The Shambhala Board

“The protocol, the mannerisms, and everything we have created, everything you have been taught, everything you have studied quite diligently – the purpose of all that is to have concern for others.”

Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, 1979 Kalapa Assembly, Big Sky, Montana

 

Dear Shambhala Community,

By now you will have received the Joint Statement from the Sakyong Potrang and the Shambhala boards describing the results of the mediation process. We, the Shambhala Board, would like to take this opportunity to clarify the decisions made in the agreement with the Potrang, as well as express our appreciation for the community’s patience during the mediation process, which lasted from August 2021 to February 2022.

It has been close to four years since the crisis in Shambhala began and during this time, it often felt like the direction of the organization was on hold. We have all had to examine our connections with Shambhala and the lineage in ways that were personal and often uncomfortable. Now with this agreement in place, we can turn our attention to moving forward as an organization, as a community, and as individuals.

As you have often heard us say, the Shambhala Board remains committed to Shambhala as an inclusive society. We encourage all members, centers and groups to continue creating and nurturing opportunities for practice, while remaining open and caring about one another. While different views will continue to arise within our community, we all have our fundamental grounding in the Shambhala teachings of confidence in basic goodness, gentleness and fearlessness that we can strengthen in ourselves, foster in our communities and share with the world.

The mediation has led to the following agreed upon changes for the Shambhala organization. You can access the authorizing resolutions and the red-lined changes of the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws here that show the language changes to our governance documents.

• The changes were made to the purposes clause of the Articles and By-laws for Shambhala so that all students, including those of the past, present and future Sakyongs, will feel included and welcome in Shambhala.
• Shambhala will no longer have a sole member governance structure. Thus, the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and the Sakyong Potrang will have no legal authority over the operations and governance of Shambhala. The Sakyong or his representative will now share with the Shambhala Board the power to amend the Articles or the by-laws or make decisions regarding dissolution of Shambhala or sale of the majority of its assets. Although these kinds of decisions are not usual occurrences and may never happen, they could be very consequential for the organization as a whole and need to have the input of both the community and the lineage holder.
• In place of the Sakyong, the Shambhala Board will now be independent and responsible for appointing new directors to the Board and, if necessary, to remove them for cause. To accomplish this, the Shambhala Board has decided to establish a Board advisory nominating group that includes members from the community and the Board to make recommendations for new Board members. This nominating group will start a process to bring new members onto the Board that reflect the diversity of our community.
• Shambhala USA will have a perpetual license to use the trademarks “Shambhala,” “Shambhala Training,” “Shambhala Meditation Center,” and others. We will be able to sub-license their use to our affiliated centers and groups. Shambhala USA will be able to continue operating under the same organizational names that we currently use. Since Shambhala Canada and Shambhala Europe own their own trademarks for “Shambhala,” no license is needed internationally.
• No assets were transferred as part of the mediation settlement. The Sakyong Potrang and Shambhala agreed to a mutual release of any claims, including past asset transfers. Previous asset transfers covered by this provision include the transfers by the Kalapa Council (which predated the seating of the Shambhala Interim Board) to the Sakyong Potrang of the Sakyong’s Halifax residence (the Court), the US trademarks and Kalapa Valley.
• The Shambhala and Potrang boards agreed to continue to communicate to clarify issues that arise.

While there is a lot in this agreement that will impact the two organizations, many issues of importance to Shambhala members were not made part of the mediation process. The most important may be individual students’ and centers’ relationship to the Sakyong.

In that regard, the Shambhala Board has had a number of opportunities to meet with the Sakyong or his representatives throughout our tenure. Our intention has been, above everything else, to help find a way to properly reconcile the Sakyong and the whole community. We know that there are students who feel the Sakyong has genuinely apologized for his past behavior, are devoted to the lineage and are connected to the Sakyong and his teachings. However, we are also aware that many others have expressed their need for the Sakyong to take more accountability.

