Community Articles - 2021-01-12 - comment
Virtual Cushion in January: featuring Jeff Scott
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
By Camren Von Davis
Welcome back to Virtual Cushion – a space for open meditation sessions and meditation ... continue
Book review by Christine Heming
As an activist, Buddhist scholar, general systems thinker and deep ecologist, Joanna Macy’s work is far-reaching. Many know her for creating “The Work That Reconnects” and “The Great Turning,” and with her husband Fran, a real-world vision of nuclear guardianship. A Wild Love for the World is a collective tribute, indeed a celebration of the life and work of Joanna Macy. It may surprise the reader to know the full range and depth of her contributions to humanity. It will also lift your spirits. As David Abram writes in the Forward:
Such a magical creature is Joanna Macy. . . . how is it possible that a single human life can have touched and transformed so many others, in so many different places. Yet this is hardly a mystery. By offering herself so unconditionally to each locale and situation wherein she finds herself, Joanna’s life radiates out to touch and enliven every cell within our larger, spherical Body. By giving herself with such abandon to the very presence of the present moment, Joanna’s tears and her joy – like those of any genuine bodhisattva – reverberate backward and forward through time to nourish all moments within the broad life of the breathing Earth.
Stephanie Kaza has skillfully edited a wide range of voices (40 in fact) from every continent and over a dozen countries, and shared their stories of the wide-ranging impact Joanna Macy has had on their lives and their work. Arranged into five themes meant to more fully convey her broad legacy, this book leads us through the work for our time.
The first theme, “Our Planet, Our Self,” centers on Joanna Macy’s unshakeable love for the Earth and her sense of connection with all of life, which she refers to as the “ecological self.” Within this section, there’s an excellent chapter by Donald Rothberg who writes about her connection to socially engaged Buddhism and the impact of her powerful group practices. Rothberg writes:
At the heart of Joanna’s work, and perhaps her most important contribution to socially engaged Buddhism practice, is the development of powerful group practices such as the Truth Mandala, the Council of All Beings, and the deep time practices with ancestors and future beings. Continue…
From the Editorial Team— Many resources have been shared by the Shambhala leadership and Community members to help us all through this moment of isolation and uncertainty. Your editorial team has gathered them together here so that this page can be a resource for everyone. We will continue to update this page with resources as […]continue
Dear Shambhala Community —
We, as the Board of Directors of Shambhala, are pleased to ratify and introduce to the Shambhala Community the new Code of Conduct consisting of the following documents:
Shambhala Code of Conduct
Child Protection Policy
Policy for People Holding Positions of Authority
Policy to Address Sexual Misconduct
Policy on Diversity, Inclusivity and Anti-Discrimination
Together, these five policies comprise the new Shambhala Code of Conduct, known as “the Code.”
Access the new Code of Conduct:
Click Here to Access a PDF of all five Policies
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Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
By Camren Von Davis
Welcome back to Virtual Cushion – a space for open meditation sessions and meditation ... continue
Photo by Justin Dream on Unsplash
by Shelly Webb
When I started my recovery process over five years ago, I would tell a ... continue
Dear Collective’s members and friends,
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ address on “The State of the Planet” from early December at Columbia University ... continue
Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash
By “Jackie Writing Jackie”
Meditation and mindfulness are vital practices embraced by Buddhists, owing to their ability ... continue
By Richard Reoch
“We are now at the fork of this road. We now have an ultimatum or an alternative,” warns Albert ... continue
Photo Credit Dan Horak
This week’s Featured Centres: Prague, Czech Republic + Sky Lake Lodge
View the full Virtual Cushion calendar for December here. ... continue
The world is filled with power and wisdom, we’ve just forgotten how to see and feel it.
By Halleluiah Strongheart
With all of ... continue
Wild Rice Stuffing and Children’s Day
By Irene Woodard
There are certain things that happen this time of year… A big family gathering ... continue