All entries filed under this archive
Who Was Yeshe Tsogyal? – HIGHLIGHT
By Holly Gayley Holly Gayley discusses the power of Padmasambhava’s foremost disciple and consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, and the life of one of her modern emanations. Yeshe Tsogyal is the preeminent lady of Tibetan Buddhism. While most—if not all—of what we know about her life is highly mythologized, she ... continuePosted May 17, 2023 by Jillian_Johnson
Climate & Karma – HIGHLIGHT
Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective By Paul T. Wegner What the teachings offer to overcome our environmental damage. People ask: What does it say in the Buddhist teachings about our actions and climate change? In the teachings of the Hinayana we are taught not to cause harm. The path ... continuePosted May 2, 2023 by Jillian_Johnson
Come Home to Karmê Chöling! – HIGHLIGHT
A conversation with Karmê Chöling Executive Director, Betsy Railla Written by Natasha West, Director of Communications, Shambhala Global Services Summer at Karmê Chöling Community has always been an important part of Shambhala culture. When the pandemic hit in 2020, leadership at Karmê Chöling in rural Vermont found a way to ... continuePosted June 10, 2022 by Natasha West
From a Mountain in Tibet – HIGHLIGHT
From a Mountain in Tibet: A Monk’s Journey Written by Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche Reviewed by Kristine McCutcheon On a dateless day in the time of COVID, a dear monastic friend dropped this book off at my door. “You will like it!” she smiled. As a student of ... continuePosted August 11, 2021 by Natasha West
Human Drala – HIGHLIGHT
“Rowga” COLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Russell Rodgers, Nelson, B.C. Sometimes one encounters people or places that cut through one’s habitual chain of thoughts. The Tibetan word for that is “drala”, which means “above the enemy”. In this case the enemy is our cocoon of gossipy thoughts that keeps us ... continuePosted December 18, 2018 by alexandra_kalinine
Queer Dharma: The Truth of Being Queer – HIGHLIGHT
Acharya Eve Rosenthal COLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Acharya Eve Rosenthal article courtesy of Shambhala Mountain Center What is queer dharma? There are people who are queer and there is dharma, but what is queer dharma? First of all, a person who is queer identifies as someone with a sexual orientation ... continuePosted November 15, 2018 by alexandra_kalinine
Conflict in Enlightened Society – HIGHLIGHT
cherry trees along the Charles River, by Shastri Jennifer Woodhull Cape Town, South Africa Among those of us committed to building an enlightened society, there is a widespread perception that our failure to “fix” the personal conflicts that arise in our communities somehow takes us in the opposite direction ... continuePosted November 8, 2018 by alexandra_kalinine
The Magic of Lhasang – HIGHLIGHT
Lhasang with the Sakyong, Sakyong Wangmo and His Eminence Namkha Drimed Rinpoche. COLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Acharya Daniel Hessey and Walker Blaine “When we do a lhasang to bring down the magic energy of enlightenment and drala, the smoke of the lhasang is said to purify those obstacles that ... continuePosted October 9, 2018 by alexandra_kalinine
Intention and Motivation – HIGHLIGHT
The second of two excerpts from An Ocean of Blessings, a book of teachings by Penor Rinpoche; this one emphasizes the practice of Dharma We already possess enlightened mind, buddha nature; it has been there from the very beginning, but we cannot see it because of our ... continuePosted January 4, 2018 by CGH
Applying the Teachings – HIGHLIGHT
The first of two excerpts from An Ocean of Blessings, a book of teachings by Penor Rinpoche; this one emphasizes putting the Dharma into practice The most important thing is to have faith and trust in the Buddha’s words. The Buddha’s teachings were not taught to deceive ... continuePosted December 5, 2017 by CGH
Karmapa Summer – HIGHLIGHT
My journey with the 17th Karmapa’s first Canada tour by Sora Wei The autumn chill is filling the air, and leaves are falling to the ground; the vivid red of the leaves reminds me of my journey traveling to see the Karmapa for the first time. The Karma ... continuePosted November 8, 2017 by CGH
Dharma of ‘The Princess Bride’ – HIGHLIGHT
An excerpt from a new book exploring the dharmic lessons of this favorite modern fairy tale by Ethan Nichtern “Some of my favorite teachers are philosophical masters. Deft, witty, and inconceivably ambidextrous with their material, they are the Dread Pirate Roberts of their given subject. Regardless of the ... continuePosted October 17, 2017 by CGH
The Field of Stillness – HIGHLIGHT
Photo courtesy of Jennifer HolderCOLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Roger Guest There are many ways to ground ourselves in presence. We might walk slowly and mindfully, meditate on the breath, focus on sensations within the body or place our attention on an object in the environment. Some might be ... continuePosted June 15, 2015 by Dan
Prometheus’ Chains: The Myth of Shenpa – HIGHLIGHT
PrometheusCOLUMN: Dharma Teachings article by Crystal Gandrud All myths evolve in the light of intelligence and imagination (also known as basic goodness). We conceive of what conceives us in an eternal wish to know where we came from and why. The stories we tell are powerful for one ... continuePosted June 3, 2015 by
The Dance of Fear – HIGHLIGHT
miksang image by Charles BlackhallCOLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Roger Guest To be a warrior means to live a life without pretense. In simple terms, this requires an intimacy with reality that leaves no room for self-deception. Once, while giving a talk to a group of about thirty people, I ... continuePosted May 15, 2015 by Dan