Jetsun Yudra celebrates her third birthday, on a windy day in Boulder, Colorado

article by Steve Sachs

photos by Michael Levy

On the afternoon of Monday, March 14, Jetsun Yudra celebrated her third birthday at the Kalapa Court in Boulder.   A chilly wind off the Rockies led to festivities being held inside, but the gaiety continued unimpeded!  

Child-friendly delights

Once everyone had played and settled in a bit, food was served.  There was then a treasure hunt where the children went from one room to another discovering little gifts that were hidden there.  Jetsun Drukmo took the lead, deciphering a number of the clues.

Sakyong Wangmo and daughter

Everyone gathered in the Great Room where the Sakyong gave a toast to Jetsun Yudra and all children of Shambhala.  The presentation of the birthday cake was exciting as it was skillfully decorated with a turquoise horse hand-crafted by Machen Marivn Robinson.  As “Happy Birthday” was sung, Jetsun Yudra gleefully blew out all the candles with help from the Sakyong.

Singing Baby Beluga

Cake eating was followed by songs from Nina Rolle and Master of the Court Mark Thorpe.  To Jetsun Yudra’s delight, the Sakyong Wangmo then spontaneously offered a Tibetan children’s song. Following her mother’s lead, Jetsun Yudra merrily led the party in singing “Baby Beluga” together.

Galloping delightfully through the treasure hunt

The party concluded with the Shambhala anthem and the opening of presents.   Horses were a major theme of the celebration and of the gifts received by Jetsun Yudra.  May she continue to gallop delightfully through her life and through ours!

An exploration of how wealth and prosperity are linked to community and openness

by Layth Matthews

Consciously or sub-consciously, wealth in our world is synonymous with legitimacy and success.  And yet, even material wealth is not just one thing. Is it higher net worth? or  higher income? And higher compared to whom? Even if you have more money than the person next to you, did you earn it yourself? Do you enjoy the same status, purpose, health, or fame? And what about tomorrow?

Then there is also a psychological aspect.  The more money you have the more you learn to depend on it, so the wealthier you are, the more you might secretly envy someone else’s self-reliance.  Psychologically we could measure wealth in terms of confidence, but confidence based on what? The value of wealth by any definition, even U.S. dollars, is also constantly fluctuating, both internally and externally. You could say, as long as we are engaged in measuring our wealth, we are not truly wealthy. Or as soon as we stop measuring ourselves, that is when we are truly rich!

Nevertheless, the trait shared by most definitions of wealth is a sense of capacity.  Whether it’s money or confidence, every notion of wealth results in an increase of capacity for perception, communication, and/or action. Capacity can be regarded as an internal or an external phenomenon too. Since even external capacity originates from our ability to recognize opportunities and apply resources fruitfully, it’s fair to say that capacity, and wealth by inference, begins and ends as a state of mind. Recognizing the role of mind in wealth/prosperity reveals new ways to work with situations, ways that may be more direct, more satisfying, and very good for the planet too.

Community as Economic Path

Community is an excellent metaphor for wealth in the form of capacity.  We could think of it in terms of communication and trust. These two can also be described as the seeds of economic prosperity.  Another good word is connectivity.  An often overlooked or understated aspect of developing community, and business, is that it is a process of opening to others. It is voluntary vulnerability in many ways because increasing community requires deeper perception, empathy, extending your nervous system to include more people.  Metcalfe’s law, first related to telephones, points out that every additional node connected to a network expands the field of possible combinations exponentially.

Similar arguments have been made in favor of adding diversity to teams and communities. However, the benefits of diversity are dependent upon an atmosphere of mutual respect that accommodates disagreement, such that the diverse perspectives can be accessed. Tribal diversity within African cities, for example, has even been negatively correlated with economic growth, presumably because ethnocentric barriers to communication were allowed to prevail. Europe and other places that have opened themselves to refugees and immigrants with language and cultural barriers are looking at this challenge very acutely now.

In sum, we can expand prosperity very directly by growing membership and diversity in our communities, but only if the integration is wholehearted, because it is ultimately the strength of the communication and trust between members that allows the benefits to flow.

Outer, Inner, and Secret Community

As contemplative practitioners we could regard community as a direct path to wisdom – the ultimate prosperity – for the benefit of everyone. Here are three definitions of community representing a successive relaxation of boundaries and an expansion of connectivity:

1. A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

2. A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

3. Ecology – a group of interdependent organisms of different species growing or living together in a specified habitat.

Part II of this article will explore how community by each of these definitions could be regarded as a gate to prosperity, both spiritually and materially.

Layth Matthews is Senior Mortgage Advisor and CEO of RateMiser Mortgage Advisors and the Author of “The Four Noble Truths of Wealth: a Buddhist view of economic life”. He is a Shambhala Training Director and a Former Director of the Victoria Shambhala Center. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada with his wife and three children.

Dorje Tsegyal

If we wish ourselves or a friend to be included, it is traditional to offer their name along with an offering to the teacher. These names are read to the Sakyong as part of the puja. We can include a short description of the situation surrounding the request. Both the names and descriptions are kept confidential and burned at the conclusion of the puja. The Sakyong has requested that those who want to connect with the pujas offer yellow and red flowers on the days of the practice. The Sakyong plans to send a gift to those who have requested specific practice during the pujas.

For more information please follow this link. To make an offering and request the Sakyong to include someone in his practice, please follow this link. In the comments field, please type the name of the person you would like to include.

With his execution date now set for April 27, practitioner Jampa Pawo sends this letter to his brothers and sisters in Shambhala

by Jampa Pawo

Painting by Jampa Pawo

Hello! My name is Jampa Pawo. I am 37 years old and have been incarcerated for eighteen years for the crime of murder. I have been practicing dharma for several years. I met the teachings of Buddha, in this life, during a period of intense mental and physical suffering. Despite using the previous decade to educate myself and create art, I felt like my efforts were superficial and meaningless. I was depressed, filled with remorse for my harmful actions, and utterly heartbroken. This mental despair manifested as physical pain throughout my body. I was dying inside.

Around this time references to Buddhism appeared around me like never before: on TV, in books, in magazines, and conversations. Their occurrence became so frequent that I sensed a purpose behind these seemingly random events, like they were guides leading me in the right direction. In hindsight I view these messages as the buddhas and bodhisattvas helping me when my mind, karma, and ideal conditions aligned. Inspired by these auspicious connections, I became curious and decided to explore Buddhism. I asked my friend Elizabeth to send me the book Tibetan Meditation by Dagsay Tulku Rinpoche. I discovered this book in a catalog selling books about aliens and unexplained phenomena. I’ve always found this humorous, the placement of a book on Tibetan meditation among the UFO’s and stories about Atlantis, like the universe playing a funny joke.

Tibetan Meditation was my introduction to Buddhism. It explained all the basic meditations from the Tibetan tradition in concise language. From this book I learned about healing meditations, impermanence, suffering, love, compassion, emptiness, and mantra recitation. I immediately began to practice the healing meditations every day, visualizing brilliant white light radiating throughout my nervous system – purifying my body and mind of all negativities. I started with one meditation a day for five minutes and gradually increased the number and length of sessions. After three months my body and mind felt rejuvenated, which motivated me to learn more about Buddhism.

The dharma was calling and I couldn’t resist. Through constant study, contemplation, and meditation, I fully embraced the teachings with all my heart. The Dharma resonated with me in a powerful and profound way. I was magnetized to the teachings and pulled by their gravity to a practice beyond me and outside of my control. I didn’t have a choice. The Dharma answered all of my questions about life and all of the pieces of the cosmic puzzle came together, revealing a universal richness, a network of interdependent causes and conditions in which I could make life meaningful by benefitting others. Everything I’d ever felt but couldn’t articulate was alive in the Dharma. It all made sense to me!

Avalokiteshvara

For some time I didn’t know how to structure a traditional practice. I just practiced from the heart every day, improvising with the books I read and practicing with diligence. During this time I received an art book with a painting of Avalokiteshvara in it, which I hung on the cabinet in my cell. I didn’t know much about Avalokiteshvara, but I sat in front of his image daily and recited a verse from Shantideva’s The Guide to the Boddhisattva’s Way of Life. I learned this verse from a book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama: “As long as space remains and sentient beings endure, may I also remain to dispel the misery of the world.” I also made prayers to receive the Refuge and Boddhisattva Vows, which were later fulfilled by the Shambhala sangha. Looking back, I find it very auspicious to have made these requests to Avelokiteshvara using a prayer recommended by His Holiness, who is the Buddha of compassion.

My practice really ignited when I met a lady named Judy through my attorney. Judy was a former practitioner; and after learning about my interest in Buddhism, she sent me a collection of Dharma books and a mala blessed by the Dalai Lama. The books Judy sent were the exact teachings I needed at that time, answering my questions and giving me a step-by-step guide to traditional practice. Included among them were instructions on mind training and the stages of the path, which became the lifeblood of practice to me because it helped me work with the painful emotions of my past actions.

