By Russell Rodgers

One of the key commitments in vajrayana Buddhism is to experience the world as sacred. Sacred in this context doesn’t mean that some deity proclaimed it so; it just is, primordially, in the present moment of fresh, pristine awareness. In our business, however, we live in our thoughts and concepts about the world rather than the world itself, and we lose touch with its sacredness and basic goodness. Our concepts can be so subtle and pervasive that we don’t even realize that they are there. We just feel deadened and disconnected from the magical, living quality in our surroundings. At the same time, we feel haunted by the feeling that something is missing.

In 2009, we did a retreat called “Touching the Earth”, which explored our connection with the natural world in dharmic terms. This summer I thought we could dig deeper into the aspect of pure perception and self existing, natural ordinary magic. We’ll use meditation and contemplation to dissolve barriers to direct, non-conceptual experience. We’ll do a lot of awakened heart practice to connect to our fellow sentient beings in the forest and in the world at large. We’ll use the Mahayana teachings on empty/fullness to explore our perceptions and establish an authentic relationship to our surroundings. Based on our meditation practice, we’ll look into drala, the naturally existing power of places that wakes us up into sacredness.

At this time in our history, we humans have extraordinary power over nature, and at the same time, we have become more disconnected from it. Over the past many years of doing outdoor meditation retreats at Senge Ling, I have been impressed with the power of practicing in the forest to restore my connections. The meditation pavilion, screened but open on all sides to the forest makes this possible. This summer, I think the time is ripe to use the wisdom of our tradition to deepen our relationship with the world more fully. Ultimately, our place in nature must be realized from the inside if we are to make a difference to the planet. This journey is not particularly political: it’s simply a profound and deep appreciation of what we have.

Here is a message from King Gesar to his subjects in the land of Ling in the 11th century in Tibet. I think it applies today:

The world is healed or harmed each instant
In the stillness of our hearts.
Whether we struggle or rejoice, this is so.
People of Ling, this is our power and the power of all.
We must open the true kingdom in our hearts.

For more information please see our program listing for the 2011 Public Weekthün.

Everybody is invited to share love and support our japanese friends who really need help in these hard times after the earthquake and the explosion of the nuclear centre in Fukushima.

You can meditate sitting with the hands in your heart, or you can dance, sing, paint…anything which makes easier to share your beauty and love. The important thing is to focus your intention on supporting Japan.

The meditation lasts 15 minutes and s…tarts on Saturday 19/3/2011 at 12.00 pm (italian time zone).

If your time zone is different, please check the different timing to meditate at the same time we do (www.worldtimeserver.com). If for any reason you can’t do it at that time, do it at any time is more comfortable for you.

It is also an invitation to pass from individual consciousness to collective consciousness, because our japanese friends are not far away, THEY ARE HERE…sharing this beautiful planet with us.

Don’t leave them alone, let’s connect all together to send love and support to them.

Rebecca Hazell

By Shastri Rebecca Hazell

In mid-February, one of several governance conferences around the world was held in San Francisco. Victoria Centre Director Layth Matthews, Practice and Education Director Mark Hazell, and Shastri Rebecca Hazell (me) attended this huge gathering. People came from as far away as Texas and Tehran (yes, in Iran!) to participate. Here’s what it was like to be there:

After an opening lhasang at the new SF Dzong, we all walked to the nearby Baha’i Center, where the conference was held. Many of us cheerfully chanted the ki ki so so ashe chant aloud, astounding bystanders who smiled equally cheerfully. One commented that this was the best-dressed parade he had ever seen.

This atmosphere continued throughout the program, although there were also many tears and much emotion, as the leaders guided us through a series of contemplative, interactive, and dramatic exercises designed to open our hearts, heal old wounds, and bring our collective wisdom to the fore. The general atmosphere was gentle, humorous, and fearless. Read the rest of this entry »

In this video, Stéphane Bédard, who studied ikebana with Seibi Watanabe Sensei, shows how the Shambhala Buddhist path as taught by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and his son and successor, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, has inspired his ikebana practice for more than 30 years. Born in a Broken Heart illustrates how ikebana can touch the heart of anyone and bring more peace, joy and a sense of celebration to our society.

This seven-minute video from The Bodhisattva Project is intended as a sequel to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s video What About Me.

The Nelson Refugee Committee invites you to a fundraising dinner on February 18 at the Nelson United Church, 602 Silica Street. Money raised from this event will go towards sponsoring a Burmese refugee family to live in Nelson.

Come learn more about Burmese refugees and our project. Enjoy a delicious full-course meal. Doors open at 5:30; dinner at 6. Tickets available at Otter Books.

Cost: $15 per person/ $45 per family.

For more information, call 354-4641.

The Art of Being Human is the beginning of the Way of Shambhala training path, which teaches students of any tradition effective tools for meditation. This first level focuses on the basic technique of mindfulness meditation. By settling our minds, we can begin to see our experience in a fresh, unconditioned way that allows us to discover that our existence is basically good, regardless of the particular conditions of our lives. This experience of basic goodness, our innate wisdom, is the ground for the development of confidence and gentleness leading to a kind of ordinary magic in our daily experience.

The program includes meditation instruction, talks and discussions, and is open to all.

Click on the poster image below to enlarge it.

For a full program description see Shambhala Training Level I: The Art of Being Human.

In this clip from the “Smile at Fear” weekend Pema Chodron led in Richmond, California in October 2010, Ani Pema speaks of trusting that the universe will never stop communicating with us.

This article is the fifth in a series by senior Shambhala teachers invited to share their personal impressions of the Way of Shambhala curriculum. For all articles in the series, click here.

Chuck Whetsell

TRUST IN DIVERSITY
By Chuck Whetsell

The display of basic goodness arises afresh each moment in myriad forms, yet I fail to see it. Opinionated, judging, fixating on “this is it” according to narrow ideas of what is acceptable, I miss its everpresent manifestation.

How shall I take off my blinders? Shall I study more, entering more deeply into the view and letting it slowly erode my coward’s view of right and wrong? Shall I practice being still, feeling my human heart and letting false distinctions fade? Can I accept the challenge of unmasking in front of others, becoming awash in embarrassment and tenderness?

Yes, I say, confidently and timidly. I can know where the Great Eastern Sun rises by following the birth of my fears. Fear of sacredness, fear of others, fear of myself―all these fears show the way I can travel, the Way of Shambhala. It is community as practice, taking a second look at what lies underneath the superficial appearances of age, status, external knowledge or culture. Read the rest of this entry »

After a year of using the monthly calendar shown at the left as a backup, we’ve switched to using it as our main calendar.

This calendar has features that make it easier to use than the “clickable calendar” it replaces―most notably, seamless integration with our program/event listings.

See what you think: Monthly Calendar.