The images in this post were captured by Kootenay Shambhala members on recent travels. Each image says something about appreciating―even celebrating―the richness of the world as it is. Accompanying text is minimal; the photos speak for themselves. More photos may be added as they become available. Thanks to all contributors for offering their work.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge them.

The photos in this gallery help explain why the Nelson area is such a great place to live, work and play! (More images will be added as they become available.)

In an article posted on the Shambhala Times today, former Shambhala Europe Director Chris Tamdjidi discusses discovering the world’s magic as a key aspect of environmental protection. See Buddhism and Ecology: Environment as our Teacher.

This article was submitted by Russell Rodgers, director of this summer’s Kootenay Public Weekthün 2009: Touching the Earth program, in response to a request for more information about the program’s theme.

Russell Rodgers writes:

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 busy existence, however, we tend to see our thoughts and concepts about the world rather than the world itself. Therefore 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. As a corrective, and because we have buddha nature wakefulness buried somewhere within us, we feel haunted by the feeling that something is missing. Read the rest of this entry »

In case you missed Russell Rodgers’ article about the Kootenay Shambhala Centre in the Winter 2008/09 issue of The Dot, the article is available here: “Kootenay: Practicing in Drala Land” (PDF)