To this aim, we approached the Sakyong and his representatives with the wishes for better accountability and further communication from him. We offered ideas for possible processes, consolidated the many emails we had received from the community that articulated many open questions and feelings, and introduced potential consultants to help with a reconciliation process. We also shared the new Code of Conduct, which we understand the Sakyong and the Sakyong Wangmo support.

We have come to recognize that the Sakyong is focusing his energies on teaching outside of Shambhala. We have been told by his representatives that he will continue on this current path. We remain committed to providing a healthy practice environment and community for his students within the Shambhala community.

We are also aware that many people in our community are committed to their Shambhala path but are not interested in studying with the Sakyong. The Board sees many opportunities to continue to deepen all of our practice and community life together. We are fortunate to have many skilled, well-practiced teachers within our community. Our centers and online spaces will continue to welcome groups to practice together, utilizing the full range of the Shambhala teachings including those studying with the Sakyong and those who are not. We also think that Shambhala can present our teachings to the modern world in a variety of forms, and we are open to how best to do that.

We understand that this is a big change from how students may have related to the Sakyong before the crisis. However, the Shambhala Board is confident that as a community we have tremendous resources to offer each other and the world. We are committed to continuing to have Shambhala offer the Shambhala path teachings through Werma practice and support for the Kagyu/Nyingma traditions through the Vajrayana, which are part of our heritage. We commit to supporting the Shambhala contemplative arts and other important aspects of Shambhala culture.

We know that you may have questions about all of this and we want to provide opportunities in the coming Year of the Water Tiger to communicate and work together as a sangha.

As a Board, our initial plans for the new year include:

• Continuing to welcome, read and reflect on the emails we receive. We look forward to hearing from you. You can reach us at board@shambhala.org.
• Organizing meetings with community leaders to discuss the organizational changes.
• Meeting with leaders to clarify the ongoing relationships between Shambhala Centers and Shambhala Global and receive their input on a formal affiliate agreement.
• Publishing FAQs that will address the issues raised by leaders and the community.
• Working closely with the skilled facilitators of the Shambhala Process Team to organize and hold community conversations on important topics, such as the results from the Societal Mirror Survey.
• Continuing to communicate through regular Board updates. During the mediation process, we agreed to work with the Potrang in a confidential space and were not at liberty to speak of the changes. We will have much to say about opportunities for practice and study as well as how we are going forward as a community.
• Holding regular Zoom meetings with leaders and the community.
• Continuing our conversations on understanding harm that have occurred within the community that we began with Shambhala leaders in December 2021 after publishing our Statement on Harm.

After a long period of uncertainty, we feel excited about what may now arise. We hope you will join us as we continue to strengthen our dharmic paths and together establish a Shambhala that reflects the elements of a good human society, for the benefit of all.
In the Vision of the Great Eastern Sun,

The Shambhala Board
Mark Blumenfeld
Susan Engel
Lilly Gleich
Peter Nowak
Tai Pimputkar
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

Dear Shambhala Community,

As part of our ongoing journey of learning about and understanding harm within Shambhala, the Shambhala Board is publishing the Statement on Harm in our Community on the Shambhala website. We offer this with every intention that the practices and community life of Shambhala can further develop the skillful means to bring benefit to others.

Our Statement on Harm does not need to diminish the love and heart connection so many of us feel toward Shambhala. Shambhala offers a great deal to each of us and to our world all together. Our teachings, culture, and community have brilliance and worthiness.

At the same time, our teachings on warriorship and bravery encourage us to look directly into the causes and conditions that allow harm to occur, so together we can create a safe and caring community.

In the coming months Shambhala will be launching a series of conversations intended to shape a reparative process for our community. These conversations will be free and open to anyone who wants to attend.

We see this as a critical step in the process of understanding and healing past harm, and cultivating the culture of kindness we aspire to.

