The Shambhala Board

Dear Shambhala Community,

The Board wishes a Cheerful New Year to you all as we enter the Year of the Iron Mouse. We have taken time from our ongoing work to reflect on the past year and consider what lies ahead. The Board continues to work with the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s exhortation to “Regard chaos as extremely good news.” We are working to move from crisis management to fully recognizing and beginning to address the challenges ahead – to shift, in some sense, from reactivity to proactive responsiveness.

We thank all of you who produced and participated in the Shambhala Day events which reminded us once again what a strong community we are and that we can benefit the world around us. As a Board, we have been sustained by the people who have stepped forward to help, to support financially, and to offer generously of their time and resources, their care and skillful means. While we ended the year fatigued, we are simultaneously inspired and renewed by our strong sense of global community united by our dharmic practice path.

We aspire that the Year of the Iron Mouse may bode well for new initiatives and change, and  that the possible obstacles in the I Ching reading from Shambhala Day of arrogance and a limited willingness to learn from past mistakes will be overcome. We know that there will be challenges ahead and that we will all need a collective will to change and fresh exertion to move forward. We recognize that our pace of new beginnings has been too slow for some, too controversial for others. Wherever you are, whatever you may think, we thank you for being there, your support and continued involvement and dedication to this work in progress.

Shambhala Board Decisions:

• Approved the Child Protection Policy (CPP) which will be released to the community later this month.
• Approved the formation of a Child Protection Council to administer the CPP.
• Continue working with the Process Team, for example the Government Models Subgroup and the Offering Group, to move forward with the assessment of community feedback and how to develop proposals based on their work.
• Offer three free online talks by acharyas on the Shambhala principles that bind us in the next couple of months. Further information about these programs will be released once they are available from Shambhala Online.
• Invested a significant portion of  the Marpa House proceeds in a protected managed fund.  The managed account will use environment screening and put 50% in fixed and floating rate investments and 50% in conservative growth equities. The Board is currently in discussions about the long-term purposes of this fund.
• Advanced $80,000 USD to Shambhala Mountain Center to cover operating costs because of later-than-usual postings of advanced assembly programming.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Best Practices
We strongly encourage centers to follow best practices for health and sanitation as the virus continues to spread globally.  On Sunday, March 8 and on Friday, March 13, we sent communications to all center and group leaders worldwide with best practices for those communities who are holding programs.

We have also created a resource webpage where we will continue to share best practices and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) as they become available:

• Please click here to access Shambhala’s resource page
• Please click here to access the CDC’s best practices
• Please click here to access the WHO’s best practices

If you are a center leader or program coordinator and have additional help or questions, please contact Cynthia MacKay by email at cynthiamackay@mac.com

February 2 Webinar with the Board and Leaders Now Available
With this update, we would like to make available the February 2 webinar that the Board had with Shambhala leaders.  A wide range of topics was explored, including the invitation to the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche to perform the Rigden Abhisheka.  Please click here to see the Zoom recording.

Progress on Care and Conduct
The Code of Conduct Support Group (CCSG), the Care and Conduct Panel, and the Board have been working with Tara Templin, Director of Community Care and Conduct on the finalization and implementation of the Child Protection Policy (CPP).  The Board has approved the CPP, effective February 26, 2020. We have also authorized the Director to recruit a special Child Protection Panel for the application of the CPP. This new policy will apply to all Shambhala programs and events. Please expect to see this new policy in your inboxes later this month — it is currently being translated and will be available soon.

The Board, the Director of Community Care, and the CCSG are proceeding with meetings and processes in the roll out of the draft Code of Conduct of which the CPP is the first approved part. We urge the community to participate in this process so that the new Code is reflective of our aspirations for the community.

Community Grants
The Board is now in the process of reviewing the 40 proposals we received for community grants by the January 31 deadline.  We were very excited about the thoughtful responses from the community and the possibilities that could come from going forward with new initiatives. There is a wide range of requests from our global centers, including proposals related to dharma arts, infrastructure, healing and well-being, education, center support, and finance.  The Board and Shambhala Global Services (SGS) staff will be connecting to the grant writers as we continue to evaluate the requests over the coming weeks.

Progress on Nominating New Board Members
The Board Advisory Nominating Group has been interviewing the roster of applicants for Board membership who came forward by the January 15 deadline.  The group reports that there are a number of excellent applicants that they are now vetting and then will refer candidates to the Board for approval. The Board is open to expanding its membership as well as replacing members who have left or may leave. We will continue to update you on this process.