Ani Pema Chodron

I practiced with Ani Pema Chodron’s commentary and tonglen instructions every day, taking upon myself the sufferings of all victims of violence in the universe and giving them love, peace, happiness, and compassion. I also practiced tonglen for all the perpetrators of violence, including myself. These meditations were extremely moving, often bringing me to tears. But they strengthened my compassion and gave me the courage to write a letter to my victims’ family. I always wanted to express my remorse to them but was afraid. When I tried to convey my heartbreak, sadness, and remorse, my body and mind became paralyzed with fear. Ani Pema’s teachings helped me to open and helped me to acknowledge the unimaginable suffering I’d caused by my actions. It was the beginning of a healing process which continues today.

Because Start Where You Are was so beneficial, I wrote to Ani Pema at Gampo Abbey to thank her. I didn’t get a response from Ani Pema at that time, but I did receive a letter from Les and Louise Ste. Marie, members of the Gampo Abbey sangha, who became dear friends and sources of inspiration. Les and Louise have been incredibly supportive of my practice, always offering me guidance and Dharma materials. With their help I had the great fortune of receiving the Refuge and Boddhisattva Vows from Acharya Richard John and establishing a connection with the Atlanta Shambhala Center and my teacher Norma Harris. All of this is a blessing from the guru!

Even here on death row, I have the freedom to make life meaningful by practicing Dharma. I am grateful for this opportunity and thankful for the kindness of others, who give me every happiness in life. I am mindful not to waste this precious gift because it is impermanent. So I practice as an offering to those I’ve hurt, to repay the kindness of all beings, and to heal myself in order to heal others.

Windhorse

The entire Shambhala Sangha has become an integral part of this practice, providing me with guidance, inspiration, love, and support. The community embraced me whole-heartedly, without hesitation, and has become my family. Sadly, I do not know much about Shambhala teachings and I haven’t trained in the Levels like other practitioners. My foundation and training is in traditional Tibetan Buddhism; mainly the lamrim (the stages of the path), mind-training, and Vajrasattva practice. However, I have a strong connection to the Shambhala lineage and feel like a Shambhala warrior at heart. I raise windhorse, proclaim basic goodness, and cultivate the principles of warriorship in life.

As my execution date approaches, I’m not afraid because I have faith in Dharma and confidence in my practice. I know that the Shambhala Sangha will be practicing with me at the time of death and that your love will guide me to a fortunate rebirth in my next life. Until then, I practice like my hair is on fire, seeking liberation from the self-made prison of samsara and enlightenment for all beings.

Earlier today, eight members from the Atlanta Shambhala Sangha visited this prison as part of a tour group. For me their presence transformed a dehumanizing experience into an experience of basic goodness. The sangha members recognized our humanity. They didn’t fear us. They didn’t try to intimidate us. They acknowledged our basic goodness and humanity just by being here to bear witness. It was an uplifting experience for me, a blessing on the environment, and a perfect teaching to receive on the eve of my taking the Shambhala Vow.

The main message I wish to convey to the Shambhala family is that transformation is possible, even in the worst conditions where things seem hopeless. All we have to do is practice and results will follow. We will receive the blessings of the lineage gurus, buddhas, and boddhisattvas. Therefore, I offer these words to you as inspiration, as you are an inspiration to me. I encourage all of us to dissolve doubt in the light of primordial confidence and wakefulness. May we practice with courage, dignity, and joy! May basic goodness illuminate the world! KI KI SO SO! Lha Gyal LO!

Note from Norma Harris: About four weeks ago I asked Jampa Pawo to begin writing to the Shambhala Sangha. Here is one of several letters and poems that he has written. At the time of this letter we did not know the date of his proposed execution. We have now gotten word that his execution by lethal injection is projected to occur on Wednesday, April 27^th. In the next weeks we hope to put out other writings. I hope you will get a sense of who this man is and the connection he feels for us. I hope you will feel connected too.

Editor’s Note: donations are welcomed to cover costs of a Sukhavati ceremony. You can make a donation to the Atlanta Shambhala Center by clicking here; please add “Jampa Pawo Sukhavati” in the comments field to designate the purpose of your contribution. Any funds gathered beyond the actual Sukhavati expenses will be set aside for the support of future prison dharma ministry.

During the Chilean Garchen, the Sakyong made an especially strong heart-connection with a group from Copiapo

by Pablo Coddou

Copiapo

Nestled in the stunningly beautiful Atacama desert of the north, this small yet potent sangha found itself at the front lines of a devastating natural disaster, with an amazing opportunity to directly apply the teachings of Shambhala meditation and basic goodness in action. On march 24, 2015, a torrential storm ravaged the area, causing massive mudslides that left tens of thousands of people stranded without power or drinking water. A few members of the Copiapo sangha who were present at the Garchen shared with the Sakyong their experiences of relating to the to the catastrophe. The Sakyong was very moved by their courage, compassion, and skillful responsiveness during this difficult time.

The Copiapo river overflows

Constanza Halzapel of Copiapo put it this way: “This natural disaster affected thousands of people, including many of our sangha. The experience touched us deeply as a group, and presented us with the question of what it truly means to be a community and how we can take care of one another. From my point of view, meditation is what allowed us as practitioners to directly confront the challenge, and see an otherwise overwhelming situation as one of rich opportunity. It made us ask: what is really important?”

A Gesar flag

It was in this context that they began to offer meditation workshops and instruction. Even though they would not be capable of recovering lost homes, they could create a space that accommodated intense feelings, where the people could regain hope and rediscover their confidence in basic goodness. With the help of the Shambhala Center of Santiago, the Copiapo sangha held a Level I, as well as weekly open house gatherings, to which hundreds of people came seeking inspiration, guidance, and support. In the words of Lorena Jelou: “We saw a situation of complete desperation transform into one where people were able to smile once again.”

In recognition of their bravery and dedication to genuine warriorship, the Sakyong gifted the sangha with a blessed Gesar flag to put up in their center.

The Sakyong made a strong connection with the Shambhala community of Copiapo, Chile during the Chilean Garchen in February. They were in the front-lines when a storm caused devastating mudslides leaving tens of thousands of people without power or drinking water last year. To read more please visit this site.

After the Garchen, the Sakyong visited Valparaiso, then gave a public talk to an overflow crowd in Santiago, and the following day addressed a gathering of over 300 with the local Shambhala community. Read more and see videos of the Sakyong’s talks in Chile here.

A natural foods chef looks at how meal blessings can fundamentally change our relationship to food, and help repair our relationship to the natural world

by Marcella Friel

Several months ago, I was visiting a dear sangha friend who read to me the following excerpt from Acharya Jeremy Hayward’s book, Warrior King of Shambhala: Remembering Chögyam Trungpa. The excerpt recounts a comment made by a Tibetan lama named Thrangu Rinpoche, who was one of the Dorje Dradul’s closest heart brothers and friends:

[The Dorje Dradul] told me that America is a very developed country, in many ways. But there was a problem because there’s been so much destruction of the land, the land has been wasted and destroyed…. Also most people in America aren’t from this land but come from other places originally, and are not indigenous to the land, so they don’t have any particular native culture…. So although externally it is a highly developed country, the people suffer inwardly from diminished or depressed life energy, and depressed or damaged drala…. 

In the instant I heard these words, I recognized the root of our collective struggle with mindful eating. 

Food culture is the basis of human culture. For millennia, indigenous societies have anchored and organized themselves around the tribal rituals of growing, hunting, harvesting, preparing, and eating food. The reliability of those cycles—planting in the spring, tending in the summer, harvesting in the fall, and storing for the winter—connected human beings directly to each other and to the rhythms of nature. It created a sense of belonging both to the tribe and to the dralas, or elemental forces, that birthed the food on the table.

According to renowned Zen chef Edward Espe Brown, the cultures that are still connected to these rituals have the lowest occurrences of eating disorders. “Conversely,” Brown explains, “we see that ours is a culture with few eating rituals and numerous disorders.” In modern society, few of us, as Thrangu Rinpoche noted, live on the land we came from. We eat a diet that’s not only radically different from our ancestral fare; it’s a diet that’s disembodied from the earth itself.

Divorced from the natural cycles and tribal activity that brought food to us in the past, our industrialized food system erases all continuity outside of its appearance on the supermarket shelves or in the fast-food menu. It’s the food of the setting-sun world, in which, as the Dorje Dradul explains, “everything is compartmentalized, so you can never experience things completely.” That compartmentalization leaves us prone to damaged drala: the compromised life force that manifests as food addiction, disordered eating, and degenerative disease.

