Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Shambhala Congress
Halifax, Nova Scotia
November 4-9, 2003
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SHAMBHALA CENTER IN MEXICO (TEPOZTLAN-CUERVAVACA

 

We are very pleased with this proposal from Shambhala International and we thank all of the organizers for including advance consultation with all of the centers. This initiative coincides with a strongly felt need in our group to further consolidate our own community, and at the same time to be able to respond more to the needs of the larger society.

 

While it is true that the Shambhala teachings stand on their own the energy of the community is also necessary so that they truly have a home. The different sanghas in different places are the dwelling-places of these teachings and each has it’s own particular characteristics. As you are suggesting, this great range of experience within the sangha provide an invaluable source of knowledge that we can all benefit from sharing.

 

Therefore, it seems that within the structure of the congress it would be useful to organize meetings between centres that are living similar processes. (This could be defined according to the number of members, size of their host cities, the kind of culture they belong to- for example areas that still practice indigenous traditions, - etc.) This would allow these centers to work together on common issues. Perhaps these discussions could fit under the category of  “self-organized workshops” and we would need to figure out what the descriptive categories would be.

 

 

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

 

 

 HOW WE SEE OURSELVES WITHIN THE MANDALA

 

Mexico is a country with it’s own profound and ancient spiritual tradition   Over the centuries it has incorporated and been enriched by the different spiritual expressions that have arrived here.

 

The Shambhala teachings have come to us thanks to Chogyam Ttungpa’s personal interest in having this happen. Due to his instructions in 1986 the first meditation group started here, several Shambhala levels were held and a larger group was consolidated. From 1993 to 1995 there was more attention given to intensive training in the Buddhist tradition. This year a group of approximately 35 people finished Heart of  Warriorship  and began the Sacred Path Program. We are planning to finish those 6 levels by the beginning of 2004. At the same time we have worked more deeply with the Buddhist teachings through weekly study groups, nynthuns, and Buddhist programs, retreats, and weekthuns taught by Acharya Allyn Lyon. The core group is consists of about 50 people, and in open programs we have had up to 80 people. We have just recently begun a Nalanda Arts program, which we hope to expand in the next years.

 

At this time our greatest challenge is to find and buy land for a retreat center where we could recieve large groups and offer programs for people from other countries.

 

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE SANGHA

 

A sense of hospitality, warmth and joy. An important cultural characteristic of México is the capacity to create heart connection and participate fully in different communities and groups. For the last three years we have had vigils and community get-togethers around a fire pit in our center that we built for this purpose. These are warm, joyful gatherings that include music, dancing, food, storytelling and the opportunity to simply enjoy each other. In this loving, warmhearted atmosphere, we have encountered a deeper understanding of what it means to be a community where the dharma is not only spoken or taught, but lives and breathes within and among us. We believe this means being a community that values openness of heart above all else

We have discovered that this goal involves several aspects…

 

Cultivating an attitude and atmosphere of openness to and enjoyment of learning, which can be directly experienced and transmitted to others.  Our goal is to enjoy learning so much that this becomes contagious to others.

             

 Coordinating the different administrative areas in pairs rather than individually. This has to do both with cultivating enjoyment of learning from others and with breaking our habitual patterns of being very comfortable with what we already know how to do. This habit tends to isolate people from each other.

 

The pairs look likes this: There is one person who feels they know how to coordinate a certain area along with another who feels that they don’t know and want to learn about that area.  The one who “knows” learns how to share what they “know”  and sees the other as the student within him. The one who is “learning” sees the other as the teacher within him. Each is a mirror for the other, reflecting both their blind spots and hidden capacities.

 

Cultivating a sense of humor towards our own and other’s mistakes. We have discovered that this is extremely important at all levels of our organization.  On the one hand the coordinators know they have to learn and grow as they carry out their responsibilities, and in order to do this they must not only make mistakes, but also benefit and learn from them. At the same time, each time someone offers to take on a task or responsibility that is new for them others have the job of trusting and supporting them knowing they will do their best, and their best will include mistakes, because, again, they are learning. Regardless of the material outcome of the person’s efforts we feel it is essential to recognize the gift which each person is offering when they take on a responsibility and   consider that their mistakes come from their heart and can be met with open and compassionate heart. When we can keep our sense of humor alive and remember that our goal is always to be open to learning we can actually celebrate when a mistake is made. In this way we support each other, and help ourselves and each other to continuously open up to new learning.

 

 Cultivating an atmosphere of lightheartedness and enjoyment   We try to cultivate this sense of openness and kindness towards self and others in all the aspects of our work in the sangha. In this way all of our experiences can be vehicles for joyful learning rather than deadening our interest with and enthusiasm with criticism and heavy handedness.

