Friday

Warrior Assembly

Karmê Chöling October 2023

by Eric Zechman

The third Warrior Assembly of the year brought more than 50 people to Karmê Chöling, situated deep in the Green mountains of Northern Vermont, on the traditional territory of the Abenaki people. It was late October and the weather was unseasonably warm with no frost in sight, a sign of the changing climate that was also evident in the persistent patches of gold and crimson foliage on the surrounding hills and the greenery and flowers still blooming in the garden.

When the participants and staff began arriving, Karmê Chöling’s already vibrant community came to life with warrior energy. For many of the staff and participants, this was the first in-person retreat they had attended in several years. It was a timely reminder of the power of coming together as a community to study and practice the dharma, and in particular, the magic that arises when we engage with the advanced Shambhala teachings on Ashe, drala, and creating enlightened society.

For nine days, Karmê Chöling sparkled with Shambhala practice and community. Silent mornings of practice and teaching led into a daily contemplative one-bowl lunch. Dinners were occasions for lively conversation and opportunities to get to know fellow warriors from across North America. All of the delicious and bountiful meals featured flavorful produce from Karmê Chöling’s organic garden. Highlights of the program included the inspired teachings and transmissions from Directors Agness Au and Daniel Naistadt, morning movement in the Pavilion each day at sunrise, an organic garden tour, contemplative arts—including a Bugaku presentation, and a moonlight procession and lhasang under the stars, accompanied by the haunting melody of a Japanese flute. All this richness was graced with the auspicious coincidence of the 47^th anniversary of the birth of the Ashe, received by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche on October 25, 1976.

The Assembly was also a deep dive into our evolving Shambhala culture and an opportunity to practice old and new forms: the sounds of the conch and gong calling people to practice, the brilliant wakefulness of kado, the strength of protector practice to support the stability of the teaching situation, and a newly flourishing awareness of how each of us can be better stewards of the planet we call home, led by the Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective.

In all, the October Warrior Assembly was an opportunity to experience the wealth of Shambhala through a combination of profound teachings and practices, first-hand encounters with the energy of drala, and the example of an enlightened society rooted in fundamental goodness and wakefulness.