Monthly Archives: February 2015

Sakyong Shambhala Day Address: Year of the Wood Sheep

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Transcript of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s Shambhala Day address
19 February, 2015
Year of the Wood Sheep
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Click here to view the video recording of the address
Click here to see the annual roll call video
Click here to read the complete transcript of the Sakyong’s Address

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche: “Today is the beginning of a year, and the basic message is that Shambhala is about life. It is about the energy rising. This is not ignoring that we have birth, aging, sickness, and death, in a cyclical existence. There’s a quality of looking at whether we are really engaged in life, if we are living life fully, and what is our notion of living.”

“… The most brilliant people have tried to communicate the nature of reality. In our tradition, the nature of reality is having the strength to appreciate and connect to the sadness, the joy, the strength, and the fragility of our experience. This is demonstrated today. Everybody had to make their way here. Everybody had to put energy into being here, and somehow it came together. From this we can launch into the New Year, which is an excellent way to follow the Horse, in terms of stabilization and bringing it into our personal experience.

As we are hooked up globally, on this particular Shambhala Day I ask you to join me in making an aspiration for what this next year will be. If you feel good about that, I would like you to extend your mind and say what the next twenty years would be. What is our vision? Shambhala Day is an excellent time to release the last year and in that space of not knowing, to raise our energy and project it into the future.”

Troy Shambhala in February

SITTING TODAY, FEBRUARY 3 IS CANCELED!!!. Troy is experiencing ch snow emergency, and the streets are a mess. Dig out and we’ll see you next week! Sitting each Tuesday in February (except Feb. 3) is from 6:30-7:30PM, as always. And do join us after sitting for the following extras:

February 10: Snack Salon – Feel free to bring something to share! Food, Conversation, and Meditation is the Sakyong’s prescription. We can do all of that in one shot!
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February 17: The Heart of Bravery audio teaching with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and Pema Chödrön – Two of the world’s most beloved spiritual teachers and leading figures in the Shambhala tradition of Buddhism discuss the core principles and practices of the tradition and how personal meditation practice can forge an enlightened society. We will listen to selections from this retreat and reserve time for discussion.
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Saturday, February 21: Shambhala Day Celebration: Year of the Wood Sheep – Shambhala Day is when we observe the passing of another lunar year according to the Tibetan calendar. It is traditional to celebrate by gathering together and connecting to our richness and brilliance, reaffirming our intentions for the new year.

We will practice The Shambhala Sadhana, a profound practice given by the Sakyong that confidently proclaims the fundamental richness of all beings and society. We will then listen to the Sakyong’s Shambhala Day address to the sangha, followed by a potluck-lunch-annual-group-meeting combo. So please bring a dish to share.

Shambhala Meditation Group of Troy
10:00AM Ricketts Hall at Sage College

Our schedule*:
10:00AM Opening chants; Shambhala Sadhana practice
11:30 The Sakyong’s Shambhala Day address (recorded).
12:15 Wecome of new members and throwing of the I Ching for the new year.
12:30 Potluck Lunch and group meeting concluding by 2:00

*This schedule is subject change. We will learn the length of the Sakyong’s address on Thursday, and may make adjustments based on that.

As always, registering for programs is greatly appreciated. http://troy.shambhala.org/calendar-details/?id=221014
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February 24: Group Book Reading – The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma, by Chögyam Trungpa.
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At the Shambhala Meditation Center of Albany in February:

Fear and Fearlessness: A Warrior’s Approach to Death
with Acharya Eric Spiegel
February 6 – 8
http://albany.shambhala.org/program_details.php?id=187248&cid=209

See you!

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