Friday
Nourishing our Winter Garden
A Message from the Director and the Team at Gampo Abbey
The year 2023 was a period of retreat and renewal for our monastic community. We repaired buildings, fixed lots of plumbing problems, improved landscaping features, and trimmed trees — all while maintaining our commitment to the Dharma and using our monastic forms and training to hold the practice strong.
We’ve weathered trying times within the community. We also faced challenges because of extreme environmental conditions that severely impacted most of our buildings. Yet we finish this year of the Water Rabbit infused with more enthusiasm and belief in what we are doing here.
Each year we pay special attention to preparing the garden for “over-wintering”. We plant a cover crop that continues to nourish the soil and replenish it ready for another productive season. A fallow garden is not inactive — magic is happening in the richness of the soil. In the spring, the cover crop is gently dug into the beds, enhancing the soil’s capacity for productive growth. Likewise, in our monastic community, we have used 2023 as a period to sow seeds for new growth.
In just a few weeks we will welcome Ani Pema Chödrön for another Yarne winter retreat. Soon after we will begin a new cycle of the three-year retreat. I can feel the excitement building, bring on the Wood Dragon!
—Trinkar Ötso (Director) and the team at Gampo Abbey
A Monk’s Journey to Nepal
Karma Lodro Kalsang, a long-time resident and Preceptor at Gampo Abbey, shares the searching questions, awakenings and tribulations he experienced while attending a momentous event in an otherworldly location — the cremation of our Abbot, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, in Nepal.
Gardening Can Grow Your Spiritual Practice!
Lucas Kovacevich, the former Head Gardener at Gampo Abbey, explains how to deepen a contemplative practice in your garden.
Pema Chödron Offers Reflections on Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
During the 49 days following the parinirvana of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche our friends at Karma Changchub Ling in Halifax hosted daily practices. On July 17, 2023 in the Mahasangha room of KCCL, they invited Ani Pema to speak about her long relationship with KTR, Abbot of Gampo Abbey. Her words were loving and candid.
*****
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER
Entries filed under Regions
A Three-year Retreat for Our Mandala – HIGHLIGHT
This is the first article in a series on Sopa Choling and the three-year retreat experience. On July 15, 2010, Acharya Larry Mermelstein presided at the gate-opening ceremony celebrating the completion of a full retreat cycle at Sopa Choling, the three-year retreat center located at ... continuePosted January 24, 2011 by
First Open Sky Weekend in Oz – HIGHLIGHT
This fall, 21 Aussies completed Level V and the Heart of Warriorship. This is the first time in Australia that a Shambhala Training Level V has been offered. Maria Losurdo shares her experience of traveling and training in the massive country of Oz. In November, a ... continuePosted January 18, 2011 by
Art Auction to Bring Teachers to Taipei – HIGHLIGHT
Yeachin Tsai, Shambhala’s busy Chinese translator and native of Taipei, reports that hosting a Level 1 in China requires the help of the international sangha. If you look at a map of the world, you will find a very small green island southeast of mainland China. In ... continuePosted December 22, 2010 by Yeachin Tsai
A NYC Rigden is Born – HIGHLIGHT
Robert Boyce and Pam Pedersen and their 3 daughters cheerfully welcome their fourth child and first son, Rigden Thelonious Boyce into this world. Rigden was born in New York City on November 3 at 4:06 pm and weighed 6.2lbs. continuePosted December 17, 2010 by
An Inspired Kind of Rawness – HIGHLIGHT
Cynthia Kneen expands on her experience teaching Shambhala dharma in South Africa. During her three months there, she gave three public talks, three radio interviews, Shambhala Guide training, an introductory weekend based on her book Awake Mind, Open Heart, a dharma art evening to a private ... continuePosted October 26, 2010 by