Isolated within our own thinking, we beat ourselves up for our addictive eating habits.  We solidify our sense of ourselves as weak willed, unworthy, and undisciplined; our lives and our society become barbaric.Fortunately, this is not the end of the story. We can heal this dismal predicament through the practice of Great Eastern Sun vision. The Dorje Dradul describes Great Eastern Sun vision as an ecological approach “based on appreciating ourselves.… We take care of our bodies, we take care of our minds, and we take care of our world.”

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche practicing oryoki

How do we turn the setting-sun habits of our addictive food behaviors into Great Eastern Sun vision? We begin by slowing down. We practice simple rituals and blessings before we put the first bite in our mouth. Author and physician Gabor Mate points out that the ceremonial use of a substance is the direct opposite of the addictive use. Whereas food addictions reinforce our alienation in a hostile world, food rituals elevate our consciousness and celebrate our connection to a larger, benevolent universe. They also, according to chef and nutritionist Rebecca Katz, downshift our nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode and into a parasympathetic state, which makes our food easier to digest.

My favorite mealtime ritual is putting my hands on my heart, closing my eyes, and taking three conscious breaths. Much like bowing before entering the meditation hall, such a gesture creates an energetic transition from everyday speed into sacred space. Meeting our food with meditative awareness, we relax our harsh self-judgment into simple witnessing. We dowse our emotional landscape for the groundwater of compassion, where it forms the touchstone of unconditional self-love, which in turn is the greatest gift we can give others.

While we might not ever return to the foodways of our ancestors, we can invoke the consciousness of sacred appreciation through the simple act of slowing down, pausing, and recognizing the interconnected constellation of beings seen and unseen that ensure our daily nourishment. Through the power of Great Eastern Sun vision, we restore our damaged drala and emerge from addictive bondage to recognize our lives as worth living and our earth as worth saving. Cultivating this vision is our sacred task at this time.

Marcella Friel is a natural foods chef who has cooked and taught in meditation retreat centers throughout North America. She now runs Tapping with Marcella, a food and body image coaching practice that helps health-conscious adults love and forgive themselves, their food, and their figure. 

Editor’s note: readers interested in learning more can consider taking Marcella’s upcoming  class, “Mindful Eating: Joining Heaven and Earth at the Meal Table,” which opens April 15, 2016 through Shambhala Online. 

The Office of the Kalapa Court is pleased to announce the appointment of twenty-six new shastris by the Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, effective for three-year terms beginning this summer. These shastris join over ninety shastris appointed in recent years, fulfilling three year terms in their respective centres. A number of those who are completing their second three-year term will be retiring on Shambhala Day. We welcome these inspiring new shastris into positions in their international centres.

Calryn Aston (Boulder) has been a student of the Sakyong since 1997. She has been teaching at Shambhala Centres across the Front Range and New Mexico since 2003. She hosts a weekly meditation group in her hometown of Jamestown, Colorado and has served as a director and a meditation instructor for many regional and international Shambhala programs and classes. She is the mother of two adult sons and works as a journalist and coach. She is currently working with regional and international groups to integrate mindfulness practice in disaster response and resilience trainings.

Anne Bakker (Leiden, NE) was trained as artist (painter) and art teacher. She is mother of two children and partner of Jan Mulder. She has been connected with Shambhala since 1997 and serves the sangha as meditation instructor, teacher and at the moment as director of the Shambhala Meditation Centre Leiden.

Sheila Bascetta (New York) began the Shambhala Path in 1981, and has served in varying roles in the New York Shambhala community over the years. She teaches in the Way of Shambhala and the Heart of the Warrior programs. She is a psychotherapist in private practice working with children, families, groups and individuals.

Jonathan Barbieri (Ft. Collins, CO) has been teaching in the Shambhala community for thirty-five years. In addition to livelihood endeavors which include consulting to businesses, non-profits and workforce development organizations, he has created training programs to bring mindfulness to businesses, public agencies and formerly homeless people. After meeting the Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, at Tail of the Tiger in the early 1970’s, he has served in a number of positions in the Shambhala Community including CFO at Naropa Institute and Shambhala Center Director for Boston, Fort Collins and Shambhala Mountain Center.

Joanne Martin Braun (Sonoma, CA) became a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1978, and has been a student of both Sakyongs since that time. She has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, and has been teaching meditation in business and healthcare settings for twenty years. Most recently she served five years as Regional Director for Northern California, where she produced a number of public events and conferences on the applicability of Shambhala teachings to our work and personal lives. Joanne and her husband Lou have a daughter and currently live in Sonoma CA.

Deborah Bright (Tulsa, OK) became a student of the Druk Sakyong in 1986. In the early 1990’s she began teaching Shambhala Training in the Southwest and in 1995 moved to Shambhala Mountain Center where she served as Associate Director through 2003. She is currently a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and has taught Shambhala Training in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, and Georgia. She lives with her husband in Drumright, Oklahoma where she serves as Mayor for the City. Deborah has had a long career in non-profit management and is one of the founding members of the Tulsa
Shambhala Group.

Bozica Costigliola (Ottawa) has been a student of Shambhala Buddhism since 1981, and is a longtime MI and teacher in Shambhala. She formerly served as a director of Shambhala Training and as a Centre co-director in Ottawa. She retired in 2014 from a 33-year career working in communications for the union movement and non-profit organizations. She is active in prison outreach, is a proud mother of two, and lives in Ottawa with her husband and her father.

Miroslaw Flokiewicz (Krakow, Poland) has been educated as an artist, especially focusing on pottery, painting, and photography. He has been a Shambhalian since 1990, and has served as oryoki master, kasung and teacher, as well as administrative posts in the Krakow sangha.

Robert Gailey (Halifax) has been a student of the Shambhala Lineage since 1974. He served the Druk Sakyong as a Dorje Kasung in Boulder, Colorado, Shambhala Mountain Center, New York City, and Karme Chöling. As a student of Sakyong Mipham, Robert also served him as a Dorje Kasung. Robert has had a long career in information technology. His recent activities include working with IBM as an Enterprise Architect assessing and planning investments in people and technology to enable positive change in large government and corporate organizations. Robert lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has two grown children, and explores the ways and means of weaving our Shambhala culture into the fabric of this place.

Janice Glowski (Columbus, OH) has worked variously in the Shambhala community, most recently serving as Director of Practice and Education at the Shambhala Center in Columbus, Ohio. She received a Masters degree in Comparative Religious Studies and her Ph.D. in Asian Art History (South Asian/Himalayan and Buddhist art) at The Ohio State University. She has worked as a curator and taught in the Religion and Art Departments at Wittenberg University. She currently serves as the Museum and Galleries Director and teaches Art History at Otterbein University. She lives happily with her husband, Larry Hill, and their teenage son, Nate.

Mark Hazell (Victoria, BC) has been a student of the Druk Sakyong from the early 1970’s, and became a student of Sakyong Mipham in 2008. Mark spent thirty years working in commercial real estate, the last decade of which as a member of the senior management team of one of Canada’s largest real estate investment trusts. Mark now lives with his wife, Rebecca Hazell, in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, where in addition to his service to the Shambhala Community he serves on several non-profit boards and advisory panels.

Marcy Henry-Fink (Los Angeles) has been a student of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham, Rinpoche since 1977. After working with Vajradhatu Office of Int’l Affairs, she built relationships with the diverse religious communities as a member of the LA Buddhist and Interfaith Councils. She has held various administrative posts including Director of Education in Los Angeles, and has taught and led retreats at many Shambhala Centers. Trained in both the sciences and Asian performing arts, she is currently exploring how to bring mindfulness/awareness to the business community. She has two grown sons and lives in LA with her husband.

Jitka Holubcova (Prague, CZ) started practicing in Shambhala in 1993, and became a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. She teaches Way of Shambhala and Kado, in continual training with Marcia Wang Shibata. She supports the Prague and Czech Republic sanghas through Culture and Decorum and Family programs. She is a physiotherapist who currently works as director of a private medical psychosomatic center in Prague. She lives with partner Jan and a 9-year old son Viktor.

Kim Kelso (Phoenix/Tucson, AZ) has been studying and practicing Shambhala Buddhism since 1980, when she became a member of the Nelson, B.C. Dharmadhatu in British Columbia, Canada. Subsequently she was a member of the Vancouver and Victoria sanghas and served as a co-director of the Victoria Center. She has been teaching since 1992. In 2008 she moved to Arizona to care for her mother and became a member of the Phoenix Shambhala Center. Retired from a career as a social worker, she continues to enjoy and be involved in community development, leadership and social change.

Charlotte Linde (Silocon Valley) met the Druk Sakyong at the Naropa Summer Institute, and has been a student of the Sakyong lineage since then. She is an anthropologist and linguist, who has taught at CUNY, University of California and Stanford, and most recently worked as a researcher at NASA. She is the author of two books on the ways stories are used to create individual and group ego. She lives in Redwood City California, where she serves as a teacher and council member of the Silicon Valley Shambhala Center.

