The transcript (PDF) of the Q&A with the Sakyong at the 2005 Congress is now available.

Two of the question/answers (PDF) from 2005 Shambhala Congress Q&A session with the Sakyong have been published:

Q: Seemingly the path for non-Buddhists to practice Werma was eliminated. Will there be a path for non-Buddhists to practice Werma...?

Q: Shambhala Buddhism in a sense has swallowed Shambhala... But in thinking of others who aren’t like myself, I still feel that need for a Shambhala that can speak to people on its own...

The Implementation Kit brings all the key documents of the Congress 2005 and its working groups together with an implemenation plan and follow-up worksheets.

A Provisional Report (PDF) from the just concluded 2005 Shambhala Congress has been released:

The Second Shambhala Congress continued the mandala building begun at the first congress and turned to the need for developing a spirit of inclusiveness capable of holding our diverse traditions, teachers, generations and cultures. It also devoted time to the challenges we face in accommodating change, growth and differences. Read more...

Details on the February 13-17 Halifax Congress meeting are available, including What to Bring, Schedule, Workshops, and lists of attendees, by name, by center, and by country. In addition, an area for sangha-contributed documents is now open.

Reports on Town Hall meetings (PDF) and other Center gatherings on congress-related issues have been posted.

Questions for the Q&A with the Sakyong (PDF) at the upcoming Shambhala Congress, collected from the sangha, have now been posted. Questions can still be mailed in, if they have not already been covered.

The Question of Engaged Buddhism: An Exploration of the Shambhala Tradition (includes interview with Richard Reoch)

A Vajra Dawn voice (Tally Briggs) presents an introductory inquiry to this issue to one of the leading academics in the field at Harvard. "Most schools of thought that call for moral or ethical living engage in positive social change to some degree. The question is how outwardly directed or how passive that action is. …The question actively on the minds of many Shambhala practitioners, teachers, and future leaders today is: How can we as Buddhists manifest our beliefs in action? What is our responsibility, beyond practicing compassion, to actively work to change the structural causes of suffering? As we move into the 21st century with war, genocide, and starvation still very much a part of our world condition, we must actively and intensely explore our options to effect positive social change as we progress along the Buddhist path."

The final version of the Community Care and Conduct (PDF) report has been posted, along with an introductory letter (PDF):

This will tell you how we aim to deal with conflicts that arise between individuals within the mandala, and the role of the Shambhala leadership at all levels in helping with this.

Notes on Diversity and Accessibility (PDF) (revised 2005/01/09).

A section for Key Documents has been started - top menu item at left - and will be updated periodically to point to the most important Congress documents. Read this if you can't read everything. It now includes:

Statement of the Mandala Governing Council - The Ground of Openness and Trust

New Shambhala Governing Structure - Summary (PDF)

Working Group Proposals - Summary [Web] [PDF]

Calling a Talking Circle in Shambhala - 2-page summary (PDF)

New Shambhala Governing Structure: Summary (PDF) Full Text (PDF)

A new governing structure for Shambhala will come into effect on Shambhala Day 2005. Based on mandala principle, the structure establishes a new balance between hierarchy and genuine participation through the mandala. It will be in effect for two years, giving time for further development.

Résumé des propositions de réformes examinées par le Conseil du Gouvernement du Mandala: French version of Boston Mandala Governing Council meeting summary.

"This paper on the Tenets of Shambhala Governance was prepared in order to highlight and encourage dialogue on key tenets that seem particularly important as we develop this new community plan. It is not intended to be a complete or final list, but to offer wording for central, overarching tenets. It is a collaborative paper which we expect will evolve along with our vision of governance.

The Tenets are first set out as simple statements. Following that, the rationale for each one is individually presented."

Read more...

Sommario delle proposte di riforma discusse dal Comitato di governo del mandala (PDF) : Italian version of Boston Mandala Governing Council meeting summary.

