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Author: alexvangils

Number of entries: 156
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://shambhalanetwork.org/members/alexvangils

May 19
Wednesday

A Tale of Impermanence

Filed underCommunity Articles

shambhala los angeles closedby Debra Dysart, Los Angeles Shambhala

One thing the global pandemic taught us was that plans change. What you may have thought you’d be doing in 2020 likely didn’t happen. Last March, I remember being at a chorus rehearsal with 50 fellow singers preparing for a pair of concerts we were getting ready to perform in April when the very next day we got the word that future rehearsals were cancelled immediately. We learned singing in a group was one of the fastest ways to spread COVID-19 and was a dangerous activity. Likewise gathering in a shrine room, sitting side-by-side, doing the morning chants then putting our attention on our breath was no longer safe. Shambhala Los Angeles closed the doors of its three locations and moved its public meditation sessions online. Eventually, as it became clear the pandemic was not soon going away, we began offering classes and full weekend programs online, joining every other Shambhala Center in quickly getting up to speed on Zoom.

When we closed our doors last March here in Los Angeles, none of us envisioned it would be for the last time. One by one we have packed up and moved out of the three spaces we were leasing, each with their own unique characters created by local community members who lovingly cared for them over the years. Continue…

Author Archive


THE REALM OF SHAMBHALA by Shar Khentrul Jampel Lodrö
THE REALM OF SHAMBHALA by Shar Khentrul Jampel Lodrö – HIGHLIGHT
no responses - Posted 05.11.21
Review and Brief Commentary by Christine Heming Shambhala is . . . the ultimate manifestation of peace and harmony. It is the realization … of those two qualities and the revelation of their capacity. Like the sun hidden behind clouds, every so often we can get a ...continue
THE REALM OF SHAMBHALA (Part Two)
THE REALM OF SHAMBHALA (Part Two)
no responses - Posted 05.11.21
Review and Brief Commentary by Christine Heming Part 2: The realm of Shambhala and the Kalachakra Tantra The Historical Shambhala What of Shambhala the realm? Does it exist? Khentrul Rinpoche addresses these questions in part to point out that “the key to manifesting Shambhala is recognizing that it is ...continue
Touching the Earth Collective: May Newsletter
Touching the Earth Collective: May Newsletter – HIGHLIGHT
no responses - Posted 05.07.21
Mind Blindness By John Rockwell A while back, I read an article about “plant blindness.” When shown a picture that shows a pair of elephants in a clearing and asked what they see, virtually everyone says, “Two elephants.” Even when the question is repeated, “What do you see?” ...continue
Introducing Shambhala Community Conversations
Introducing Shambhala Community Conversations – HIGHLIGHT
3 responses - Posted 04.29.21
  If there is an “it,” we are it. -Shambhala Community Conversations participant This year, a growing team of Shambhalians has hosted more than 30 Shambhala Community Conversations: group discussions on key topics in our community that are open and welcoming to all. More than 350 community members worldwide ...continue
Make a Loud Noise for Democracy
Make a Loud Noise for Democracy – HIGHLIGHT
no responses - Posted 04.21.21
Burmese Buddhist Monk Min Thu Nya, or “King Zero” is among the most outspoken pro-democracy activists in Myanmar. Since February 1, when an armed military coup overthrew Myanmar’s nascent democracy, King Zero’s real-time Facebook posts have roused the courage of all Myanmar people, urging them to ...continue
Honoring Earth Day 2021 in Shambhala
Honoring Earth Day 2021 in Shambhala – HIGHLIGHT
no responses - Posted 04.20.21
Irene and Jocabed at UN COP25 By Irene Woodard In December 2020, who knew a year later we would be in the Covid Pandemic. I was attending the UN COP25 in Madrid representing GreenFaith, as chair of the the Board of Directors of this 28 year old interfaith environmental ...continue
Touching the Earth Collective: April 2021
Touching the Earth Collective: April 2021 – HIGHLIGHT
1 response - Posted 04.06.21
April 2021 Newsletter Persisting on the Dark Mountain An interview with Nick Hunt and Charlotte Du Cann, by Greg Webster Back in the late 2000s two young writers, Paul Kingsnorth and Dougald Hine, emerging from environmental activism in the UK, were troubled by the direction of travel they saw ...continue
Parinirvana Day 2021
Parinirvana Day 2021 – HIGHLIGHT
4 responses - Posted 03.25.21
Events, Resources & Offerings   The Parinirvana, or passing, of the Vidyadhara, Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche is commemorated on April 4 each year. It is a day for the Shambhala sangha to gather together to celebrate the life and teachings of the Vidyadhara. This year, Lady Diana Mukpo will host ...continue
Some Ways to Use Music In Your Meditation
Some Ways to Use Music In Your Meditation – HIGHLIGHT
no responses - Posted 03.24.21
By “Jackie Writing Jackie” Meditation practice and music are naturally intertwined. The natural rhythm and tones of music can help you to channel your mind, regulate your breathing patterns and move your consciousness inwards, away from worries and troubles. Studies have shown that music helps you to focus and concentrate on ...continue
Yasodhara and the Buddha: a novel by Vanessa R. Sasson
Yasodhara and the Buddha: a novel by Vanessa R. Sasson – HIGHLIGHT
1 response - Posted 03.15.21
Reviewed by Christine Heming This is the story of Yasodhara, the woman who was married to the one who became the Buddha. . . . After countless lifetimes of shared experiences, he abandoned her without even saying goodbye. . . on the very day she gave birth! Vanessa ...continue
Happy Birthday, Taggie Mukpo!
Happy Birthday, Taggie Mukpo! – HIGHLIGHT
1 response - Posted 03.09.21
Taggie Mukpo with Rowan From the Tagtruk Mukpo Trust Taggie Mukpo celebrated his 50th Birthday today. The first son of Lady Diana Mukpo and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Tagtruk Mukpo celebrated his 50th Birthday at the country home of his Shared Living Provider (SLP) James Christie in Hardwick, Vermont, ...continue
Touching the Earth Collective: March 2021
Touching the Earth Collective: March 2021 – HIGHLIGHT
no responses - Posted 03.05.21
March 2021 Newsletter “What Level of Threat Are We Facing Now?” Christoph Schönherr now works for The Climate Task Force in Europe, helps coordinate the global network Scientists 4 Future, and is on the working group on sustainability and climate change of the United Nations Association of Germany. Richard Reoch asked him about ...continue
Carta del Torii Abierto
Carta del Torii Abierto
no responses - Posted 03.05.21
¡Alegre año del buey de metal para la sangha de guerreros! Diana Mukpo reunió a un grupo el verano pasado para que le aconsejara sobre la mejor manera de apoyar el legado dhármico de Chögyam Trungpa Rimpoché. Formamos parte de ese grupo plurigeneracional de profesores y practicantes ...continue
Letter from the Open Torii
Letter from the Open Torii – HIGHLIGHT
no responses - Posted 03.02.21
Note: This letter was originally posted at https://www.ldmletter.com/. Este artículo ha sido traducido al español aqui. Cheerful year of the Iron Ox to the Sangha of Warriors, Last summer, Diana Mukpo convened a group to advise her on how best to support the dharma legacy of Chögyam Trungpa ...continue


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