Angela Lutzenberger (Brunswick, ME) is Director of Culture and Decorum for the Brunswick/Portland Shambhala community and a Chöpön, and a frequent teacher of Way of Shambhala. She works as an interfaith hospice chaplain serving dying individuals and their families throughout Western Maine. She is currently training in educating communities and families about creating funeral rituals and caring for their own dead at home and aspires to establish a public open-air cremation site in Maine.

Marilyn Moore (Orange County, CA) is a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and has been active in the Shambhala community since 1997. She served as Center Director of the Los Angeles Shambhala Center (SMCLA) and for five years taught meditation at the Center for Living Peace in Irvine, California. Most of her time is now spent supporting Orange County Shambhala (Costa Mesa), a thriving and energetic SMCLA satellite that emerged almost fully-formed in 2015. In 2011, Marilyn retired from a position working in an art gallery for almost thirty years. She appreciates the time this has given her to teach, to travel and to stay in touch with three grown children who do not live close but have introduced her to the basic goodness of Skype.

Inez de Munnik (Amsterdam, NL) started practicing in 1979 in Amsterdam. After spending almost a year in the US in 1983, where she became a meditation instructor, she lived in Marburg, Germany and served in many different roles including Centre Director. In 1990 she became a mother, and soon after a single mother. After returning to Amsterdam, she began teaching in Shambhala again. She is currently working with the wave of war-refugees from the middle east, guiding female immigrants to become familiar with Amsterdam and the Dutch language.

Elizabeth Reid (New York City) has been a member of the Shambhala Community in NYC in 1983. She previously studied with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and became a student of the current Sakyong, Mipham Rinpoche. She has taught Way of Shambhala and Shambhala Training weekends, and has co-directed Assistant Director Training. In addition, she has led Contemplative Photography workshops, and has a private practice as an Alexander Technique Teacher. She lives in Manhattan with her fiancé.

Anne-Emmanuelle Roche-Bret (Marseille, FR) was born in Paris. She is presently living in the south-east of France, in the Drôme region. She was a psychiatrist, now retired. She entered the Shambhala path in 1997, has been a Shambhala teacher since 2008 and is now studying the Scorpion Seal path. She also lived in Dechen Chöling for six years. She has attended Karuna training, practiced kyudo, and is currently a T’ai Ch’i Chuan teacher.

John Seex (Bristol, UK) has been a member of Shambhala and a student of the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche for over twenty years. He works as a psychotherapist, a psychotherapy teacher, serving on the faculty of Karuna Training in Europe. He and his wife, Sophie (also in Shambhala) have two children and live near Stroud. He has a strong connection to Shambhala Meditation and has been teaching Running with the Mind of Meditation.

Christopher (“Kit”) St. John (Brunswick, ME) first went to Karme Choling in 1982 for one day of a sesshin led by Taizan Maesumi Roshi. He was a founding member of the Brunswick (ME) Dharma study group in 1985, and has served in many positions in the Brunswick/Portland Shambhala Center, including Director of Practice and Education, and since 1995 Resident Director of Shambhala Training. He was the founding director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, and now consults with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington DC, assisting state groups advocating tax and budget policies that promote social welfare and fiscal balance.

Ancilla van Steekelenburg (Arnham, NL) has been a dedicated student of the Sakyong since 1997. She has been the director of the Arnhem Shambhala Meditation Centre, where she also has served as a meditation instructor and teacher since 2000. She loves being with her husband and two children and their dog. In her professional life she is a teacher at the University of Applied Sciences for Social work where she gives mindfulness (MBSR) and compassion (MBCL) training to professionals and students. She has her own company where she offers mindful parenting to parents and children with ADHD.

Nina Toumanoff (Ojai, CA) is a longtime student of the Druk Sakyong and Sakyong Mipham. She lives in Ojai, California with her partner of twenty-six years, Anthony Winecoff. Between them, they have four grownup children and one grandchild. She and Tony, along with Susan and Jim Moody were founding members of the Ojai Valley Shambhala Meditation Group. Nina is also a Marriage and Family Therapist.

Douglas Toth (Helsinki, FI) has been a part of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage since 1998. After living seven years at Shambhala practice centers, he later co-founded the Helsinki Shambhala Group, where he holds the pillar of practice and education. Aside from co-mentoring the Nordic region, Douglas is helping to promote the youth meditation collective in Shambhala Europe. He is a business communications consultant and has brought the culture of mindfulness into companies and is now a CBMT trainer for Potential Project Finland. He lives in Helsinki with his fiancée Anni and enjoys cold swims and hot saunas.

Joel Wachbrit (Los Angeles, CA) has been a member of the Los Angeles Shambhala community and a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche since 1989. He served as Center Co-Director and before that was Director of Buddhist Education for 7 years. Joel has been a working musician for almost forty years and for the last twenty he has composed music for TV and film. He is now returning to his childhood by playing guitar in a rock band as well as producing and playing with his songwriter wife, sangha member Jill Freeman.

Rudolf van Zonneveld (Utrecht, NL) has served in various leaderships roles, including coordinator of Practice and Education, in the Netherlands between 1983 and 1996, and then from 2008 to the present. Previously a contractor, Rudolf now cares for his household and “somewhat autistic” adult son, with his artist wife. They go out sailing together whenever the weather, social events and Shambhala activities permit.

Two current shastris are now being transferred to new Centres to begin again a three-year term. They are Shastri Trinley Busby from Vancouver will now begin her service in Seattle Shambhala Centre; Shastri Yeshe Fuchs, a regional European shastri, will now be based in Hamburg Shambhala Centre.

We wish to express our appreciation for following Shastris who are now retiring at the end of their terms. Their service has been significant, their retirements graceful:

Jennifer Woodhull—Cape Town
Christina de Block—Lymington
Peter Conradi—London
Friedrich Spengelin—Hamburg
Maria Stella—Victoria, BC
Mimi Valiulis—Dublin

A Reconciliation of Two Identities: Understanding Non-Violence as a Person of Colour and a Buddhist Practitioner

New Column: Critical Intent

By Nina Eslambolipour 

On a long car ride to Boston, I share with my friend the challenges of implementing        non-violent action in the face of micro-aggressions as a young woman of colour. I am hoping that as a practitioner of meditation this friend will understand the difficulty of responding with skillful means to aggression. He explains to me that no matter what, I must always respond with non-violence in the face of aggression because “an eye for an eye makes the world blind.” I should look to Martin Luther King Jr., who is the epitome of correctly responding to violence. He talks about non-violence over aggression as if it were simply a decision between the two.

What I had hoped would be a conversation between the two of us has turned into a monologue. When he finishes, I attempt to articulate that: 1. to consciously sit with the emotions of pain, shock, and anger that arise when processing ignorance takes incredible patience and practice, and 2. to respond in a skillful way does not necessarily mean being “calm” and “rational.” 

As I speak I notice him becoming defensive and as a result I become irritated Not realizing it then, I had overlooked the fact that although he is well versed in Buddhist philosophy, he has never had to personally combat the oppression that arises from the ignorance of others. I wonder when he steps out of this car and continues on his journey, will he think about this conversation again? Will it hold the same impact for him as it does for me? I do not think we have heard each other.

______________________________________________________________

When I take a seat on the cushion I look around the room at my Sangha. I notice I am one of only a few people of colour in the room. The reality is that Western Buddhism is generally comprised of older, white, middle- to upper-class people. Most of the time when I have conversations, both within and outside of my Sangha, the conversations are similar to the one I had with my friend:  based upon a privileged perspective that doesn’t hear or understand my experience as a person of colour. While I agree that regardless of race, class, and gender, it would be undeniably helpful to ourselves, our communities, and the world, to always be able to respond with non-aggression, this is not realistic. What is often overlooked in the practice of non-violence are the similarities between non-violence and subservience, and how much more challenging a non-violent response can be depending on one’s class, race, and gender. It takes incredible energy and patience for people who experience oppression to choose non-violence. It is not an easy task; it is consuming and informs every aspect of our lives.

I have also noticed in conversations concerning non-violence that MLK Jr. is almost always brought up as an example. When referencing him in these conversations we need to be aware of whom we are speaking to, and depending on the way we craft our language, we may be in danger of reducing him and his work into a monolith of how people of colour should behave. Please do not neglect the fact that his entire life was devoted to combating inhuman manifestations of racism. Non-violence was not something he thought about every so often or sometimes had a casual conversation about. Non-violence was his being and he was murdered for his beliefs. In order to speak of non-violence and be well informed, we must first recognize how our perspectives are informed by our privilege and experience, or lack of experience, with violence.

