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Shambala Trust Newsletter Summer 2007 Editorial by Kate Graham A warm and sunny welcome to our Summer Newsletter 2007! This is your opportunity to catch up on all the various events and activities that are taking place here this season. As usual it has been an extremely busy time for us all, even in the depths of winter. We have moved offices and bedrooms, said farewells to staff (Clive in the kitchen, and more recently dear Nicolas - our multi-talented caretaker) and welcomed others (Venerable Chönyi for the Stupa project and Angie in the office). Many B&B folk and volunteers - faces old and new - have passed through these doors to experience the uniquely healing and purifying energy at Shambala. Thomas has been very busy working on a new and exciting development project here at Shambala, which involves the creation of ecologically-sound retreat apartments, combined with a state of the art healing spa. The new development will enable us to raise the money needed to repay our loan of 1.36 Million Pounds, which we took out to buy Shambala in the first place. We look forward to updating you on the progress of this exciting new venture in the very near future! And all this time, Maris has quietly and gracefully grown her new baby - a beautiful baby girl born on 17 May, surrounded by love and light, named Alana Maya... We have some staff vacancies in the kitchen, garden and care-taking positions and - as always - would welcome both long and short-term committed volunteers to help us through the high season. If you feel moved to join us in this capacity or know of anyone who can, please contact us as soon as possible. In the meantime, here is a selection of news and views from folk connected to Shambala, as well as an update on the events we have lined up for the rest of the coming year. Wishing you every happiness and good health this summer - whatever the weather! Love and light from Kate and "Shambala - A Place for Practicing Enlightened Behaviour" It is unbelievable to enter Shambala Retreat Centre. Every time I go there, to join in with the practice, watch a movie, or participate in the trustees' meetings, I am in awe of the place. It is so beautiful! The meditation room is filled with holy objects, providing a huge inspiration. The building is sparkling clean, filled with the most gorgeous flower arrangements. When reading the guestbook there is lots of appreciation from the guests. A variety of people visit, either as teachers, guests or volunteers. High quality teachings and retreats are offered regularly. Then, of course, there is the ever-changing and always impressive view over Findhorn Bay, providing the spaciousness and serenity. In my role as trustee I'm deeply impressed with the progress that has been made over the past 2 years, from buying the house up to running a successful retreat centre. The current challenge is to find creative and inspiring ways to manifest 1.5 million to pay off our loan. I would like to appreciate the staff for taking this on, and want to welcome everyone to support this amazing project. Shambala means Pure Land, a place for practicing enlightened behavior. I see it happening! Love, Margo van Greta "Exploring the Inner Pure Land" I have been living in the Findhorn Community since 2001. I have always been interested in Buddhism, but I never followed any regular practice before I discovered the various open events at Shambala. It all started with "doing something different" at Christmas Day last year, when I went to the Tara Puja offered at Shambala. The praying, reciting, chanting and the clear spiritual focus touched something deep inside me. Today I am starting my workday with the morning meditation at Shambala. This has become an integral part of my life now... My meditation starts when I cycle from The Park to Shambala. The morning view over Findhorn Bay, the concert of the seabirds and the welcoming scent of the flowers when I enter Shambala open my heart and make me already feel happy before I get into the meditation hall. I feel at home when I sit down and close my eyes for meditation, releasing the first distraction in the form of identifying a few latecomers by the way how they walk or the socks they wear when they sit down in front of me. The Chenrezig meditation is an ideal way for me to start the day in a conscious, compassionate and kind way. I can feel how the energy of the meditation is multiplied by the fact that the group is guided through the ritual and that we are reciting prayers and chanting mantras that link us directly into the consciousness field of Buddhism. This is not just a beautiful experience, but a wonderful way to support myself as well as all living beings on the planet. Coming regularly to meditations and events at Shambala has deepened my connection with the centre and the people caring for it as well. I have a sense of being a member of a spiritual family. So I enjoy doing a bit of voluntary work in the