Shambhala Practice and Study Paths, April 11, 2021

The sangha is in big problems because we cannot experience each other – through Covid as well as our crisis.

There seems to be a fundamental ground of “Hinayana” understanding that is missing in the sangha as a whole – that somehow undermines us.

I did my bodhisattva vow right before getting vajrayana transmission: no time to enjoy the bodhisattva/Mahayana path.

That way practice is driven by the path as a conveyor belt. Why not stop the “consecutive classes” path?

I am very inspired by Sakyong Mipham’s recent teachings and I need to be with other students who have the same teacher. Inner sangha, very important… The offerings from the Sakyong for me should be central.

VCTR invited artists, etc. That is inspiring: being able to live enlightened society.

All of these issues are a test of how we embody Shambhala Buddhism on our own path and in general. If we continue to practice, we can solve this.

At the moment there is no clear unanimity amongst students on a curriculum, so we need to ask people what they feel they need, and offer programs focused at these diverse needs.

Allow the centres to find their own specific inspiration in the Shambhala teachings, and loosen to restraints of the fixed curriculum on them. Have the “traditional” curriculum play out on a Zoom basis, and form international peer student groups for that.

Smaller centers could explore new ways to manifest that include valuable face-to-face connection and online offerings (not just recorded talks) to better serve the diverse needs of the community.