There is an expectation for individual people of colour to respond with non-violence when confronting violence, rather than focusing on the various factors that cause racial inequality. It is our own responsibility to educate ourselves not only on how oppression works, but how our own perceptions and actions contribute to racial oppression. People of colour are not supposed to be teachers who will peacefully guide you through your ignorance. When, as people of colour, we do speak on these issues the point is not for us to calmly get our message across so as to not hurt your feelings, cause tension, or create a “problem.” For us to try and do so would not necessarily be compassionate.

What does non-violence look like?

In order to practice non-violence it is necessary to have compassion. Typically the characteristics of compassion that we think of are empathy, openness, and understanding. However, there are qualities of compassion less commonly thought of:  honesty, sharpness, and firmness. When combating ignorance it is necessary to implement these qualities because there is a difference between skillful compassion and what is referred to as “idiot compassion.”

Idiot compassion is described as shying away from direct action in a situation because we are more concerned with a cliché concept of compassion. Buddhist practitioner Bodhipaksa says, “Idiot compassion lacks courage because ‘being nice’ and ‘being good’ are held to be the most important qualities we can manifest, and so we’re afraid to do anything that might make us unpopular. True compassion does not shy away from causing pain when necessary.” In the context of a dialogue about non-violence, pain means feeling uncomfortable. There is no way around this one. If we want to grow we need to feel uncomfortable.

To demonstrate an example of this, my last name is constantly commented on. I can never get around the barrage of comments about how long and “different” it is. One day I was picking up photos from Walgreens when the gentleman who was helping me said, “Oh, you’re the one with the weird last name.” His remark was small and in most cases like this I remain silent. In this instance I chose to be completely honest and said, “Actually my name isn’t weird, it’s just culturally different and I don’t appreciate you saying it’s weird.”  He quickly apologized and seemed embarrassed afterwards. Telling him how I felt put us both in an uncomfortable position, but in the end he’s going to think before he speaks that way about someone’s name, and I practiced speaking up instead of remaining silent.

Conclusion

Talking about non-violence and racial justice can be difficult. If you are a person of colour it can feel exceptionally challenging. If you consider yourself an ally, when a person of color opens up to you about their experiences, please just listen. Do not dominate the discussion or approach it as a friendly debate. Your intentions may be good, but in the long run you’re helping perpetuate systematic oppression. People of colour deserve to be listened to – our truth serves as a chance for growth within the mandala and as a larger society.

As a Buddhist practitioner I have placed an expectation upon myself that I should move through life with equanimity and gentleness; especially when I am having these difficult conversations. This is unreasonable because I am misinterpreting what a “good” Buddhist looks like. The greatest teaching I have absorbed from Shambhala is that wherever you are at emotionally or mentally is fine. It is okay for me to be reactive, impatient, and irritable. Thankfully I know all of this about myself and am working on responding to others with skillful compassion. I am slowly coming to understand what it means to be Buddhist as a young woman of colour.

Nina Eslambolipour is a first generation Middle Easterner. She is a recent graduate of Marlboro College and is currently working at a non-profit in Western Massachusetts. 

After a couple of special projects, we’re delighted to return to publishing work that’s been submitted by the readers of Poetry Space. This also means that we’re back in the business of soliciting new work. If you submitted to Poetry Space over the winter, your submissions are going to the editors for consideration this week. Once that happens, our cupboards will be bare- fill ‘em up!

Now, to the heart of the matter, two poems from a poet new to the Poetry Space platform, Yuan Changming from Vancouver…

aubade

You might have stayed up
All night, clicking at every link
To your daydream, searching
For a soulmate in the cyberspace

You might have enjoyed an early dose
Of original sin between sleep and wake
Before packing up all your seasonal greetings
With your luggage to catch the first plane

Or sitting up in meditation
With every sensory cell
Widely open to receive
Blue dews from nirvana

But you did not. Rather, you have just
Had another long fit of insomnia and
Now in this antlike moment, you are
Imagining a lucky morning glow

That is darting along the horizon

boyhood buoys (6): deeper than the first cut

With a lower-than-the-average performance
For every class, you never gave a damn
To Mr Zhou (the most senior teacher
In your village school) when he announced
You were far less smart than your mom

But after reading some sample passages
From A-graded compositions, Mr Zhou
Began to cut deeper as he continued to
Ridicule the way a slow student coined
Awkward idioms and, worse still, compared
Local anti-revolutionary elements to piles
Of cap-like shit of water buffalos

How can you laugh together with others!
He pointed his finger like a snake head
Right at my nose while the whole class
Guffawed: Don’t you remember you’re
The very inventor of this disgusting simile?

Yuan Changming, 8-time Pushcart nominee and author of 5 chapbooks, is the most widely published poetry author who speaks Mandarin but writes English: since mid-2005, his poetry has appeared in Best Canadian Poetry, BestNewPoemsOnline, Threepenny Review and 1069 others across 36 countries. With a PhD in English, Yuan currently edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Qing Yuan in Vancouver.

We are delighted to announce that within the past month the Kalapa Media Information Technology Team has made a transition to Universal Transformation Format (UTF-8) which enables Shambhala’s web pages and the Shambhala Database to be vastly more multilingual.

Previously alphabets containing diacritic characters were incompatible with our database. This meant that if you searched for a name in certain languages, the name would have to be misspelled if it had diacritics. Further, all languages that use diacritics—such as Arabic, Chinese, Persian, or dozens of other languages—were completely unsupported on our template websites.

We are now able to store characters that are typically not used in the English language and connect with Shambhala successfully from any country, and in any language in the world!

When asked about this transition to UTF-8, Sophie Leger—the International Translation Coordinator for Shambhala—commented:

This is a critical step in promoting Shambhala culture and the Sakyong’s teachings throughout the world. With this technology, we will be able to begin the daunting but necessary task of translating all web content into the many languages spoken in our international community, We are now laying down the foundations of a truly multilingual organization, where it will no longer be necessary to learn English in order to progress along the path, and where people will hear about Shambhala in their mother tongue.

Vive UTF-8!!!
Viva UTF-8!!!
Wiwat UTF-8!!!

Kyango Karkar: The Windhorse Song

poem and drawing by Jampa Pawo

2.28.16

To Kyango Karkar, the supreme windhorse,

I offer this praise and invocation.

Blessed by the smoke of juniper incense,

Appear and grant us your inspiration!

Your eyes beam a rainbow of five colors.

Your perky ears resemble Bodhi leaves.

Your pink tongue shines like the sword of wisdom.

Your body bears the signs of perfection.

Your gait is primordial confidence.

KI KI SO SO! Please hear my warrior’s cry!

The great windhorse, Kyango Karkar, gallops

Across earth, heaven, and the universe,

Radiating peace and prosperity.

His mane of ten thousand hairs and long tail

Flow like a comet throughout the cosmos,

The drumbeat of his hooves reverberates

Like the song of infinite prayer flags,

Carrying our requests on the four winds.

Like a flash of lightning in the night sky,

Kyango Karkar races over the clouds

Crowned by the glorious Great Eastern Sun

And dispels the troubles of this dark age.

Endowed with strength swiftness, and endurance:

Meek, perky, majestic and outrageous;

Kyango Karkar embodies our goodness.

His enlightened creative energy

Always spontaneously manifests

For the awake warriors of Shambhala,

Giving vitality and success

In out victory over the setting sun.

Rise! Kyango Karkar, mount of King Gesar!

Rise! Inflame basic goodness in my heart!

Rise! Inspire joy for all sentient beings!

Dedicated to Shastri Alice, for kindly giving me the Shambhala Vow, and the entire Shambhala community for sharing their basic goodness. Thank you!

Editor’s Note: After an extended time on death row, Jampa Pawo now has an execution date, set for April 27th. His friends and supporters are collecting funds to cover costs of a Sukhavati ceremony. You can make a donation through the Atlanta Shambhala Center by clicking here; please add “Jampa Pawo Sukhavati” in the comments field to designate the purpose of your contribution. Any funds gathered beyond the actual Sukhavati expenses will be set aside for the support of future prison dharma ministry.

Shambhalian Jampa Pawo writes to us from prison, sharing the experience of visits by prison tour groups

by Jampa Pawo

Dear Shambhala Brothers and Sisters,

Here on death row, we are frequently visited by tour groups. These tour groups usually visit the prison once a week, sometimes they come on multiple days, even twice in one day on occasion. During these tour groups, the inmates must have our cells inspection-ready: clean, with our beds made and cabinets in order, similar to the military. We are forced to stand in our prison uniforms at the front of our cells, remaining silent as people walk by to observe us. Any interactions are forbidden.

For us inmates the tour groups are suffering. We are dehumanized and humiliated. You feel like you have no freedom in that moment, like you’re an animal in the zoo being ogled for amusement. For a death row inmate, the tour groups can feel voyeuristic, like rubberneckers who watch car wrecks on the highway, or vultures circling the dead. Many people on the tour act afraid of us, like we’re monsters. They avoid eye contact and seem nervous. Other people display aggression; they scowl at us and try to appear intimidating. Some people don’t even see us. They stare through us as though we are invisible, and you know they don’t recognize our humanity.