Communications Working Group minutes of December 19 meeting: translations into multiple languages of the Boston MGC summary, plus discussion of organizing talking-circle style checkins as part of community town halls about Congress issues.

Zusammenfassung der Reformvorschläge Nach der Diskussion des Mandala Governing Council (PDF) - summary of December Mandala Governing Council meeting, in German.

The Membership Policy Working Group releases the final draft of its Membership Policy Recommendations (PDF).

The Community Care Working Group presents minutes of its November 16 conference call [PDF version], which included preparation for the December Mandala Governing Council meeting, and discussion of questions submitted about the nature of the community being served.

Spanish version of the Mandala Governing Council summary of reform proposals (thanks to Luz Rodriguez).

More reports and recommendations from the Boston Mandala Governing Council meeting of Dec. 4-7:

• Core Services (PDF)
  
• Leadership (PDF)
  
• Diversity (PDF)
  
• Outreach (PDF)
  
• Community Care (PDF)

From the Mandala Governing Council meeting held in Boston, December 4-7:

• a summary of the reform proposals (PDF)
  
• recommendations on the purpose and process of the Shambhala Congress (PDF)
  
• the Shambhala Charter Model (PDF), an agreement signed by organizations within the Shambhala mandala
  
• hiring a Chief Financial Officer (PDF)
  
• a Funding Model (PDF) for core services provided by Shambhala to its centers, groups and members
  
• recommendations on Financial Reporting (PDF) mandala-wide
  
• report on Communicating Change (PDF)
  

The Communication Working Group talks about using the web forums, telephone conference calls, and town hall meetings to help "facilitate the discovery process mandala-wide... to encourage questions so we can help surface the truth in all areas of concern".

The Membership Policy group releases minutes of its November 2 meeting, devoted to final revisions of its recommendations document, to be published after the December Mandala Governing Council meeting.

Full details on the Shambhala Congress 2005, to be held February 13-17, 2005, in Halifax, are now out, as well as the congress registration and the Pema Karpo program registration pages.

Spanish and French translations of the guidelines for Shambhala Ngondro Practice and Study for the Coming Year are now posted on the Congress Bulletin Board (scroll down to see Spanish and French versions).

The Outreach working group's taskforces report on advertising, marketing, gateway classes, and community support, and tracking before, during and after gateway programs.

The Practitioner Survey / Encuesta para Practicantes / Sondage auprès des Pratiquants has been extended until November 15 - take it now!

The Leadership Development and Succession Planning group met September 30th , setting individual projects on court principle and leadership development, community consultation and member development, leadership curriculum, role of center directors in Mandala Governing Council, etc. The Communications Working Group, in its phone conference of October 10, notes the lack of participation in the Congress review-group mailing lists and, so far, the Congress discussion forums, and considers how to promote dialog both before and after the upcoming early-December Mandala Governing Council meeting.

The Membership Policy working group suggests some resolutions to a number of membership policy issues: necessity for sitting meditation, roles of meditation instructors, non-affiliated members, volunteering, dues, recognizing members.

The Social Engagement Advisory Group reports on Social Engagement at Varja Dawn.

Spanish and French versions of the Diversity and Accessibility working group's Practitioner Survey have been posted.

The Diversity and Accessibility working group provides a link to results of the upcoming survey of Mandala Governing Council members. Meanwhile, an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is starting to develop on the New Shambhala Buddhist Practices Congress forum. Please contribute your own questions and comments.

You can now subscribe to the Congress site - it is syndicated, via RSS (Rich Site Summary), just like weblogs and many news sites. Add it to your newsreader or blog aggregator: just right- or control-click on the RSS icon to copy the Congress feed address. You'll know when something new shows up on the Congress site.

The Leadership and Succession group posts its September 16th meeting minutes.

The Diversity and Accessibility working group is conducting a Center Directors Survey. You can see the results so far. This is in addition to the Practitioner Survey.

The 2005 Shambhala Congress bulletin boards are now open. Also check out the information on the Congress 2005 and Pema Karpo program dates.