Sharing Shambhala, Part II, November 20, 2021

There’s a lack of lungta in a lot of centers—not all of them, some of them are actually quite perky. But that issue of lungta being low in our communities, the Board is exhausted, the leadership at many centers is fried. We don’t know where the resources are coming to support a burgeoning spring here.

I don’t understand the people who are so rigid in saying, if the Sakyong teaches, I’m out of here—or if he doesn’t teach, I’m out of here. Because on a local level, that just hurts all of us. Why are people saying goodbye? Where are they going? You know, these are people I know, in my community, and why can’t we be together? We’re just hurting ourselves if we can’t get together.

For some people, priorities are first, save the kingdom, basically, and then we’ll worry about harm. And then there are people saying, let’s worry about harm and then save the kingdom. And yet somehow it’s really a non-issue, because we all want to do both.

At this point, we’re not losing more people. The ones who have stayed, it’s like we want to be together. And we don’t have the same practice paths. Some of us are studying with the Sakyong, some of us are not. And we simply want to be together. And, you know, we’ll figure it out. Because we want to be together.

I think probably the Board and the Potrang, somehow, the fundamental infrastructure will be intact. And then what we’re learning now, which is actually how to have conversations, is going to really be important once we sit down in our local center.

I think that major change is going to be to have regular nonprofit governance, and local communities that are really inclusive where people who choose to take vows and work with the Sakyong in that way are included—but the people who don’t are fully empowered in the local organization.

Bringing attention to how we support the health, the fundamental health of our communities, regardless of how we’re dealing with these issues. It’s almost like there’s issues, and then there’s a fundamental health that needs to be strengthened for all of us.

To help with long-term support, support from the Board or from the Process Team, directly to local centers, facilitators from outside to support conversations like this within each sangha. There’s a trust issue there. I think, and so having outside folks who are deeply knowledgeable about Shambhala would be really helpful to have us help us have those conversations we need to have.