Gaps of Creation & Destruction – HIGHLIGHT
Cynthia Kneen expands on her experience teaching Shambhala dharma in South Africa. During her three months there, she gave three public talks, three radio interviews, Shambhala Guide training, an introductory weekend based on her book Awake Mind, Open Heart, a dharma art evening to a ... continuePosted October 24, 2010 by
Intensity in a Bold Land – HIGHLIGHT
Cynthia Kneen expands on her experience teaching Shambhala dharma in South Africa. During her three months there, she gave three public talks, three radio interviews, Shambhala Guide training, an introductory weekend based on her book Awake Mind, Open Heart, a dharma art evening to a ... continuePosted October 22, 2010 by
A French-German Wedding Twist – HIGHLIGHT
Nadine Zerbel and Eric Rugani were married on May 29 in a French-German Shambhala ceremony performed by Catherine Eveillard and Herb Elsky. Nadine and Eric hosted their 80 guests at Dechen Chöling, which gave friends and family a much appreciated direct experience of this magical place. The ... continuePosted October 3, 2010 by
Harvesting Peace in the Chinese Language – HIGHLIGHT
Yeachin Tsai has kindly translated Sakyong Mipham’s 2010 Harvest of Peace letter into Chinese. 2010年「和平的秋收」薩姜米龐仁波切關中信函 祈願文 在心的宇宙一切皆為可能; 在心的空隙一切皆盡涵容; 在珍貴的身體內,光芒四射的能量搏動; 在世界靈動變化的的巧合裡,吉祥永遠準備就緒。這是多傑札都(創巴仁波切)的贈禮。讓我們這些無愧的香巴拉人每天早上以一顆廣袤的心智、難以稱量的大心、以及一個充滿意向的身體覺醒。讓我們創造一個具有和平與尊嚴、並以吉祥嚴飾的世界。 聆聽香巴拉總裁理查雷奧克(Richard Reoch)的開示,與馬克威利(Mark Whaley)閱讀薩姜的書信全文: 信函內容如下: 我希望你們都有一個深刻美好的「和平的秋收」日。和平是香巴拉活動的基石。正如偉大的聖雄甘地所說:「你想見到世界改變,必須自己成為那改變。」在這個唯物主義氾濫的年代,我們香巴拉人必得欣然接受此一箴言。因為當此充斥無厭的自我滿足之時、我們的手指總是預備好去指責別人的錯誤。因此經由這純粹的英勇行徑,我們必須振奮起信心,確認我們的本初善 (basic goodness)。 continuePosted September 27, 2010 by Yeachin Tsai
Speaking all of Shambhala’s Many Languages – HIGHLIGHT
By Chris Montone, Hamish Maclaren and Luz Rodriguez. Several of the Sakyong’s videoes are now captioned in several languages, the result of a multi-national, multi-lingual effort. Click here to read this article in Spanish. Shambhala is a multilingual society and for many ... continuePosted August 23, 2010 by Hamish_MacLaren
En marcha el proyecto de subtitulación multilingüe de videos – HIGHLIGHT
Por Chris Montone, Hamish Maclaren y Luz Rodriguez. En la esquina inferior derecha de esta página web se puede ver un video del Sakyong subtitulado en varios idiomas. Shambhala es una sociedad plurilingüe y, durante muchos años, varios grupos y personas de Shambhala ... continuePosted August 23, 2010 by Hamish_MacLaren
Small Center, Big Heart – HIGHLIGHT
By Natasha Isenhour My life path over the past forty-eight years has taken me seemingly to the edge of the earth and back. I have gone on many detours that led to dead ends. At a fork in the road of my lifetime of micro-managing, failed plans, ... continuePosted August 6, 2010 by
Interview with Lynn Dragone
This is the fifth in a series of Kootenay Shambhala member interviews conducted by Bobbie Ogletree to explore the notion of “creating enlightened society,” a central theme of Shambhala, and celebrate our community’s diversity. Click here for all member interviews. LYNN DRAGONE is a longtime resident of ... continuePosted August 2, 2010 by James Northcote
A Little Shambhala Gem Born in Israel – HIGHLIGHT
Tal Varon, former director of the New York Shambhala Meditation Center — and current director of the only centre in Israel, and his wife Moran are pleased to introduce the Shambhala sangha to one of its newest additions. We’re happy to introduce our baby girl, Orr ... continuePosted July 31, 2010 by
Just landed
Ada Jenny Bo Coxon-O’Neill entered the bardo of being on Friday, July 26th at 7:10am. Her name means “precious gift” and we all feel very honoured that she has chosen us to be with. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: ... continuePosted July 31, 2010 by
RSS feed for the Regions category
View all posts from authors in Regions: