Home     Contact Us         Log in
Dec 21
Tuesday
Community Articles
Winter 2010: The Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo

The Shambhala Lineage

“The idea of lineage in the Shambhala teachings relates to one’s connection with primordial wisdom,” wrote the Druk Sakyong in Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior. “That wisdom is accessible and extremely simple, but also vast and profound.”

It is in this spirit that we invite you to take time to read through the following updates, from news of the Sakyong, Sakyong Wangmo – and Jetsun Drukmo, an update on developments in the sphere of Practice and Education, to the live links describing the latest innovations in creating online community.

The Year of Retreat: the final phase
In late October the Sakyong, Sakyong Wangmo and Jetsun Drukmo journeyed from Halifax to their home in Boulder. Within their first week, the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo presided over a gathering of more than 300 at Marpa House to formally introduce Jetsun Drukmo to the front range community. Marv Ross took this picture of the family at that time. A photo with Jetsun Drukmo facing the camera appears later in this update: The mother lineage: three generations.

The Sakyong has also conducted a number of pujas: a long-life puja on 17-18 November and a Vajrakilaya puja on 20-21 November. Attendees for both pujas were the Sakyong, Sakyong Wangmo, Lama Pegyal, Gyurme Dorje, and, at times, Lady Kunchok and various leaders of the Shambhala Community. In mid-December the Sakyong Wangmo and Jestun Drukmo will visit her family in New York.

The Sakyong has now travelled to Rigon Tashi Choeling, His Eminence Namkha Drimed’s monastery in Nepal, where he will be in deep retreat until late February. The Sakyong Wangmo and Jetsun Drukmo will remain in residence in Boulder.

Letter of the Morning Sun
During this year of retreat, the Sakyong has been contemplating the future of Shambhala and the impact we can have on the world. He has written an open-hearted letter to all of us, sharing his contemplation with us, and inviting each of us to share ours with him.

The link to his Letter of the Morning Sun is at the end of this message. Translations into Spanish, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Swedish, Greek, Polish, Ukrainian, Farsi, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), and Czech are posted on that site.

The Sakyong has made it clear that the vision he sets forth in his letter — and the questions he raises — are pivotal to our future. His hope is that all members of Shambhala will feel inspired to mark the beginning of this next period in the life of our mandala, and take time to contemplate and respond to his message individually and collectively.

There will be opportunities to gather at your local centre or group to hear a reading of the letter and contemplate it as a community. Everyone is being sent a personal online link to be able to respond early in January.

Please visit this site for the letter: http://www.shambhala.org/community/loms.php

The Sakyong Wangmo
The Sakyong Wangmo has been in Halifax and Boulder with the Sakyong and Jestun Drukmo. She sent a greeting to the mandala for Children’s Day which was played at gatherings in many centres. For the link to her greeting please click here: http://shambhalatimes.org/2010/12/20/a-childrens-day-greeting-from-the-sakyong-wangmo/

Preparing for an expanding family
Following the birth of Princess Jetsun Drukmo, and their aspirations for the future of their family, the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo have reviewed all the arrangements for their family life. This has included changes to be made to the court in Halifax, their residence in Boulder and the accommodation that is provided for the family at all our major land centres. The Sakyong has said that the current upgrade of the international court in Halifax and the seat in Boulder for the United States will allow both him and Sakyong Wangmo to put forth “their intention of creating a further basis for Shambhala household culture and their joy in sharing this with the worldwide community.”

Namgyal Potrang, the court in Halifax, is having an addition built to provide future accommodation for their children as well as an indoor work space for the many volunteers and staff who serve at the court. Work began on the addition in mid-December and is expected to last until early summer. The cost of this will be completely met through the generosity of a number of donors who made and and will make substantial gifts to Shambhala, which owns the court.

In Boulder, the realtor who originally served the Druk Sakyong in the 1970s generously offered to assist the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo to identify a possible new location for their residence in the Boulder area. A new property has been acquired, and the financing made possible by a small number of patrons who came forward to support the family in this way. The Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo have said they are excited because the new court better positions them to support the front range communities and be a stronger seat for the United States as a whole, while staying within the city limits of Boulder.

The Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo have thought through their future needs in Europe and are clear that the seat of the royal family in Europe will remain in Cologne. The Sakyong wishes to see improvements made to the Tenno Room in the Kalapa Centre in Cologne. With regard to their residence in Cologne, they have decided that the most helpful and prudent thing to do at this time would be to sell it, and explore other residential possibilities for the future. There are several reasons for taking this decision, partly in view of the need for greater financial stability at the present time, and partly in view of their wish to expand the family seat in Cologne in the coming years.

The Sakyong is looking at how these courts, in addition to accommodating the expanding family, can also host the members of our community, leaders of the three pillars and the distinguished leaders in politics, business and education who have begun to partner with the Sakyong in taking Shambhala wisdom into the world at large.

In view of the fact that members of Shambhala have asked questions from time to time about the cost of the royal courts of the mandala, the Sakyong is delighted that it has been possible to make these new arrangements – and to raise whatever further funds are needed to complete the work and furnishing of the courts – by relying on donations from individuals who wish to connect with this inner energy of the mandala, without additional cost to the international Shambhala budget.

New continuity Kusung; retirement of Christoph Schoenherr and Blessie Selvig
Christoph Schoenherr has retired after more than two years of dedicated service as the Sakyong’s Continuity Kusung. He has been succeeded by Greg Wolk, who returned to service after several years in legal practice. Blessie Selvig, who so ably aided the Sakyong Wangmo during her pregnancy and Jestun Drukmo’s birth, has returned to her home in Chicago. In farewells for both Greg and Blessie, the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo expressed tremendous appreciation for their exemplary commitment.

From: The Kalapa Council

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 »