 

 Remembering the difference between heart and form This involves cultivating openness and letting go so that we can understand that our goal is not to have things come out “perfectly” but to work with the proper attitude; that is having trust and acceptance for the ideas and personal styles of the different people who are participating with us. There is never one perfect way to do things, so keeping our sense of humor we try to deepen our understanding that there can be great learning from an event that doesn’t turn out well, or is riddled with difficulties. This can be more beneficial for all involved than an event that looks perfectly efficient but was carried out without heart.

 

 When there is conflict look for what is missing When conflict arises, instead of blaming someone or something we are learning to look for what is missing; the piece we need in order for things to function better. When we discover what it is we need this is also a cause for celebration because it brings us greater clarity.

 

 Barriers to learning Staying with what we already know because it is comfortable for us.

Needing to hide what we don’t know and closing ourselves off to thee possibility of learning from others.

Being blind to what we don’t know. Not being able to ask for help: considering that needing help is a sign of some kind of personal problem, or thinking that one has to resolve all problems alone, or only being willing to accept the kind of help that one has already decided is appropriate. Lack of confidence in the support of the dralas and the lineage.

 

 Volunteer work. Our organization relies heavily on a broad basis of volunteer work, rather than paid staff. This has both advantages and disadvantages for us. On the one hand no one can dedicate himself or herself fulltime to the drama, but at the same time it allows people to continue to develop themselves in their professions while participating in the center. It also eliminates a greater economic load for us, as from a financial point of view we are barely able to maintain the center and continue to develop programs at this point.

 

Within the coordinating council (eight people) we try to be respectful and understanding of what is going on in the personal life and professional of each member so that when there is a particularly demanding moment for someone others can be supportive and alternative ways to cover that person’s responsibilities can be found. It also means that many people are participating in the organization of programs, and other aspects of the center and therefore learning about how different areas function. (Of course this provides us all with wonderful opportunities to make a lot of new mistakes all the time!)

 

The coordinating council has the responsibility of keeping the vision of the center on track and looking for what is missing in order to keep the dharma expanding.

 

 Promises and commitments. There are many areas and many moments where different people can commit themselves to different tasks within the organization. This gives us the opportunity to work with issues of boundaries and clarity in our petitions and our comittments. Every time someone is willing to carry out a task, be it

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CHICAGO SHAMBHALA CENTER

 

Introduction

The Shambhala Meditation Center of Chicago sees our relationship to the wider mandala, to Shambhala International, to our sister centers, to our wider Chicago community, and to our Midwest community, as being one of reciprocity.  We feel quite rich in what we receive from the wider mandala and in what we are able to give to the wider mandala.  Because of our recent successful experiences with hosting the Sakyong’s visit to the Midwest, we are beginning to take our seat consciously as a big city center, acknowledging—with some surprise—our vibrancy.

 

What follows is a description of how we see ourselves at this moment in time and what we see ourselves as being able to contribute.  We collected these ideas, thoughts, and aspirations at a Community Gathering held on June 15 and from the work of the center’s Resource Development Committee.

 

Financial Resources

 

Sharing with Shambhala International

Our Resource Development Committee will present the following proposal to our Executive Council for sharing our financial resources with Shambhala International.  We propose that we contribute 5 to 15 percent of our net program income, of our unrestricted donations, and of our membership dues to Shambhala International.  We think that, in order to facilitate budgeting, Shambhala International may want to charge each center a monthly amount, based on each center’s previous year’s net income.

 

Sharing with Other Centers

Since we are fortunate enough to be operating in the black, to have been able to compensate Acharyas according to the guidelines recently proposed, and to own our center, we feel we may have some experience that we could share with other centers in this regard.  We have a policy of sharing our finances openly with the whole center community.  We are at the beginning of a process of developing a center-wide budget that will include all programs that we offer, our regular practice times, our bookstore, and all social events.  At this point we have developed a budget that includes all of our Buddhist classes and programs.

 

Membership

We are proposing that all center memberships be dual memberships in the local center and in Shambhala International.  Here in Chicago, our Resource Development Committee is proposing to our Council, that membership be opened up to allow people to come in more easily, possibly at the level of $100 per year and that there be discounted memberships for students and the elderly.  All members would have these membership benefits:  our quarterly newsletter, discounts on all programs, and discounts at our bookstore.  Our committee is further proposing a more “committed” level of membership, where members would contribute at least $60/month or execute a contract with the center for contributing their time for a year at certain designated tasks.  These members would receive a key to the center, in addition to the other membership benefits. 

 

 

Curriculum

We see ourselves and other centers as a testing ground for programs and curriculums.  We have, and will continue to, apply ourselves very diligently and intentionally to implementing the Shambhala School of Buddhist studies courses.  For all courses not requiring an Acharya, we have a senior teacher, a less senior teacher, a coordinator, and when possible, a Shambhala Guide responsible for each course.  This team meets ahead of time to lay out how they will teach the curriculum and meets for a feedback session after each class.  We have some experience in this regard that we could share with the wider mandala.  (We did not participate in the conference call to do this, but will submit responses to the questions asked.)

