Mark Boudreau and his construction crew from Lewis Creek Builders will start work on Monday, August 23rd, transforming our office area into a kitchen, and the second bathroom will go in the old kitchen area. The new office will take space from the old main shrine area. We have raised 3/4 of the money - $12,000 and will use $3,000 from our reserve fund. The project estimate is $15,000, so we will have to fund raise to replace the reserve fund money. Mark thinks the project can be done in two weeks, so we will be looking for a work crew to move everything back to our new and improved space over Labor Day weekend (daytime hours).

There will be a Harvest of Peace celebration over the September 19th weekend and we will dedicate our new space. A Japanese calligraphy master will do a demonstration of the Heart Sutra Friday night. There will be Ikebana classes on Saturday, and Sunday will be the celebration, beginning with community practice at 9:00.

Peace and Light,
Karen Sheppard

Greetings Everyone,

The curriculum for The Way of Shambhala for 2010 - 2011 is now posted on our website and pamphlets are available at the Center. It looks to be an exciting year!

Ikebana is the contemplative art of flower arranging.

The Burlington Shambhala Center is offering two Ikebana Workshops on September 18th, with Joan Kydd:

9:30-noon (for beginners)
1:30-4pm (for those with experience)

See our program page for registration info: Shambhala arts

Shodo: the Way of the Brush

a demonstration of Traditional Japanese Calligraphy

THE HEART SUTRA

by Reverend Jomyo Tanaka, Japanese Vajrayana Master

Friday evening, Sept. 17th, 7pm

at our center

Greetings Dear Sangha,

I wanted to introduce myself and tell you that I will be preparing the blog for our website. James Crouse will be providing technical assistance. Blogging is new to me so I accept this challenge with some trepidation.

As you are aware, the blog replaces the newsletter. If you have anything you want posted, please contact me at the email address or phone number listed below. Format as best you can and I will take it from there.

Yours in the Great Eastern Sun,
Karen M. Sheppard
namaste20@myfairpoint.net
802-862-9695

On Saturday, May 29th, Pat Hoffman, Brenda Bergstrom and I travelled to Karme Choling for the 40th anniversary celebration. Festivities included a delicious buffet lunch courtesy of Lisa Harris, a former sangha member and her hard working staff. The main event on Saturday was the official breaking ground on the first Scorpion Seal Retreat Cabin, (The Sakyong’s request). This will allow practitioners to enter the door to the innermost practices of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage.

The following information I gathered from correspondence regarding the weekend:

The weekend was intended to be a rousing sangha family reunion and birthday party. A grand birthday party was held on Friday, May 28th, a lhasang at the future site of The Stupa That Conquers All Directions, An official Apprecation of the former Directors and staff members of Karme Choling, live music, storytelling, hikes across the land, Dharma Art activities, the Mukpo Institute graduation and celebration, the 1st Annual Tail of the Tiger Invitational Croquet Tournament, Dorje Kasung mess, Sadhana of Mahamudra and feast, concluding with a dance party on Sunday night, May 30th.

We ended our day at par-tea with a report about future plans for Karme Choling. They are undergoing a capital campaign to build The Stupa That Conquers All Directions, Scorpion Seal Retreat Cabin Project, and a new building, Preparing the Ground. They also have purchased 177 acres across the road which at this time the intention is to let it sit quietly.

It certainly was a dharma day, and we were happy to see Lisa, Diane Bertelsen, Lindsay Price, Ryan McArdle and Kate Roome.

If you have any questions, kindly contact me.

Best,
Karen Sheppard

Each year the Shambhala Community remembers the passing of the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche on April 4. Upon his death and the dissolution, the Vidyadhara attained a full realization of basic goodness, so we could celebrate. We could follow his example! It is a day to make wishing prayers for the benefit of ourselves and others, and to aspire that all may attain happiness and the root of happiness.

We could so this in many ways. We could set aside the day for a quiet retreat at home, alternating periods of shamatha meditation with contemplation and study. We could come to the Shambhala Center for practice between 9 AM and noon when all are invited to participate in the Sadahana of Mahamudra. We could share a poem or story at the tea which will follow, or we could simply contemplate how Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s immense Buddha activity has touched our lives. Or we could watch a video or listen to a tape from the teachings archive at www.Shambhala.org/teachings/. So many possibilities!