form of dog walking or looking after the computers to support the wellbeing of the centre. May Shambala be happy! May all beings be happy! Namaste, Mark Dammer "What does it mean to build an Enlightenment Stupa?" Last year the Shambala Trust invited Venerable Chönyi (Patricia Ann DeVoe) to build a holy object (a 9 foot Enlightenment Stupa) in the grounds of Shambala, as advised by one of our spiritual teachers, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. Before Venerable Chönyi arrived at the centre in January this year, she began to study the art of building a stupa - checking with the Lamas, reading the materials and ordering parts of the stupa from some of the very best artists recommended by her teachers. Every week over the Autumn and Winter she shipped yet another parcel containing materials, books and holy objects to Shambala. Finally, in January 2007 she arrived at the centre herself, and since then she has worked tirelessly on inspiring staff and supporters to create the right causes and conditions for the stupa to manifest here at Shambala. At first she dived deep into studying Feng Shui - the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment. She consulted with experts in this field and came up with a long list of suggested improvements to harmonise both the house and the grounds, thus paving the way for this auspicious building work to begin. Apart from some smaller changes such as improving the appearance of our entrance hall by placing some fresh flowers to strategic areas, beautifying the Meditation Hall with carefully designed pictures, and opening the big sliding doors to the Ballroom (for the Chi to flow naturally), Venerable Chönyi also inspired some volunteers (and worked very hard herself!) to clear the area surrounding Shambala gates and the driveway. Her efforts have resulted in a fresh new look of our Shambala gateway and entrance. She then created a whole list of things to manifest, and is diligently working her way through it, rejoicing at each stage of the process. She often says that building a stupa has a life of its own - it happens when the time is ripe, and in its own sometimes mysterious ways, and all we can do is to do our practice, keep our motivation pure and let go of any expectations... By June all the major parts of the stupa were completed - they are now waiting to be shipped to Scotland. In July Venerable Chönyi and Thomas went to Samye Ling and received some valuable advice regarding concecrating the land, and positioning the stupa on our grounds, from Akung Tulku Rinpoche. So, step by step the stupa is "landing". The "Mothership" I have recently returned from 2 months of retreat time in Nepal during which time I stayed mainly at Kopan Monastery. Thomas and I often refer to Kopan as the Mothership, since the Introduction to Buddhism courses give birth to some many Western Buddhists, including myself! The most significant part of my visit was my very precious lama, Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup. Lama is the Abbot of the Monastery and is responsible for the education, food, clothing, shelter and spiritual needs of 400 monks and 400 nuns, ranging from ages 7 to over 90, many of whom are refugees and rely solely on the monastery for their needs. On top of that Westerners come regularly for Buddhist courses, brimming with lots of questions and stuff!! Wow!! Each time I visit Kopan, I can only marvel and rejoice at the sheer magnitude of Lama’s responsibility and the complete ease, love and care with which he holds all the variety of beings who enter this amazing mandala. My experience of Lama, is that He acts impeccably in every moment with complete dedication and affection to this huge “Kopan family,” of Tibetans, Nepalee and Westerners. Lama’s presence of bliss, warmth and light supports and nourishes each being there and his laugh brings a huge smile to everyone. Above all, the most endearing quality of Lama is the humility with which he holds his responsibility, never talking about his own problems or load but relentlessly and untiringly dedicated to the peace, welfare and liberation of all beings. So overall, if nothing much else came of my retreat time there, I definitely feel that my practice of sincerely rejoicing in the incredible qualities of my lamas will definitely bring good results for me in the future. Without a doubt, the most fortunate thing in my life is to have connected with these Holy Beings!! For that, I am VERY HAPPY!! Something for Everyone! Friday 3 August: "The Ultimate Healing" Sunday 5 August: "Heal Our Planet" Friday 24 August - Sunday 26 August: "Calming the Mind, Opening the Heart" Thursday 6 September - Sunday 9 September: "The Golden Compass" Saturday 22 September - Sunday 23 september: "Harvesting the Jewels of Practice" Friday 26 October - Sunday 28 October: "Blessings of the Buddhas" Friday 28 December - Thursday 3 January: "The Healing Power of the Mind" |
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