With aspirations to benefit all,

The Shambhala Board of Directors

** In addition to English, the Statement is also available in Français, Español and Italiano. **

“We are always in transition.
If you can just relax with that, you’ll have no problem.”Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, as quoted in “The Places the Scare You”

 

Dear Shambhala Community,

Warm greetings to all of you. We hope that each of you are well and are finding space and insight to navigate these challenging times with grace, bravery and compassion. We all have been affected by events brought on by a changing climate, an ongoing global pandemic and extreme societal dynamics.

We want to thank you and all our leaders and volunteers for your practice and dedication to Shambhala vision and work to help others in a world full of suffering. We especially want to express gratitude for our land centers and their volunteers and staff who are providing opportunities for respite and connection to the natural world. Please click here to watch a video that explores each of the land centers.

We are writing to you today with another update on the Shambhala Board’s recent activity and the initiatives of Shambhala Global Services. Much of our focus has been on the discussions with the Sakyong Potrang Board and the Sakyong concerning the future of the Shambhala organization. We are now in regular conversations through a mediator with the Sakyong Potrang Board and the Sakyong. The conversations have been serious and meaningful.

As we announced in our September 9, 2021 Joint Statement from the Shambhala and Potrang Boards, we have agreed to create a protected space for these discussions to continue. To this end, the Sakyong Potrang and the Sakyong have extended the resolution granting the Board its current powers until Shambhala Day of next year, March 3, 2022. This date was chosen to acknowledge the urgency to come to some resolution but to not cause undue pressure on our discussions.

We appreciate the engagement and attention to this process by the Sakyong and the Sakyong Potrang Board. We are guardedly optimistic that these discussions will create the clarity that many Shambhala students have asked for.

We request each member of our community to help us create an environment of openness and understanding in this pivotal time for our Shambhala Mandala. Meeting the uncertainty of the present moment with meditation and compassion practices has been a great aid to us, and we want to encourage individual and community practice as a support for our conversations. We invite everyone to join us in rousing the aspiration of a healed and flourishing Shambhala.

We know that much depends on the mediation conversations. We hope that once they conclude, we will have the clarity for us to address the current uncertainty around Shambhala paths for study, practice, and educator training, as well as refining Shambhala Center/Affiliate relationships with Shambhala Global Services. We very much look forward to sharing more information on these conversations as we are able to open this protected space in agreement with the Sakyong and the Sakyong Potrang Board.

Wishing you all good health and safe and secure living situations,

The Shambhala Board
Mark Blumenfeld
Suasn Engel
Lilly Gleich
Peter Nowak
Tai Pimputkar
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

Shambhala Online New Course Announcements

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche -“Meditation: The Way of the Buddha”
Learn or refresh your connection to the practice of meditation as taught by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Although decades old, these archival talks from the summer of 1974 retain their original potency and are a reminder of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s incomparable skill at communicating Buddhist teachings to a Western audience. These short talks – from mindfulness practice, to awareness practice, to the realization of emptiness – will be supported by further commentary and facilitated discussion by some of our senior teachers who studied directly with Chogyam Trungpa. These include Pema Chödron, Dale Asrael, Dorje Loppon Lodro Dorje, Gaylon Ferguson, Arawana Hayashi, Marty Janowitz, Larry Mermelstein, and Judith Simmer-Brown. Click here to learn more and register.“Second Sunday” Maitri Bhavana – Shambhala Sunday Gatherings
You are invited to join the global Shambhala community as we come together to practice for the wellbeing of others the second Sunday of each month. Maitri Bhavana is a practice that is done for the benefit of the seriously ill, or for major global turmoil and disasters. Please visit the Shambhala Sunday Gatherings homepage for more information and to register.

Shambhala Training – Levels IV and V
The sangha-wide Heart of Warriorship programs, an initiative conceived by the Board and offered by Shambhala Online, are a great success. Level III, Warrior in the World, with Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown was held in September, and Level IV, Awakened Heart will take place from November 26 – 28. This program will be taught by Acharya Mathias Pongrancz. Level V, Open Sky will be held January 14 – 16, 2022 with Acharya Gaylon Ferguson. Shambhala Online offers a partnership program for centers and groups, where a portion of the proceeds from referred registrants are remitted back to the center. Email info@shambhalaonline.org for a code and more information about the partnership program, and click here to learn about this series.

