generosity: discovering natural wealth a public talk by ...before the kurukulla abhisheka at the end...

ShambhalaHALIFAX

BANNER NEWSLETTERJuly August 2013

directory

director’s reportpage 2

shambhala programs pages 3-9

community newspages 10-13

dorje denma lingpage 14

halifax shambhalacentre informationpage 15

deadline for next submission: August 10

Generosity: Discovering Natural WealthA Public Talk by Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche

The Halifax Shambhala Centre is excited to kick off our summer with a visit from Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche. Jigme Rinpoche will lead us on an exploration of generosity - fundamentally an attitude of availability to others, and therefore an expression of joy.

Please note: This will not be an occasion for fundraising. It’s simply a lovely time for the community to come together for food, conversation, meditation and study.

Jigme Rinpoche is known for his fluency in English and his lively, direct, fluid, humorous and down to earth teaching style. His clear and fresh outlook very quickly cuts through cultural and personal misperceptions about the buddhadharma, East and West, ancient ways and modern life, and individual confusion. Jigme Rinpoche’s teachings focus on the themes of openness, and a clear perception of life in its immediacy, unadorned by interpretation and judgment.

Jigme Rinpoche is the holder of two spiritual lineages, including both the Ripa Lineage, a dungjud or hereditary line, into which he was born, and which he will hold in future as heir, as well as head of the Pema Lingpa lineage of Gyeling Orgyan Mindrolling monastery in the hidden land of Pemako. Jigme Rinpoche’s primary spiritual teachers have been: H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche and his father and root teacher, His Eminence Namkha Drimed Rabjam Rinpoche. From these teachers he has received all of the principal Nyingma transmissions

His principle teaching includes practices for the deities: Yeshe Tsogyal, Guru Rinpoche, Medicine Buddha, and Chenrezig, as well as the deities of the Taksham cycle of teachings of the Ripa tradition, including especially the New Treasures cycle of Gesar teachings, a treasury of His Eminence Namkha Drimed Rabjam Rinpoche. In addition, he also has close affinities with the deities Manjushri and Gesar. Jigme Rinpoche first came to the West in 1996, giving his first teachings in Europe. Jigme Rinpoche has since established Padma Ling centers, a network of dharma organizations, in Switzerland, France, Belgium (and Luxembourg), Spain, Germany, the UK, as well as a center in Japan.

Jigme Rinpoche is the brother of the Sakyong Wangmo, Khandro Tseyang. He is in Halifax visiting his family.

6:30pm Dessert Potluck with Jigme Rinpoche. Bring a sweet dish to share.7:15pm Meditation in the Main Shrine Room7:30pm Talk: Generosity, Discovering Natural WealthSuggested Donation: $10 - $20

halifax banner July August 2013

Director’s Report Rhiannon Wells

Building NewsThis has been an exciting two months for the building. We had the Snow Lion Room painted, from wall to ceiling, including the hot water heaters and the trim! For those of you who may not have noticed, the walls were so dirty from years of lhasang smoke, that despite having been cleaned, we could still see the lines where thangkas and other things were on the walls. The room is now sparkling with fresh paint.

Thanks to Laura Evans, our Building Caretaker, we also solved a mystery that has been challenging the Shambhala community for as long as we’ve been on Tower Road: why is the water pressure so weak and what can we do about it? Thank you to Jim Torbert for sharing with us the name of a great contractor; we were able to get to the bottom of it. Brian Kelly, from G&R Kelly Enterprises Ltd. took a look at our system and said we should bring in John Pace of Pace Plumbing and Heating Ltd. Mr. Pace was able to diagnose that we had rocks in a valve where the water from the street comes into the building. $500 later, we had a new valve and the pressure is on! We look forward to the Kurukulla Abhisheka and potentially 300 people in the building to find out just how much more pressure we have.

This is not all, the fountain liner in front of the building is being replaced, with help from Petra Mudie, and we have also done work on the air flow in the building. We are making steps to solve the problem of the smell in the basement men’s bathroom, and investing time and energy into organizing and clearing out our basement storage.

Finally, I’m very excited to say that we’ve ordered four new windows for the Main Shrine Room to be installed possibly before the Kurukulla abhisheka at the end of June.

Thank you to all of the donors who helped make these projects possible!

Staff NewsWe will be sad to say goodbye to Tara Nauss on July 5th. Tara worked with us for 7 months with government funding, which unfortunately we could not extend. Tara was a huge help at the centre and will be missed tremendously. Tara will continue in her role at Co-Director of Societal Health and Wellbeing, and we’re sure to see her at the Centre regularly.

