Dear Students and Warriors of Shambhala,
Over a year ago, the acharyas wrote a letter requesting that Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche step back from teaching. This occurred at a time when we perceived the Shambhala community to be in a precipitous downward spiral. Our intention was to help bring stability to the Shambhala community while the Sakyong was in Nepal and in retreat. If we caused any obstacles through our letter, we apologize.
Before and after the Sakyong left for Nepal, he wrote a number of letters to the community in which he expressed accountability, sorrow and regret for the pain his actions had caused. He also expressed his commitment to a path of personal reflection and growth. Over the past two years, he has engaged this path through contemplation and retreat. We are aware that many students did not connect with these letters or hoped to hear more from the Sakyong.
During this time, we and many of our fellow teachers have done our best to support the needs of all students, and we remain committed to doing so. Although there is a diversity of views and feelings among Shambhala community members, many students feel a deep connection to the Sakyong and his teachings. This includes students who have unresolved questions and those who long to continue their study and practice with the Sakyong now. Many of these students are requesting the Sakyong to teach, and he is responding to these supplications. We support these students in their aspiration to move forward with their teacher.
As grateful and deeply appreciative students of the Sakyong and long-time community members, we are dedicated to supporting the Sakyong lineage and the community. We wholeheartedly support finding ways to move forward together that encourage healing and sustain the deep connections we all have with the Shambhala lineage. We know this will take time, and we are confident that healing can occur if we remain steadfast in our commitment to our practice path and lineage.
As acharyas, we are committed to serving students on the path of dharma, supporting healing in our communities, preserving our precious Shambhala lineage, and working toward the vast Shambhala vision of a sane and healthy society. We supplicate the Sakyong to continue to teach and offer the transmissions and blessings of the lineage for all those who are inspired to receive them, and we offer our service and full support for this to happen.
In the vision of the Sakyong Lineage and the Great Eastern Sun,
Shambhala Acharyas
Daniele Bollini
Marianne Bots
Han de Wit
Suzann Duquette
Michael Greenleaf
Moh Hardin
Dan Hessey
Richard John
Samten Kobelt
Fleet Maull
William McKeever
Mathias Pongracz
Eric Spiegel
Alfonso Taboada
Note from shambhala.report: See the letter the acharyas wrote from 20 February 2019 when they asked the Sakyong to step back from his teaching for the foreseeable future.