From The Perfect Love Poem by Chogyam Trungpa, 1969

So the clear, peaceful mountain air,

Gently blows the clouds,

A beautiful silk scarf wrapped around.

The Himalayas with their high snow peaks are dancing,

Joining my rhythm in the dance,

Joining with the stillness, the most delightful movement

of them all.

by Myra Woodruff

Artist: Jean Cannon	On Sunday February 14, 2010, the Burlington Shambhala Center gathered for a day of practice, recognition of members, listening to Sakyong Mipham’s address and revelry! Beginning with a lhasang as we entered the shrine room, we meditated together and then chanted the Elixir of Life – a purification and contemplation practice written by the Sakyong.
Director Pat Hoffmann spoke lovingly of community, compassion, and generosity, acknowledging Jim Storrier who is stepping down from the Council role of Community Coordinator, Todd Manley who produced the newsletter for years and Marisa Montagna who co- coordinated Shambhala Training before moving to Karme Choling in January. Then Pat welcomed new members: Sarah Brutzman, Anne Damrosch, Janice Solek-Tefft, Kenneth (K.)Tefft and Sarah Holt-Gosselin (pictured here) Welcome!!!!	Photos: Kathy Webb
	Acharya Judy Lief conducted the Warrior of the Center retirement oath ceremony for Julie Soquet and conferred the Medal of the Great Eastern Sun in recognition of Julie’s contribution as our last Warrior. The Sakyong has created an Office of Decorum and Culture which is in development (see future blogs for further information!).
After a reading of the Center I Ching by Charlotte Brodie, 52 Meditation leading to 50 The Cauldron and a lovely Tea break, we re-entered the Main Shrine room to listen to the Sakyong’s address. Prior to that we had the first international on-line roll call. Each center regionally had a chance to wave and say hello to the greater sangha. We called out “Burlington Hoh” and all hands up!
For the Sakyong’s address go to the Shambhala website: Shambhala.org
Then there was Food (thank you especially Chuck and Judy Lief).
And Music
And dancing.
And Friends	And Family

Cheerful Year of the Metal Tiger!!!

1) What are the prerequisites to take the courses and the Levels?

The Shambhala Levels are still sequential, (i.e, Level I, then Level II, then Level III etc.) The first two courses, Meditation in Everyday Life and Contentment in Everyday Life, do not have any prerequisites. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend these courses. For these first two courses, there is no required order of which course to attend first. The remaining courses are then sequential, Joy (Dignity of Lion), Dignity of Garuda, and then Dignity of Dragon. The Shambhala Training levels are also a prerequisite for these latter courses. One attends Level III before attending “Joy in Everyday Life”, Level IV prior to the Garuda Course and Level V prior to the Dragon Course. The Rigden Weekend is the culmination of the Way of Shambhala, and is when one will receive their Shambhala pin.

The courses are open to anyone who has completed the appropriate Shambhala Level. If people want to enter in late, this is possible before Levels IV and V. By Level IV the previous Levels and classes need to have been attended. You can speak with a meditation instructor to clarify what would work for you in order to continue to move forward.

2) How long and how many classes are there?
Shambhala Training Levels will be offered as a full weekend program or a Friday evening, all day Saturday and the following Tuesday evening option. Please refer to the calendar. The classes will be offered on five consecutive Tuesday evenings.

3) Do the Shambhala Training levels change?
No. The core teachings remains the same, however, in Burlington, the program schedule has changed (to weekend/part-weekend format). The experience of the teachings are now deepened within the format of the Tuesday evening classes.

4) What if I miss a level, class or both?
Our first suggestion is to try to catch the program you need to miss the second time around. That is why we are offering 4 first courses (Level I and Meditation in Everyday Life) and 2 second courses (Level II and Contentment in Everyday Life) within this year. If that is still not possible and you feel very strongly that you want to keep going this year and not wait until fall 2010, you may set up a tutorial with one of the directors or the assistant directors. Speak to the coordinator of the course or your meditation instructor.

5) Do I have to do these classes to continue on to Sacred Path?
If you are just beginning the Heart of Warriorship path this year, these classes are considered a pre-requisite for Sacred Path (soon the be incorporated into The Way of Shambhala II) and pre-seminary classes. The Way of Shambhala curriculum stands as a complete path in itself. Participants of last year and all previous years of Heart of Warriorship program are strongly encouraged to participate in the week night courses. They do not have to repeat the levels to do so.