Friday

Shambhala Day Networked

Karme Choling Shambhala Day, photo by Anne-Marie Keppel

What was YOUR Shambhala Day story? Login to the Shambhala Times, and share your story! You can leave a comment below this article for others to see. And enjoy the following expressions of our international celebration of Shambhala Day!

From Waylon Lewis at elephant journal:
Every year since I was a child, New Year’s Eve was special, but little more than a lead up to Shambhala Day, when my American Buddhist community gathered, pulled our “Sunday best” out of storage, meditated, chanted, burned damp juniper in a sort of purification blessing and drala-magnetizing ritual, danced in a full-on fancy British-style Ball, listened to an international Dharma address by our guru (with funny commentary preceding by our own resident comedian, Marty Janowitz), attended brunches at households all over whatever town I happened to live in…it was a full, special, helpful week of celebrations.

But the 10 or so days preceding, we’d do very little. Stick close to home. Practice meditation, chant sacred reminders about wakefulness. We’d avoid travel, big decisions, business moves — the week or so directly before the Eastern New Year is considered a time for contemplation and cleaning up the accumulated karmic dust bunnies from the year before.
(Click here to read more from his thorough New Years post)

From David Nichtern, senior Shambhala teacher we have (from a post on Facebook):
We are entering the Year of the Water Dragon – a powerful but graceful image of transformation – positive energy and opportunity, but we may need modesty and restraint as a counterbalance. To all of our virtual friends out there – wishing you a happy, safe, healthy and peaceful New Year!

Photos stream in from all over the wide Shambhala world…

And ringing in the new y(ears), Acharya Michael Greenleaf shares the following sampling of comments he’s received recently and over the years:

“Where have you been, in La La land?” My friend Donna marveling at my fatigue with the stress of daily scheduling and meal preparation in a house with a teenager.

“It doesn’t read like something from someone who writes for a living.” My friend Sal after previewing a blog post (that never got posted).

“I live here too you know!” My wife, asking me why my trousers were on the chair in the bedroom when I already had on a pair.

“I’m sure you’re really busy.” A meditation student who asked me to call him. (I haven’t yet.)

“You forgot something.” My granddaughter referring to a trip I took to the bathroom.

“That sounds neurotic.” A student commenting on my livelihood strategy of taking work that scared me.

“Meditation is very important.” Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, the first time I met him (when I was 17).

“First the glucose burns up, then the fat.” My friend Arthur, as I tried to keep up with him in a recent ice skate around Harvey’s Lake.

“I thought Buddhism was about beyond hope and fear.” My friend Sal responding to some thoughts I had about regret and redemption.

“There is still time!” Two staff members at the residential meditation center Karme Choling (separately) after I said I thought I would make it to Shambhala Day, the lunar New Year.

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What are YOUR stories? We want to see them!