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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