Eastside Satellite Remembered

by Larry Steele

The Eastside Satellite, where Shambhala volunteers introduced the dharma to new meditators in the Overlake neighborhoods of Bellevue, has closed for now.

The satellite was started ten years ago by Jim Jennings, a student of Chögyam Trungpa and Seattle Shambhala member. The group hosted weekly sitting, discussion, and dharma book clubs, always with attention to pure Buddhism as well as Shambhala teachings. Meetings attracted a small core group of practitioners, usually joined by a few curious new meditators.

Other Shambhala leaders followed, including Alan Ameche and, most recently, Craig Stevens.  Bob Salskov was a frequent teacher.

“Our most recent meeting space in the Highlands Center was a good location with a nice big room,” Alan said. But the core group of volunteers remained small, and few, if any, new visitors became Shambhala members.

Alan is shifting his energy to assist with finance tasks at Seattle Shambhala.

Eastside groups always face the reality that new members may not always connect to the Seattle sangha. The life energy of the satellites comes from volunteers.

For example, Mary Bolton started Issaquah Shambhala in 2013 and people gathered there to practice for more than five years. Janine Bloomfield started Mercer Island Shambhala last fall, which is still open to practitioners on the Eastside.

Offering the dharma wherever we live is the way of Shambhala. We send gratitude to the teachers, volunteers, and sangha members who have supported the Eastside Satellite and all who’ve come through it’s doors over the past ten years.