Before I started to practice Dharma, I hated the tour groups. I would get incredibly angry every time a tour group walked through the cellblock. I felt invaded, violated, and humiliated. The majority of men on death row feel that same aversion toward the tour groups, but we conform. You can protest, but you risk being pepper-sprayed, put in the hole, or having your property and privileges taken away.

However, for a Dharma practitioner, the tour groups provide an opportunity to work with those different emotions. To transform my aggression towards the tour groups, I began to use their visits for practice. Whenever the bell rings to announce a tour group, I view it as a call to wake up. I mindfully make sure my cell is ready, and I get dressed using bodhichitta motivations to make my actions into Dharma. As the tour groups enter the cellblock, I gather my mind with windhorse, take refuge and generate bodhichitta. Instead of feeling angry at the tour groups, I remember that they are suffering just like me, that they also want happiness and want to be free from suffering. On that basis, I practice tonglen for everyone present. I absorb our suffering and radiate love, compassion, and wisdom. If any negative emotions arise during the tour groups, I look out the windows at the sky, connect with my mind’s clarity, and view my mind as being luminous like the clear blue sky. The negative emotions are just impermanent clouds which vanish into the mind’s emptiness. It is also helpful for me to recall the teachings on karma.

Recently eight members from the Shambhala Center visited this prison as part of a tour group. For me, this was an uplifting experience. The Shambhala members did not fear us. They didn’t try to intimidate us. They recognized our basic goodness and humanity. Despite being told not to interact with anyone, several members of the Shambhala Sangha bowed to me, and I bowed in return. By acknowledging our basic goodness in this way, we brought dignity and courage to a painful situation. I feel that the Shambhala Sangha blessed the environment of this prison just by being here to bear witness, like an act of purification. I like to believe the other inmates felt that blessing too – even if it was subtle.

The Shambhala members visited the prison on the day before I received the Shambhala Vow from Shastri Alice [Haspray at Gampo Abbey]. In the weeks leading up to taking the vow, I prepared by talking with my teachers, asking questions, reading, and contemplating the Shambhala Vow. My main question was: how do we connect with basic goodness and practice the view of basic goodness in the presence of extreme suffering, especially in prison and on death row? I don’t know if the visit by the Shambhala Sangha answered that question, but they gave me a strong feeling for the power of basic goodness, showing me that basic goodness and dignity are alive in the world – even here on death row! All we have to do is be awake and open and courageous enough to receive its blessing. This was the greatest teaching to have before I took the Shambhala Vow. I prostrate to basic goodness!

Love,

Jampa Pawo

A letter about Jampa Pawo, addressed to the Shambhala Sangha 

from Norma Harris

It is all but certain, though not certain, that Jampa Pawo, a member of the Atlanta Shambhala Sangha, will be executed on Wednesday, April 27^th. We will not know if clemency will be granted until the evening of April 26^th or possibly the morning of April 27^th.  We are now turning our mind to what we can do for Jampa if and when his time has come.

Ani Pema has suggested a passage from The Tibetan Book of the Dead as translated by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Francesca Freemantle and also tonglen practice. This is what Gampo Abbey will be doing. At the Atlanta Shambhala Center we will begin with the Shambhala Sadhana and after that we will recite the passage and do tonglen. I am attaching the passage here so that others of you who would like to be of help to Jampa Pawo at this important time can do so. The Sakyong has been saying prayers for Jampa, and so have the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa, and Ani Pema.

It is difficult to let you know the exact timing. Although the hour has been set for 7:00pm, Jampa’s lawyers will be making last-minute pleas for a stay to the Supreme Court. This process does take its time. It is expected that the pleas will be refused. It is then that the execution will begin to move forward. The lawyers will call Jampa to let him know. The prison will be informed by the attorney general and then they will begin the process. I am told that from that point it takes about 30 minutes for everyone to be in place. There will be a short prayer. The actual process of death by injection takes but a few minutes.

Dan Phillips and I will be witnesses at this execution. We are not permitted to have phones. A member of Jampa’s legal team will help us to make it known to our community. If you would like to participate in tonglen and sending prayers to Jampa coinciding with the time of his death, please email your address to me: normaharris108@gmail.net. We will create a contact list and you will receive a text letting you know the situation. If you will be with a group, please designate one email on the group’s behalf.  

Jampa’s body will be taken to The Atlanta Shambhala Center where he will be until the afternoon of April 30^th when we will have a Shing Kam (Shambhala Pure Land) ceremony.

If you would like to be mindful of Jampa along with us, know that the ceremony will take place at 3:00 p.m. on the 30th.

The funeral expenses for Jampa Pawo include $950 for transportation of his body to and from the Center and for his cremation. We will need to buy him basic clothes. We would also like to have some flowers and some simple refreshments for after the ceremony. The family is able to contribute $200. If you would like to make a donation that will help us to pay for these expenses, please click HERE.

Buddhists must have sangha. Thank you for being Jampa’s sangha.

Passage from The Tibetan Book of the Dead:

Inspiration-Prayer for Deliverance from the Dangerous Pathway of the Bardo

Homage to the gurus, yidams and dakinis,

with their great love may they lead us on the path.

When through confusion you wander in samsara,

on the undistracted light-path of study, reflection and meditation,

may the gurus of the sacred lineage go before you,

their consorts the hosts of dakinis behind you;

may they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

When through intense ignorance you wander in samsara,

on the luminous light-path of the dharmadhatu wisdom,

may Blessed Vairocana go before you,

his consort the Queen of Vajra Space behind you;

may they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

When through intense aggression you wander in samsara,

on the luminous light-path of the mirror-like wisdom,

may Blessed Vajrasattva go before you,

his consort Buddha-Locana behind you;

may they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

When through intense pride you wander in samsara,

on the luminous light-path of the wisdom of equality,

may Blessed Ratnasambhava go before you,

his consort Mamaki behind you;

may they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

When through intense desire you wander in samsara,

on the luminous light-path of discriminating wisdom,

may Blessed Amitabha go before you,

his consort Pandaravasini behind you;

may they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

When through intense envy you wander in samsara,

on the luminous light-path of action-accomplishing wisdom,

may Blessed Amoghasiddhi go before you,

his consort Samaya-Tara behind you;

may they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

When through strong unconscious tendencies you wander

in samsara,

on the luminous light-path of the innate wisdom,

may the vidyadhara warriors go before you,

their consorts the host of dakinis behind you;

May they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

When through fierce confused projections you wander in samsara,

on the light-path of abandoning all fear,

may the Blessed Ones, peaceful and wrathful, go before you,

the host of dakinis, Queens of Space, behind you;

May they help you to cross the bardo’s dangerous pathway

and bring you to the perfect buddha state.

May the element of space not rise up as an enemy,

may you see the Realm of the blue buddha.

May the element of water not rise up as enemy,

may you see the realm of the white buddha.

May the element of earth not rise up as an enemy,

may you see the realm of the yellow buddha.

May the element of fire not rise up as an enemy,

may you see the realm of the red buddha.

May the element of air not rise up as an enemy,

may you see the realm of the green buddha.

May the rainbow of the elements not rise up as enemies,

may you see the realms of all the buddhas.

May the sounds, lights and rays not rise up as enemies,

may you see the infinite realms of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones.

May you know all the sounds as your own sound,

may you know all the lights as your own light,

may you know all the rays as your own ray.

May you spontaneously know the bardo as yourself,

may you attain the realms of the three kayas.

Earth Day 2016 in Shambhala

by Irene Woodard

Wabi-sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic, the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. At least, this is how it is defined on the back cover of Wabi-Sabi by Leonard Koren. This philosophy has nurtured my understanding of myself, family, community and. for this year’s Earth day, the climate….

Yesterday morning’s front page of the New York Times has an article titled “Signing a Hard-Won Climate Accord That Leaves Much to Do.” There we have it, there is much to do. This can be a destabilizing thought, and can stop us in our tracks. What to do? How to do it? In our Shambhala mandala, it is often the place where we get stuck, as we cope with the frequency of big view descending and our longing to to conduct ourselves in ways that meet that vision. But we can help ourselves out in such moments, realizing that our ability to serve the world is simply about taking a single step, in the direction of east. Our hearts have that natural tendency, our inner great eastern compass. And that, for me, has been stabilizing.

Last week at the Rubin Museum, Gloria Steinem and Katherine Hayhoe met for the first time, leaders in their respective fields of feminism and climate science, sitting on the stage and conversing about karma. The karma of this planet, the earth and all that that can mean. A variety of conclusions were agreed upon: reproductive freedom not population control, challenging ‘bigness’ is good, diversity will help provide the solutions, if you have less power talk more & if you have more power listen more. When asked a question about whether we should work inside the system or outside the system, Steinem responded that we are a collective, and should work together this is not verbatim.

