This is the seventh 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.

RUSSELL RODGERS has been a student of Buddhism for 35 years and has taught at the Kootenay Shambhala Centre for most of that time. He has three children and one grandchild. He is the author of Essays on the Shambhala Buddhist Chants (PDF).

Russell Rodgers

Bobbie Ogletree: How long have you been practicing as a Shambhala meditator?

Russell Rodgers: Since 1974.

Had people connected with Rinpoche and were they going away to get teachings?

There were lots of people reading books. Some people had attended conferences and teachings in Boulder, Colorado. We found out about each other and connected.

Were there level trainings available here?

Oh, no. That didn’t come along until the early 80’s.

So, basically people were on their own?

The interesting thing was that because there were no senior teachers here at that time, we took turns leading a discussion on a book or a dharma topic. The teachings went viral in a sense. So very quickly people moved into teaching roles, which I remember very fondly. I think this was very good for us because teaching is incredibly good for the teacher. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the sixth 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.

GALA SLY is a retired high school teacher, cyclist, ikebana (contemplative flower arranging) enthusiast and longtime member of the Kootenay Shambhala Centre.

Gala Sly

Bobbie Ogletree: How long have you been a Shambhala meditator, and how did you get involved with ikebana?

Gala Sly: Over 20 years. One of the reasons I went back for more Shambhala Training was the ikebana that I saw at the Centre when I went for my first levels here and in Vancouver. After I’d been around the Centre for a long time, I wanted to find a way I could give back. Because I’m not comfortable or skilled at talking, especially in a group, it really helps me out to borrow the silent language of flowers. I think that ikebana can communicate the dharma. So, I can hopefully contribute something in that way rather than sit in the front and give a talk.

When you say that ikebana silently communicates the dharma. What do you mean exactly? Is it about beauty?

Beauty is part of it, but it is greater than beauty. It is the willingness to work with anything and to say that anything is workable. When the arrangement comes together, it can point to the truth. It kind of speaks the truth without having to figure out things like what do the 12 nidanas mean. There’s nothing really to get. It’s like music. You just look at it and it gets you in the heart or it doesn’t. It has an arresting transmission quality. Read the rest of this entry »

Please join us in celebrating our community’s richness at this year’s annual Harvest of Peace gathering, Sunday, September 19th, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.

Highlights include a no-holds-barred potluck brunch and a free exchange of other community riches―like garden produce, professional services, artwork and more.

To get all the details click here or contact Lynn Dragone at nalandalynn@yahoo.com.

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 Nelson, a movement educator, caregiver, and the Kootenay Shambhala Centre’s current Director.

Lynn Dragone at Gampo Abbey

Bobbie Ogletree: You recently returned from Gampo Abbey. How long were you there?

Lynn Dragone: Nine months. Three months as a lay person plus six months as a monastic.

What motivated you to leave here and go there?

I was looking for a strong practice environment. I had kind of scouted that out by doing different programs at Shambhala Mountain Center, Karme Choling, and Dechen Choling in France. I felt like the big land centres have so many programs with a lot of people coming and going. You work more like an eight-hour day. You do have practice at different hours, like I am used to at home. At Gampo Abbey, the workday is four hours and there are at least four hours of practice a day, usually five or six.

Did being at Gampo Abbey meet your expectations?

It did. It was exactly what I wanted. I had a curiosity, though, about monasticism as a way of life, and I found that it is not for me. Our lineage is the only one that offers a temporary experience of monasticism. It is a great thing to do for a period of time. It’s really good practice to be in a strong environment with 30 people where you are faced with what kind of world you are creating, noticing and working with that and being dedicated to that. It matches up with the Shambhala vision.

Did you have periods of silence and interaction with community members?

Yes, from 7:30 pm until 12:30 the next day, we were in silence. 12:30 is lunch time and lunch is the main meal. It is a social time. The work period follows. During this period, we are also encouraged to be silent. The silence helped us examine what makes speech mindful. We brought the social atmosphere to awareness. Some people were bothered by small talk, but others felt it is part of human nature. The social atmosphere provoked different things in different people.

What kind of hindrances arose from doing so much practice and being in community?