Shambhala New Year Fundraising Update
While some Centres and Groups still need to report in fundraising totals, the following is a brief update on Shambhala New Year fundraising pledges and donations to Shambhala USA and Shambhala Canada as of March 9, 2020.

• One Time Donations: $88,024 USD
• Recurring Monthly Donations, including new Lotus Donors (annualized amount): $29,536 USD
• Lotus Donor Campaign Matching Grant: $42,500 USD
• Total: $160,060 USD

For every new Lotus Donor in 2020, $500 USD is released to Shambhala from a $100,000 USD matching grant. To date, there are 85 new Lotus Donors and we hope to release the entire matching gift in 2020.

We are launched toward our 2020 one-time donation goal of $275,000 USD and appreciate the generosity of the community.

As a reminder here are the financial reports we released on February 14 that include the 2020 Budget and 2019 Year-End Financials.

Shambhala Online Offerings
We are excited to begin a year-long course beginning April 19 entitled Foundations for Freedom: The Hinayana, which is open to all and provides an in-depth exploration of these foundational teachings through the lens of Shambhala Terma teachings. The well-received Sexual Harm, Trauma and The Healing Journey course, remains available at no cost to individuals, groups and centers.  In addition, we would like to welcome the Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective to the Shambhala Online community. This group of dedicated warriors invites others to join them in individual and collective action for the rebalancing, protection and celebration of a healthy, living world.

Jen Crow Retiring from the Shambhala Board
At the end of March, Jen Crow will be retiring from the Shambhala Board to focus on her career.  Jen has recently accepted a corporate position with a large international technology corporation and is now applying Shambhala principles to engineering and management teams around the world.  Jen has been an invaluable Board member. Among many important contributions, she managed the re-implementation of the donor system, worked on revenue generation issues with Faradee Rudy, was a member of the communications committee, worked on Board surveys, interfaced with the Process Team and performed many trouble-shooting initiatives.  Her common sense, intellect, insight and passionate commitment to Shambhala will be deeply missed.

Appointments and Departures
Appointments:

• Shambhala Global Services – Melanie Klein, Director of Operations, and Tara Templin, Director of Community Care and Conduct
• Shambhala Europe – Joanna Francis, Operations Manager and Helmut Krächan, Managing Director (effective April 1)
• Office of Practice and Education – Jeff Scott, Associate Director
• Boulder, CO – Jessie Friedman, Shambhala Center Director succeeding Melanie Klein
• Columbus, OH – Jean Pittman and Phong Nguyen, Shambhala Center Co-Directors succeeding Kate Curlis
• Halifax, NS – Meg Vigerstad, Shambhala Centre Executive Director
• Pioneer Valley, MA –  Mark Seibold, Shambhala Center Director
• Netherlands – Mary Fahrenfort, Regional Coordinator

Departures:

• Acharyas – Ani Pema Chödrön stepped down as an Acharya, Martin Janowitz retired as an Acharya and David Schneider stepped down as an Acharya
• Economy Pillar – Robert Reichner retired as Minister of Economy
• Office of Societal Health and Wellbeing –  Jonathan Kirkendall resigned as Deputy Director
• Southern California – Sharon Owyang retired as Regional Director
• Baltimore –  Jennifer Yarbro retired as Shambhala Center Director
• Edmonton, AB, – Anita Christianson and Phyllis Woolley retired as Co-Directors
• Gampo Abbey, NS – Ron Renz and Janet Whelan retiring as Co-Directors
• Ottawa, ON – Bozica Costigliola resigning as Shastri
• West Chester, PA –  Shambhala Center closing at the end of April
• Eugene, OR – Teri Rowe retiring from Open Sky Shambhala
• Germany – Dennis Engel retiring as Regional Coordinator
• Netherlands – Fred van Welsem retiring as Regional Coordinator
• Shambhala Europe – Veronika Bauer retired as Managing Director

There are also a number of appointments within the Dorje Kasung. In February 2020, the Council of the Makkyi Rabjam—the leadership body of the Dorje Kasung—resigned from their posts. Following the Council’s resignation, the Dorje Kasung General Staff (GS) was appointed as the Dorje Kasung governing body, utilizing the leadership model from Magyal Pomra Encampment. All GS appointments will take effect on March 24, 2020 and are listed below.