 

Role in the Midwest

As an outgrowth of our role in hosting the Midwest Regional Office of Practice and Study Conference and the Midwest visit of Rinpoche on his recent book tour, we here in Chicago would like to take some role of coordination in the Midwest.  We enjoyed our role of host and liked extending our hospitality to the other Midwest centers.  We would like to initiate increased communication among the centers here in the Midwest to explore how we can share resources, ideas, teachers, and Acharyas, how we can better coordinate Shambhala Training levels, Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies courses, or other programs.  It also seems appropriate that we get together to plan for the future of our Midwest Shambhala Retreat Center.  Most of the centers of the Midwest are at greater geographic distance from one another than the centers in the east or on the west coast, so the way in which we work together will have to be shaped by this factor.  We would be willing to initiate this effort by facilitating a meeting of the Midwest centers at the Shambhala Congress. 

 

One final thought, it was very powerful and inspiring for us to gather as the Mid-western sangha for the Community Talk given by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.  It would be good for us to repeat this annually or biannually for the visit of Rinpoche or some other major teacher. 

 

Sister Centers

One of our members had the idea of centers linking as sister centers for a year or more.  During this time the two centers would share with one another how they operate, their successes and challenges, their newsletters, etc.  Delegations of members could visit back and forth.  Perhaps, even teachers could be shared.  This could link a beginning center with a more established one, or could link centers from different countries, or centers alike in their size and location.

 

Creating Enlightened Society

While we have established the value and the precedent of organizing help for each other when a community member is in need, we want to go further in supporting one another.  Some ideas put forth for doing this are the following: to create a directory of expertise that community members have, so that members could call upon other members when needing that kind of expertise, helping both themselves and the livelihood of the member performing the service, to re-activate the delek system, or to have each member keep five community members in mind and check on them periodically.  Here in Chicago, we will experiment with different ways to stay connected with one another, in the spirit of the delek system, but probably without that name and with new structures that fit our huge urban area and busy lives.  It would be good to explore this as a topic at the Shambhala Congress.

 

Being in the center of the most diverse part of an immense urban area carries with it much opportunity, challenge, and responsibility.  Our center is located on a main artery in the area of Chicago called Rogers Park, the most diverse area of the city.  To reach out to our community, beyond our regular times of being open for meditation and meditation instruction, we plan to offer monthly How to Meditate classes on Saturday mornings based on Rinpoche’s book, with several Meditation Instructors and our Shambhala Guides taking the lead.  We also want to join with some service already being offered in Rogers Park, such as a food pantry.  We are renewing our active participation in the Midwest Buddhist Council and have a member that would like to help us connect with the wider religious community in Rogers Park.  Finally, we intend to catalog what our members are already doing in the wider community.  We are just at the beginning of engaging with our wider community, but we have strong consensus that we want to do this.  Again, this would be an area in which we could learn from others at the Shambhala Congress.

 

Acharyas and Senior Students

Recently, we have had a spate of key people leave Chicago.  Bill Brauer left to direct Karmê Chöling, Ben Medrano left to be Kusung for Rinpoche, Mary Fugiel left to go to Gampo Abbey for at least six months, someone else is retiring and moving out of the Chicago area, and another member is moving to Karmê Chöling.

 

This, combined with the fact that we have few senior students to begin with and that one of the people who left was a senior student and a senior teacher, is causing us some grief and consternation.  It has increased our longing to have an Acharya live in Chicago.  We are able to attract many teachers to our Center.  This fall and early winter we will have the honor of hosting Jim Scott, Acharya John Rockwell, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and Acharya Lief.  We are moving toward an arrangement with Acharya Lief—sharing her on a regular basis with the Atlanta and Washington DC centers. 

 

We are also moving to bolster our Vajrayana energy at our Center by creating a Vajrayana Shrineroom, having monthly Vajrayana practice days, having quarterly Vajrayana practice weekends at the Midwest Shambhala Retreat Center (along with Milwaukee), and making sure our Padmasambhava and Vajrayogini feasts take place.  We also have the goal of increasing our Ngondro Meditation Instructors from three to five this year.  Having Acharya Rockwell teach a Vajrayana weekend here in October should also inspire Vajrayana students.

 

The upside of not having a lot of senior students at our Center, is that those of us who came along after the Vidyadhara had passed are working with the senior students we have, are stepping into appropriate leadership and teaching positions, and are opening the doors for even newer students to come in, to practice and learn, and to take on beginning leadership roles.  This makes for good energy and for a feeling that the Center belongs to all of us.