But the main point of their discussion was this: at the end of the evening, just before it closed, the moderator from the Rubin asked the two women if there was one thing each member of the audience could do on Earth Day that would be of benefit. Steinem said that since we are adults, there is not just one thing we can do, and that she had faith in the people present there to do what they themselves felt compelled to do. She had faith in us.

Inspired by her, I am emboldened to say the same for us as a mandala. When we are looking for the the one thing we can do, or waiting for guidance from above — DON’T WAIT.  Waiting to find out what the leadership of Shambhala will tell us to do — DON’T WAIT. We have already been told to go ahead. And I have faith at this point that in most of our centers, if not all, there will be some person or some persons with the passion and curiosity to just get going, and to start bringing green initiatives to their centers. Many already have. As Acharya Marty Janowitz is happy to say it, “proceed until apprehended.”

So if you are inspired now, go ahead, read not the rest of these words. If you are the type who needs to see a list of numbers and ways, there is something here for you too, so read on. Not everyone just sets right out with a compass and water bottle. Some of us want to see the map first.

During the First Shambhala Online EcoForum event on September 25, Richard Peisinger from Halifax commandingly spoke up and called for all of Shambhala Centers to get going on green initiatives. He created a draft list: Six Steps for Greening Your Shambhala Center. Briefly, they are:
1. Form a Green Team
2. Go for Low Hanging Fruit
3. Publish Eco-News in your Center Communications
4. Save Energy in Your Center
5. Provide Environmental Programming and Initiatives
6. Define Center Environmental Policies and Procedures
The entire document will be posted on the Shambhala EcoForum page on the Shambhala Network, and also on the Shambhala EcoForum Facebook page, which I for one find much easier to navigate than our dear network.

In addition, Acharya Lobel has suggested that we have five of our centers serve pilot programs, to try the GreenFaith Shield and Certificate programs as guides to going green. Land center, large urban center, small urban centers, tiny groups. Which are you? If you are from a group that would like to be one of these pilots, let me know. GreenFaith has created a step-by-step program for religious institutions to follow. Please contact me if you would like to see the details.

And I trust that there is a lot going on already, things that are happening unknown to the rest of us. In Philadelphia, they have a one day curriculum on the environment that is being rolled out.  This week, I represented Shambhala at the UN Chapel for the presentation of the document Interfaith Climate Change Statement to World Leaders. The high level signatures on this document included our own dear Pema Chodron, as well as Acharyas Lobel and Janowitz. The news brief and video of that event will also be posted on the EcoForum site. Never fear, Shambhala is already present.

So, back to Wabi-Sabi. It is inherently “imperfect, and incomplete but also complete” to go ahead with efforts to change our centers, to go ahead with our own good lives. We have the riches already.  If we wait for further directions from the top of the mandala, the climate devastation will be even worse before we take action. The Sakyong has given us all we need to do the work. Let’s proceed.

Irene Woodard is a Citizen of Shambhala. She serves on the Board of Directors of GreenFaith, and as an environmental action-taker on many levels — at her center (Sky Lake), in her local community, in her own home and life, and on the larger stage as a representative of Buddhist practitioners in regional, national and international forums. Readers can contact her by email at irenewoodard24@gmail.com .

An upcoming event with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Ani Pema Chodron and other wisdom leaders plants the seeds of enlightened society

by Sai Wei

Many of us have followed the media as it documents the violence in our country and the world. The protests in Baltimore, Laquan McDonald, Black Lives Matter, all hold jarring scenarios clearly communicating that something is not in harmony within society. Shambhala has always endeavored to create enlightened society in the here and now. The question that seems to be hanging in the air is: how can Shambhalians participate in these on-the-ground issues with our aspiration to create a good human society?  

Here at the Chicago center, we have begun to educate ourselves on social issues, and have build relationships with a variety of non-profit organizations and other initiatives. We have been offering our experience and expertise in mindfulness and meditation, while they have been offering their years of experience in political activism and working with issues like violence and poverty.

In an effort to begin a more collective effort and to gather Shambhalians with other-like-minded individuals, the Chicago Shambhala Center invites curious and brave warriors for a unique and special three day event at the University of Chicago. From Friday April 29th to Sunday May 1st, 2016, Chicago will be hosting Sakyong Mipham Rimpoche and Pema Chodron to plant the seeds of enlightened society. Acharya Gaylon Ferguson and Shastri Sharlene Leung will be teaching as well. However, entwined with the classic big name teachers of the Shambhala community are those wise  teachers outside of Shambhala.

Angel Kyodo Williams, the renowned African-American Zen dharma teacher, will be a keynote speaker and will also be releasing her new book: Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love & Liberation. Rev. Dr. Michael Pfleger, a well-known social activist and Roman Catholic priest, will be holding a panel session with Damon Williams, an activist with Black Youth Project 100, to discuss social engagement.

The Sakyong will be presenting a talk on Friday, April 29th, and Pema Chodron will be concluding the event on Sunday, May 1st. Sandwiched between these two venerable teachers are panel sessions and workshops to add arrows to the warrior’s quiver.  Workshops include “UNtraining: Healing Racism and Internalized Oppression,” “Mindfulness & Resilience for Helpers & Healers: A Youth Homelessness Panel, “Extremism, Refugees, and Islamophobia,” “Bridging the Divide to Create Safer Communities: Police and Residents,” and many more cutting-edge spaces. For a full schedule of breakout sessions and keynote presentation, the Awaken Chicago website provides an online agenda.

What makes this three day event so refreshing is the rich collection of diverse and powerful voices gathered together and connecting on a heart level. What is being offered is not so much  information on how to be “better” as the possibility for a shift in mind-set. This event offers the opportunity to relate to change differently, letting those who come to this conference shape their own way of thinking in a space of compassion and openness. This space is an effort to bring together the Shambhala community with the wider world in order to work together to create a more compassionate and enlightened society.

The image in my heart of what Awaken Chicago is initiating and what it represents is the flower that blooms in the harsh cracks of the sidewalk. Despite the anguish and suffering one experiences in the streets and homes of an unforgiving world, one still longs for the sunlight. Though no one intends to plant a seed in inhospitable ground, it is where you have fallen. Drawing upon nourishment that is unseen, you bloom in the face of an imperfect world.

Sai Wei is the intern of Social Engagement at the Chicago Shambhala center. She is currently studying at Shimer College with an emphasis on philosophy. 

With an execution date scheduled for April 27, we hear from Jampa Pawo and friend Norma Harris about his life as a prison inmate and as a Shambhala Warrior

by Jampa Pawo and Norma Harris

It is now many weeks ago that Jampa Pawo, the inmate I’ve been writing about on death row, told me that he was mailing back to me a photograph I had sent him of Chogyam Trungpa. The Vidyadhara is in his white uniform, holding an ink brush in the midst of practicing calligraphy. I knew that Jampa liked this photo very much, and I wanted to know why he was returning it. Let me say here that Jampa never complains. But I began to get a clearer picture of life at this prison when he explained about the photograph.

He told me that when it rains, the water pours down the walls of his cell and big droplets form on the ceiling, dripping down to wet his bedding and all that he has. He had Trungpa Rinpoche’s photograph up on the wall. And he noticed that there were lines forming on the photo where water was dripping down it. Although he still liked the photograph very much, he felt the picture was being desecrated. So he was returning it to me. When I received the photograph, I could see thin streaks of red running down the photo where water has caused the pigments to separate. The entire picture is crying.

How bad is life in this prison – really? I have preferred to imagine Jampa in this small cell, living the life of a monk with his basic needs taken care of and nothing to distract him. I know that the surroundings and the people he deals with — the guards, the other prisoners, and the heavy hand of law enforcement — are not monk-like. Yes, he has solitude and he has dharma teachings. But there is much more to it. Of course there is.

Jampa tells me that when he first came to this prison it was run in an organized, professional manner. There was order and sense to the way things were done. During that time no one was being executed because the state was changing the manner of execution from electric chair to lethal injection. Once this transition was complete, and once people were again being killed, the prison began to change. Then, for a brief time, executions were again halted as the composition of lethal injections was being investigated. They have started up again now; since December 2015, people have been killed here every two weeks. The result is that this prison is a sick place and it is crumbling. I asked Daniel to write about this situation. Here is part of what he wrote:

The prison is crying. Its tears drip from the ceilings of cells and dormatories, pour down moldy walls in streams, and pool on the floor in puddles. The prison cries because it is dying. The body of the prison decays in its own suppuration, becoming restless and wild. Despite the fake veneer of fresh wax and paint, like makeup on a rotting corpse, the prison’s anatomy atrophies in decomposition, crumbling from within like a whitewashed tomb. Toilets vomit rivers of feces, trash, and urine: the discharged bowels of the prison. Windows hang in the frames like broken bones, and the prison shivers with a discordant groan of steel and concrete in the cold winter wind. The prison’s light fades into the sickly yellow of jaundiced flesh, its radiance dimmed by metal cages and filthy glass. The sun is setting on this prison.