Other NewsSeveral leaders from the Halifax community were able to attend the Leadership Gathering at Karmê Chöling in May with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. The Sakyong shared stories about his recent public events in Chicago, San Francisco,

and Louisville. He also gave us instructions on how to help the Shambhala Centres become the basis for cultural transformation through food, conversation, and meditation. He encouraged us to find more balance between work and play, space and schedule.

We are looking forward to finding ways to bring the Shambhala Principle and social transformation even more to the forefront of the Halifax Shambhala Centre. Some ways we hope to do this include providing more regular Shambhala Arts offerings, more cultural events, and more opportunity for gatherings of food and conversation. Stay tuned for updates on these initiatives!

Finally, watch for our new website launch in the next few weeks!

Halifax Shambhala Centre rocks in the water mainphoto by Rhiannon Wells


Practice and Study Lely Abud [email protected] 420-1118 x 31Shambhala Programs

Open to AllOpen HOuse Every Wednesday (cancelled July 31)

Meditation instruction and discussion 7 - 8:15 pmOpen House is a weekly introduction to the Shambhala Buddhist journey and community. It offers meditation instruction, a short talk and open discussion led by an experienced practitioner of the Shambhala community and is open to all, free of charge. Find out what the ancient tradition of Buddhism and the Shambhala Buddhist path of meditation practice is about.

Weekday MedITaTIOnMonday to Friday: 7-8 am, 9-10 am, 5–6 pm. Wednesdays 7-7:45 pm as part of Open House, a separate meditation hall may not be availableFriday night meditation has been discontinued.Free of charge. Your generosity is what makes this possible.

Drawing at Community Playgroupphoto by Rhiannon Wells

We always welcome trained Guides, ADs and MIs, as well as meditators with a solid experience of meditation, to be umdze (timekeeper). If you are inspired to contribute to the community of meditators, please contact Robert Halpern for details: [email protected] or 902-405-2697.

“In the practice of sitting meditation you relate to your daily life all the time. Meditation practice brings our neuroses to the surface rather than hiding them at the bottom of our minds. It enables us to relate to our lives as something workable.” — Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

“Many of us are slaves to our minds. Our own mind is our worst enemy. We try to focus, and our mind wanders off. We try to keep stress at bay, but anxiety keeps us awake at night. We try to be good to the people we love, but then we forget and put ourselves first. And when we want to change our life, we dive into spiritual practice and expect to see quick results, only to lose focus after the honeymoon has worn off. We’re left feeling helpless and discouraged.We all have the potential to awaken from the sleep of ignorance. We can create an alliance that allows us to actually use our mind, rather than be used by it. This is a practice anyone can do.” — from “Turning the Mind into an Ally,” by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.

sunday MedITaTIOnSundays, 9am-noon Sunday morning practice is a golden opportunity to practice meditation in a strong container with a range of newer and more experienced practitioners, and it is a great place to meet with your meditation instructor.Free of charge. Donations welcomed!

The second Sunday of every month includes Maitribhavana, a meditation practice to benefit the seriously ill, that will take place July 14 and August 11. Names and illnesses of friends and relatives may be written on the sheet posted in the Main Shrine Room ahead of the practice.

sadHana Of MaHaMudraTwice a month, on the days of the new and full moon.

July 8 and 22, August 6 and 21: 5:30-6:45pm, 5:30-

6:45pm“I think that in the future people will relate with this sadhana as a source of inspiration as well as a potential way of



continuing their journey. Inspiration from that point of view means awakening yourself from the deepest of deepest confusion and chaos and self-punishment; it means being able to get into a higher level and being able to celebrate within that.”—Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Join us in practicing the Sadhana of Mahamudra to help “free those who suffer at the hands of the three lords of materialism and are afraid of external phenomena, which are their own projections.”Open to all.Free of charge.

sHaMbHala prIncIple bOOk sTudyThursdays, June 27 - ongoing until we finish! 7:30-8:30pm (canceled July 4)We humans have come to a crossroads in our history: we can either destroy the world or create a good future. The Shambhala Principle offers the principle of basic goodness as a way of addressing the personal and social challenges that we face. Do we, as humans, have confidence in the basic goodness of humanity, as well as of society itself? As a Tibetan lama and spiritual leader, this strikes me as our most compelling global issue.

