Volunteers Hold the Shambhala Sky
by Andrea D’Asaro “Our center is run by volunteers who give of their time. If they weren’t here the center wouldn’t exist,” says Susie Saalwaechter, explaining why she volunteers as a Sunday open house host every other month. Many members and visitors don’t realize that our precious center is run by over 70 inspired volunteers. … Continue
Experiencing “Kyudo: The Way of the Bow”
Photos by Brad Warren On July 20th and 21st, students gathered to learn one of the oldest arts of the Japanese tradition of contemplative warriorship, Kyudo. Brad Warren shares his experience of the weekend through photos. One is not polishing one’s shooting style or technique, but the mind. The dignity of shooting is the … Continue
Self-Guided Retreat — A Reflection
by Stacy Hall de Gomez Summer in Seattle can be so busy, with work, family commitments, visitors, travel, and all our region has to offer. And then there’s that sense that we should get outside and not miss a single minute of the beautiful summer weather. Despite all this, about a dozen Seattle Shambhala sangha … Continue
Regard All Dharmas As Dreams
by Larry Steele Walter Parker’s favorite Lojong slogan is #2: “Regard all dharmas as dreams.” “It speaks to emptiness,” Walter said recently. “It reminds us that ultimately we are making everything up. All that head tripping! Our monkey minds never seem to stop projecting our own neuroses on the world.” Walter Parker will offer his … Continue
Seattle Shambhala’s Midsummer Day Celebration
by Stacy Hall de Gomez On Sunday, June 23rd, our sangha came together to celebrate the summer solstice, a special day on the Shambhala calendar. Early risers got the day started by invoking awakened energy with a lhasang (a traditional offering of juniper smoke), followed by the chanting practice of the Shambhala Sadhana and an … Continue
The Inner Path
by Matthew Lyon The power of generosity is invoked as we establish a path of inner development in our life. This means that as we acquire skills in our external life, such as training for a job or learning to play an instrument, we are also attending to our state of mind and being. In … Continue
Finding the Balance
By Matthew Lyon In discussions about a generous life, I am most often asked about the right balance between taking care of ourselves and our desire to help others. There is no easy answer to this, but we can contemplate some basic principles. For example, good parents need to put a lot of energy into … Continue
Welcoming the Teacher
A noted teacher’s upcoming July 2019 workshop in Kyudo inspires a personal reflection on the long, braiding path by Brad Warren I learned early that a truly qualified teacher is precious. As a boy, during a turbulent time in life, I found refuge in a rigorous daily practice of archery. A small 12-year-old could gather … Continue
Parenting as Path
by Larry Steele Shastri Iris Ramos tells a story about a hot Texas afternoon when her grandchildren were playing outside in the yard. It might have been fun to play in the street, but Abuela (Grandmother) Iris closed the gate and shut them in. Her granddaughter objected. Striking her most authoritative pose, with one hand … Continue
The Fundamental Virtue
By Matthew Lyon In Buddhist wisdom, generosity is regarded as the ground, the basis, of all other virtues. Why is this so? We can understand this by exploring the state of mind which allows beneficial actions to arise and flourish. In other words, generosity is defined by an approach to life, a way of being, … Continue
