The Path of Relationships
A few years ago the Sakyong, the spiritual leader of Shambhala, married Khandro Tseyang. Since then, it has been interesting to watch their relationship manifest as an example of a marriage rooted in wisdom and compassion.
“Relationship is the training ground for practice,” reflects the Sakyong,”and it’s also the place where your practice is tested. If you’re trying to practice compassion, a relationship will show you how well you’re dealing with your own mind. Outside, you can pretend you’re practicing compassion, but when you’re trying to practice compassion with the people who are close to you, you see how theoretical it is.”
This is true of any intimate relationship, whether it be between lovers, friends, or parents and children. It becomes obvious whether we’re being authentic, whether our hearts are truly open. We learn to remain steadfast even when the impetus to deny or indulge our emotions becomes overwhelming.
![FallStupaInTrees[2]](http://www.shambhalablog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/FallStupaInTrees2-150x150.jpg "FallStupaInTrees[2]")
It seems fitting that so many of our upcoming programs center around this theme. This month, Kate and Joel Feldman will lead our couples retreat, exploring how to deepen commitment to the path of loving partnership. We are hosting Pamela Wilson for an Advaita retreat in which each thought and feeling is welcomed as an opportunity to discover our true nature. In November, Dr. David Shlim will teach a Medicine & Compassion weekend on how to cultivate compassion even in the midst of the immense pressures placed on caregivers in our society. And it’s no accident that we call our upcoming winter dathün retreat “Practicing Fearlessness in Difficult Times.”
Please join us this fall for whichever retreat matches your own practice and needs.
As the seasons shift, Shambhala Mountain Center offers a gentle reminder that every interaction – every moment – is a chance to deepen our practice and to remember what is truly precious.
Brian Spielmann