Signs of vibrant life at the Kootenay Shambhala Centre are everywhere. Find out what’s going on, in the March issue of Kootenay Shambhala eNews.

You can subscribe to eNews in the “Email News Sign-Up” section on our home page or by contacting us at info@nelsonbuddha.com. (An unsubscribe link is included at the bottom of each message.)

One of the wonderful surprises at our Shambhlala Day celebration yesterday was a message and video greeting from Kootenay Shambhala Centre Director Lynn Dragone, who is about six months into a nine-month stay at Gampo Abbey.

The images below, featuring Changchup Garma (as Lynn is known at the Abbey), were selected from the video. Lynn’s message follows.

Dear Precious Sangha,

A glorious and peaceful Shambhala Day to all of you! Greetings from the vast expanse of Gampo Abbey on the cliffs of Cape Breton Island. The ice has come and filled the horizon, and a huge moose galloped across the snow early this morning. We just completed our closing ceremony for Yarne, the seven-week winter retreat yesterday.

It has been a satisfying time to practice diligently and celebrate with immense joy and tenderness for this path so well established by the practice lineage. Ani Pema [Chödrön] is keeping me out of trouble here, as her dedication to awakened heart knows no bounds.

A highlight of Shambhala Day (besides our trip to the hotsprings) has always been recognizing the worldwide sangha we are a part of. In this spirit I am happy to celebrate with practitioners from the breadth of the globe. We send you all heartfelt greetings this year from the extended family at the Abbey that I am a part of this year.

I’m learning a lot about living in a community at close range. As it turns out, it seems that our imperfections are the perfect path to reflect what we most need to learn. So we don’t have to worry, we all have something to offer! I miss all of you perfectly imperfect people. I am so grateful to have been nourished by the sanity of the Kootenay sangha.

There is too much to share now so I’ll wait until I come home and have a feast of relating then. The Yarne guests are leaving on Monday and we are having threeee―count ‘em: THREE―days off when we have to break the boundaries of the retreat. I haven’t been outside the boundaries for 4-1/2 months so I think it’s time. I’ll try to go to the little town nearby to have a donut or something.

On Thursday we will begin a self-designed silent retreat for seven days. This turns out to be a very spacious ‘cooker’ and I should be quite well done when I return in June.

I’ll say goodbye for now… May you all experience deep happiness… Yes! Enjoy your LIFE! in whatever way that expresses itself for you.

With deep appreciation and joy,

Changchup Garma / Lynn

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Shambhala Day is our annual New Year’s celebration and most important holiday. Please join us as we ring in the Year of the Iron Tiger. Everyone is welcome!

For details go to our Shambhala Day Community Celebration page.

20 Jan 2010 - Shambhala Congress Recommendations to be Implemented

All the major recommendations of the recent Shambhala Congress are to be implemented. The Sakyong’s Council has adopted a plan that allocates all the recommendations either to existing working groups, to new ones that will be created or to special coordinators.

To read about how the Congress recommendations will be taken forward, please click here then open the document “Implementation of Recommendations from the 2009 Shambhala Congress.” Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re into meditation, music, movement, community and fun, this external dance event is too good not to check out!

(The event date on the poster below should read Friday, January 29.)

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The February issue of Kootenay Shambhala eNews presents highlights from our Centre’s current lot of programs, events and blog posts.

To subscribe to eNews, go to the “Email News Sign-Up” section on our home page or contact us at info@nelsonbuddha.com. (An unsubscribe link is included at the bottom of each message.)

Kootenay Shambhala Centre members can keep track of the Centre’s administrative developments by reading the meeting minutes posted on the Meeting Minutes & Notes page in the Members Area on our website.

For the login information, contact Jim Northcote at info@nelsonbuddha.com.

About 25 people gathered at the Shambhala Centre last night for our New Year’s Eve Sadhana of Mahamudra & Potluck Dessert Feast.

The photo below, submitted by Stephen Manuel, captures some of the evening’s warmth and richness.

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In mid-November, just before entering retreat, the Sakyong recorded an interview with President Reoch about the significance of Shambhala Households.

“Shambhala is historically connected with household,” he said. “I feel that the next phase is really this notion of the Shambhala Household. A person could choose to say ‘I would like to live as a Shambhala Household,’ and they would participate in this way.”

To view a video of the interview, click here.

In conjunction with the Sakyong’s message, the Shambhala Times is running a series of articles on the topic during the first week of January. See Shambhala Households.