Dear Shambhala Community,
Thank you for your many responses to the letter from the women acharyas. We have been listening to the range of emotions and calls for action in community forums, practice programs, and the responses to our letter over the past several weeks. A wide variety of perspectives and feelings have been expressed including heartbreak, anger, doubt, relief, betrayal, appreciation, and longing. We acknowledge the pain and suffering of those who have experienced harm as well as those who are sitting with confusion and ambiguity.
Many people are asking how they can reconnect with their practice in these challenging times. The acharyas have been hosting conversations in their local centers and in the regional programs they have been teaching. We would now like to offer our support by providing online forums to discuss practice and study of the dharma. Since not everyone has access to a local sangha, we are organizing a series of zoom meetings. We are partnering as acharyas with other community members to bring diverse viewpoints and skills to facilitate these forums. We are presenting these forums beginning this week.
Upcoming Live Forums with Acharyas
(Open to the Shambhala Community)
Exploring the Relationship between the Student,
the Teachings and the Teacher
Acharyas Susan Skjei and Fleet Maull
Wednesday, September 22 at 6pm ET
Finding One’s Heart in Hard Times
Acharya Moh Hardin and Mary Sehlinger
Sunday, August 26 at 12pm ET
Women in Buddhism
Acharya Holly Gayley
Four Thursdays, beginning August 30 at 7pm ET
Lineage and Warriorship
Acharyas Charlene Leung and Gaylon Ferguson
Wednesday, September 19 at 7pm ET
Teacher-Student Relations in the Three Yanas
Acharya Han de Wit
Every Thursday in September at 2pm ET
For more forums, including those for restricted groups, click here.
When things fall apart, it is an opportunity to co-create a society and culture that is more engaged, transparent, equitable, and inclusive. The more we can speak and listen genuinely from our hearts, the more we can learn from each other and embody our core values of basic goodness and enlightened society. We hope these and other dialogues underway in Shambhala will help guide our community toward healing.
With care and appreciation,
Dale Asrael
Marianne Bots
Emily Bower
Christie Cashman
Susan Chapman
Pema Chödrön
Suzann Duquette
Holly Gayley
Arawana Hayashi
Beate Kirchhof-Schlage
Charlene Leung
Barbara Märtens
Magali Meneses Ibanez
Melissa Moore
Sabine Rolf
Eve Rosenthal
Judith Simmer-Brown
Susan Skjei
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