The book revolves around a dialogue with my father, the legendary Chögyam Trungpa. Whether his responses were direct or mystical, he continuously returned to the topics of basic goodness and enlightened society. Not only did he show me how I could become confident in their existence through awareness and meditation, he also taught me how basic

goodness is a socially viable standard that could stabilize and transform our world.However, this book is not a memoir, or even a message. It is an invitation to readers to reflect on their own basic goodness and the basic goodness of society, and then contemplate the question, Can we rouse our energy and confidence to create a good world that is founded on this principle? I encourage you to join me in this contemplation. -- Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

7:30-7:45 pm Meditation7:45-8 pm Reading8-8:30 pm Conversation

As a facilitated book study, the format and length of the book study could be adapted to the wishes of the group. It is a drop-in group.$5 suggested donation per week

MedITaTIOn In THe nOrTH endEvery Monday, 7:30-8:30pm

Every Wednesday, 12:15-1:15pmCreative Crossing building, Studio 2 (next to Local Source)Enter 5781 Charles Street, Halifaxnorthendmeditation.orgJoin us for weekly sitting and walking meditation at the North End Meditation Space. Meditation instruction for those who would like it is offered Mondays at 7:30pm and Wednesdays at 12:15pm. Monday meditation is followed by social tea at 8:30pm. All are welcome.Free of charge; we’re collecting donations to meet the rent and tea…

NEW! The North End Meditation space is offering Sunday events, 12:30 to 3:30 or so. These include speakers offering a live presentation and discussion, on passionate and engaging topics. Stay tuned to our website for confirmation. The cost will be set to simply cover rent of the space. (And price of tea!)Interested in being actively involved? Interested in sponsoring a night? We do need you! Please contact us:[email protected]

prOgraMs Open TO all In darTMOuTHDartmouth Shambhala Meditation GroupNorth Woodside Community Centre230 Pleasant Street, [email protected]

Blowing bubbles at Community Playgroupphoto by Rhiannon Wells



kyudO arcHery InTensIvewith Sam WestSunday August 1810 am-4:30 pmKozan Iba900 Herring Cove Road, Halifax~please come early for registration~“Kyudo, the way of the bow, is a living tradition of meditative archery, rooted in the old warrior traditions of Japan. The perfect mastery of the bow was considered an art by the Samurai, an art that knew no other goal than the highest experience of the here and now, of the moment as it is, beyond any strategies of thought and concept. [...] The simple elegance of the movements, the beauty of the bow and the arrows and the atmosphere of quietness and dignity predominant in the practice place, have a great fascination for those of us who wish to walk upon the path of self-knowledge. Because to set out on the path of archery means to set out on a journey of understanding where you learn to see with a new set of eyes and to listen with new ears.”—Excerpt from ‘Kyudo-Standing Zen’ by C&K Triplett, see www.kyudo.org$40 tuition$50 tuition for ‘first shot’ participantsLunch and equipment will be provided.For information, call Sam West at 902-406-6483

Tuesday evening Open House - MeditationEvery Tuesday, 7pm. Everyone is welcome!Sitting meditation 7 - 7:50 pm - TeaDiscussion/Talk/Program 8 - 9:30 pmMeditation instruction available.Suggested donation $7 per eveningCost should not be a factor in any program, please pay what you can if this is a concern.

sT. MargareTs bay sHaMbHala cenTre13495 Peggy’s Cove Road, Upper Tantallonwww.shambhalabay.ca, [email protected]/OpEN TO All:Meditation plus!Wednesdays 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Meditation Instruction at 7 pm.Meditation practice plus tea, a short talk and discussiongood Morning Shambhala!Fridays 9:30 am – 11:30 am (meditation instruction at 9:30 am)Meditation practice plus tea, a short talk and discussionSpace is available for “self-organized” childcare and young children included for brief periods in the meditationCommunity Meditation practiceSundays 9:30 am – 12 noon

Shambhala Training Level V with Shastri Mary Campbellphoto by Rhiannon Wells



Way of ShambhalaWhat an incredible season for the Way of Shambhala! Our year of classes and weekend retreats wrapped up mid June with Shambhala Training Levels I and V and the conclusion of What is Real? The Basic Goodness of Society.

The Way of Shambhala experienced incredible growth this year. We added seven additional programs, including the new Basic Goodness series. In total, we ran 22 programs from September 2012 – June 2013. The number of participants more than doubled from last season, with a total attendance num-ber of 735. The heartfelt connection that our newest students are making with the Shambhala lineage, the community, and with one another is deeply inspiring. It is wonderful to see the Shambhala teachings thriving in these times.

What a pleasure and honour it has been for all of us involved this year! I would like to extend an extra special thank you to Shastri Mary Campbell for all her hard work, diligence, and devotion to the Way of Shambhala and its teaching mandala. I would also like to thank Michelle Munro for pouring her heart and mind into the Way of Shambhala over the last 2+ years, for her role in planning this wonderful season, and for her on-going support and friendship.