Harvest of Peace
Harvest of Peace is a seasonal transition that marks the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. This year it occurred on September 21. Many local centers celebrated with both online and in-person gatherings, and the Touching the Earth Collective and Shambhala Sunday Gatherings hosted a special global celebration of peace on Sunday, September 19. Click here to watch the Touching the Earth Collective Sunday Gathering video. Also in celebration of the season and to mark this special moment in the yearly cycle, the Office of Culture created an evocative and cheering Harvest of Peace video. Please click here to view the video.

Shambhala Financial Update

2020 Annual Report
We are pleased to share the 2020 Shambhala Annual Report with you, which outlines the activity of the Shambhala nonprofit organization during the 2020 calendar year. 2018 and 2019 were challenging years for our community, during which Shambhala was faced with major leadership transitions and the direction of our community was both explored and questioned by practitioners, teachers, leaders, and members at our Centres and Groups around the globe. These challenges have continued into 2020 – and we have also continued to grow and evolve as a community and organization so that we can be together in ways that are even more supportive, genuine, and kind. Please click here to download a pdf copy of the Annual Report.Windhorse Retreat Center Land Sale
In December 2020 we announced our intent to accept an offer on 33 acres of land in Plymouth WI adjoining the regional Windhorse Retreat Center, which had previously suspended operations. Click here to read the December update. This transaction has now been completed, and the land has been transferred back to the original owners for $100,000 USD (the same price we paid in 2005). Prior to the sale we consulted with city centers in the Midwest region as well as major donors for the original purchase, and in conjunction with their wishes, we will use the estimated $100,000 USD proceeds to support other Shambhala retreat centers, city centers that are struggling, and regional needs.

Third Quarter 2021 Finances
Shambhala Global Services had a profit of $48,575 USD for the first eight months of 2021. Click here to view the income statement. Two non-recurring items helped our results, the COVID-related Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy ($44,231 USD) and the $100,000 USD land sale in Wisconsin (see above). Without these two special items we would have posted a loss for the period.

Fundraising from individuals and transfers from land centers and city centers continues to be challenging due to the continuing uncertainty in our community about what the future holds and the impact of the pandemic. SGS staff is working to diversify our revenue for 2022 and beyond by developing online courses with appeal to both members and nonmembers, such as the upcoming Shambhala Online “Meditation: The Way of the Buddha” course.

We continue to watch our expenses carefully while also working to reinvest some funds from the sale of Marpa House back into the community through community grants, center support, and Care & Conduct initiatives.

Looking towards the rest of the year, we plan to conduct our usual year-end fundraising campaign, and depending on the results of that effort, we may end the year anywhere from a small loss to breakeven.

Shambhala Archives Fundraising Update

Most people in our community don’t realize that the materials and wealth of dharma that the Shambhala Archives holds are so vast. From eight-year-old Rites of Passage to Kalapa Assemblies, Shamatha Meditation instruction to Vajrayogini and Chakrasamvara Abishekas – it is all there for future practitioners. There are teachings by Kobun Chino Roshi and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, His Holiness Dilgo Khyenste Rinpoche, Khenpo Kharthar, and others, as well as Alan Ginsberg and Timothy Leary – all in our library of recordings. The Shambhala Archives truly holds one of the largest audio-visual collections of Tibetan Buddhist teachers in the West.

Our recent fundraising campaign in support of the Shambhala Archives brought in just over $10,500 CAD, and 26 people became new recurring monthly donors. This will go a long way towards helping the Archives continue its important work of preserving Shambhala’s legacy. A heartfelt thank you to all those who donated!