Dorje Kasung Appointments

• GS1 Personnel/Administration (administration, finances, and personnel) – Shelly Webb, Rupön.
• GS 2 High Command (liaison to the Makkyi Rabjam) – Bob Taylor, Rupön. Taylor, Rupön is in communication with the Makkyi, who approved his posting.
• GS 3 Gesar Operations and Security (Gesar Arm activity in regions, regiments, centres, land centres, and programs) – A rotating representative of the active Gesar Regional Commanders. The first representative will be Amanda Hester, Rupön – GES Regional Commander.
• GS 4 Logistics and Physical Camp (physical properties and assets of the Dorje Kasung, including buildings and land) – Will be a rotating representative from SunCamp Leadership Team, first rep. will be Cecily Hardin, Rupön.
• GS 5 Practice and Education (practice path and educational programming) – Sara Lewis, Rupön.
• GS 6 – In development, more details to follow.
• GS 7 Desung (Desung Arm activity in regions, regiments, centres, land centres, and programs) – Ulrike Halpern, Rupön.
• GS 8 Communications and Development (a largely facilitative role, supporting and protecting the quality of communications within the General Staff and between the General Staff and the larger Shambhala mandala) – Robert Ziegler, Rupön.
• GS 9 European Commander (European command and representation) – Véronique Villemagne, Rupön.
• NCO Representative (NCO Corps activity in regions, regiments, centres, land centres, and programs, and Kasung form and tradition) – Sergeant Moya Hallstein.

Dorje Kasung Departures

• Council of the Makkyi Rabjam – Jesse Grimes, Kasung Kyi Khyap, Jan Jercinovic, Desung Arm Commander,Toby Sifton, Gesar Arm Commander, Anna Weinstein, Dorje Kasung Sergeant Major stepping down.
  • Note: Mitchell Levy and Andrew Sacamano will remain in their respective roles as Kasung Acharya and Kasung Shastri.

We send our best wishes to everyone as we enter this new Year of the Iron Mouse.

With appreciation,

The Shambhala Board
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

To the International Shambhala Community –

The Shambhala Board, in consultation with sangha medical advisors, is closely tracking the course and impact of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. We extend compassion towards all who are affected directly by the pandemic through sickness, quarantine, scarcity, fear, and stress.

We ask all center leaders and members to follow the guidance from your local public health organizations. Public health organizations in different parts of the world have different advice based on the progress of the virus. Following the guidance of local public health officials is the best way to protect people in your community. We want to emphasize the importance of canceling public gatherings if recommended by your local, regional or national health department.

On Sunday, March 8, we sent a communication to all centers and group leaders worldwide with web links to best practices for protecting yourself and your community. This website contains helpful information for best practices within your center, such as proper ways to disinfect surfaces and eliminating food handling. For those centers who must cancel or postpone large gatherings, we recommend that all classes, meetings, and programs be held virtually.

We have also created a resource webpage where we will continue to share best practices and guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as they become available:

• Please click here to access Shambhala’s Community Health resource page
• Please click here to access the WHO best practices
• Please click here to access the CDC’s best practices

If you are a center leader or program coordinator and have additional help or questions, please contact Cynthia MacKay by email at cynthiamackay@mac.com.
We will continue to be in touch with you in the weeks and months ahead to share what we know and do our best to support your community in its own response.

The Shambhala Board
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas

Dear Community –

The Shambhala Board is pleased to make available the Shambhala Global Services (SGS) summary of financial results for the 2019 calendar year and the SGS Budget for 2020. In addition, we have included a Commentary on the 2020 Budget for Shambhala members. The reports are available on the Finance Updates webpage on Shambhala.org.

Yours In the vision of Shambhala,

 

The Shambhala Board 

Veronika Bauer

Mark Blumenfeld

John Cobb

Jen Crow

Susan Ryan

Paulina Varas

Dear Shambhala Community,

Each member of the Board joined in this role with the intention, conviction and heartfelt desire to keep the Shambhala community and lineage united and together. We all continue to work tirelessly to that end. Thus, the Board is very concerned that our decision to join Dechen Chöling’s invitation for Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche to confer the Rigden Abhisheka has further polarized the community. We are truly sorry if this has been the result. Our intention has always been to find a way to provide support for all Shambhala community members and to find a way to go forward as a whole.

Our decision was neither intended to “take sides”, nor endorse one side over another, nor signal that we have completed working on the Sakyong’s relationship with the community.

Feedback from the Community and Ani Pema Chödrön

We want to acknowledge the intense response of our community over this recent decision and the challenges that centers and individuals are facing. We have received a high volume of emails from community members that have been exceptionally thoughtful and thought-provoking. We appreciate hearing from so many of our community and take these communications seriously.  In this communication, we hope to address as best we can some of the recurring themes in those emails.

