Meeting a Monk in Myanmar
By Laura Kaye Chamberlain Earlier this year, sangha member Laura Chamberlain moved across the world to Myanmar, where she currently works and lives. She shared some of her experiences and thoughts on Buddhism and her Path with us in this article. My first Sunday in Myanmar, I talked with a monk. (I must say, this … Continue
Coronavirus Reflections from West Africa
by Sala Sweet Sweet, a long-time Seattle Shambhala member, was in Ghana, West Africa, when COVID-19 first hit our communities in Washington. She was there to help fight malaria, a disease that already takes 400,000 Ghanian lives each year. Sweet faces unique challenges as she works with doctors, health clinics, and volunteers as part of … Continue
Voices of Courage
by Larry Steele The Boulder Shambhala Center (BSC) is radiating a spirit of warriorship that reaches all the way to Myanmar (formerly Burma) and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. In a program called “Voices of Courage — Facing extremism in Myanmar…and wherever it arises,” Boulder Shambhala is exploring the use of Islamophobic “hate speech” … Continue
Skillful Means in a Difficult Year
Sala Sweet, Terry Jaworski, Larry Steele and JoAnn Schindler contributed to this story. The year 2018 was a challenging time for the Seattle Shambhala Meditation Center. Reports of sexual misconduct on the part of teachers in the global community, including our lineage holder Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, touched each one of us. In our own center, … Continue
Aspiring towards Right Livlihood
By Andrea D’Asaro As a stormwater engineer, Anisha Prasad assures that roads and buildings stay clear during heavy rains, and that new development allows fish and wildlife to survive. “A vague feeling” encouraged Prasad to switch careers to Environmental Engineering. “Even though I had degrees in both Engineering and Computer Science, I chose Environmental Engineering, … Continue
Our inner path through crisis
Matthew Lyon has been a Shastri, or senior teacher, in Shambhala for nine years and has held various responsibilities in the organization for 42 years, including serving as center director in Seattle and Burlington.Vermont. Recently, he talked with Larry Steele about how to practice in a time of crisis, and how to hold Shambhala teachings … Continue
Working together to eradicate malaria
By Sala Sweet Community member Sala Sweet’s experiences in Ghana over many years have inspired her to connect to assistance groups in the Pacific Northwest working to eradicate Malaria. Malaria affects everyone in Ghana. Children contract it at young ages and sometimes die from it. Once you have malaria, it can return again and again. This … Continue
Shambhala Teachers Support Buddhist Humanitarian Appeal
Shambhala meditators worldwide are supporting the Buddhist Humanitarian Appeal to raise wider support and funds for the 1,000,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Buddhist leaders from 25 countries have signed a letter to the Myanmar State Sangha Committee. The appeal now is open for everyone to read and sign the letter, and to donate to reliable … Continue