Update from the Office of Care and Conduct

We continue to feel genuine concern for healing the harm that people have experienced in our community and are pleased to be able to share with you some updates on the various initiatives that have come to life over the last years. We also want to reiterate our commitment to culture change and increased awareness, caring, and action in Shambhala. Please send us your ideas and inspirations for this work as we truly welcome your participation and co-creation.

Training continues to be a major focus of Care and Conduct.

A Restorative Justice (RJ) training will be offered to over 30 individuals from the Code of Conduct Team and Process Team leaders in September, and an 8-week RJ/Active Peace Circle Facilitation Training is being offered on a donation basis, open to all beginning in October. Click here for more information and to register.

Gender Dynamics – Conversations on Gender and Sexuality in the Three Yanas of Buddhism opens September 25th with talks by Holly Gayley and guests, and conversations facilitated by Tara Templin. Click here for more information and to register. Live sessions are: October 22, October 29, and December 17.

Scholarships for Right Use of Power Teacher Training beginning in November are available. Click here for more information and email tara.templin@shambhalaglobal.org if you would like to request financial support.

Sunday Gatherings talks: The Dharma of the Code of Conduct Part I and Part II, offered by Kristine McCutcheon, are now available.

A Right Use of Power 2 Day Retreat: Using Power Wisely with Heart: An embodiment workshop for Right Use of Power practitioners and students. Details coming soon.

Examining Whiteness with the Heart of Warriorship, a six week course facilitated by Sue Gilman, LaDawn Haglund and Tara Templin. Details coming soon.

The Code of Conduct continues to be implemented throughout the sangha, with local community presentations happening in North America and Europe (if you would like to request a local presentation, please contact Nina at irina.migliari@shambhala.info). In addition, a colour poster of the Code of Conduct is being mailed to all centres with physical locations. For a pdf of the printable poster, click here. Finally, if you are inviting someone to teach or facilitate, please review these draft Guest Presenter Guidelines.

Stupa Recovery Project

Last summer’s Cameron Peak fire swept across the Rockies and engulfed the Stupa (situated next to Shambhala Mountain Center) and all buildings in its vicinity. The good news is that with intensive, specialized cleaning, the blanket of soot and ash clinging to every surface and object in the Stupa can be removed and other damage repaired. Although the adjacent Visitor Center and Art Studio were completely destroyed (as were the retreat cabins, trailers and other smaller structures in the area), these can be rebuilt.

The Stupa Recovery Project was launched in June to plan the fire clean-up, repair work, and construction of the new Visitor/Support Center and fully restore the premier symbol of Shambhala – whose full name is The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya Which Liberates Upon Seeing – and its unique power to inspire students and visitors from many traditions as envisioned by Trungpa Rinpoche.

Insurance proceeds from the fire will cover some of the work, but more is needed to realize our goals. Please keep an eye out for ways to support this project so we can once again welcome the Shambhala community and all guests. Please contact Melanie Klein at melanie.klein@shambhalaglobal.org with any questions.

Societal Well-Being Monitoring Project Update

This is a new Shambhala Board-sponsored initiative that aims to uncover the key questions and indicators that will help both Shambhala leadership and the community to understand how we are doing as a community and organization, our general state of health and well-being, what we are doing well, and where we need to improve.

The scope of this project has been organized into five areas:

• Paths, Teachings, Practices, Programs & Studies
• Governance, Leadership, Communications & Interconnections
• Economy, Resources & Assets
• Care and Conduct & Protection
• Culture & Community Well-being

Our intention is to monitor the key questions for each of these domains regularly (annually or bi-annually) and in this way understand how Shambhala as a community and organization is doing and where we need to do better in an ongoing way. This data will help us deepen our understanding of what and who we are as a community, as opposed to making assumptions about “how we are doing”, and will greatly aid in decision-making and planning for the future. To learn more about this project and its phases, click here.