On behalf of myself and all the participants, I offer deepest appreciation and thanks to all of the amazing warriors who staffed the Way of Shambhala this season. On the feedback forms completed by the participants, we continually saw

words like “welcoming”, “warm”, “kind”, “friendly”, and “inspiring” used to describe their experience of the Shambhala Centre and the program staff. To everyone who went ‘above and beyond’ this season to help these programs manifest: our beloved Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Acharyas Rosenthal and McLellan, Shastris Benoit Cote and David Sable, the 22 Directors, 64 As-sistant Directors, 19 Coordinators, 3 Food Coordinators, and 118 staff, you were all delightful!

Looking forward to another season beginning right around the corner. See you in September!

~ Angie Fenwick Gibb, Way of Shambhala Program Manager

* * * * *

Open to people of any spiritual tradition, the Way of Shamb-hala is designed for people living in the modern world, and is suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators alike. It provides a strong foundation in mindfulness-aware-ness meditation, wisdom teachings, contemplative arts and physical disciplines rooted in the ancient traditions of Shambhala and Tibetan Buddhism.

The Way of Shambhala offers a glimpse of the Shambhala vision of enlightened society by emphasizing the ways in which meditation can impact our daily lives, and from there how the sanity of meditation can expand to impact our whole society.

Please view the Way of Shambhala section of our website for the full 2013 – 2014 schedule.

Way Of sHaMbHala IMeditation In everyday lifeFive Thursdays 7-9 pm: September 12, 19, 26 and October 3, 10With meditation instruction, experiential exercises and strong community sup-port, this class provides the fundamental tools and teachings for making mindful-ness meditation part of one’s everyday life.The class is a companion course to Shambhala Training Level I as well as a stand-alone introductory course.Open to everyoneTuition: $100

Shambhala Training Level V Celebration Offering - June 2013photo by Rhiannon Wells



shambhala Training level I Weekend retreatFirst weekend of OctoberThrough the practice of meditation, we glimpse uncondi-tional goodness as the ground of our existence. Opening to ourselves with gentleness and appreciation, we begin to see our potential as genuine and compassionate human beings.This program introduces participants to the practice of sitting meditation and to the basic principles of the Shamb-hala path of warriorship. The program includes meditation instruction, talks by the Director, group conversations, and individual meetings with experienced instructors.Open to everyone.Tuition: $90

Way Of sHaMbHala Ivfearlessness In everyday lifeFive Thursday Evenings 7-9pm: September 19, 26, Octo-ber 3, 10, 17Learning to work with our anxiety, we are not blocked by fear. Through an exploration of the Buddhist teachings of mind and the nature of reality, we learn to see clearly. We dare to face life and death as they are. The meditator, open to uncertainty, goes beyond the emotions of hope and fear to experience equanimity.Prerequisite: Joy In Everyday LifeTuition: $100

Advanced Programskurukulla abHIsHekaWITH sakyOng MIpHaM rInpOcHeJuly 31 to August 2ndThe Kurukulla Abhisheka enters students into the mandala of Kurukulla, the magnetizing dakini. The program is re-stricted to practitioners who have received the Rigden Ab-hisheka and established the Werma Sadhana as their base practice for at least one year. Vajrayogini sadhakas in the Shambhala mandala with an interest in magnetizing prac-tice and a connection to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche are also invited to attend. The Sakyong has specifically encour-aged leaders within the community to receive this practice. Please note that participants don’t have to give up their cur-rent practice or fulfill any additional practice requirements after receiving this abhisheka. Also, the program will involve practice of the Primordial Rigden Ngondro: receiving the lung before attending the program is highly recommended.

Please note: for attendance of this Abhisheka it is necessary that your attend the first talk on July 31 at 7pm. If you miss it you cannot attend the programme further. Registration will be open at the event venue on the first day, July 31, 4-7pm.Also be aware that the final feast with His Majesty on Au-gust 2 is expected to end late at night.$250 tuition, plus materials. The Shambhala International benefit policy and the Halifax Shambhala Centre generosity policy do not apply to this program.

Registration to seating in the Main Shrine room of the Halifax Shambhala Centre has reached capacity and is now closed. We are inviting participants to register to a limited number of seats in the Snow Lion room, which will be linked to the event via streaming video. Of course, the Sakyong will still empower everyone individually. As seats become avail-able, registrants will be invited to move to the Main Shrine Room.

sHaMbHala sadHanaTuesdays 9-10 am; and Wednesdays, 7-8 pmThe Sakyong composed this practice to deepen our personal and social connection with basic goodness. The Shambhala Sadhana is simple and quite powerful in its direct approach



This is not a fundraising day but a day of practice: celebrating through practicing the joy of generosity.All Shambhala tantrikas are invited to participate, includ-ing those who may not have begun mandala practice, or those who do not have the lung for the Primordial Rigden ngöndro.

