Newsletter sent on February 2018:
Dear Dechen Chöling Friend,
Here we are in the Year of the Earth Dog and many of you were able to participate in your local centre or group’s Shambhala Day practices and celebrations yesterday. We wish you all a magnificent new year, under the influence of richness and stability.
Yesterday was without a doubt a great moment for our community, showing its collective strength and its ability to manifest and propagate enlightened society. Testiment to this growing confidence, we witnessed extraordinary generosity with this new fundraising record: $ 750,000 – goal achieved! This is good for bringing us trust and lungta, and also for all the Shambhala projects that will benefit from this impressive support.
‘May the Shambhala Centres radiate kindness and inspiration. May they continue to expand, allowing a multitude of warriors to train’.
Excerpt from ASPIRATION OF SHAMBHALA – Fulfilling the Wishes of the Dorje Dradül
As Shambhala’s European residential land centre, Dechen Chöling will receive a portion of the donations to continue upgrading its hospitality infrastructure.
As Shambhala’s European residential land centre, Dechen Chöling will receive a portion of the donations to continue upgrading its hospitality infrastructure.
The task is enormous! Last year, nearly 2,000 participants came to the centre, training for a total of 15,000 programme days. Our mission would not be possible without the help of the whole sangha who contribute in many ways – giving their money and time – so that the Shambhala teachings can be transmitted and permeate our society.
To all of you we express our deep appreciation for the support given to Dechen Chöling in 2017. On this very first day of the year, we renew our appeal for the upcoming 2018 high-season.
In particular, we encourage you to take up the offer to be a part of our Meditation in Action programme (see link). This programme offers to its participants the opportunity to integrate the daily practice of meditation, the teachings and community life in our centre. It can be an intense and demanding experience in the summer, but also very enriching and rewarding for those who take the leap. Read more in the testimony of Elouan.
We hope that many of you will seize this chance to help and for those of you who don’t, please pass this message through to your networks. This MIA support during our spring-summer season is essential for the residential centre and it benefits the entire Shambhala community.
Upcoming public programmes
23 February-23 March: Spring Dathün – Intensive Meditation Retreat
23 February-9 March: Spring Dathün – first 2 weeks
2-8 April: Mudra – Activating Kindness Beyond Borders
8-14 April: Shambhala Art Lab – Art as a Path of Awakening
30 April-7 May: Silent MIndfulness Retreat
14-20 May: Feminine and Masculine Dynamics in the Five Wisdoms Mandala
Original programmes in 2018
First-of-their-kind at Dechen Chöling
By Peter Conradi, Choosing Sanity over Confusion: 8-14 October
By David Rome, Living in the Challenge – Introduction to Mindful Focusing: 10-14 October
See you soon at Dechen Chöling!
Yours in the vision of the Great Eastern Sun,
Pascal Gaillard