardy meditators who have registered for the week-long ... continue
Posted April 22, 2013 by John David Smith
In Sickness and In Health

In Sickness and In Health – HIGHLIGHT

Caregiving for a Spouse Column: Aging in Shambhala personal reflections by David Whitehorn Hollywood movies used to end with two people gazing fondly into each other’s eyes and pledging to grow old together. It sounds wonderful, and it is. But growing old with a partner means there is a ... continue
Posted April 22, 2013 by
On the Map and On the Move

On the Map and On the Move – HIGHLIGHT

Judy Lief reading at the Boulder Shambhala CenterTracking the Resounding of the Profound Treasury by Carolyn Gimian It starts in Boulder. It is early April 2013. The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma, only Volume One mind you, is being read hour after hour for three days ... continue
Posted April 19, 2013 by
The Buddy System

The Buddy System – HIGHLIGHT

Where the peacock livesby Cynthia MacKay, Los Angeles It is often lamented that we are less likely to know our neighbors in a big city like Los Angeles. Yet sometimes we feel profoundly connected to these almost-strangers. Cynthia MacKay writes here about the loss of her neighbor ... continue
Posted April 15, 2013 by
Family Meditation

Family Meditation – HIGHLIGHT

Family Meditation – three generationsby Kerry and Kelly MacLean, mother-daughter duo It’s early in the morning; even the sun is still sleeping. Hector and Kerry peel themselves out of bed to wake up their five kids in time to get a brief meditation in before school. Kelly, ... continue
Posted March 30, 2013 by
Barefoot Walking

Barefoot Walking – HIGHLIGHT

Shambhala Times Interview with Shambhalians Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee about their new book: Barefoot Walking edited by Ani Dawa Chotso As the thousands of people who have fallen in love with barefoot running already know, shedding one’s shoes is good for the body and the soul. Barefoot Walking ... continue
Posted March 29, 2013 by
The Warriorship of Aging

The Warriorship of Aging – HIGHLIGHT

COLUMN: Aging in Enlightened Society How to Rule Your World Instead of Being a Victim Contemplations by Ann Cason “It feels solid, simple, and straightforward. Then, you also have a feeling of gentleness and openness, as though an exquisite flower has bloomed auspiciously in your life. In whatever action you ... continue
Posted March 27, 2013 by
From Enlightened Society to Detroit

From Enlightened Society to Detroit

article and photos by Jeff Fink He had very kind eyes. But his robe was the most distinctive feature of this Christian monk who took his seat next to me on this first leg of my journey home to Utah from Enlightened Society Assembly at Karme Choling. ... continue
Posted March 24, 2013 by
Cooking With The Moon

Cooking With The Moon – HIGHLIGHT

Kitchen Wisdom by Lisa Harris Random thought: “When I sit down to write something, I realize I am looking for answers. If that is true, what are the questions?” One of my favorite words is wisdom. It hasn’t been a very common word throughout my life, education, and career. ... continue
Posted March 24, 2013 by
Radical Friendliness

Radical Friendliness – HIGHLIGHT

Alicia Vogl Saenz is a museum educator at one of Los Angeles’ premiere art institutions. She shares a bit about how the Shambhala teachings inspired her to create a culture of “Radical Friendliness” at the musuem. A few years ago, my supervisor and I were planning ... continue
Posted March 13, 2013 by
Pleasure in Precision

Pleasure in Precision – HIGHLIGHT

COLUMN: In Everyday Life In a recent skype interview, the Shambhala Times enjoyed the occasion to interview Mr. John Darby, a long-time Shambhala student, and woodworker since the early 1970s. John lives with his wife, Shastri Andrea Darby and family in Western Massachusetts. We asked him about ... continue
Posted March 6, 2013 by

RSS feed for the Community Articles category

View all posts from authors in Community Articles: Jillian_Johnson Shambhala_Times



Website Development by Blue Mandala using Wordpress MU.
All content and source Copyright © 1994-2024. Shambhala International (Vajradhatu), Shambhala, Shambhala Meditation Center, Shambhala Training, Shambhala Center and Way of Shambhala are registered service marks of Shambhala USA
Privacy Policy
Translate »