September, 2021 Appointments and Departures

Phil Cass has stepped down as a Shambhala Board Director as of August 2021. We felt fortunate to have Phil on the Board from May, 2020. Phil came to this position with tremendous experience as an executive in the medical and mental health fields and years of working with the Windhorse Leadership Institute. Phil brought clarity and genuineness to all that he worked with and was one of our favorite meeting facilitators. He focused on being the Board liaison for the Care and Conduct Committee under Tara Templin’s leadership, helping with the roll-out of the Care and Conduct policy. He was also involved with the Board’s Governance, Vision and Planning and Revenue Generation committees. We wish Phil everything good as he continues his work with the Physicians Leadership Academy.

Ashley Dinges retired as the Director of Communications in May 2021 after serving all aspects of the mandala in this capacity for four years. Ashley was a great help to Shambhala, bringing expertise in working with the press, social media, and community communications. All of our communications benefited from her touch. She worked on the annual Shambhala Day broadcast team, supported our web sites, email communications, the Shambhala Times, our Revenue Generating courses and hosted many webinars, particularly those for the Board. Ashley was a strong support for the Board and the entire global Shambhala community. We wish her every success.

We are very happy to welcome Rose Keyes as the new Director of Communications and Marketing. Rose comes to Shambhala with over eight years of communications experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit realms. Her areas of expertise include communications planning, organizational messaging and visioning, and copy editing. In addition to her communications work, Rose is also a 200 Hour Certified Yoga Teacher. She offers online and in-person classes in the western North Carolina area, and has maintained a personal yoga and meditation practice for the past fifteen years. Rose originally joined Shambhala as a Communications Associate working for Ashley and applied for the Director position when Ashley retired.

Departures
Phil Cass stepped down from the Shambhala Board (August 2021)
Ashley Dinges retired as Director of Communications (May 2021)
Inez de Munnik retired as a Shastri (September 2020)
Alex Van Gils retired as Archives Operations Director
Aart-Jan van de Pol resigned as Amsterdam Shambhala Center Co-Director
Ralph Wieske resigned as Amsterdam Shambhala Center Director
Sara Hall-Kapp retired as Sky Lake’s temporary caretaker
Suzann Duquette stepping down as Rupa Acharya, while continuing as an Acharya
Shelley Heinz stepped down from her role as Shastri (September 10, 2021)
Shastri Donna Williams is retiring (effective at Harvest of Peace).

Appointments
Rose Keyes – Director of Communications and Marketing
Natasha West – Communications and Marketing Associate
David Brown – Archives Operations Director
Rosie Pittas – Archives Technical Director
Eloy Portillo – Iberian Regional Coordinator

Dear Shambhala Members and Friends,

We hope you are all healthy, safe, and that you continue to be well supported during a time of ongoing challenge. We are pleased to share the 2020 Shambhala Annual Report with you, which outlines the activity of the Shambhala nonprofit organization during the 2020 calendar year. Click here to download a PDF copy.

2018 and 2019 were challenging years for our community, during which Shambhala was faced with major leadership transitions and the direction of our community was both explored and questioned by practitioners, teachers, leaders, and members at our Centres and Groups around the globe. These challenges have continued into 2020 – and we have also continued to grow and evolve as a community and organization so that we can be together in ways that are even more supportive, genuine, and kind.

The world beyond Shambhala has also been rife with upheaval and strife. Global problems and issues related to the pandemic continue to be of concern and people around the world have been grappling with ongoing isolation and economic stress. And social and racial justice issues continue to dominate both the headlines and the ache in our hearts that tells us there is so much work to be done to bring about real equality, peace, and dignity for humanity.

As a Board, we are committed to leaning into all of it. We will do our best every day to create a community and organization that is aligned with the principles of basic goodness, warriorship, and enlightened society so that we can be of the most possible benefit to one another and the wider world.

This is not an easy path, but it is a worthy path and it is a journey we hope we can all take together. For it is only together that we can create a truly kind, just, and caring society.

Thank you for joining us on the road ahead. We are forging ahead with joyful exertion!

The Shambhala Board of Directors

Mark Blumenfeld
Susan Engel
Lilly Gleich
Peter Nowak
Tai Pimputkar
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas