This group’s focus was on how to build community among members of Shambhala Centres. They identified several problems: old dogs don’t participate, new dogs don’t feel welcome, there are points where people drift off (pre-seminary, pre-KA)

They proposed several ways to address these problems: first, that all Lodge members become trained in communication and mediation skills (with help from Christie Cashman), that we formulate objectives (what do we expect people to get out of it?), and that within a year, Lodge members begin to transmit the training to others in the centre. Small centres could use a regional approach.

Heaven: Experience warm and joyful community within our sangha

Earth: Richness of our pain and obstacles

Man: We need help and training and inspiration from the leadership combined with sustained exertion on our part. It doesn’t simply arise from practice.

This group examined the principles and functioning of the Shambhala Friendship Society, which aims to spread Shambhala teachings beyond the confines of the centres and people who are interested in meditation, per se. The Society works on the basic understanding that people form connections based on what they are doing in life, and these natural connections can be worked with. The Society has 10 principles (they were printed in either the Bee or the Shambhala News ) all of which seemed suitable for wider adoption except one that dealt specifically with a Maritimes issue (young people leaving the Maritimes). The group agreed to replace this principle with a more general one having to do with paying attention to demographic realities of the centres and regions.