Shambhala Day Celebration

The community celebrated Shambhala Day and the beginning of the year of the fire monkey over a rich and joyful several days. Festivities began on Tuesday, February 9, with a toast to the rising Great Eastern Sun. The space and the community were all blessed and purified through a rousing lhasang smoke ceremony. The morning concluded with a powerful Kyudo First Shot by member Kari Kent-Schultz.

The community again gathered that evening for the practice of the Shambhala Sadhana, a special practice composed by the Sakyong to help us celebrate and strengthen our understanding of basic goodness and enlightened society.

Following the sadhana, Center Director, Heather Wenrich, addressed the community to give a brief update on center improvements and call on each other to practice the bodhisattva activity of generosity to continually strengthen the center’s finances and support future improvements.

The evening concluded with an inspiring and cheerful video address from the lineage holder of Shambhala, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He spoke to the amazing circumstances that have led us to the Shambhala family and all that have gone before to provide these teachings. The highlight of the evening was the official unveiling of the Shambhala Lineage Thangka. This beautiful hand-painted thangka details all of the lineage masters, teachers, and family members that have come before us. The complete Shambhala Day address from the Sakyong can be read at the Shambhala Times.

The Shambhala Day festivities continued to the following Sunday when we recognized new community members through the oath and pinning ceremony. The day concluded with a catered lunch, fundraising, a replay of the Sakyong’s address, and a final Kyudo First Shot from community member Allan Cross.

We hope this year of the fire monkey brings great prosperity to you and yours! Come join us!

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