In this hostile environment of degradation, where our leaders murder human beings in the name of justice, invoking God and the peoples’ will, basic goodness has been abandoned. Inmates and officers, the people who live and work in this institution, fail to recognize one another’s humanity. With confused minds we sink deeper into the despair of setting-sun mentality.

The prison is a manifestation of society’s collective insanity as well as the individual karma of the people who live and work here. [This situation is] a karmic byproduct of the violence that is part of America’s history of violence. There is war in here and there is murder. Lies, rape, theft, bigotry, corruption, genocide, oppression, and racism, all reflected in here as a mirror that reflects American culture. Individually and collectively we have built this monument to setting-sun mentality.

Just as our bodies grow sick and die when our wind energies and elements become imbalanced, the living conditions at this prison decline under lack of leadership and the mental illness of destructive emotions. I’ve lived on death row at this prison for seventeen years. In that time I’ve witnessed the prison’s deterioration from an efficient and organized institution to a living hell on the verge of chaos. The administration and professionalism of the administration has devolved into negligence, incompetence, and indifference. Well-maintained facilities have eroded into disrepair. Decent food has soured into slop. Our contact visits have been all but terminated. Recreational activities and resources such as art supplies, library books, and educational programs have been taken away. Inmates are now placed on 23 hour lockdown without any positive stimulus for our minds.

I have committed murder, stolen the property of others, lied to my loved ones, sold and used drugs, and reveled in others of the ten nonvirtues. These sins and the harm I’ve caused others fill me with remorse and sadness. My heart is broken. To heal these wounds I practice to the best of my ability for the people I’ve hurt, for myself, and for all living beings. If I can heal, the other men at this prison can heal, you can heal, and together we can heal society. I am confident that our aspirations can be accomplished through dharma practice.

I have identified as a Buddhist because I take refuge in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha. I have practiced within the Tibetan tradition. I haven’t wanted to subscribe to any particular lineage. I was originally inspired by the lamrim teachings of the Gelugpa. I also began to study the teachings on the nature of mind and practice meditation as set forth in the Kagyu lineage. I have also followed the mind-training instructions of the ancient Kadampas. And I have been receiving Shambhala teachings for the last while. However, I have been hesitant to call myself a Shambhala Warrior. I felt like it was just another label, another layer of self-reification.

Today I see that being a Shambhala Warrior transcends ego. I feel that I can authentically proclaim my basic goodness and the goodness of all humanity, from this day forward and in all of my future lives. I proclaim myself a Shambhala warrior and vow to establish enlightened society on this earth. As for this life, my appeals are exhausted and the causes of my execution align. I am not afraid. I have faith and confidence in my practice.

If you would like to participate in tonglen and sending prayers to Jampa coinciding with the time of his death, please email your address to Norma Harris: normaharris108@gmail.net. We will create a contact list and you will receive a text letting you know the situation. If you will be with a group, please designate one email on the group’s behalf.  

Editor’s Note: After an extended time on death row, Jampa Pawo now has an execution date, set for April 27th. His friends and supporters are collecting funds to cover costs of a Sukhavati ceremony. You can make a donation through the Atlanta Shambhala Center by clicking here; please add “Jampa Pawo Sukhavati” in the comments field to designate the purpose of your contribution. Any funds gathered beyond the actual Sukhavati expenses will be set aside for the support of future prison dharma ministry.

Social activists and leaders in justice, peace, and enlightened society gather to offer teachings and workshops in Chicago, starting April 29

by Sai Wei

Rev. Father Fleger; photo by Christaan Felber

Awaken Chicago features key teachers at the center of the mandala, Pema Chodron and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, as well as Acharya Gaylon Ferguson and Shastri Charlene Leung, who will be heading a panel discussion and a workshop respectively. However, there are numerous other well-known leaders that hail from outside the Shambhala community. On Saturday, April 30th, a panel discussion between The New York Times featured social activist Rev. Father Pfleger, as well as executive director and founder of Fierce Women of Faith Rev. Dr. Marcenja Richards, and Black Lives Matter organizer Damon Williams at University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall.

Father Pfleger is a famous social activist and senior pastor of St. Sabina, Chicago’s largest African-American Catholic Church. An eloquent public speaker, Father Pfleger is an outspoken advocate for the African-American community in Chicago, and is a highly recognized social activist in the realms of racism, social injustice, poverty, and other social issues. He has been profiled in People, Time, Ebony, Newsweek, The New York Times, U.S.A. Today, and other major media outlets. Father Pfleger is also the founder of numerous institutions, such as: the Employment Resource Center, the Ark Youth Center, Saint Sabina Social Service Center, Thea Bowman Spiritual Advance Center, Samaritan House for the homeless, Saint Sabina 80-unit Elders Village, and the Beloved Community, Inc.

Marcenia Richards, executive director of Fierce Women of Faith; photo by Grace Donnelly

Rev. Dr. Marcenia Richards is founder and executive director of Fierce Women of Faith (FWF), an interfaith group of women and allies working together to bring peace to families and communities across Chicago. Fierce Women of Faith seeks to recruit women of all faiths and denominations to channel grief and anger into activism for change. FWF seeks to deepen relationships with other organizations to support effective solutions to violence, and to pursue a more peaceful and more hopeful future for Chicago. Rev. Dr. Marcenia Richards is also former director of the Peace Coalition Against Violence. She is the author of two books: My Memoirs of … “Bomb The Church”: The War Between Faith and Justice, and 31 Days of Prayer for Wisdom. 

Damon Williams; photo by Melanie L. Brown

Damon Williams will dialogue with Father Pfleger and Marcenia Richards as a young activist with Black Lives Matters. In recent events, he helped organize and lead the protests following the release of the video of the death of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer. Williams is the director of #LetUsBreathe Collective, a fundraising initiative to bring supplies and remedies to protestors in the ongoing resistance against racial violence such as the Fergusson protests. Williams has helped mobilize youth activists across the nation and has helped produce the documentary, “Lost Voices: A Ferguson Story”. #LetUsBreath Collective works with activist groups such as the Black Youth Project (BYP100), HandsUp United, and Chicago Artists Against Injustice. As #LetUsBreathe proclaims on its website, “ It is our duty to fight. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and protect each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains,” quoting Assata Shakur, the Black Panther and Black Liberation Army political activist.

Rev. angel Kyodo Williams; photo by Bethanie Hines

Rev. angel Kyodo Williams is author of the book Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace and the founder of the Center for Transformative Change in Berkeley, California. At the heart of Rev. angel’s activism is a deep commitment to the transformation of people’s interior lives in order to initiate external transformation. She writes, “Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.” She has been covered by media outlets such as The New York Times, Boston Globe, Ms., Essence, Buddhadharma, Village Voice, and the Oxygen Channel. A wise spiritual teacher, Rev. angel is one of the very few African-American Zen teachers and gives deep insight into how the spiritual shapes the narratives of the world stage.

She writes, “As we express our capacities we get stories about whether we are more or less capable. Not only do we get individual stories, we get collective stories. We miss a great deal when we only pay attention to the story that’s been handed to us and we’re not intimately connected to the deeper story of who we really are—as Buddhists say, before our mother was born.” She calls for the inspiration to rewrite the stories given to us, the stories that we take for granted to be true. She will be sitting in interactive sessions with Acharya Gaylon Ferguson on Friday April 29th and Saturday morning April 30th .

Acharya Arawana Hayashi

Acharya Arawana Hayashi will be teaching the workshop “Liberating the Social body” in which participants are taught to gain a clearer sense of their embodiment and how their collective actions effects the larger social body. Through caring of the whole, participants will gain a practice in leadership and agency.  Acharya Susan Skjei will be teaching “Difficult Moments: What to do When You are Triggered” a workshop on how to navigate difficult situations with courage and confidence. She will present the Authentic Leadership model and its five essential practices as the main practice to negotiate triggering moments. Shastri Charlene Leung will be teaching “Untraining: Healing Racism and Internalized Oppression, a compassionate approach to help end unconscious collusion with racism and other social injustices. While connecting to our basic goodness, the workshop introduces contemplative practices to explore social conditioning.

As the gathering of powerful individuals, Awaken Chicago seeks to be space where enlightened society begins and endures. For curious and brave warriors, the Chicago Shambhala center warmly invites one and all to this historic three day event.

Sai Wei is the intern of Social Engagement at the Chicago Shambhala center. She is currently studying at Shimer College with an emphasis on philosophy.