 

Conclusion

We look forward to taking an active role in the continuing Shambhala Congress process.  We would be happy to send more information on any of the points mentioned in this report or other areas. 

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ATLANTA SHAMBHALA CENTER

 

(Thank you for the opportunity)

 

FORMAT SUGGESTIONS

We would like every question that is posed at the congress to have a section that inquires “What works and/or what doesn’t work at your center in regard to this issue?”

 

 

AREAS OF CONCERN

 

Finances

·         How to deal with scholarships, and. work exchange in payment for programs at local centers.

How to instill a sense of wanting to contribute to programs with either money or labor; a sense that some   exchange needs to happen. Is it always the case that some exchange needs to happen?

·         How to encourage regular financial support from individual center members for their center and for Shambhala International.  Should such support be packaged together with a center sending a percentage of their dues on to SI?

·         What percentage of program income, as contrasted with dues, should be sent to Shambhala International as a whole; what is the reason Shambhala Training is the only department that now ask that centers to send a percent of their program income to them.

·         What additional things can we, in the centers do, to stabilize Kalapa Court and Shambhala International financially so there is a sense of stability and well being that can radiate from the center of the mandala.

·         What is the financial relationship between Kalapa Court, Prvy Purse and Shambhala International?

 

Enlightened Employer

 

 

Physical Spaces

 

Society and Caregiving

 

Is there a way or ways to structure community that enhances a local community’s ability to care for its members?

·         How to identify people who need help as well as how to respond to them with appropriate resources.

Communications

Public Controversy

 

Involvement & Membership

 

 

How to Address Practical & Avocational Needs of Community

Many of the people who come to our centers not only want to explore a spiritual path, but they   have personal practical needs with which they need help, such as:

1.       How to work with dying friends;

2.       How to be a good parent; 

3.       How to have intimate relationship  

4.       How to initiate personal change in livelihood or relationships

5.       How to determine right livelihood

·         Since there is currently no central support for this type of programming how can we be more forthcoming with this kind of help?

·         What guidelines would there be for community trade people, business people, medical people, poets, crafts persons, artists and others who want to share their expertise at local centers through presenting programs?

·         How can we identify and distribute information about professional resources available through the sangha, locally, regionally, and globally?

Diversity

Family/Households

 

Cultural Support

Social Outreach

 

Community Outreach

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LEXINGTON SHAMBHALA CENTER


 Sunny greetings from Lexington!  First of all, please know that our center is 100% with the direction of the movement being initiated from Halifax.  We are so appreciative of the open communication that is helping us all clarify our thinking on how we are manifesting both internationally and locally.  Creativity is joyfully rising to the occassion ~

 Our Council met this past Saturday to discuss the various issues that are "on the table" at this time.  Our local sangha has been committed to addressing these changes for over a year now, and we were heartened to discover through conference calls and email last summer that other centers were going through the same process.  Here in Lexington, it seems we are in major "systems level changes", to the next higher levels of organization, and that what we are all experiencing may reflect a gobal shift of consciousness.

We have had several community meetings over the past year, (and will be having at least one more before November), and have decided to organize our structure based on Mandala principle.  We have used the traditional mandala form and juxtaposed the buddha families at the four directions, with Buddha wisdom holding the space at the Center of the mandala. The Sakyong is at the very center, and since the throne in any of our traditional iconography is pictured as a square, we have a square in a circle, representing Nirmanakaya Buddha, and buddha nature in all of us.  The next closest ring in signifies the local teaching group of MIs, and this is surrounded by Council.  The four gates represent ways people come into the community, so we have Shambhala Training, Dharmamdhatu, Nalanda and a Community Gate, for those individuals who only want to practice meditation at this time.  In between the cardinal points, are the functions, which relate to all the gates, including Administration, Finance, Kasung, Outreach, Communication & Media, Membership, Center Warrior, and Practice and Education.  One major value of organizing in this way is that we are remembering to think of ourselves as a whole, and not separate parts.
And, as you might guess, the mandala is "complete, but never arranged"! 

 One of the ongoing issues which has plagued us for years revolves around the question of membership.  Finances are also a major concern.  We wonder if International is looking at new ways to generate revenues along with dues and fundraisers?  Given that we are also recognizing angst within the local mandala because the policy of Shambhala Training is tighter, we wonder if the tithing policy of ST might not be used on a mandala-wide basis, or at least to begin working toward this?  We have a clear consensus that working together as a whole unit is the way to proceed.  Even though we recognize the value of separating Nalanda as an educational foundation, and dharmadhatu as a religious organization, has creative advantages relative to taxes and banking, in our actual thinking and planning, our view is "taking whole".

 We are also intending to address issues related to length of terms for Council and Director(s), and consider how these positions are filled. At this point, we are operating by consensus, but recognize the limitations of this process of decision-making in large groups.  Is International recommending guidelines related to process issues?

These are some of the issues we are addressing so it is a very busy time, filled with lots of communication, lots of possibilities, and a manageable portion of uncertainty.  It is helping the trust grow within the community to have these issues out on the table and being discussed in open space, and the dialogue between center and fringe is delightfully informative.

A number of us who attended Kalapa Assembly in 2000 really liked the Collaboration Groups.  We do want to note the frustration of many to having to choose only one group to relate to for the entire time period.  For the Congress, perhaps there could be a variation on this theme by having various discussion group topics set up with one facilitator.  If we plan to have movement between plenary sessions and smaller discussion groups, we could remain together as a working group for the sake of building the energy within a container of trust, and these groups could move from topic to topic over a period of several days so that everyone would have a chance to address each major topic area.  Maybe at the close of each day, the entire assembly could hear summaries from each of the "fixed points", the facilitators.  We can find ways to continue the discussion beyond the Congress, and we can also find ways to make sure we have action items with certain individuals "claiming" parts of the work.

 It has also been requested that we find ways to be in daily touch with local sangha via email or conference calling so they can be more actively involved in the proceedings.  It would be helpful to designate times and places for this to happen.

 Another request, for future planning, is that the Congress be held during the summer so our University faculty members would have the option of participating.

 In closing, we extend our deep appreciation for the priviledge of participating in these history-making changes in these precious moments of now.  We look forward to continuing the discussions.  Thank you all at International ~

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MINNEAPOLIS SHAMBHALA CENTER

 

The following represents the comments and suggestions garnered from the Minneapolis community in response to the

 

Shambhala Congress Vision:

To set the background for our comments in this regard we interpreted the presentation of the Congress Vision to center around two broad themes or objectives (hereafter referred to as the themes of the congress or simply the themes) and multiple discussion topics relating to specific ways in which those themes might be addressed, expanded upon and carried out.

In addition to these goals of vision we also singled out three goals of practice that we would like kept in mind as the congress is planned.

 

That said our comments regarding the discussion topics is as follows:

 

  1. Blossoming Outward.  Although “blossoming outward” was mentioned as a theme of the congress, none of the mentioned discussion topics related to the specifics of how we might carry that out.  In particular we saw the second and third bullet points listed under the heading of “blossoming outward” as being critical discussion topics.
    1. Extending our wisdom to other organizations. 
    2. Deepening our dialogue around issues of social change and global politics. 
  2. Building the Shambhala Mandala.  It was thought that the discussion topic labeled “Building the Shambhala Mandala” is too broad to be simply one among the many topics.  This topic might need to be cast more precisely, possibly building in the following way:
    1. Sense of inclusion.  Some centers feel close to the heartbeat of things while others might feel they are on the fringe or frontier.  There is little cohesiveness in the mandala beyond the uniformity of the teachings.  How can we create the sense that we are all part of the same whole and that that whole is a tightly woven tapestry?  This sense begins with a strong vision and authentic leadership much of which is already in place but…
    2. Communication.  Having the vision is not enough.  In general it seems that the day to day logistics of communication and organization is missing.  How shall we handle communication among the many Shambhala centers, between centers and International, and between International and the centers?  Do the lines between International and the centers need to be opened up so that they flow freely in both directions and, if so, what might that look like given the limited budget of International?  How can Centers have a clearer awareness of other centers so that the manadala begins to feel more like a web rather than a wheel?  But communication is not the end... 
    3. Resource sharing.  The point of clear communication is the practical application of the adage “strength in numbers”, i.e. knowledge and resource sharing that will fit the pieces together.  Each center has its own strengths and blind spots.  How can we quickly communicate what has worked and what hasn’t worked so that every center is not reinventing the wheel?  How can we foster mentoring relationships to make sure tacit knowledge is passed on?  Might we build the mandala in chunks by cultivating a stronger sense of regional unity with regional ownership of leaders and resources?
  3. Shambhala Norms and Customs.  We would like to have some discussion about how we might manifest Shambhala in our day to day working and home lives not simply in our centers and programs.  How do Shambhalians behave?  How would people—strangers, colleagues, co-workers, and neighbors—know us to be Shambhalians?  In what ways do we practice in addition to formal practice?
  4. Principles of Conduct.  We would like to have discussions around the principles of conduct and again discuss how these could be better incorporated into our living, our home and working lives.  Particularly we would like to discuss conduct around sex and power and also discuss how to deal with things in a crisp and formal way when misdeeds do occur.
  5. Shambhala History.  Start capturing a Shambhala history and learn how we can reconcile our principles of conduct, our norms and customs with the crazy wisdom embodied in and emanating from an enlightened teacher.  When people ask us “How is that not a cult?” or “Didn’t your teacher die of alchoholism?” how might we respond?  Everyone has their own answers to questions like these and, to be sure, part of this path is discerning our own answers.  However, there is also a lot to gain by listening to the answers of those who have been around for a while.  Before too many first generation Shambhalians—people who knew Trungpa personally—die off it would be good to start assembling this first hand knowledge, start creating a sense of what has gone before and generating some feeling of being part of something not only in space but in time.  Why isn’t there a biography of Trungpa picking up where Born in Tibet leaves off?  
  6. Death and Dying.  There needs to be a discussion of death and dying both in how we care for our aging contingent and how we can offer practical help for people who would like to deal with their dead in a Shambhala or Buddhist way.  Some of this relates back to norms and customs but also brings up very practical questions surrounding topics that Americans in particular are often loathe to discuss.  What is the best way to remember Shambhala in my will?  Are there any Shambhala retirement communities?  What is appropriate care for elderly or senile loved ones?  How can I help my loved ones through a painful or otherwise difficult dying process?  What support is there for a Buddhist/Shambhala funeral and how can I go about getting it done?