The first week I was there, I noticed the people I didn’t like. I decided right away to move towards them because I was there to examine this kind of thing. They didn’t become people I loved, but I noticed taking responsibility for my attitudes, for my thoughts was the theme of being there. Doing so really helped me change my attitude towards parts of myself that I don’t like. It helped me be more accepting. Sometimes I could feel the karma burning (laughs). There were cycles of opening to difficult stuff, clearing, feeling new growth, and again the experiencing of difficult stuff.

Did anything there really surprise you?

Sometimes it was my reaction to communication from the outside. It could really provoke me. I went through a period of time where I couldn’t have this communication. I needed to rest in the immediate space. I felt it was the gift of being there to allow myself that luxury. In nine months, I only went to town two afternoons.

Was re-entry difficult?

No, not at all. I had planned to visit ten households before I came home. I thought it could be overwhelming. It was fine, but I had to work with noticing what I was anticipating. I didn’t want to be a hothouse flower. That is what I felt vigilant about in relation to monasticism. I want the practice to encourage the Shambhala vision of more turning to the world, more openness, more flexibility.

Have you noticed anything different about the Centre or do you feel a sense of continuity?

Summer is a quiet time. I just feel very happy to be back here. I love the sangha so much. I feel its preciousness. I think I had to reconnect with what it means to be going back as Director with a renewed sense of what I have to offer as who I am.

…Nelson Community Room on the Shambhala Network.

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Click here for all member interviews

This is the fourth 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.

STEVE CAUTHERS describes himself as “a semi-retired postal worker, father, husband, and aspiring meditator.”

Steve Cauthers

Steve Cauthers: Six years ago.

Did you have other practices or another path before you became involved with Shambhala?

In my early twenties, I was having a rough go of it emotionally, and I was abusing drugs and alcohol. So, I went to AA and learned about a higher power. I hadn’t been raised with any religion and I investigated this idea on my own. I became involved with prayer and I prayed on a daily basis for about twenty-three years.

What attracted you to the Shambhala Centre?

There was a man at work who went to the Centre. I was attracted to his centered energy. I was coming out of a divorce and my mind was very discursive. I really like to read, but my mind was so discursive that I couldn’t concentrate on reading. I also thought that I wasn’t getting enough out of prayer and that I needed a shift.

How has the Shambhala practice helped you?

I am a fairly anxious type of person and the practice has helped in this area. I can still be quite anxious, but the practice has reduced the level of the anxiety, if only a little at times.

What kinds of hindrances do you experience in your practice?

I tend to be very busy in my life. I wake up very early, go to work, stop off at home, get on the computer etc. I sometimes really fill up my life so that I feel I don’t have enough time to practice. Another obstacle I experience is maitri/self-love. I sometimes have trouble being gentle with myself. But the practice has increased my ability to do that. So that is also a benefit of the practice.

Do you practice regularly?

Kind of semi-regularly. I have a shrine set up, and I will go a few weeks practicing for an hour daily. I feel the positive effects of this quickly. But then I let the practice go for awhile and that can make it hard to resume it. I do try to remember to bring my practice into my day even if I am not sitting.

How do you apply your practice to living the Shambhala vision in our seemingly chaotic world?

I see people’s pain and suffering; I see their anger and their lashing out. I can be affected by this. However, more and more I can see where they are coming from. The practice has helped me develop more empathy. My outlook is that we are all on the planet together.

What is an aspect of your Shambhala vision?

I see Shambhala as a place where everyone opens doors for each other.

We want to know your thoughts and feelings about the Kootenay Shambhala Centre, and we’re making it as easy as we can for you to voice them.

Learn who our Centre’s key contacts are on our new Who Does What page.

Or simply email us at nelsonbuddha@gmail.com or use the comments section below.

Click here for all member interviews

This is the third 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.

JIM NORTHCOTE, a retired wilderness outfitter, enjoys living in Nelson and serving the world however he can.

Jim Northcote

Jim Northcote: About 15 years.

How long have you been a member of the Kootenay Shambhala community?

About 13 years.

What initially drew you to explore Shambhala Buddhism?

Suffering―I had a history of depression. During that time of my life, I learned from books on Christian mysticism and cognitive behavioral psychology how much my thoughts could influence my sense of well-being. A little later I visited the Shambhala Centre and discovered Pema Chödrön’s books and audio/video recordings. Pema helped me understand what it meant to befriend my experience. She helped me make a deep shift in my worldview. She’s one of my heroes.