May this Great Mandala Offering create clouds of merit and help individuals understand the power and potency of gen-erosity!

cOMMeMOraTIOn Of THe vajra regenT Osel TenzInSunday August 25, 7-9pmSadhana of Mahamudra celebration of the passing away of the Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin. With toasts,readings, and a video excerpt from the Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin Library.“As a student and child of mine, Ösel Tendzin has developed his natural ability to respond to the teachings of egolessness. He not only intellectually comprehends these teachings, but he has actually practiced and trained himself in this way. Although I would not say Ösel Tendzin is an enlightened person, he is one of the greatest examples of a practitioner who has followed the command of the Buddha and his guru and the tradition of the Practice Lineage.”-Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

to basic goodness. As a group practice, the Shambhala Sad-hana is open to everyone who has received its transmission and taken the Enlightened Society Vow.Self-staffed and free of charge.

OnlIne address TO MedITaTIOn InsTrucTOrs and guIdeswith Acharya Dale AsraelSaturday August 10, 2-4pmDetails and registration information to be announced. Replay in the fall.For authorized MIs and Guides.

greaT Mandala OfferIngSunday August 11, 9am - 5 pm“[The Great Mandala Offering] consists of us gathering for a day, where we offer a great mandala. As a community, we would try to accumulate 100,000 or more mandala offerings in one day.[...]It is an opportunity to highlight this key practice of generosity, and to understand that all that we have; health, wealth, and realization, comes from past acts of generosity. This day would have a feeling of wealth, richness, offering, gen-erosity, and would help individuals understand the power and potency of generosity in their lives and for our community.[...]If we are to truly transplant this enlightened culture, a shift needs to be made in understanding generosity. People will likely want to attend these Mandala Offering days, because it would ben-efit them personally at home and work. Simultaneously it is a way to reach out to the entire world, it enhances their spiritual development, and builds the Kingdom.” --Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Michael Munro PTPhysiotherapist andYoga Instructor 6156 Quinpool Road, Su 102902-429-3303www.yogastudio.ns.cawww.halifaxhealth.ca

Discover the joy of movement

Community Playgroupphoto by Rhiannon Wells

Kevin Anderson, I.S.A. Certified Arborist Ph (902) 667-1021 • woodpeckertreecare.com/sangha

We’re returning August 25!Thank you for supporting our volunteer work at Kalapa Court.

We will be in the Halifax area again August 25.If you need tree work done please contact us.



feasT OfferIngsAvalokiteshvara FeastSunday August 18, 2pm

Chakrasamvara FeastThursday July 18, 5:30 pm; Saturday August 17, 2pm

KTgR Sadhana of Mahamudra FeastSaturday July 13, 6pm

padmasambhava guru Yoga FeastFriday August 16, 6pm

Vajrayogini FeastTuesday July 2 5:30pm and Saturday August 31, 2pm

Werma FeastFriday July 26 and Saturday August 24, 6pm

ngöndrO & WerMa pracTIce InTen-sIve WeekendsJuly 13-14 (self-staffed)August 17-18 (self-staffed)A two-day intensive practice and study program for all Ngöndro and Werma practitioners. We create a retreat envi-ronment, in accord with Shambhala International’s guidelines for Vajrayana Group Practice Intensives, with silence practice until teatime in the afternoon. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch and eat at the Centre. Any intensive that doesn’t have at least 2 participants to the full weekend (and thus doesn’t meet the “group” aspect of the guidelines) will be cancelled on the Monday preceding the intensive.

$20 suggested donation.Generosity policy applies: pay what you can afford.You are welcome to join the group for one day or half a day. Attending the full intensive counts towards fulfilling the one-month group practice requirement. An intensive without at least two preregistered participants to the whole weekend will be cancelled by the end of the preceding Monday.Open to all Shambhala vajrayana students.

regular pracTIces WITH prerequI-sITes In july and augusT

Werma: Mondays, 9-10:30 am

Shambhala Sadhana: Tuesdays, 9-10 am; and Wednesdays, 7-8 pm (cancelled July 30 & 31)

Werma (Scorpion Seal): Wed.s, 9-10 am (cancelled July 31)

Scorpion Seal Vajrasattva: Thursdays, 9-10 am (cancelled August 1)

Kurukulla: Fridays, 9-10:30 am (cancelled August 2)