We also received a letter from Ani Pema (Pema Chödrön) announcing her resignation as an Acharya and expressing her disapproval of the decision and its implications in that it appeared to be “business as usual.” We have had this letter posted on the Shambhala Times (link). We recently met with her and, among other things, clarified with her that she has no intention of leaving the Shambhala community. We spoke with her at some length about her letter and her thoughts about the Shambhala community staying together as a whole. We also spoke about steps forward, and look forward to continuing our dialogue and appreciated that she expressed her respect for the Board in general.

The majority of the emails we received expressed heartfelt and thoughtful concerns. These carried strong messages for all of us, including Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.

We would like to reflect back what we have heard from a large number of community members:

• Dismay that the that the Board is inviting the Sakyong to teach before he has communicating more directly with the community in terms of issues of harm, addressing his own accountability and showing he is taking responsibility for his actions.
• Questions about whether the Sakyong will be accountable to the Code of Conduct.
• Questions about whether the Sakyong has acknowledged, and taken steps to address, issues with alcohol.
• Concerns about the future safety of women taking Kusung or Kasung roles.
• Wanting the Board to be independent going forward to avoid things slipping back to “business as usual” two years from now.
• Concerns that the Sakyong is not attending to the teachings of enlightened society because of his seeming lack of interest in the larger community beyond Scorpion Seal.

We would also like to reflect on what we have heard from people who expressed appreciation for the decision:

• The Sakyong has apologized for his actions and contemplated what he has done.
• Shambhala is a vajrayana lineage tradition and the Sakyong, as the lineage holder, is responsible to uphold the tradition and his teaching is needed to keep the lineage going forward.  A quote often expressed is, “There is no Shambhala without the Sakyong.”
• Students who have been waiting to receive this abhisheka should not be kept back from connecting with their teacher and going forward with their vajrayana path.
• People feel genuine devotion to the Sakyong, want to see him, are happy he is doing the Rigden Abhisheka and are concerned that Shambhala is not taking better care of him and his family.

Addressing the Feedback

The Board takes seriously all of the feedback we have received and recognizes that there are very divergent views. We do not see these views as necessarily irreconcilable at this time, but we are concerned they could become so without the good faith efforts of the entire mandala.  Our continuing intention is to help forge a path forward with renewed vision and lungta for the whole community. We have expressed this intention to the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and the Sakyong Wangmo, letting them know about the strong and divergent feelings in the community.

We recognize that some people feel this decision is premature or taking sides. We do not feel that way, but recognize that there is substantial work to do. Our hope is that all community members will consider the genuine issues on all sides and contemplate how to heal and fortify our community as a whole. We feel that all community members’ opinions and feelings have weight. In this regard, we feel that the Sakyong has been genuinely supplicated to confer the abhisheka and we hope that it will benefit those students as they continue on their vajrayana path.

At the same time, we assure you that no member of the Board holds the slightest inclination to return to business as usual. While we understand, and at times share in, the voices of genuine frustration, we both ask for your patience and your help.

We also acknowledge, and are very grateful for, the wide-ranging efforts of Shambhala centers all over the globe who have skillfully and compassionately moved to change our culture in creative and meaningful ways.

Activities in Progress to Support Change

The Board is engaged in many activities to support change, and obviously we could do more. In that regard, we will continue to:

• Strengthen the Care and Conduct initiatives with Tara Templin, the new Director of Community Care and Conduct, who will work with the Care and Conduct Panel and the Code of Conduct Support Group (formerly the Code of Conduct subgroup of the Process team).
• Introduce a new Child Protection Policy in the next month and over the next year, introduce the new Code of Conduct and work with the community, including the Sakyong and the Sakyong Wangmo, on the implementation of these significant changes to our Care and Conduct policies.
• Continue Shambhala Assemblies taught by acharyas and authorized teachers.
• Explore options to strengthen and diversify the spiritual path within our community to those who are currently not inclined to study with the Sakyong.
• Work with the Process Team and others on recommendations for systemic and structural change and moving our joint proposals forward.
• Continue to strengthen Shambhala as an organization, both administratively and financially, not just in Shambhala Global Services (SGS) but throughout the organization.
• Continue to be transparent to the community about decisions and issues.
• Maintain the legal and ethical independence and integrity of the Shambhala Board and strengthen the Board by bringing in capable and dedicated individuals willing to serve.
• Continue to maintain financial separation between Shambhala and the Potrang.

