Thursday
Letter from Lady Diana Mukpo
Office of the Druk Sakyong Wangmo
To the Shambhala sangha,
I write this letter in a difficult time for our community as well as our world. Turmoil engulfs us internally and externally as across society people wake up to the ways the institutions that surround us have failed those who they should serve. Our community is no exception, and the last three years have been a painful reckoning with where we have fallen short of our aspirations.
I spent 17 years of my life with the Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and was present for nearly every step of his journey to bring his sacred heritage from his lost homeland to ours. One day, shortly after we moved to Boulder, I said to Rinpoche, “I love you more than anyone in the world.” He responded by saying, “I love you second best.” When I asked who came first, he said, “I will always love my guru Jamgon Kongtrul most because he represents the dharma.”
For two decades, I watched as he devoted every fiber of his being and life force to what he felt was his duty: to share what he brought over the Himalayas with us in these faraway lands. He believed teaching the dharma was his reason for being on this earth, and this permeated all his actions.
During his life as well as after his death, tens of thousands of people contributed to building the sangha that he inspired and guided. They lifted tents so that mountain fields could become sacred teaching environments, cooked meals for one another, washed sheets, windows, and dishes as a service to their fellow practitioners, worked tirelessly to build spaces in cities across the world, and dedicated their precious time and money to our community.
Now, what was built by all that exertion is in peril. Continue…
Entries filed under Featured Stories
News about Khenpo Rinpoche and Marpa Foundation – HIGHLIGHT
Excerpt of Letter from Ari Goldfield Greetings from Dechen Ling, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche’s residence in Seattle. I hope this letter finds you well. Here, Khenpo Rinpoche is doing fine, and all of us in his household are too. I write now to give you an ... continuePosted June 19, 2009 by
Sakyong Visits Atlanta – HIGHLIGHT
By Collette Frix Only two humble old houses comprised the entire Atlanta Shambhala Center when Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche last visited in 2003. Our shrine room then could seat a mere 28 people. Six years later we have managed to construct a new building with a large shrine ... continuePosted June 12, 2009 by
Shambhala Vision, Forward Vision – HIGHLIGHT
By Lisa Johnston At the Sakyong Foundation we delight in matching a donor’s passion with the aspirations of the community to make a difference in our Shambhala world and beyond. As a community, we pulled together to get Shambhala out of central operating debt. We did it ... continuePosted June 11, 2009 by
Kalapa Centre: Heart of the Capital – HIGHLIGHT
An interview with Steve Baker by Johanna Lunn. Steve Baker has recently been appointed Director of the Kalapa Centre in the capital of Shambhala, Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Sakyong has been talking a lot about manifesting. …. now it’s time to show the world what Shambhala actually ... continuePosted June 5, 2009 by
Michael Baime on Stress Management – HIGHLIGHT
By Wendy Jill Krom Michael J. Baime, MD could see right away that his teacher had been right: “What people needed was not another medication, but really a glimpse of their own sanity.” In a recent conversation with Michael Baime, Founder and Director of the UPenn Program for ... continuePosted June 2, 2009 by
Nourishing the Third Jewel: A Letter from our Guest Editors – HIGHLIGHT
We are delighted to welcome you to this theme for the Shambhala Times, which focuses on “Nourishing the Third Jewel.” When we take refuge in the sangha, or the third jewel, we enter a path of companionship. As sangha brothers and sisters, we both support each ... continuePosted May 31, 2009 by
The Activity of a Shambhala Center – HIGHLIGHT
This article by Acharya Adam Lobel discusses the outer, inner, and secret aspects of a Shambhala Meditation Center and how each aspect works together. Outer: Specifically, meditation practice is our most direct offering. There is a demand for meditation instruction in our society. The spirit of ... continuePosted May 30, 2009 by
Interview with Debbie Coats, Desung Arm Commander – HIGHLIGHT
Being a desung often means choosing to step in to situations that are uncomfortable or perhaps frightening. In our community desung are kasung who focus on issues of health and well-being or conflicts. So if people are in distressing circumstances or conflicts are occurring, for example ... continuePosted May 28, 2009 by
The Community Survey: Why It Matters – HIGHLIGHT
By Mary Whetsell A little over a year ago, the Shambhala Community Survey was distributed as a way to take a snapshot in time of our worldwide sangha. At that point, President Reoch had visited almost every Shambhala center in the mandala. And while he reported that ... continuePosted May 27, 2009 by
Growing Old in Shambhala – HIGHLIGHT
By David Whitehorn and the Working Group on Aging In the Shambhala vision, every moment of our life, whatever age we may be, is an opportunity to wake up, to engage straightforwardly with the situation we are in, including our limitations and those of others, and to ... continuePosted May 24, 2009 by David Whitehorn
Penor Rinpoche’s 49th Day Ceremony – HIGHLIGHT
President Reoch is currently visiting Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppee, southern India to attend the 49th Day Ceremony for His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Penor Rinpoche passed away on March 27, entering into samadhi for eight days before his parinirvana on April 3. By President Richard Reoch His Holiness ... continuePosted May 22, 2009 by Richard_Reoch
Penor Rinpoche’s “Asking to Remain” Ceremony – HIGHLIGHT
Penor Rinpoche passed away on March 27 at his residence at Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppee, South India. His Holiness entered into samadhi for almost 8 days before his parinirvana on April 3. Several days before his passing, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche sent Tom Bell as an envoy ... continuePosted May 21, 2009 by
A Place to Be Free: Writing in True Notebooks – HIGHLIGHT
Project Pride, a program of the East Bay Community Recovery Project, is a residential substance abuse treatment program for incarcerated mothers of young children. Here, Sandy Miller writes about the True Notebooks class she started at Project Pride after reading a book of the same name ... continuePosted May 13, 2009 by
Shambhala Governance Training and Mandala Council – HIGHLIGHT
This weekend, in Koln, Germany, from Thursday through Sunday, 7-10 May, the Kalapa Centre Europe hosts a major gathering of the Mandala Council, one of the main governing bodies of the Mandala, in combination with the annual Shambhala Europe Governance Training. This is the “Eastern Hemisphere” ... continuePosted May 10, 2009 by
What Happened to Shambhala’s Highest Priorities after Shambhala Congress in Cologne? – HIGHLIGHT
By President Richard Reoch The Third Shambhala Congress was held at the Kalapa Centre (Europe) in Cologne, Germany, in May 2007. Out of the many issues discussed, six top priorities emerged. These were identified by the Mandala Council (on which every Shambhala Centre has a seat) immediately ... continuePosted May 10, 2009 by
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