Yoga, Meditation, Massage, Sauna

2742 Robie St., [email protected], 1-902-444-7470

Community Playgroupphoto by Rhiannon Wells


Community Programs Events news

WHy geT a MedITaTIOn InsTrucTOr?When we lose sight of our own basic goodness, it is fortu-nate to have a friend able to reflect such goodness back to us, to be inspirational and encouraging when needed. This, in essence, is the meditation instructor’s role. The “MI” isn’t a guru, therapist, disciplinarian, or taskmaster. As people ex-plore the path of meditation more deeply, they may want to meet with the same instructor outside of programs. This affords an opportunity to work on an ongoing basis with one person whose training and experience can support our practice and journey as a meditator.Conversations can open up about bringing meditation practice in the rest of our life such as job, school, and rela-tionships. They can also provide guidance in developing a path of study, how to choose which classes and programs to attend, and answer our questions about Shambhala cul-ture and history.If you would like to meet with a meditation instructor indi-vidually, you may ask an instructor directly, or complete a Request for Meditation Instructor card available at the front desk of the Shambhala Centre. You may also call the Halifax Shambhala Centre with your request: 420-1118 ext 110.

suppOrT grOup fOr agIng sangHa MeMbersSunday September 29, 6:30 pm

The Halifax Shambhala Steering Committee on Aging

would like to invite all sangha members 60 years and older

to to talk about the issues and difficulties that arise as we

get older. These may entail medical, emotional, social and

financial issues, as well as day to day living adaptations we

might be facing or preparing for.

Our intention is that this meeting be a launch point for a

support group for aging sangha members. The support

group would be on-going, with monthly meetings (or

more often if needed) at the Shambhala Centre on Sunday

evenings.

The HSC steering committee on aging has been meeting

regularly since 2010 to explore the needs of sangha

members as we age. Initiating an aging support group

will be a major step in continuing the process of looking at

aging as well as developing support for each other as we

face the changes and challenges of getting older.

We hope you will join us for a relaxed and confidential

sharing together our questions, concerns, wonderment and

experiences.

- The HSC Steering Committee on Aging

Advertise in The Banner

$40: business card size (per issue) $80: double business card size (per issue)

Submissions must be “camera-ready,” jpeg or pdf format. Write to [email protected].

an evenIng WITH THe nalanda TranslaTIOn cOMMITTee Tuesday July 9, 7 - 9 pm

Please join the Nalanda Translation Committee!

Having recently returned from our trip to Asia, we would

like to share our experiences and report to you on our work

and adventures with Karma Senge Rinpoche. Larry, Scott,

Mark, and Jessie will give a slide show and panel presenta-

tion. There will be time for questions and discussion about

the Vidyadhara’s early terma cycles, as well as light refresh-

ments and informal conversation.

Hope to see you there!

www.nalandatranslation.org



Camp culminates with a capture-the-flag game requiring

training, discipline, teamwork, and a sense of humor

Come Join us in one of our three locations this summer

and find out why Sun Camp has been such a wonderful

experience for so many of our children over the years!

More information and registration at www.

shambhalasuncamp.org

sTaTus updaTe frOM THe aWesOMe fOundaTIOn“I’m just reading through the submissions from the youth at Shambala and am blown away by their empathy, intelligence and quirky senses of humour... If these submissions are any indication, you are doing some incredible teaching for these great youth!”Nice message to receive at the end of the school year.Submitted by Noel Alexander Mclellan, Shambhala School

shambhala sun summer campColorado, SMC July 14 - 21

Nova Scotia, DDl August 4 - 11

France, DCl July 27 - August 3

“One of the basic texts Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche wrote

about how to raise a Sakyong says that you should put

someone in an environment free from jealousy, free from

competition, and infuse them with their basic goodness. That

is exactly what happens at Sun Camp.” -Sakyong

Mipham Rinpoche

It’s summer again and that means it’s time for running in the

sun, and sleeping in tents. Shambhala Sun Summer Camp is

right around the corner. Held at three locations every year,

Sun Camp is a place where children have fun, make friends

and learn to take responsibility for themselves and one’s

world in a gentle and playful environment, year after year.

Campers sleep in tents and enjoy the simple experience of

waking up every day to their own world.

Camp includes a variety of fun activities and games that

are designed to build teamwork and leadership skills.

Sun Camp also draws on military forms, like wearing a

uniform and raising flags, based on the idea that discipline

and camaraderie can be used to conquer aggression and

produce peace and cheerfulness.

In addition, there are one or two short meditation sessions

a day as well as hiking and other traditional camp activities

like campfire songs, marshmallow roasting, and talent

night.



ObituaryNan Newhall, 64 of Halifax, passed away on Monday May 13,

2013. Born in Lombard, Illinois, daughter of Jim & Marianne

Newhall, she grew up in

Madison Wisconsin. She

attended Luther College

and graduated with an

Arts degree and went on to

study Archeology. Following

a period of archeological

work in Hawaii, she travelled

through Europe and spent

a year working in an Israeli

kibbutz. She met her main

Buddhist teacher, Trungpa Rinpoche, in Boulder Colorado

in 1974, when he delivered the first course on Buddhism

and compassionate warrior principles at Naropa Institute.