Initiatives for a Path Forward

Initiatives that we need to work on include:

• Begin to outline a path forward. Over the next year, we are committed to initiating, designing, and implementing a process that builds on the Board and the Process Team’s work to date and collaboratively answers the major questions the community is asking.
• Continue to engage and work with the Sakyong and the Sakyong Wangmo in various formats around issues raised by the Process Team and the community.
• Institute trainings for teachers and leaders and other initiatives to prevent harm and raise awareness of harm that has occurred.
• After the new Code of Conduct is finalized and approved, develop the training and infrastructure to insure its effective and coordinated implementation.
• Address issues of inclusion that include gender, race, cultural, ethnic and other issues, including the older students of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and as well look to the “next generation” of students of the dharma.
• Support for the refinement and relevancy of programs and classes at our Shambhala centers, both for the current and future members.

The Board intends to work on all of this and continues to appreciate and take in all of the feedback from all of you. We take seriously our responsibility to support the community as a whole. This is not a time for “business as usual.”

However, to reconcile our views, transcend old patterns, and move Shambhala forward is not, and cannot be, solely the work of the Board. We need the Shambhala community to work together in order to succeed. We need your ideas about and involvement in the path forward and your feedback about the Code of Conduct as it is rolled out. Meeting these challenges and seizing these opportunities are our best path forward.

With our gratitude for all the efforts to date, we hope you will join and support the efforts as we go forward.

 

Yours In the vision of Shambhala,

 

The Shambhala Board 

Veronika Bauer

Mark Blumenfeld

John Cobb

Jen Crow

Susan Ryan

Paulina Varas

Dear Community –

The Shambhala Board is pleased to announce that we have hired three additional Shambhala Global Services (SGS) staff members.  Please join us in welcoming Melanie Klein (Director of Operations), Tara Templin (Director of Community Care and Conduct), and Jeff Scott (Associate Director of Practice and Education), and read on to learn more about these new team members.

Melanie Klein
Director of Operations

Melanie will begin work for Shambhala Global Services next month. In this role, she will oversee the administration, programs and operations of SGS and work closely with the Shambhala Board to develop and implement SGS operational mission and goals. Other duties include coordinating strategic planning and oversight of financial, fundraising, programming, and communications. Her position reports directly to the Shambhala Board of Directors. Melanie was formerly the Executive Director of the Boulder Shambhala Center for the last five years. Prior to that she earned a Naropa University divinity degree and was ordained a Shambhala chaplain. Before coming to Naropa, Melanie spent 25 years with The Boeing Company, developing markets for the company’s spacecraft solar power products. She became a Shambhala student in 1996 and an authorized Shambhala teacher and meditation instructor in 2007.

Melanie can be reached at Melanie.Klein@shambhalaglobal.org

Tara Templin
Director of Community Care and Conduct

Tara joined the SGS team in this new role on January 6. In this capacity, Tara will support the community, the Shambhala Board and Process Team in adopting and updating a Code of Conduct, along with implementing associated trainings. She will also be responsible for maintaining a reporting structure for those who have experienced harm, as well as vetting and background checks.  Tara comes to SGS after her time as the Director of Innovation and Development at the University of Ottawa’s Refugee Hub and as the Senior Director of Planning and Growth at the United Nations Association in Canada. Tara brings more than 15 years of leadership and management experience in nonprofits in Canada and internationally, primarily focused on protection and inclusion of people living in vulnerable situations and/or experiencing social oppression. She has worked as an Executive Director, Community Developer, Training and Programming Specialist and Project Manager before joining Shambhala. Having been part of the Ottawa Shambhala community for a decade, Ms. Templin is passionate about Shambhala and the power of community, and actively pursues ways to support community building. She is fluent in Spanish and French and mother of three “crazy and cute” girls.
Tara can be reached at Tara.Templin@Shambhalaglobal.org

Jeff Scott
Associate Director of Practice and Education

Jeff will report to Charlie Goetzl, Director of International Practice and Education and work closely with him especially related to programming and center support.  Mr. Scott began work with Shambhala on January 20. He will be based in Boulder, Colorado. Jeff Scott has a Masters degree in Buddhist Studies and Tibetan Language from Naropa University. He has practiced in the Shambhala lineage since 1998 and is an authorized Shambhala teacher. Jeff has led Practice and Education at Shambhala Mountain Center and the Halifax Shambhala Center. He most recently served as the Director of Marpa House. Jeff is particularly interested in the intersections between gender, sexuality, difference, inclusion, and power and the path of meditation. Jeff is also an avid hiker and reader of fiction.
Jeff can be reached at Jeff.Scott@Shambhalaglobal.org

 

Please join us in welcoming these new team members.

 

Sincerely,

The Shambhala Board

Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumefeld
John Cobb
Jennifer Crow
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas