Sakyong’s Vision for Shambhala Mountain Center
Richard Reoch, President of Shambhala, expresses the Sakyong’s vision for the development of Shambhala Mountain Center and the role of practice. (May 2008)
Richard Reoch, President of Shambhala, expresses the Sakyong’s vision for the development of Shambhala Mountain Center and the role of practice. (May 2008)
May 9th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Wasn’t there a tremendous lack of foresight and wishful thinking, along with experimentalpreprograms we had no fiscal buffers for if they didn’t work out when planning the “view” of SMC when this was all planned?
Many of us didn’t even know (outside of the Stupak) some of these plans were being implemented.
Many people felt left out, or swept under the carpet.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Once again the power and spaciousness of our lineage shines through in these words of President Reoch, whose devotion to and appreciation of Khyabjé Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche is that of a genuine Shambhala regent. The Sakyong’s vision for Shambhala Mountain Center is like the clear and distinct utterance of a mountain bell on a still, cool moonlit night, gentle and profound. May this vision and our community commitment to it – as individuals joined together through our daily practices – be established firmly and victoriously for the benefit of all beings, past, present and future and throughout the ten directions! Lha gyal lo!
January 15th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I love the mountain center for itself. I even volunteered there for a period, but it was cut shorter than I intended. Why? A lot of personalities and dynastymakers there. If Shambhala organization cannot offer a cohesive program for education or practice, then it should just offer itself as a spa/healing center. (At least then, it will be of some service to the community and human beings).
I genuinely wanted to volunteer there because of the beauty of the place and because I was drawn to the Stupa, but all it was was a big fight all the time about who was in charge of what and who was making the decisions and a bunch of argument (not understood by newbies without the ‘history’) ie. a bunch of politics, a bunch of nastiness. Hey, I get that on my job every day. I would think that the discussion/organization would be a little more evolved in such an ‘enlightened’ organization, or what is the point? detracts from any credibility.
Again, my suggestion is; make it a spa and offer healing vacation type things so people can take a break and reconnect and support the center at the same time…or set up a defined education program… for beginner to experienced. Both as separate enterprises would be even better.
All this prerequisite stuff is a big deterrent to those trying to find some way to get started. I understand progression, but outline it for peet’s sake! give everyone some kind of starting point. I don’t know where the heck to start. I bet a bunch of others don’t either. Beginning meditation over and over, not so helpful because we can do that at home, right? The only offering is meditation for dummies or programs for people who have been there forever. so its pretty exclusive.
All the miscellaneous offerings by whoever has a new take on some kind of self improvement thing going is a real turnoff and takes away from the credibility of the center, imho.