Home     Contact Us         Log in
May 17
Monday
Mandala Projects, Sakyong and Family
Connecting with the Sakyong through Patronage
The Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, in the inner quarters of Surmang Dutsi-til, during his 2005 visit.

The Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, in the inner quarters of Surmang Dutsi-til, during his 2005 visit.

Lodro Rinzler shares with the Shambhala Times the outstanding success in funding Sakyong Mipham’s period of deep retreat for forty days during May and early June. Due to the incredible generosity of the sangha, the deep retreat calendar filled in just 30 hours! Shambhalians still have the opportunity to become patrons of the retreat. The names of patrons will be read aloud at the conclusion of the deep retreat, and the Sakyong will include these names in his ceremonies and do blessings for these patrons.

By Lodro Rinzler

When I first heard that the Sakyong had reached Asia to begin his period of deep retreat I, for one, felt a longing to connect with his mind. I began to practice a great deal more than I had in previous months and threw myself into my work. As the Development Officer for Shambhala I began to ponder how best to make this period of seclusion of our teacher readily accessible to our sangha.

We had significant expenses that had to be raised for to support the Sakyong’s time in Asia. This particular phase of the Sakyong’s retreat lasts for approximately 40 days. The Sakyong is traveling with two continuity kusung, a machen, a chopen and usually one other monk, lama, or khenpo to aide him in his practices. Food and household expenses for this party of six people comes to approximately $90 per day. The gift to the monastery for the sponsorship of the entire period in Pharping is $10,000, or $250 per day. We also have significant airfare to cover: all told between travel to and within Asia for the six people that averaged out to $450 per day. It adds up to an average of $750 a day.

Rigon Tashi Choeling Monastery in Pharping, Nepal

Rigon Tashi Choeling Monastery in Pharping, Nepal

I was a bit concerned; that’s a lot of money to raise. While the cost seems high, I had faith that this particular period of deep meditation the Sakyong is engaging is going to prove to be a pivotal moment in our history. I recall that the Vidyadhara went into deep retreat in 1984 in Charlemont, Massachusetts. Out of that period of time so many brilliant manifestations of Shambhala came forth: our pins, banners, and a structure to Shambhala Training. I have no idea what will come from the current Sakyong’s year of retreat but am confident that whatever it will be, it will be big.

Through discussions with other individuals working on the Our Future campaign, it became evident that the best way to allow people to make a connection with this crucial moment in our history would be to invite them to become individual patrons of the Sakyong’s practice. A calendar was designed and a letter prepared. I did not know how much success we would have; looking at those 40 days of the calendar sitting there empty was intimidating to say the least.

On Thursday, May 6th, a letter went out from President Reoch and the Sakyong’s Chief of Staff, Josh Silberstein. They invited everyone in Shambhala to become a patron of the Sakyong’s time at Rigon Tashi Choeling monastery in Pharping, Nepal.

Excerpt from Letter from Richard Reoch and Josh Sliberstein:

The Sakyong has been in Pharping since early April and has spent much of the time in secluded retreat. He has now entered the Gesar Drupchen phase of his practice.

It is traditional to make a personal offering towards such a retreat, both as a way of sustaining the overall costs of the retreat and also as a way of deepening our personal connection with the lineage holder, who is for many of us our root guru.

The Sakyong has been very clear with us about his wish that we do our best to connect with him also through our practice. At the conclusion of the Tenshuk ceremony in November, he said:

“I will have everyone in my heart during this practice year. While I am on retreat, if I have one request, it is that at least one session a week you dedicate to me – if I may be so bold – once a week we can commune. In the fourth time there is no difference and therefore all of us at some point will be on retreat. It is said that if one has the right aspiration, one gains the benefit of the practice of the guru and there will be an enhancing of our own practice. That will be a moment when we are joined.”

If you would like to make an offering at this point in his retreat, it would be in the form of taking on the role of patron for part or all of one of the days from now through to the middle of June, when the Sakyong will conclude this phase of the retreat. In accord with traditional ritual, the names of the patrons will be read out daily.

I saw the letter arrive in my inbox and waited in anticipation. A few minutes later a sangha member from Spain made a donation to cover a quarter of a day of the Sakyong’s retreat. A few minutes later another member from Washington D.C. sponsored a half a day. A graduate student in Los Angeles offered to become a patron for another quarter day.

I loaded those donations onto our retreat calendar, wrote personal thank you notes to those three individuals, and took my dog for a walk. When I returned ten minutes later my inbox was flooded with a dozen more people signing up to sponsor the Sakyong in retreat. They were making incredibly generous donations, often in honor of sick family members, wedding announcements, or just friends going through a rough time.

Within 30 hours of the retreat calendar going live, every single day of the Sakyong’s deep retreat was covered by one or more patrons. I was blown away. The level of generosity did not stop there. People continued to give, becoming a general patron of the Sakyong’s year in retreat.

More than $40,000 has been raised since May 6th to sponsor the Sakyong’s practice. Donations continue to come in every day. The outpouring of generosity has been absolutely inspiring. I can only imagine the surprise and delight on the Sakyong’s face when he is handed the list of all the one hundred plus patrons who, when given the opportunity, immediately stepped forward and said, “Yes. I long to connect with you. This is important to me and to our community. Thank you for practicing on behalf of us all.”

We are going to try to create more opportunities like this during the rest of this amazing year of retreat, and will be sharing that with everyone in Shambhala.

Read more about the Our Future campaign and its budget.

View a summary of the Our Future tour by Lodro Rinzler and Josh Silberstein.

Learn more about becoming a patron of the Sakyong’s retreat.

Post Tags:

Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.



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 »