Harvesting Peace

By Karen Garrett de Luna —

The Seattle Shambhala Center joyfully celebrated Harvest of Peace festivities on Sunday, September 21, 2014, a beautiful, sun-kissed Seattle day. Greg Wolk, director of culture and decorum and governing council member, opened the celebration with a lhasang.

Later in the shrine room, the sangha expressed heartfelt gratitude to  individual members for their service to the Center and to the greater Shambhala mandala. We then watched a short video from New York City where Acharyas Adam Lobel and Marty Janowitz attended an event related to United Nations Climate Change Summit, “Our Voices – Bringing Faith to the Climate Talks.”  This sparked a spirited discussion about climate change, including many good ideas for concrete and tangible ways the sangha could rouse itself into meaningful action. Alan Ness and other sangha members immediately headed downtown to join the People’s Climate March. Keep tuned for an announcement about the Ziji Collective and social action at the Seattle Shambhala Center in the near future.

The children’s choir, led by David Tallent, sang two songs, “Unborn” and “We are the Warriors.”

Director Tom Gaylord presented a ‘state of the center’ power point outlining some of defining numbers for Seattle, including the size of our membership in comparison to other Shambhala centers worldwide and our daily and yearly financial expenses (including a savings plan). Sangha members responded with generosity after hearing several eloquent requests and a reminder that the Unified Giving Model is now in effect.  Shastri Matthew Lyon gave the most convincing supplication by reminding us that the antidote to poverty mentality is generosity.

Just before lunch, we watched the Harvest of Peace address by the Sakyong who reminded us of the power of being connected to the seasons and the harvest and to each other.  The Sakyong noted that climate marches were happening all around the world, and encouraged Shambalians to contemplate and participate in finding solutions.  He said, “The relationship between peace and the environment is natural and essential.  Human deforestation…and environmental deforestation…work hand in hand.”  Touchingly, the Sakyong Wangmo and Jetsun Drukmo and Jetsun Yudra joined the Sakyong to express their greetings at the end of the video. (Click here for videos of the Sakyong’s message and the climate change video from Acharyas Janowitz and Lobel).

Bounty from the gardens of many sangha members overflowed from the dishes at the potluck. Blessed with good weather, many enjoyed their meals outside in the beautiful gardens. After lunch, Shastri Matthew Lyon led the recitation of the Shambhala Sadhana. The Kongma Sakyong, Jampal Trinley Dradul composed the sadhana to “[help] us, through the powerful practice of meditation, deepen our insight and feeling of basic goodness and enlightened society.” As a way to celebrate our basic goodness and foster enlightened society, this was a perfect way to conclude the Harvest of Peace festivities.