She began work that year for the organization he formed,

eventually called Shambhala International. When Trungpa

Rinpoche established its headquarters in Halifax in 1985, she

decided to move here, arriving with her family in 1988. Upon

Trungpa Rinpoche’s death in 1987, she became a student of

his son Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. She continued working

for Shambhala International until 1994, as Chief of Staff. She

then went on to work on local entrepreneurial projects,

including the establishment of Omega Heath, and the Clay

Café franchise.

Nan’s life was dedicated to her family, friends, and to great

compassionate action for her various communities. She

always found immense joy in the love of her daughter

Ashley Hannon, her dear brothers, Michael and Stephen

Newhall, and in her husband Geoff Crinean. She also spent a

lot of energy caring for her cheerful mother Marianne, who

died in 2012. Nan loved painting, gardening, travelling, and

especially spending time at Denma Farm in Tatamagouche.

She was a Shambhala warrior of compassion – fearless and

kind with everyone she encountered.

A celebration of her life - a compassionate warrior’s funeral

- was held at the Halifax Shambhala Centre on Thursday

May 16. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made

to The Mother Lineage Fund or Dorje Denma Ling, c/o the

Halifax Shambhala Centre.

To view of to send messages of condolence to the family,

please visit: www.cruikshankhalifaxfuneralhome.com

dorje denma ling’s 20th anniversary and Midsummer’s day june 2013



enriching Other’s lives with compassionate communicationby Ron Renz

One year ago I attended a 9-day program at the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) in Albuquerque, NM. This was the first International Intensive Training (IIT) not led by Marshall Rosenberg who began his NVC work in the 1970s. For some this was a great disappointment, and for others this was an opportunity to have four experienced trainers work non-stop with a group of 16 participants for 9 days. (Trainings with Marshall usually draw over 100 participants). Our group melded immediately, and everyone entered into the training completely, without hesitation. Two slogans which came out of the weeklong training continue to resonate with me. The first I use (when I remember) to check my motivation before I speak is to ask myself, “Are you looking to connect or to correct?” The second relates to my view as I communicate, “How does my communication enrich this person’s life, i.e. make it more wonderful?”

Marshall Rosenberg was a student of psychologist Carl Rogers. NVC training evolved from Dr. Rosenberg’s quest to find a way of rapidly disseminating much needed peacemaking skills. The Center for Nonviolent Communication emerged out of work he was doing with civil rights activists in the early 1960’s. During this period he also mediated between rioting students and college administrators and worked to peacefully desegregate public schools in long-segregated regions.

“Nonviolent Communication contains nothing new. It is based on historical principles of nonviolence-- the natural state of compassion when no violence is present in the heart. NVC reminds us what we already instinctively know about how good it feels to authentically connect to another human being.

With NVC we learn to hear our own deeper needs and those of others. Through its emphasis on deep listening—to ourselves as well as others—NVC helps us discover the depth of our own compassion. This language reveals the awareness that all human beings are only trying to honour universal values and needs, every minute, every day.” (Retrieved 6.13.13 from http://www.cnvc.org/about/what-is-nvc.html)

In my experience, the natural state of compassion referred to here by CNVC is the expression of basic goodness. Our sangha is rich with teachers, counselors, and psychologists who offer a very useful variety of communication tools. NVC is one of

these. In order to strengthen our skills in communicating with kindness and empathy, ongoing practice is essential. There are NVC study groups in Halifax, and last year Soledad Gonzalez and I conducted a one-day NVC introductory workshop here at HSC.

I am pleased to announce that Quebec-based CNVC Trainer gina Cencoise will be coming to Halifax to lead a workshop on compassionate communication on the weekend of November 30-December 1, this year (location TBA). Gina has an exceptional background in NVC and other communication skills. Check them out at www.embodying-empathy.com. So...mark your calendar, watch for public announcements this fall, and consider joining us for a potent weekend of practice.

Community Playgroup

photo by Rhiannon Wells


Dorje Denma Ling

Dorje Denma Ling ProgramsFAMilY CAMp with Julianna BarnardJuly 19 - 27

SuMMER VAJRAYANA gROup RETREATwith Tom BellJuly 19 - 27

WEEKTHuNwith Shastri Benoît CôtéJuly 19 - 27

SHAMBHAlA SuN SuMMER CAMpAugust 1—August 11

SCORpiON SEAl ASSEMBlY: YEARS 4 AND 5with Sakyong Mipham RinpocheAugust 4 - 15

lEADER AS SpiRiTuAl WARRiORwith Margaret Wheatley and Jerry GranelliAugust 20 - 25

