A Cheerful Center Clean-up
Seattle Shambhala community members gathered on Sunday, February 23rd, after the open meditation and discussion to clean and uplift our center in preparation for Shambhala Day. We call the day before Shambhala Day “Neutral Day”, and it’s a chance for us to clear up lingering energetic obstacles and clean our spaces for the new year. … Continue
Right Livelihood Arises from Raising Equestrian Windhorse
by Andrea D’Asaro article updated February 5, 2020 Right livelihood is one of the traditional ethical elements of the Buddhist eightfold path. For Shambhalians who aspire to “create enlightened society” this means sharing our inherent goodness or inner richness through our work. Livelihood can be more than income, but rather our offering, an act of … Continue
Power, Privilege, and Protect: A Reflection
by Kaitlyn Hatch On December 13th, 2019, Dr. Shanté Paradigm Smalls flew from New York City to join Dr. Claudelle Glasgow in co-teaching two offerings for the weekend. Privilege, Power & Protection was held the evening of December 13th and all day on the 14th. Open to participants of all identities and embodiments, this was a … Continue
Winter Shambhala Wedding, a Warm Celebration of Dear Old Friends
by Andrea D’Asaro Shelley Pierce and Mark Helsel strode down their wedding aisle behind flower- scattering grandchildren with a hall full of Shambhalians, friends and family as witnesses. The bride and groom, both long-time Shambhala members, were wed by preceptor Dan Peterson, who charmed listeners with his comments on the sweet strivings of marriage. He … Continue
Tales of Gesar at Thursday Open House
By Larry Steele Seattle Shambhala welcomes David Shapiro, author of “Gesar of Ling: A Bardic Tale, as a visiting speaker at Thursday Night Open House on January 16th, 2020. The book translates the epic tale of Gesar, whose magic is palpable in Shambhala culture; it was recently reviewed in the Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa. The … Continue
A Joyful Children’s Day Celebration
An article by Andrea D’Asaro Photos by Andrea D’Asaro and JoAnn Schindler The December solstice eve was greeted with a vibrant intergenerational menagerie of tigers, lions, garudas and dragons on the main shrine room stage. Colorful murals and a chocolate-laden shrine greeted families and friends for the story of Iliana, narrated skillfully by Andy Gordon … Continue
Children’s Blessing 2019 with Acharya Richard John
by Stacy Hall de Gomez with photos by Larry Steele and Brad Warren How could our hearts not be opened by the sight of our youngest community members at the October 27th Children’s Blessing Ceremony? The ceremony, led by visiting Acharya Richard John, is designed to invite wakefulness and appreciation within the children. Each child … Continue
Harvesting Peace Together
As temperatures cool, autumn colors appear, and leaves begin to fall, the Seattle Shambhala community joined together to celebrate the autumn equinox. Our annual Harvest of Peace celebration took place on September 22nd, incorporating our regular Sunday Open House. The morning began with a ritual lhasang, followed by the Shambhala Sadhana, meditation, a report from … Continue
The Heart of Recovery
By Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia “Heart of Recovery is a weekly meeting that joins Buddhist meditation and Twelve Step work in order to connect to and engage in a commitment to recovery from addiction, addictive behaviors and patterns in our lives.” This is the basic description of the Heart of Recovery, which are meetings that take … Continue
Satellites Bow Out
By Andrea D’Asaro Seattle Shambhala’s West Seattle and Mercer Island satellites are stepping back from offering meditation in local neighborhoods. After four years of offering weekly meditation and discussion groups at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the West Seattle satellite of the Seattle Shambhala Center recently closed its doors. The satellite branch was originally founded … Continue
