 |
 |
| Home About Us Meditation Programs Buddhist Study Shambhala Training Arts Community |
Community The Kootenay Shambhala Centre is part of the Shambhala global community and home to a lively and diverse local community of about 35 members. We share a connection to mindfulness-awareness meditation and the aspiration to create a wakeful, joyful society. We invite and appreciate everyone's participation!
There are many ways to get involved—a few of them are listed below. To learn how you can join in, see our Upcoming Programs & Events pages, subscribe to one or both of our email lists, or contact Lynn Dragone or Jim Northcote (or any other Centre member) at info@nelsonbuddha.com.
One of our most basic and most important community activities is group meditation practice. Each session is an opportunity to experience the power and joy of coming together, however briefly, as a community of practitioners. See our Regular Public Events Schedule for details.
Special programs include Shambhala Training weekends, Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies courses, contemplative arts trainings and, even more "special," programs led by Shambhala acharyas and other senior teachers. These are all heightened opportunities to discover the value of community practice and study.
Our movie nights combine preparing and eating good food together and sharing good movies—a natural fit! We started doing this in April 2007 and plan to continue on a roughly monthly schedule. Whoever coordinates the preparation of a night's food gets to pick that night's movie(s).
The glossary of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's book Ruling Your World defines drala as "the blessing energy that arises when we overcome our own aggression." Drala hikes, a mix of meditation and day-hiking, present chances to see how the natural world can stop our minds, open our hearts, and even bless us.
This aspect of our Centre's activity goes way back. It got a big boost in the late 1990s, when Pema Chödrön started leading retreats made widely accessible through the use of video technology. The idea is simple: come together in a friendly, supportive environment for group meditation practice, reading from a particular book or watching a particular video, discussion and socializing. We welcome book and video suggestions.
As part of our response to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's invitation to the Shambhala community several years ago to turn the flower outward, we're exploring ways of joining our meditation training with social action, currently focusing on promoting diversity and ecological sustainability.
Whenever the inspiration strikes, someone in our community throws some kind of party. In the last couple of years, this has been once every few months. These parties are fun—it's that simple. Generally speaking, parties are announced by messages posted to our Active Friends & Members email list.
Volunteering at the Shambhala Centre is a great way to get involved and benefit others. And a great place to get started as a volunteer is our Drala Committee. Whatever your knack, we can probably find an outlet for it. If you're interested, please contact us.
The Shambhala community comes together in many ways—to practice, learn, serve others . . . and to celebrate! By joining spiritual practice with the practicalities, challenges and joys of everyday life, we aspire to create a society that expresses the dignity of human experience. To learn more about Shambhala celebrations, go to shambhala.org/community/events.php.
Even if you can't participate in person, you can be part of our community! At the Kootenay Shambhala Centre we're very interested in reaching out—by telephone and email and in other ways—to anyone interested in us. |
|||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Community Bulletin Board 
Members Area
Special Programs 
Movie (Etc.) Nights
Book & Video Classes
Social Action
Dance (& Other) Parties 
Volunteering
Celebrations
Extended CommunityLearn more about meditation and buddhism at shambhala.org |
 |
|
Home About Us Meditation Programs Buddhist Study Shambhala Training Arts Community Kootenay Shambhala Meditation Centre |
|