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Kootenay Shambhala Scrapbook Part edited archive of Community Bulletin Board posts, part compilation of other community mementos, this page (eventually, group of pages) is meant to provide a user-friendly way of glimpsing the life of our Centre through time and connecting to the minds and hearts of those who have gone before.
Retreat poems Submitted by Robin Higgins | February 25, 2008 Winter Retreat All day At night • Whiteness world is a • What is true? • Over the years Over the years •
Clean hair. Precious human birth. • Alone in this hut Alone in this hut Alone in this hut
Dathün poem Submitted by Jigme Datse Rasku | January 9, 2008 Dathün, Disthün I arrive, there is snow on the ground, I am surprised. body hurts. to move. Silence, not moving, these are what I am told we are doing. Body hurts less, mind hurts more, I move more. sit more. More silence, mind more settled, still moving. Want it to end, want to go in lake, want not to come back. Try to sleep, not enough sleep, need more. meditation, need more. Almost there, settling in, feeling at home. still not there. Silence and silence, not one, but two. Disthün, changes found, mixed feelings. familiar. Good night.
Photos from last night's "Night for Peace in the Middle East" fundraiser Submitted by Sohan Ko | December 9, 2007
Senge Ling report Submitted by Russ Rodgers | September 8, 2007 The Labour Day work party at Senge Ling was attended by 9 members. We installed the new metal roof on the Pavilion, complete with three skylights to lighten up the inside, which tended to be dark. We hauled winter wood and also put up trusses and strapping for a roof on the new bathhouse. There was a sense of accomplishment all around.
Weekthün poem Submitted by Jigme Datse Rasku | August 1, 2007 The week is nearly over
Sutrayana Seminary, 2007 Submitted by Duncan Grady | July 6, 2007 I have just arrived home from attending the 2nd half of Sutrayana Seminary. I attended the first half last summer and much to my delighted surprise, two of the three teachers from last summer, Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown and Phil Karl, were also teaching this summer. I strongly recommend anything that they may be teaching. Their love of the Dharma, warmth for the students and wonderful humour make listening to the teachings a real joy. Beyond that, their grasp of the material is profound. Between them they share over 60 years of experience. The seminary is divided into 2 parts; the first one focuses on Hinayana and the second one on Mahayana. The teachings and practices of Mahayana are extraordinary. If you know about the Mahayana Sutras and Shrastas, then you know that the focus is often on And, naturally, the Bodhisattva path was discussed at length, with much attention being given to Shantideva's brilliant work, The Way of the Bodhisattva and Pema Chödrön's interpretation of this work, No Time to Lose. For me, this was not only inspirational, but very motivating. No matter where we find ourselves, there is always an opportunity to be of service. And, importantly, not from a place of "fixing", but from a genuine desire to help others discover their true nature. Much emphasis was placed on the truth that our nature really is Buddha Nature. This is extremely good news in an era that is often filled with very sad news. Additionally, there was an excellent presentation on the destructive nature of romantic love and how to use this trap as a way to wake up within the relationship. The setting is quite spectacular. [Shambhala Mountain Center] is situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We did quit a bit of sitting, practiced some silence, spent time in the Great Stupa, ate Oryoki-style meals, were tested on our knowledge of the teachings, did Rota (work) sessions each day and were well cared for. And, we even received a teaching from the Sakyong that came from real time video/audio feed. Thus, we were able to ask questions, which I found to be very useful. If you have not had the opportunity to attend seminary, I can highly recommend it. The experience gives a feeling for the larger mandala. It also provides an opportunity to tighten your practice and receive some very amazing instruction in the Dharma. Blessings on the path. Duncan
Sutrayana Seminary reflections Submitted by Sohan Ko | July 4, 2007 I didn't have many expectations about going to Sutrayana Seminary at Shambhala Mountain Center last month. I was just looking forward to it. It's somewhat hard to describe my experience there. It was an intense and busy program. There was a lot of study and discussion, so it was very enriching for me intellectually. There were about 50 participants, and we shared the same space everyday. That naturally became a challenge for those of us who liked to hold onto our personal territories. All of us were mirrors for each other. There was so much fire, friction, tears, aggression, compassion, love! At the end of the program, we did a very long, silent warrior farewell. We divided ourselves into two rows facing each other. We bowed to the person standing in front of us, looked into their eyes for a length of time, then moved to the right and did the same with the next person until we had said goodbye to everyone. It was deeply moving to look at everyone and really feel the connection with each of them. I realized that they're all truly beautiful. We appear to be so different, but we're really all the same. The weather on the mountain can change so fast! One moment it's sunny and hot, the next moment the wind picks up and starts to roar. The intensity of nature touched my heart. I tried to find the three jewels—Buddha, dharma and sangha—in books, in lectures, in Seminary. Then I realized I couldn't find them there, because when I looked for them, they were gone. It might sound strange, but my deepest learning from this program is that I actually have to really, honestly, give up the idea of enlightenment in order to see the true nature of reality. It's too easy to try to become an "enlightened" somebody. Yet "enlightenment" is not in books or programs, and it's not not in books or programs either. Likewise, Buddha is not in the shrine tent, not in the Stupa, and not not in the shrine tent or Stupa. I can't find Buddha, because Buddha is everywhere, and nowhere . . . the issues currently facing the Shambhala community.
The Liberator Submitted by Sohan Ko | May 23, 2007 I thought about Magritte's "The liberator" in one of the "Progressive stages of meditation on emptiness" classes—when people were deconstructing our own mind, and looking at how signs and logic are lacking inherent and coherent nature.
Work party a fun party Submitted by Margaret & Russ | May 21, 2007 Nine people came to yesterday's work party at Senge Ling. With all that energy we were able to paint the the interior walls and ceilings in the retreat cabin. The walls were quite sooty from the propane lamps that we had been using for lighting. At times all nine of us were painting or washing walls at the same time, which made for a very fun and social event. We now have a battery-operated fluorescent lantern, so that means that people will need to bring batteries when they go into retreat. Other jobs that got done in the energy of the day were removing the old propane lamps from the cabin, removing the winter bracing in the pavilion, digging out an outhouse hole, and washing screens in the pavilion. |
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