Sanga Gathering- The Sakyong's Letter

I am a bit under the weather, my sinuses being congestion and irritated the last few days I'm worried it might develop into an actually illness if it continues. But even though I feel ill I was determined to get to the center today. Today we had a special gathering because the Sakyong had sent out a letter to all the centers for everyone to read. It was a very long letter. It was an inspiring letter in a sense, though I am unable to fully express it because I sick I still want to write about the experience today before classes, studies, and work pull my attention away. He was speaking of the path of Shambhala is not just individual but one of community and that of a global sense. The world is in turmoil, so very true, and he feels the Shambhala teachings can help end conflicts. And I have to agree with him, if only world leaders could follow the teachings. They do not require any certain religious faith and there for can be applied to any one person. Its hard to wrap my head around everything today, I gained insight to more than I expected.

What really touched me was as much as he was seeking every person in the Sanga to help strengthen and spread the growth of Shambhala he was not making it as a mandate. He did not say, I want this, you to do that, it is required of you. He did not bring that into the message, he made it into three questions in the end for each and every person in the Sanga to think about with their path and how Shambhala fits into it.

Shambhala is not just helping oneself, but helping others, and making an enlightened society. This does not mean a perfect society dedicated to one faith, not at all, and that was part of his messaged too. I found it very touching to me, because even though I find myself now drawn toward maybe becoming a Buddhist I do not see the world as 'only buddhist', I have never seen the world that way. Even when my family tried to make me think, 'all must be Christian' and other beliefs such as that I would ways say, why? Why can you not accept someone who is kind and different from you as they are and live peacefully with that? That is one of the biggest revelations to me that I have 'felt' but did not 'realized' I identified with Shambhala. It is does not matter if you are Buddhist, Shambhala as it is can stand alone in some one's life without direct attachment to any one religion. Yes, the teachings come from Buddha originally but that is what they are. Teachings, not leaps of faith and requirements.

Another things I found today I was not expecting is that as a community there are shifting tides. I had to contemplate how to write this discovery, as it is asked that you do not speak of other peoples' words that they speak so privately about in our discussion groups of the letter. But this discovery actually brought clarity to a part of the Sakyong's letter that I didn't understand. Apparently when Chogyam Trungpa passed away there were people who did not what to make of the Sakyong, there are some who don't see him as 'their teacher' I was a bit stunned by this. I truly was stunned by this and as I heard this, as echoed around me. I was confused, almost horrified, how can you say that? How can you sit here, say you follow the teachings that were handed down not by scripture but by oral teachings to an heir? I said nothing, I sat and listened and when we had departed I thought over the letter and as of switch had been flipped a part of the letter made sense, the Sakyong said the Sanga has been mourning and maturing and he felt now was the time for things to progress in a way. There was more to the letter, but I found it amazing he knew there were people in the Sanga that quietly felt this way and left it alone and focused on strengthening the Sanga in a different way, helping it mature but not change at all. I can't really go into any more detail in that sense for the privacy of others, but it was amazing to me.

It was also asked that you write a response to the letter and answers to the three questions left for each member of the Sanga. I am still feeling out my answers as how to word them but in general I know what I want to write. I'll write the three questions and an overview once I feel I have the right words and have sent the message to the Sakyong, as I feel the need to share in my journey withing the Shambhala Sanga but at the same time keep the exact words to the Sakyong for the time to be private.