 

Planning and conducting the Congress

  1. Registration.  The congress should center around plenary sessions, keynote speeches and presentations and informal, informational gatherings to support networking.  In addition, there should be breakout sessions in the morning and afternoons each day for working groups to take up particular topics of discussion.  These groups should be 10-15 people organized around a particular discussion topic in a format that suits the participants.  In addition it would be good if participants focused on one discussion topic throughout the congress in order to create some momentum and energy in the work.  In this way these breakout sessions would be like tracks for which the participants could sign up.  In order to provide for an appropriate size and format conducive to the participants we should have people register for the topics that they are most passionate about (listing their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices) and also indicate their preferences for format.
  2. Poster Sessions.  With networking being one of the main purposes of the Congress we felt something like a poster session might be a perfect opportunity to share ideas and meet people from other centers who are doing innovative things.  These would be informal gatherings in a hall where people could set up a pre-made poster outlining something that went well at their center.  Participants could then wander around and quickly pick up on things that might fly at their own centers.
  3. Participant Packet.  It might be nice if people could receive a packet upon registration that contained a set of 30 or 40 “business cards” listing the participant’s center, name and address in order to facilitate networking opportunities.  This packet might also contain a three ring binder and encourage anyone with information to disseminate to three-hole punch their literature or even make three hole punches available at the congress.

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OTTAWA SHAMBHALA CENTRE

This is a list of key issues, proposed by the Ottawa Shambhala Centre, for consideration at the Shambhala Congress.

·         Identifying the core values of Shambhala.

·         Simplifying the organization and its operations in order to focus on activities directly related to our core values.

·         Relating all our programs, such as Shambhala Art, to our core values as a means of manifesting these values within the larger society.

·         Placing more emphasis on how the Shambhala Buddhist teachings can be practically integrated into both our individual lives and into building more humane communities.

·         Developing links with other community, social and spiritual groups and organizations with similar values, and joining together with them to develop initiatives to create a more peaceful and humane society.

·         Developing organized volunteer and charitable activities aimed at benefitting those who are the most vulnerable members of society; such activity would also increase the visibility of Shambhala in local communities.

·         Providing on-going support to community members, particularly to those experiencing difficulties in their lives.

·         Exploring ways to reconcile the conflicting demands of our personal and collective desire to "turn the flower outward," and the competing time/energy stresses related to livelihoods and family.

·         Working towards the development of a more diverse community.

·         Developing our capacity to raise funds in an efficient, transparent and effective manner.

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WASHINGTON D.C. SHAMBHALA CENTER

We at the Shambhala Center of Washington DC had an open meeting to read the Treatise and discuss the Shambhala Congress.

 

We applaud the effort to host the Congress and felt the issues identified were certainly the primary ones we are concerned with.  We are particularly concerned with the financial health of Shambhala International and are exploring ways we at a local level can offer support while balancing our financial needs.

 

We also had a few suggestions to add:

 

 

Thanks you for all your work

 

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FLORIDA CENTERS AND GROUPS

 

Education:
Our members would like more classes and study groups....we have limited staffing ability... as one member put it  "So I don't know if that means more teaching materials and more teacher availability to take the load off you and Paula, or what but I think that if we were offering a variety of classes, we could advertise and attract more people"

Related to that are people from all over the state who want to study Shambhala Buddhism, but don't live near a center.  They might benefit from online courses and workbooks that prepare them for onsite classes with senior teachers.  That same format could be used by intown students as well when there are a shortage of skilled teachers.

Practice:
The same shortage of meditation instructors as teachers applies in our area.  It is difficult to provide the personal ongoing support for all new people, and we have no one authorized at the ngondro or sadhaka level. I personally am qualified to take the ngondro instructor course, but don't have the time (or money) to travel to a far away center to do so.  If this could be provided online it would be very helpful as well.  I talked with Gils about this possibility at SMC, and he was interested.  He is going to talk to Reggie about working with the material he presents this fall at SMC.