You have been a member of the Shambhala community for a long time. What have been some of the major changes in the community since you joined it?

One thing is the number of people involved. In the first course I attended, there were just two students. I don’t think there was much publicity beyond word of mouth at the time. To me, the Shambhala Centre feels a lot more vibrant now and members have more interest in interacting with the greater community. I’d say this has to do with dissolving a false dichotomy between “us” and “them.”

What aspect of the Kootenay Shambhala Centre currently inspires you?

The benefits of the view, practice, and community I observe in myself and others. Nothing special really―just a calling to be fully human.

Could you describe something that keeps your practice invigorated?

I’m aware of the world’s immense suffering, and it touches me deeply. I want to use my life to do what I can to help. My practice on and off the cushion is the best way I know to do this.

The world seems to be getting increasingly more chaotic. How do you reconcile this chaos with your view of creating enlightened society?

Everything depends on one’s point of view. From one viewpoint, the world appears to be getting increasingly chaotic and problematic. From another, the world is worthy of respect and appreciation as it is―chaos and all. I see the latter as the basis for a genuinely kind society.

Click here for all member interviews

This is the second 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 on the images below to enlarge them.

Bobbie Ogletree: How long have you been practicing Shambhala Buddhism and how long have you been a member of the Kootenay Shambhala Centre?

Maria Stella: I have been practicing for 10 years and became a member of the Kootenay Shambhala Centre in June 2009.

What inspires you at the Kootenay Shambhala Centre?

Being part of Shambhala Training weekends. It really inspires me to see people go through the levels and open up over time, to see them experience the teachings, not only at the Kootenay Shambhala Centre, but also in other Centres.

How do you think this can be enhanced at the Centre?

By being aware of how much volunteers can help. It is not just about how many volunteers there are at Shambhala training levels. It is their presence; the presence of the volunteers and their sharing the meditation space always helps creating openness.

What is one way in which you apply your vision of enlightened society to your work, your family, or a significant relationship?

One way I do this is by watching myself at home to see where I open up or shut down and how to work with all of the situations that occur.

How does the practice help you do this?

The practice is a way of putting a spotlight on whatever state I am in by slowing down and observing and by being with whatever is.

How do you maintain your vision of enlightened society in the midst of our chaotic world?

By slowing down, being mindful and practicing. If I do that, I can recognize how much the energy can change in a positive way. It has a ripple effect.

This is the first 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.

JILL KELLY enjoys coordinating Shambhala Training programs, life coaching, and homeschooling her children. She is the Kootenay Shambhala Centre’s Membership Coordinator.

Jill Kelly

Bobbie Ogletree: How long have you been practicing Shambhala Buddhism and how long have you been a member of the Kootenay Shambhala Centre?

Jill Kelly: I did [Shambhala Training] Level I in 1998, but took a break. I started getting really involved in 2002 and I started going to the Centre more regularly. I became a member in 2005/2006.

What inspires you at the Kootenay Shambhala Centre?

The community, definitely the community. Having that kind of basic ground of similar views gives me a feeling of confidence. I am referring to the view of taking responsibility for ourselves and how we are in our world. Also, the view of sacred world and each moment being valuable is inspiring.

Is there a way that this can be enhanced?

I could go more often to the Centre, not because of me personally, but because I think it is the members being present there which brings out the Centre’s amazing qualities!

Is there an aspect of the Centre that you think could be improved?

It would be helpful if the Centre could improve access for people with disabilities. The stairs are a hindrance for people in wheelchairs, those who have trouble walking, etc…. I experienced this when I had my knee surgery last winter.

What is one way in which you apply your vision of enlightened society to your work, your family, or a significant relationship?

My work, family, and significant relationship are all in my home. I placed the shrine room in the centre of my home as a visual reminder of sacred world and the practice. It can be difficult to remember innate dignity. I try to be aware of this innate dignity in everything.

How do you maintain your vision of enlightened society in the midst of our chaotic world?

By sitting. It’s a reminder when I sit. It connects me to the present moment and makes me feel that it is all workable. Being aware of one breath and the next reminds me to take one step after another. Also, I believe that the chaos is part of the sacred world. The messiness of it all is okay.

Click here for all member interviews