Feb 09
Friday
Confidence, Inspiration, Vulnerability
Reflections from the leadership program “Magnetizing Enlightened Society”
by Larry Steele
Sunlight pouring through the windows lights the bamboo floor of Seattle Shambhala Center shrine room. Green leaves shimmer with life outside. And, of course, it is raining. Thirty-five straight-backed meditators breathe out, flowing with Shastri Trinley Busby’s guided meditation. “Feel your emotion in your belly,” she says. “Is it confidence, inspiration, vulnerability? Feel it in your lungs as you breathe out.”
Confidence, inspiration, and vulnerability. They are three possible characteristics of leadership observed by Deputy Minister Cynthia MacKay in a program of leadership teachings called Magnetizing Enlightened Society. MacKay, who is Deputy Minister of Shambhala’s Pillar of Government and a former Los Angeles Center Director, guides each meditator to feel their own vision of enlightened society. Continue…
Author Archive
4 responses - Posted 02.07.18
How our viewpoint on life can change through the practice of contemplating death by Anne-Marie Keppel I was overjoyed when I recently read in Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s new book, The Lost Art of Good Conversation, instructions for how to contemplate our last breath on our deathbed. He asks, “What do you need ...continue
3 responses - Posted 02.05.18
We so often avoid thinking of our own death, but what if we took a different view? by Anne-Marie Keppel From the womb, the baby opened her eyes, and saw through stretched skin patches of light. So contrary to the darkness when her eyes were closed. And when ...continue
no responses - Posted 02.01.18
Shambhalians participate in the LA Women’s March, offering a meditation flash mob to accompany the main event by Jason Elias On Saturday, January 20, 2018, hundreds of thousands of people showed up for the Women’s March in downtown Los Angeles (local news station KTLA estimated participation at 400,000). ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.30.18
A few thoughts that pop to mind by Susan Firer I’m experiencing writer’s block again. I was on a roll with easy flowing topics the last couple of months, but not so right now. I think I may just write briefly about ideas that pop into my mind…like ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.28.18
Reflections on the role and purpose of the Dorje Kasung by Larry Steele John Gilvar, commander of Seattle Shambhala’s Dorje Kasung, recently was telling me about the Container Principle. It’s the Buddhist idea that people meditating together naturally create a zone of heightened awareness: a container. As he talked, ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.26.18
Preparing for the Tibetan New Year by Max Roberts-Zirker This time of year is a sort of ‘new year limbo’ for Shambhalians, having just started a new Gregorian calendar year while still wrapping up the Tibetan year of the Fire Bird. Instead of trying to think of which ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.24.18
Shambhala Trust provides funds for four projects at Fall 2017 meeting by Gregory Lubkin On the weekend of December 1-3, 2017, the Shambhala Trust held its semi-annual meeting at the Los Angeles home of Trust member Gregory Lubkin. During the weekend, the Trust invited some of the Southern California ...continue
6 responses - Posted 01.20.18
Creating Enlightened Society is the work of fully welcoming ourselves, each other, and our lineages by Kelsey Blackwell We came from Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Illinois, Canada and beyond. Traveling to Sky Lake Retreat Center in New York’s Hudson Valley, we were not deterred by the bomb ...continue
4 responses - Posted 01.16.18
Elder practitioners gather to share their inspirations, concerns, and delights by Petra Hunsche and Josje Pollmann The first ‘Gathering of Elders’ in Cologne will be remembered as a warm and empowering experience. About twenty-five elder sangha members from different European countries participated in this joyful meeting during a ...continue
2 responses - Posted 01.12.18
Teens gather for practice and conversation in the depths of a cold and snowy Vermont winter by Anne-Marie Keppel Through guidance, inquiry and activities built from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s new book, The Lost Art of Good Conversation, the Winter Teen Retreat at Karmé Chöling was an incredibly rich program. Seventeen ...continue
2 responses - Posted 01.10.18
The Sakyong Wangmo, Jetsun Drukmo and Jetsun Yuda celebrate Children’s Day in Boulder, Colorado by Marissa Montagna The Boulder Shambhala Center was aglow with light as the darkness of the Winter Solstice arrived. Children and their families entered the Shambhala Center enchanted by the spirit of warmth, playfulness, and ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.08.18
A few thoughts on the delights and sufferings associated with the sounds around us by Larry Barnett I like quiet. I don’t mean the complete silence of any sound whatsoever, but the quiet of the natural world. I find the sound of leaves rustling in the wind comforting. ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.06.18
Celebrating a successful event in Vienna, reflecting on the experience, and laying plans for the future by Joanna Francis Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche had no hesitation when he was asked when peace should happen during the Peace NOW Symposium in Vienna, “Creating Peace in Difficult Times.” The answer was ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.04.18
The second of two excerpts from An Ocean of Blessings, a book of teachings by Penor Rinpoche; this one emphasizes the practice of Dharma We already possess enlightened mind, buddha nature; it has been there from the very beginning, but we cannot see it because of our ...continue