SHAMBHAlA TRAiNiNg: THE FOuR DigNiTiESwith Linda LewisAugust 20 - 25

WARRiORS FOR THE HuMAN SpiRiT: FiNDiNg OuR WAY iN THiS BRAVE NEW WORlDwith Meg Wheatley & Jerry GranelliAugust 20—August 25

DEATH AND THE ART OF DYiNg: DREAM YOgA AND DEATHwith Andrew HolecekSeptember 13—September 15

VipASHYANA MAHAMuDRA RETREAT with Dorje Loppon Lodro DorjeSeptember 13th—September 21

HOOKED, OBSESSED, AND ADDiCTED: WORKiNg WiTH HABiTuAl pATTERNS THROugH MiNDFulNESSwith Joe LitvenSeptember 27-29

lEADERSHip TOOlS FOR CREATiVE COllABORATiON: MiNDFulNESS, liSTENiNg AND iNquiRY with David and Trudy SableSeptember 28-29

ATlANTiC REgiONAl CONFERENCEOctober 4—October 6

FAll TAKE DOWNOctober 11-14

MiNDFulNESS FOR EDuCATiON pROFESSiONAlSwith Robyn Traill, Lilly Gleich, Susan Williams, and Marguerite Sands October 25-27

RElEASE AND REVEAl: iNTuiTiVE ASTROlOgYwith Deborah YoungOctober 25-27

ENRiCHiNg FiRE OFFERiNg WEEKENDNovember 1-3

HAlF DATHuN with Shastri Benoît Côté November 1-17

NgöNDRO / WRERMA gROup RETREATwith Shastri Christine SloanNovember 9-17

KuRuKullA iNTENSiVEwith Walker BlaineNovember 22-24

Dates and teachers are subject to change. Please check the website for the latest information and registration:www.dorjedenmaling.org, email [email protected], or call (902) 657-9085. Photo by commercial photographer Marvin Moore


Practice and Study Lely Abud [email protected] 420-1118 x 31Shambhala Training Cathrin Hayward-Ziegler [email protected] 420-1118 x 34Halifax Shambhala Centre 1084 Tower Road Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y5Phone 902.420-1118 Fax 902.423-2750 [email protected] www.halifax.shambhala.org

Director

Rhiannon Wells (full-time)[email protected] x 130

Finance

Bob Hastey (part-time)[email protected] x 113

Practice anD eDucation

Angie Fenwick Gibb (full-time)[email protected] x 134

Frédéric Villemure (full-time)[email protected] x 131

community events anD Publicity

Melissa Howell (part-time) [email protected] x111

Halifax Shambhala Centre Staff

GoverninG council:http://halifax.shambhala.org/organiza-tion.php

Executive Director (Council Chair):Rhiannon Wells

Societal Health and Wellbeing: Jacquie Bell/Tara Nauss

Comptroller: Bob Hastey

Membership Coordinator and Council Secretary: Kerstin Martin

Chagdzö: Michael Nuschke

Kasung / Desung: Meg Vigerstad

governance policy: Bob Vogler

Culture and Decorum: Open

oPen volunteer Positions:- Families & Youth Coordinator

- Outreach Coordinator

- Volunteer Coordinator

- Audio/Recording Coordinator

- Visiting Teacher Manager

- Hospitality

If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Rhiannon Wells at [email protected]

recePtion Jessie Litven (part-time)[email protected] x 110

recePtion

Dinah Brown (part-time)[email protected] x 110

builDinG caretaker

Laura Evans (part-time)

Feast coorDinator Dewi Roberts (volunteer)

[email protected]

shrine masters (volunteers)Dewi Roberts and Sandra Selva

membershiP coorDinator

Kerstin Martin (volunteer)[email protected]

chair, DekyonG council

Open volunteer position

builDinG security

Nick Birch (volunteer)

Website

Chris Morel (volunteer)

kalaPa ikebana GrouP (volunteers)

banner temPlate DesiGn Molly Nudell (deceased)

ProDuction Melissa Howell (part-time)

haliFax shastris:Mary Campbell, Benoît Côté,

David Sable

atlantic reGional shastris: Alice Haspray, Christine Sloan, Veit

Weber

Generosity PolicyThe Halifax Shambhala Centre is a non-profit organization supported by program fees, donations and the energy of many volunteers. While our programs have suggested fees needed to support the Centre, if that is an obstacle, you may pay as much as you are able to pay.

There are many opportunities for volunteers to help make our activities, programs and resources available to the community. See www.halifax.shambhala.org/volunteerjobs.php or click “How you can help” on the Halifax Shambhala Centre homepage.

No-Scent PolicyThe Halifax Shambhala Centre is scent-free. Please refrain from wearing scented products.

generosity: discovering natural wealth a public talk by ...before the kurukulla abhisheka at the end...

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