Membership Policy Working Group

Interim Report – July, 2004


Chair: Mary Whetsell

 

Ground

Shambhala Buddhists are a diverse group of individuals who relate to the various forms and practices we have received in a wide range of ways. There is a lack of agreement regarding our identity as an organization/society, and we have been unable to agree on which factors constitute the natural borders of our mandala. We have therefore been unsuccessful in developing a unified, mandala-wide policy which defines membership.

Path

We begin with open and honest reflection and discussion in an attempt to isolate the pith issues regarding membership policy development. We try to make everyone feel safe to say what they really think, and to ask hard questions. We contemplate Why does membership definition seem to be such a difficult issue to resolve? What are the real issues here? We listen to one another, and suspend the need to come up with the right answer. We find out what's already happening mandala-wide regarding approaches to membership and how they relate to the development of healthy communities. Based on the above actions, we figure out where we agree and where we disagree. We find both the wisdom and the language to bridge disagreements, thereby enabling us to create a unified, mandala-wide statement of who we are and how to join us. 

Fruition

As Shambhala Buddhists we will manifest the clarity to define our mandala's boundaries, the confidence to proclaim Here's who we are! and the generosity to welcome and nurture all who would like to join us.


Membership

Susan Wagner of Media, Pennsylvania

Wendy Layton of Halifax, Nova Scotia

Fernando Allyon of Valencia, Spain

Chris Tamdjidi of Cologne, Germany

Candia Ludy of Memphis, Tennessee

Corey Simpson of Boulder, Colorado

Jane Ward of London, England

Francesca Nilo of Santiago, Chile


Special thanks to our unofficial member, Acharya Simon Luna, for his generous input regarding membership and community development in South America. 

Objectives and Status

1.     Facilitate open and emotionally safe venues for all interested Shambhala Buddhists to discuss how we see ourselves as a mandala, and therefore how we view membership.

 

Status: Ongoing. Our evolving understanding of who we are, and therefore of who our members are, has been a dynamic and organic process for at least 30 years. The good news is that interested members seem to feel empowered to offer their views openly, and cynicism regarding the possibility of a unified approach seems to be on the wane.

 

2.     Review writings/teachings by the Vidyadhara, Sakyong Mipham, and our mandalaÕs senior teachers and leaders regarding membership and self-definition issues.

 

Status: Completed. As with the above objective, however, to some extent this will be an ongoing process.

 

3.     Generate a report which identifies core issues and key questions related to membership and self-identity issues.

4.     Educate the mandala-at-large regarding the historical development of membership views as a context for understanding our current lack of agreement.

5.     Generate a report which describes current membership issues and policies at a representative sample of Centers and Groups throughout our Mandala. What are the differences and similarities in membership policy across these groups?

 
Membership Policy Working Group

Status 3, 4 & 5: Completed. Report completed. Topic of core identity is an agenda item for the July meeting. This issue is the key to being able to get agreement on membership policy recommendations.

 

6.     Based on the above activities, generate recommendations regarding a unified Membership Policy for our Shambhala Buddhist mandala.


 

Status: In Process. July meeting discussion will provide important input. 

Reports of Findings Submitted to Date

We have completed one document titled Findings: View of Membership, History of Membership Development, and Current Shambhala Buddhist Membership Practices. This document is organized into three sections which address:

Updated 2004/08/26