Volunteerism/Pay:
It has been almost a full time volunteer job for the last 4 years to get our center up and going, to teach, and administrate and handle communications.  As we grow and reach more people, the teaching requests from around the state are also increasing.  I would like to look at a structure that allows teachers (and administrators where possible) to get paid a reasonable fee from the monies charged for the program that they teach.

Questions to consider:

Does the administration need to be centered in Halifax?  Might it not be better to have people spread out throughout the different regions of the country (world) who communicate by phone and computer with occassional meetings?

What are the criteria for the composition of the Board of Directors of Shambhala International, and how does that affect decisions?

Can we develop a structure for the Shambhala Congress itself that will facilitate decisions being made while we are there together?  In other words, if we can articulate the issues ahead of time, can we gather resource people and decision makers together with the groups to discuss real costs and real time lines to make some of our plans materialize?

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NEW YORK SHAMBHALA CENTER

·         Outreach

o        Important to reach out, diversify

o        Extension to broader ethnic base and groups such as those with disabilities

o        Many places looking for "ecumenical" dharma - eg universities

o        View that we need guidelines about when to use the Shambhala imprimatur:  how do we mix individual social and political statements and lifestyles with Shambhala vision

 

·         Community

O        Extending our community into new forms and enterprises - e.g. assisted housing, schools, hospitals, co-housing - also, adopting "best practices" from the outside

O        Seniors/aging sangha—how to care for, medical, financial etc.

o        Need more family programs and practice

O        Pre-teens and teenagers—need more programming content for them

O        Volunteer vs. paid staff, spirit of volunteerism, etc.

O        Need some way to deal with internal conflict - conflict resolution mechanism similar to Upaya Council

O        Role of central organization and how it relates to large centers that are fairly self-sufficient versus small centers that rely on greater support

O        Communications are key

 

·         Economic Models

O        How we relate to money is a mandala-wide issue

O        Desire to look at other models, e.g. Greyston, to see what se can learn…also what we can learn from their internal processes

o        Satellite centers vs one main center? Would multiple small centers help alleviate costs, as well as invite more people to participate?

o        Would lower prices make dharma available to more people? How to do  so?  Look at other meditation centers to see how they do it.

o        Fundraise to allow more people to attend programs who can't afford them

 

·         Information Technology

o        How to use IT to support and radiate the dharma

 

·         Practice & Study

O        Lack of clarity and depth around the two paths (SSBS and ST)…. currently have to leave local center for more intensive studying, teaching, and practice.  Make post-seminary and post-assembly curriculum available locally, not just at retreat centers.

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LOS ANGELES SHAMBHALA CENTER

 

Shambhala Center Los Angeles held a community meeting on Sunday, 22 June 2003. Following a reading of the Sakyong's "Treatise on Society and Organization," people broke into small discussion groups to provide feedback for the Shambhala Congress.

 

Most items that came out of these discussions seemed to fall into two general categories:

1) concern about the lack of a cohesive community and feelings of isolation and

2) requests to define the "stem" or organization (both local and S.I.) and how it functions.

 

Lack of cohesive community

The greater Los Angeles area is geographically spread out with not much sense of community. It is a "car culture" and doesn’t' seem to have a core. This provides a unique challenge for the Shambhala Center in that members of the center coming from different directions may live as much as 50 miles apart. Location has been a difficult subject to work with in our search for a new center.

 

Define the "stem." What are the functions of the organization?

·         How are center director’s chosen?

 

Other questions:

 

The scribe for one of the SCLA discussion groups that met to give input for the Congress just e-mailed me her carefully written notes. I am passing them along intact to be added to my previously e-mailed questions & concerns.

 

I would like to note that, especially with the earlier list, I felt a strong urge to edit since some items seemed (to me) more appropriate for the congress than others. However, the people who participated in these discussions put forth a great deal of effort and I ultimately decided to send their input in a somewhat raw and unedited format. I leave it to others to sift through the comments and determine what may be of value.

 

Yours in the Vision of Shambala Buddhism,

Marilyn Moore

SCLA Council Secretary and Acting Director

 

Addendum:

ROUGH SUMMARY OF A GROUP DISCUSSION

 

The session moved through a few themes.  The first began with the Center in relation to the whole of LA---the idea of expanding, of greater outreach, spreading teachings.  The outreach was not just to individuals, greater diversity, but also to multi-religious groups.  It was one person's sense that in LA people were really seeking "community" more than in other urban areas.

 

Another thread brought in had to do with the quality of relationships---of treating each person with respect; making room for everyone---"loosening our minds around the edges."  What is better for the group as a whole?

