Monday
Shambhala News ServiceThe Future in Our Hands
Message to the Shambhala Community from President Richard Reoch
Dear Friends throughout Shambhala,
“We have the future in our hands,” the Sakyong told gatherings throughout the mandala this summer. “Shambhala is the paradigm shift the world is waiting for.”
The future he talked to us about was the future of the human race and the future of our planet. “We need to prove that gentleness is the way to build enlightened society,” he said, “especially when the whole world is trying to convince us that aggression is the way.”
We hold this radiant vision in our hands, deeply intertwined with the future of our lineage and the future of our mandala. As the Sakyong Wangmo wrote to us recently: “It is up to the students to create the auspicious circumstances that enable the guru’s life to be secured for the benefit of the world and sentient beings.” For the full text of her message about the Tenshuk ceremony to secure the life of the Sakyong, please CLICK HERE.
It is all the more poignant to reflect on this on the eve of our beloved Sakyong going into his year of deep retreat–a vital and life-preserving necessity for him and for all of us in his sacred mandala.
Please take a moment to view and listen to the video message on the Sakyong Ladrang website from Richard Reoch.
In preparation for this decisive juncture in his life, he has created the Sakyong Ladrang, a legal structure that will preserve and protect the lineage succession, transmissions and properties. Together with the leadership of the Shambhala mandala as a whole, we are launching a major funding appeal to establish a far stronger ground for our lineage than we have ever had before.
Learn more by visiting the Sakyong Ladrang website: www.sakyongladrang.org
The Sakyong has been deeply touched by the tremendous generosity that so many people have offered to free the core of our mandala from operating debt, support local centres and fund the recent Shambhala Vision campaign. This summer many of us heard him say: “I no longer feel so alone.” Now is the time to devote our energies to the long-term strengthening of the lineage and mandala for the future, which is what this appeal is all about.
We feel there would be few gifts so dear to the Sakyong’s heart than for every single practitioner to make a direct, personal offering to him at this time.
To read more about our appeal, how the funds will be used to sustain and strengthen both our lineage and our mandala, and to find out how to make your offering, please CLICK HERE.
We are writing to you now, before the Tenshuk ceremony and the fourth Shambhala Congress in November in the hope that we can start making these offerings to him at that time. However, as our goal is high, we will continue the campaign throughout his year of retreat.
Whenever you make your offering, we will arrange for you to have online access to regular short reports and photos from the Sakyong’s retreat, prepared specially for us by Rinpoche’s kusung as a mark of our deep appreciation for your connection with him.
In gratitude for all you are doing,
Richard Reoch, President of Shambhala
Joshua D. Silberstein, Chief of Staff of the Sakyong Ladrang
Photo Credit: Sean Raggett
Oct 23, 2009
Reply
Thanks, Marc, for sharing these questions! There will be an interview with Suter Dubose of the Sakyong Ladrang on Monday, which addresses a number of these. At the bottom of that post, we’ll encourage readers to post any other questions they have.
Oct 14, 2009
Reply
Thanks, Richard and Josh. I’ve signed up as a contributor to the ladrang and sent encouraging words to my Shambhala friends. In response to my personal message of support I received some interesting questions; I wonder if it might not be helpful to have a discussion or a place for questions. (One correspondent attempted to contact Mr Dubose via the ladrang website but the email bounced back.)
Here are some of the questions I received: “How do these various fundraising efforts relate to each other, in particular what is the difference between contributing monthly to the ladrang and contributing to Shambhala? Is Shambhala no longer supporting the Sakyong with a stipend?”
And, “Do you have more specific information about is the Sakyong Ladrang? It’s description as ‘a legal structure that will preserve and protect the lineage succession, transmissions and properties,’ seems almost intentionally vague. I believe we might be told, especially since we’re being asked to support it so wholeheartedly, specifically what it will protect and how it accomplishes this. For example, how do you protect a ‘succession?’ This could easily be interpreted as some sort of legally enforceable dynastic structure.”