 

From a reference to how hard it was to do the work of the center, a discussion of celebration and community took place.  Reference was made to the Regent's encouragement to have a lot of parties and to Rinpoche's statement that without a sense of celebration, why break out of the cocoon?  How do you create that sense of celebration and community?  Experiences of visiting teachers, seminary, dathun, Mid-Summer's Day were mentioned as times when a sense of celebration, community and caring for each other was palpable.  There was a question about the importance of container for this to happen.  Also the observation that work was a part of the experience.  At a practical level, instilling a sense of celebration, could affect how people perceived the work to be done for the Center's programs, etc., give a greater sense of ease. 

 

 At the end, we began to talk about what was meant by "community".   Some phrases were: congregation of individuals; to care for each other; to encourage and protect; using the Buddhist sangha as a guide; commonality; community of vision.

 

 Final question:  Can we take on more?

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VICTORIA SHAMBHALA CENTRE

 

Guiding Values of the Victoria Shambhala Community:

  1. Practice and Study – This is the basis of all our thoughts and actions.   Progress for our community depends on practice and discipline and the embodiment of the teachings in all our interactions.

 

  1. Inclusiveness – We value all those who have been drawn to the dharma.   The old and new members and our visitors have a stake in our community to varying degrees.   We welcome contributions and participation from all to the degree they choose.  We offer opportunities for feedback and engagement.

 

  1. Hierarchy and order – As co-directors, part of our leadership role will be to articulate in writing a cohesive structure --though consultation with those who know how it all works.  This will, over time, lead to a clarification of the form and activity of the organization.  The practice of discipline and community building will call us all to bring accountability for our actions and direct, honest, and effective communication to our relations with each other.
  2. Flexibility – Our teachings spring from the ground of flexibility, openness and warriorship.  Accordingly, we embrace and move toward the obstacles before us with agility, compassion and courage.  We take a view to bring resolution, meaning and purpose to benefit all involved.  To achieve this, the resourcefulness and strength of the entire community is called upon.

 

  1. Upliftedness – We greet each new idea with a sense of “yes” and then modify as required. We will encourage and support inspiration, innovation and enthusiasm.  We celebrate at every appropriate opportunity.

 

  1. Appreciation – We show gratitude for each contribution offered to our community;   this is the task of all members whenever a contribution is noticed.  We show gratitude and appreciation for all those who have joined us and have taken the step to practice meditation, serve and participate in the community.  

 

 

Priorities  -- as proposed by the co-Directors

 

GROUND:

  1.  Clarify roles and responsibilities

·         Meet with council and leaders of committees to understand the tasks and boundaries.

·         Gather input and suggestions from groups: council, elders, MI’s, guides, new members, and the whole community.

·         Write down task descriptions and lines of communication

·         Establish a comprehensible hierarchy

·         Communicate the resulting amalgamated and refined view to the whole sangha.

 

  1. Create clear and open financial planning and budgeting

·         Each committee and department will have a budget

·         Graduated financial decision-making and accountability

·         Regular summary financial reporting to the council from the treasurer

·         Regularly communicate our financial situation to the sangha

 

  1. Gather all our tools and talents

·         Establish order and fluidity

·         Explore, cultivate and draw on the richness and diversity of the community.

·         Poll and troll for strengths, talents and interests.

·         Incorporate our findings into action and inclusion.

PATH

  1. Expand the sense of inclusiveness

·         Encourage volunteerism – Yes, first

·         Encourage delegation

·         Be receptive to and incorporate feedback

·         Engender a sense of belonging for elders, members and visitors through communication and listening.

 

  1. Strengthen the community structure and spirit

·         Encourage practice as the base of our community

·         Engender participation and communication

·         Create containers and boundaries 

·         Move toward the obstacles with courage, unity and clarity

·         Encourage and support celebration

 

  1. Strengthen our ties and profile with affiliated Shambhala Centres

·         With the Pacific Northwest Region Shambhala centres

·         With Shambhala International

·         Invite visiting teachers

·         Communicate this to all members and to others as appropriate

FRUITION

A hospitable, inclusive, harmonious, vibrant and prosperous Shambhala Centre for the Victoria community, which is well connected to the larger mandala and is a brilliant manifestation of the Great Eastern Sun vision.

 

Co-Directors’ workplan           

1.  Articulate values, priorities, and workplan – By April 1, 2003

·         Seek approval, feedback and support from the Shambhala Council

·         Communicate this to the community by July 2003 and elicit feedback

 

2.  Review all roles and responsibilities - By end of summer

·         Establish “who is on first’

·         What they do

·         Where the boundaries of their roles are

·         What decision-making authority they have

·         Who they are including in their efforts

·         When and who will be ready to report to council on their activities

 

3. Share the holistic structure and vision with the entire community - mid –September

 

4. Plan next steps and present to council – October, 2003 council meeting